Freedom. (bxb, shifter)

Chapter 8

a/n hey everyone sorry for the long wait, this is a bit of a shorter chapter but life is super hard rn. i hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Rykers POV

As I suspected it was a very long day, and night, and day again. Each crack of his bones and small whimpers of pain sent shivers down my spine. There were many times I had wanted to step out of the room but I knew I couldn't leave him like this. What if he were to wake up and I wasn't here? He would be alone and confused and my heart couldn't take that.

Danya had come in several times to assess his needs and each time she would tell me he is progressing, slowly but still progressing nonetheless. Some of my packmates brought me food and all the paperwork I had been neglecting. Whilst I was getting our affairs in order I was waiting.

Waiting to see what this young man would look like. Waiting to see his reaction to shifting. It would be so very confusing for him and I hoped I would be able to assist in shifting some of that confusion.

I had just stepped out of the room for no more than 2 minutes to use the bathroom and refresh myself after some prompting from Danya. When I felt something in my chest. A small twinge. No more than a second did it last but it was there.

Upon entering the spare room I had set the bear up in, I heard no breaking of bones, no pain filled whimpers, just quiet breathing. As I walked closer to the side of the room I had left him in, my eyes couldn't believe what I was seeing. I knew the bear had been shifting but I had not expected this beautiful little creature to be on the carpeted floors.

He was small, or at least smaller than my 6'3 frame. His skin was almost translucent he was so pale. He was covered in small scars that showed how hard he had fought to live on the mountain he called home for whoever knows how long. As I moved closer to get a look at his face he remained still. His face was rounded, long lashes, full pink lips and tiny kisses of freckles dotted his face. He had thick dark brown hair atop his head that was in a bit of a dishevelled state.

But fuck me,he was beautiful.

I couldn't help but just watch him sleep and breathe peacefully. After several long moments he began to move around more. And at last he opened his eyes, I was shell shocked. The deepness of the brown within them was like the barks on all the trees of the mountains rolled into one. They were beautiful. He was beautiful.

The feeling in my chest had come back, my wolf was stalking around inside my head unsure of what the feeling was and where it was coming from. I was still unsure if this was the mating bond, it had never been described like this to me before. It was almost overwhelming. Was I just feeling protective over a new pack member? Or was I feeling this because he was alone for so long?

I didn't know what this feeling was but I never wanted it to end.

"Hey Bear." I said moving slowly closer.

He looked up at me and the confusion swam all over his face. He looked around making small chuffing sounds that sounded so different now that he was no longer a bear. It was sweet.

He seemed to realise something was wrong or rather different when he looked down at himself. Thats when i saw the panic really kick in.

Silas's P.O.V

I was awake. Back in the strange cave. I wasn't in the darkness anymore with the strange voice. But something felt off. Something had changed.

"Hey Bear." I heard a voice say and I looked over to see Ryker. Yet he seemed to be bigger; he was looking down at me rather than eye level. I sent out a chuff but it sounded different to my own ears. What was happening to me?

I had a sensation trying to push into the back of my brain like I was forgetting something, something important.

I looked at the floor surrounding me and was startled that there was a human so close to me when I spotted a pale leg as I tried to roar and move away from it. It followed me. I began to breathe heavier in fear and followed the length of the leg with my eyes until I found that it was connected to me?! The pale leg was connected to a torso which was connected to me??

WHAT?

Where was my fur? Where was my roar? What was happening. My breathing began to speed up, I was shaking. I knew that.

"Hey, hey, hey buddy its okay. Look at me and take some deep breaths," Rykers voice shot through my panic and as our eyes met I felt the smallest bit calmer and attempted to follow his breathing.

"That's it, Breathe in and out, in and out" Ryker was now sitting in front of me on the plush cave floor. "I know this is probably really scary for you Bear but you are a shifter. You saw my little pack member shift and over the last few days you've slowly been shifting as well. I know it's been some time since you've done so but this is who you are okay?"

My head was swimming. Me? A human. One of those things? Those mountain killers. Though Ryker and his pack weren't so bad. But they weren't even human, they were these shifter things.

I felt a tingling in my brain and a voice whispered Silas our name is Silas not Bear.

The voice from the dark place was back, the voice that happened after my paw made contact with the orb.

Try to remember us Silas.

I try to shake my head and still follow Rykers breathing but everything was becoming too much. There was something wrong in my head. A voice that wasn't me was talking to me and now I wasn't a bear anymore.

Oh how I longed for my mountain again. For the trees with the harsh bark and the small fish in the pond. For the sun rises and sunsets, for the soft wind in my fur. Everything was happening too fast. Someone please take me home.