Only Exception | P.L

1.09 First Controlled Shift

The rain had faded into a thin mist by the time Sam asked, "Tala? Walk with me?"

Paul's head lifted from where he was leaning against the counter, eyes flicking between them — checking, not questioning. Tala gave him a small nod, letting him know she was okay, and followed her brother out the back door.

The forest smelled different after rain — richer somehow. Every scent came to her layered and precise: wet cedar, damp soil, the faint musk of deer in the distance, even Sam's steady warmth in front of her. It all hit her at once, sharp and vivid.

She winced. "Everything's too loud. Too close."

Sam didn't turn, just slowed his pace so she could walk beside him.

"That's normal." He said. "The senses get louder before they settle."

"How long until it stops?"

"Depends." Sam glanced sideways. "Mine lasted a few months."

"A few months?" Tala groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "Sam—"

"Hey." He interrupted gently. "It gets easier. And you're not doing this alone."

They reached the clearing where the pack usually shifted. The ground was soft under their feet, still wet from rain. Tala looked around, recognizing it from the night she ran — memories of panic and heat tugging at the edges of her mind.

Sam noticed.

"That night doesn't define you." He said quietly. "You survived something most don't."

Tala looked down. "I lost control."

"You gained your wolf." Sam's voice softened even further. "Tala, do you know how rare it is for a woman to make it past her first phase? I thought—" His throat bobbed, jaw tightening. "We all thought we were going to lose you."

Tala swallowed hard, the emotion hitting too fast to brace for. Sam had never been dramatic, never tried to guilt her or overwhelm her. And now, seeing that quiet fear in him — fear for her — made something inside her crack open.

"I didn't know you were scared." She said.

Sam exhaled a short, humorless laugh. "I'm your big brother. I'm always scared where you're involved."

The truth of it sat warm and heavy between them.

A moment passed before Sam nodded toward the treeline. "Paul wants to help you with the next part."

"The next—" Tala cut herself off. "Sam, I'm not shifting again."

"You are." Sam said simply. "Not tonight. Not alone. Not uncontrolled. But soon. And this time? It'll be your choice."

Tala crossed her arms, trying and failing to hide her nerves. "What if I can't do it?"

"You will." Sam said with absolute certainty. "Not because of the wolf. Because you're stubborn and reckless and you always push through the fear."

She gave him a weak glare. "Thanks?"

He nudged her shoulder, a soft smile ghosting across his face. "You're stronger than you think. But you don't have to prove it. Not to me. Not to any of us."

Before she could respond, a twig snapped behind them. Paul.

He stood at the edge of the clearing, hands in his pockets, gaze flicking between them — checking again, always checking.

Tala's senses expanded toward him on instinct, tracing the heat rolling off him, the steady rhythm of his breathing. It soothed that buzzing in her head in a way she still couldn't explain.