My Secret, My Bully, My Mates by Miss L

I nod and then realize they can’t see me. “Okay, can you keep talking, please.” I can’t hide the desperation in my voice. I need this to be real, even if I have lost my mind, it can be real in my head for as long as possible. It’s the only thing that keeps me moving forward.

They each take turns telling me stories, some are stupid and completely made up and others are just what happened at the training compound recently. I tell them about what I see and when I come across a human’s scent. It lets me know when I am getting too close to a hiking trail or campground. And as much as I would love to see real people, it’s the last thing I need when I am in my wolf form and have a half unconscious person riding on my back.

I finally get to a large body of water that has cut a deep ravine through this section of mountain. I stop and sit letting Jena slide off with a thud.

I focus on shifting back, then

tentatively, moving towards the water to get a drink. I cup my hands intending to take a small sip, but once the cool liquid passes my lips a frenzy takes over and I keep scooping up handfuls until my stomach hurts. When I look back, Jena still hasn’t moved. She is just staring out at the water. “You need to drink, it

say a word, words won’t help her right now. Her mind has just started processing that she is out and probably the safest she has been in a very long time. The shock is starting to set in.

walk hand in hand like that to the edge of the water and kneel together. I take my hands and scoop some water and take a small drink, then she mimics me like a pup trying to do it for the first time. She does the same thing I did at first and just keeps taking in the delicious liquid like a child eating ice

is nothing a human would be fit to swim in but the temperature feels great to us. I start to wash at my dirt caked feet and then the exposed portions of my arms and finally my face. Jena does the same. The clean cool water