A Gift from the Goddess

Book TWO – Ch.# 29

…I couldn’t believe I was actually thinking of doing this.

Again

I should have already learnt niy lesson by now… no, I really shouldn’t be trying to make it stronger. I already knew how dangerous that side of me was. And yet Kieran looked at me with those puppy dog eyes, making it feel impossible to deny him.

…So here I was.

Contemplating doing the very thing I was sure would make him happier than it would make me.

I knew he wanted me to be completely healthy again, to be able to do the things he could do, to try and… fix me. Which wasn’t a bad thing, per se. It was great. It’s just… I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that yet. This wasn’t like asking me something trivial. He was asking me to connect with a beast who had terrorised me for years.

A shiver went through me as I recalled every time it had happened, remembering the blood and bodies. Remembering… the pain. Not even Kieran had been sale last time, it having lashed out at him as well. “I’ll be right here with you, I promise,” Kieran said, disrupting my thoughts. It won’t be like the last time. You don’t need to worry.”

Right.

Because the medicine should have stopped the suppressors by now… which should theoretically stop the pain… which should then stop the blackouts… and the death toll after it.

So simple. Logical

Surely nothing bad would happen again. I could do this.

And so I held my breath tentatively. “…Okay, Kieran,” I said, feeling numb. “I’ll do it.” And I agreed to do the very thing that terrified me.

I stood a foot or so away from him as we got started, watching him carefully. A small tremor was shaking through me, but I did my best to push through it. Now, more than ever, I needed to focus entirely on what Kieran was trying to tell me.

It quite literally could mean life or death.

“Deep breath, Rae,” he said, doing it himself as if to remind me how.

Yes… thank you for that.

But I still did it regardless.

“Okay, now… close your eyes… and reach deep inside. Try to connect with her,” he instructed

I wanted to be sick.

“Rac… close your eyes,” he repeated, seeing me hesitate.

…And I did as he asked.

So basic. This was meant to be straightforward biology. Because turning into a woli was meant to be normal. Yep, just a totally ordinary thing to do.

But as I reached down towards it inside, I felt a spark of revulsion. One that stemmed from the idea of letting it control me once more. It was like tempting late, opening the door to allow it to hurt others; something that I had sworn to leave behind as I began my new life.

And so I said… no. No more Never again.

If we were to do this… then we were going to do it my way

And I quickly grabbed ahold of the creature lurking, its teeth bared at me from the shadows of my mind and I threw it to the surface. I threw it to the surface and held it in place, forcing it to do what I willed it to.

An action that was then swiftly followed by the sound of my joint cracking.

SNAP
…And another…

*SNAPPpo

…And another….

And soon I felt pain overcome me, my body shifting and twisting in all sorts of ways I didn’t think possible. Contorting into new shapes, burning with every modification … a loud orchestra of flesh and bone moving that overwhelmed my

ras

me?” I

III

It felt manageable… And

concentration to achieve.

I could tell that much. Maybe to try and get a reply from me. But it wouldn’t matter

before everything stilled. The world stopped moving, my nausea slowly passed… and, finally, it

“Rae?” Kieran asked.

IP

FDE

moved my head, it seemed as though everything was now… sharper, my senses feeling heightened tenfold. “Are you

was still holding the creature hostage inside, its teeth snapping at me for control. But not this time. This time, I wouldn’t allow it even an inch of

had to be that way for everyone. Whatever I was doing was clearly

in a way that I hoped conveyed my presence and nodded my

prove I was

A wolf.

in the skin of the monster

try going for a run?”

not particularly. I think I

+

1

start shifting himself. And, before too long had passed, his

there was Kieran and then there was his wolf. When I’d first seen him in this form, It had very

his wolf was more in charge. It felt

I was holding that side of

could, he

he wanted me to follow him, I could feel my

built… and built… and by the time I was finally taking my first steps, moving for the very first time as myself in this form… I felt

thin.

suddenly… it broke. **Shift back. NOW*,’1

2.2

to take control, attempting to push me aside so quickly it was like an elastic band that had snapped. But I managed to command this one last thing, saying it a second before it was too late. And,

Kieran asked, a few moments later. “Is everything okay?” He’d been much faster at shifting forms than me, as was to be

I replied. “I’m just…

I spoke, unable to hide the adrenaline that fear had shot through me. I’d been so close to losing control… so close to letting it

ICT

you did so well,” he said, coming over to

in his arms, I

sure you’ll be shifting like a pro in no time. Don’t worry about it.” Oh, but I was worried. Of course, I was. This was yet another thing I needed to overcome. Another thing to prove my worth to

Conquer… *t*

The beast inside.

to leave?” Kieran asked as I

than the last given I knew a lot more now. I’d had time to get to know the people better and settle in, and, though I was still a

“Ready.” I smiled.

the dining hall to meet the

background noise that I’d learned to live with, but instead of noise, it was

sounds nice,” I said, meaning it

it was her next words that then took me by

my discomfort. “I love having the time to do

the whole thing. And suddenly I felt the burning need for a

both.

much. The usual,” I vaguely

“Did you – ,”

the bathroom quick,” I said, cutting her off. “I’m so

the abruptness, but I hadn’t meant it maliciously. I was just starting to

probably realising it was odd

a minute,” I reassured. And I left towards the bathroom, moving before

place. I knew Allison hadn’t intentionally meant any harm, but her words had been a badly timed sting. I didn’t know the feeling she spoke about, I didn’t know how it felt to

voice to my left. 11 had interrupted my concentration so harshly that it made me