Within you I found home

eighteen

        You'd only checked it yesterday and there had been a big, ugly scab there. Your pain levels had gotten surprisingly better but they'd still been there, hadn't they?

        You'd felt them this morning...

        Or had you just imagined them?

        Next you check your ankle, littered with scars from over the years of Mithun nipping at you, only to find those gone, too.

        "What's happening to me?" you ask fearfully, your voice shaking before you clear your throat and put on a brave face. "What's- what's changing me?"

        You didn't want to worry Mithun so throw him a forced smile. His expression tells you he didn't buy it.

        Nico shifts on his feet, looking unsure, as if it didn't know whether to answer or not.

        So, you bark at him, "Tell me."

        He eyes you, sees how serious you are, before nodding once and approaching. He kneels in front of you once more.

        "You have shifter DNA in you," he reveals, searching your face closely.

        You blink at him. Did you hear him right?

        When he sees you're not freaking out too much, he continues, "You're not changing completely. I can't sense your wolf. I don't think there's enough of it to turn you, not entirely. But it seems to have given you a few perks."

        Your head spins. "How long have you known?"

        "A few days now," he admits. "You've not been feeling well, have you?"

        "No," you admit, because you had been feeling off but you'd put it down to other things. "Ache-y. Suddenly feeling too hot or too cold. Dizzy at times."

        "And it's getting worse," he says knowingly.

        You nod, swallowing fearfully. "I only experienced it every other day. Now it's every day."

        Nico curses under his breath. "I think that's why the Wendigo left you. The human in you was enough to wake it from its slumber, but once it was close enough it could smell the shifter. That's when it lost interest."

        "What do we do?" Mithun asks, glancing between you. "If it's getting worse, will she be ok?"

        "Yes," Nico says without hesitation. Your eyes fly to his and you wonder if he was only saying that for both yours and Mithun's sake. Catching your eye, he nods at you, reinforcing his words. "You're strong, Bambi. Stronger than most. This won't be the thing which ends you."

        His belief in you almost brings you to tears and you bob your head back at him.

        "I'll be strong enough," you whisper, before shaking your head at yourself for getting emotional. "Sorry."

        His hand lands on your leg and he squeezes it. "No apologies, bambi." Standing, he looks around the cave before deciding, "I think it's time we vacate here."

        Mithuns eyes widen at that. "You mean it's time to go to your pack?"

        "Yeah." Nico cracks a smile when Mith jumps excitedly to his feet. "Your Mom's healed and they might be able to give us some answers about what's happening to her."

        There's something in his voice which makes you suspicious. As if he's holding back. You eye him, but he ignores you and stands, offering a hand to you.