02 | Sense

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❝She sensed nothing and too much at the same time.❞

Her breaths warmed the air as she focused exhaled

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Her breaths warmed the air as she focused exhaled. It was silent and serene, and her body happily sunk into the peaceful still of the world. She was even laying on a bed.

On a bed.

She shot up, heart thudding and breath faltering. It was too sudden; her vision teetering sideways, her head aching at the change. It took much willpower not to let her limp body collapse into the bed. She groaned, her arms rushing to rub her temples. Her thoughts were much too slow, just like every other part of her.

Inside, she was panicking. Her senses were returning too slowly. She could feel that she wasn't in good condition to move to sit up, never mind across territories. Everything ached. Wherever she was, she didn't currently have the option of escaping, which likely meant one thing.

She didn't want to die today. It would be pathetic to go out laying on a bed. It took a minute for her thought to fully register in her head. When it did, she immediately scolded herself, glancing at her wrapped hind leg with disdain. It wouldn't kill her. That was a tad bit melodramatic, wasn't it?

It was only after her finishing the thought that she realized that there was someone else in the room: a girl. She nearly let a whimper slip through her lips as she jumped where she was on the bed, startled. Her nose had failed her. She immediately regretted the action, which sent a stabbing pain through her already injured leg. She didn't bother taking the time to wince or even grimace, instead gritting her teeth as she watched the girl warily.

Show no weakness.

For the first time, she recognized a pair of clothes on the nightstand beside her, and a blanket on the end of the bed. After weighing the risk of shifting while with a stranger and whether to shift under the blanket or not, she decided to shift in plain sight.

She moved to climb out of the bed, eliciting a squeak from the girl in the room with her, who moved towards her after a moment's worth of hesitation. She growled in warning, her fur bushing up to make her seem bigger. She would not hesitate to attack if threatened, injured or not. It was another minute, and once she was assured that the girl would not move again, she finished lowering herself off of the bed.

She didn't mind showing her body to the other girl. Her shift was quicker than a normal wolf's, just a momentary glimpse before she threw the shirt on the nightstand over her head. If the girl had seen her body, it would have only been enough time to register how muscular she was and just how dangerous she could be. She made quick work of the rest of the clothes, sliding them on, careful not to disturb her injured leg.

She knew better than to turn her back for even a second, no matter how trustworthy the other wolf in the room looked.

How long had it been since she'd passed out? How long since she'd eaten? Where was she? On whose territory was she alive, and why was she alive? Questions thrummed through her brain at a pace that made her mind hurt.

She was hungry and thirsty; she knew that much. Even from a mere growl, her throat had protested, dry and unappeasable. She didn't feel like opening her mouth and forcing out each syllable – not when changing her clothes already exhausted her.

She eyed the other wolf warily. She was in no position to make demands, in no position to escape, and in no position to do anything essential. Her body needed the rest. It needed to recover after being injured. If she were to run, it would do no good. She had to be smart about this. Her choices were to sleep or stay awake as long as she could manage. Her hazy mind worked slowly, uncertain about the optimal choice. The girl in the room didn't seem to be threatening to her by any means. As long as she slept lightly, maybe things would be okay.

It was far too tempting an option. Everything hurt. If she didn't have access to food or water, the next best thing for her body would be to sleep. Her physical condition needed to improve if she was going to have any chance of making it out of this territory alive.

This could be her only chance to rest for a really long time.

She remained fixated on the other wolf in the room for a moment, her eyes too weary to narrow in a threatening way. Her knees wanted nothing more than to welcome the floor's impact.

Maybe it was just her, but the clothes she was wearing smelled nicer than any detergent her family had ever used. Particularly the shirt.

She must have really need the sleep.

"Can I trust you?"

Her question hung in the air, useless. It was a waste of breath, yet some part of her ached for reassurance. Hearing another wolf's voice that was not in her family had never been a possibility before a life on the run, but her mind didn't ask to satisfy her curiosity.

The girl stared at her wide-eyed, opening her mouth briefly and then closing it. She gave a simple nod, never taking her eyes off of her.

The girl wasn't necessarily trustworthy, but her instincts told her that it might be okay this time. Or maybe that was just her disillusioning herself with the persuasion of every limb in her body aching.

She didn't care, throwing all ideas of precaution that she'd previously been taught to the nonexistent wind. She practically fell into the bed, suddenly glad for her oversized shirt and baggy pants. She didn't bother taking the time to pull the blanket from the bottom of the bed around her for warmth, instead choosing to make a small movement into a more comfortable position. Her head hit the pillow, and her eyes fluttering shut. Her last thoughts were of her family and the gorgeous scent that hit her nose again. She was starting to become used to the unknown scent soothing her senses.

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