Only Exception | P.L

1.09 First Controlled Shift

She shook her head. "I'm tired of being scared of myself."

There was a pause. "I want to do this."

Sam nodded once, a small show of trust. "We'll be right here. Start by grounding like Paul taught you."

Tala closed her eyes.

Inhale — pine, earth, rain-soaked bark.
Exhale — the tension in her shoulders, her throat, her chest.

She reached for the hum beneath her skin — the buzzing, restless warmth she'd been avoiding since her first shift. This time she didn't push it away. She touched it.

It roared up to meet her.

Her breath hitched as the sensation crawled through her veins like lightning. Her fingers curled. Her knees trembled.

"It's okay." Paul said softly. "I'm right here. Follow it. Don't fight it."

He didn't touch her, but she felt him anyway — like gravity settling at her back, pulling her toward herself rather than pulling her apart.

The shift came not like an explosion this time, but like unraveling light.

Her bones reshaped with heat, her spine lengthened, muscles twisting, pulling, forming. Pain sparked — sharp, electric — but it wasn't unmanageable. Not with Paul's steady voice in her ear and Sam's grounding presence just ahead of her.

"Tala, breathe." Sam reminded.

She did. And then the world snapped into clarity.

Where Tala stood moments before, a wolf now crouched — midnight-black fur glistening with moisture, eyes bright like molten bronze. Bigger than she remembered. Stronger.

But in control.

Paul froze.

For a heartbeat, he didn't breathe.

Then something softened in him — awe, relief, something deeper that Tala felt like a heat in her chest. Not the imprint tugging, but recognition.

"Hey." He whispered, voice cracking. "There you are."

Tala's wolf ears flicked forward.

She stepped toward him cautiously, the earth soft beneath her paws. Every scent hit her at once — Sam's calm, Jared's quiet amazement, Emily's warm sweetness, and Paul—

Paul.
Sun-heated skin, pine-resin warmth, something like home wrapped in wildfire.

It steadied her, anchored her in a way she hadn't expected.

Paul knelt down, slow and respectful, lowering himself to her level. "You did it. You actually did it."

Tala huffed, a soft snort — embarrassed and proud and overwhelmed all at once.

Sam stepped closer then, careful but confident. "How's it feel?"

Tala turned her head toward her brother, nudging his hand with her muzzle. Sam exhaled shakily — the gesture hit him harder than he showed.

"You're okay." he murmured, touching the side of her head. "Thank God. You're okay."

Tala leaned into him, her wolf instincts making affection automatic. Sam's throat tightened — she could smell the emotion on him.

But then her gaze slid back to Paul.

He stood, straightening fully, giving her space to decide the next move. No push. No expectation.

Just... presence.

Tala padded toward him.

Slowly. Testing herself. Testing him.

Paul froze again, not out of fear, but out of some deep, still shock. "You sure?" he whispered.

She nosed his palm.

Paul let out a breath that shook.

Then he lifted his hand — slowly, so slowly — and rested it against the fur between her ears.

"Tala," he breathed. "You're incredible."

His voice wasn't reverent — it was full, warm, breaking-open-soft. A tone she didn't know he had in him.

And Tala, in wolf form, felt something she hadn't expected:

Calm.
Centered.
Seen.

Jared let out a low whistle. "She already listens better than Paul does."

Paul shot him a look but didn't move his hand from Tala's head.

Sam watched them both, something proud and relieved settling in his features. "You're in control, kid," he murmured, voice thick. "Just like I knew you would be."

Tala curled closer to Paul's legs, the way wolves leaned into packmates they trusted.

Paul swallowed hard.

"I've got you," he whispered. "Whenever you're ready to shift back, I'll help. If you want to stay like this for a while, I'll stay with you. Just tell me."

Sam added gently, "You choose what comes next."

For the first time since her life changed... Tala truly believed it.

And for the first time since the imprint, Paul's presence didn't confuse her.

It comforted her.
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A.N:

aghh my sweet girl had her first controlled shift!!

let me know what you guys think so far

peace out, love y'all <3