I couldn't stay here. I had to get out of here. I needed to leave, as it was all too much for even me. I had survived my parent's death, I had survived being mauled by primalupuses and discovering that my upbringing was a lie, but this was too much. To find out that my whole life was a lie and that there wasn't even anything remotely human about me. Suddenly all those visions and weird dreams had a purpose and made sense, they were my past lives and my memories. I fled out of the barn and in to the woods, in fear of what people would do to me if they knew I was an Exile; in fear of myself and what I could do. Exiles were feared by even other supernatural beings for a reason. They were known to be emotionless and ruthless. They made up the banished army of heaven's rebellion. What if now that my abilities and true identity had been unlocked, my very personality changed and I became someone else entirely.
Maara was hot in pursuit, as we both crashed through the ferns, trees and vegetation. Plants whipped me as I sped by and twigs snagged me; in my delirium they felt like bony hands reaching out to snare me and I screamed my pain and fear into the night sky. My breathing was coming fast and laboured, as I pumped my arms sprinting deeper into the forest. Maara was gaining on me as the branches seemed to part for her and the vegetation blackened and wither at her touch. Would they eventually do that with me. Would my very presence made plants and fauna wither and die. Would the intensity of my angelic glow burn things I touched, if I couldn't control it. Would I end up hurting Sam?
I stumbled and fell, having tripped over a root because my attention had been elsewhere. I tried to gain my feet underneath me again, but I wasn't used to the weight of my wings pressing down on me yet. I spun on to my back and shuffled away as she approached at a slow walk now, looking like the avenging angel with all the shadows and darkness that clung to her.
"You don't need to fear me Nia we are one and the same." I crawled away from her outstretched hand and she sighed dropping the hand.
"What can I do to convince you we are alike. Maybe I should tell you the infamous story of how it all started." She took my wordless weariness as consent and began.
"Animals and humans evolved together as one, millions of years ago and there was no distinction or difference between them in the beginning. They evolved from the smallest and simplest single celled organisms, to mighty creatures such as the apes and wolves. Each branching off in to their own species, to create new and diverse creatures, that spread around what was then called Eden; but now just known as earth. The celestial's looked down upon humanity, playing in the mud and decided to give them a helping hand. We gave them so much, from knowledge on how to read the stars and navigate, to how to craft tools and make fire. We made the humans into what they essentially are today and in the beginning of all this they thanked us, by worshiping us." She was pacing back and forward as she spoke.
"Eventually humans turned away from us and the stars. The battles they fought with each other grew into wars andf they always wanted more. More land, more wealth and bigger civilisations. They were never satisfied." By now her fists were bunched and I could feel the anger radiating off her.
"I sought the council of the seraphim, telling them that the humans were destroying Eden and soon there would be nothing left of this paradise. Even the wretched primorphs and vampyres had to retreat to the darkest corners of society. Forced to live in the shadows and then myths of humans, as they continued to conquer all they set their eyes on. The seraphim would have none of it. They wanted to let fate take its own course and the angels were all told not to interfere with freewill." She stopped to look at me for a moment.
"There were of course some angels who believed as I did. We gathered together and then as one sought to take the heavens from the serephim. The plan was once we'd taken them out, we would have control over heaven and would be free to open the vortex's whenever we want. We would be able to descend to earth willingly and send the humans back to the dark ages; where they belonged." Maara turned to me with a glint in her eyes and stepped closer.
"Now you see, you must remember who you are. That you once resided with me in the heaven's. The destruction you helped me bring against the humans." My heart was in overdrive and the adrenaline pounding through my veins set me on edge. I was in fight or flight mode and at the moment was leaning heavily towards the latter, but still curiosity drew me to stay and hear her out.
"Who am I?" I asked delicately not sure I actually wanted to know.
"We knew each other in a very different time and place. We've shared centuries together in the nirvana of paradise." I know she could sense my fear and trepidation.
"We were consorts in heaven. You have nothing to fear from me and no one will ever be able to separate us again. I need you." I felt her lips on my neck, but it felt wrong. I didn't want this, I only wanted Samantha. She was pushing her way in, trying to get closer to me. I concentrated on the energy Kody had me awaken in me and threw everything I had at her. I don't know how I did it, I just knew I was desperate to get her off me and away from me. With a cry of surprise and fury she flew backwards and her spine collided with a tree trunk, with a sickening crunch. However, she got straight back up unfazed, with splinters showering down around her and I heard her spinal cord cracking in protest.
"It seems your memory isn't as intact as I'd hoped it would be, by now. That glamour must have been a strong one to mess with your memories." I kept backing away from her, my eyes wide with fear, but as my back connected with a tree, I realised I couldn't go any further; I was trapped. I did the only thing I could think of and prayed that she'd hear me. For the first time in my life, I screamed at the top of my lungs.
"Sam!"
Samantha.
I kicked a pebble into the mirrored surface of the lake and watched as my sad reflection wavered; as ripples distorted it. I had come to the small lake in the forest to think, stuffing my hands into my distressed jean pockets I watched the clouds roll slowly by, envious of their carefree existence. The pack wasn't expecting me for a late lunch today in the canteen, so I wouldn't be missed or disturbed. I had come straight out here to cool off, before I accidentally lost control and morphed. I was out here to basically wallowing in self-pity. Nia's life wasn't the only one that had been unraveling around her. I still had to contact my mum, but had been putting it off; maybe out of fear of the answers. There was nothing good that could make a primalupus abandon her pack and flee; like my mum had when I'd been born. I also knew Nia was hiding some big dark family secret from me. After all, there had been a mob of supernaturals outside her parents house, practically baying for their blood and that wasn't normal.
Another thing that bothered me, was that I could never truly let go and fully become the free wolf my pack was. I would never be part of the Wild Hunt, under those full moons. At first I had prayed for the control over my lupine body, as I hadn't wanted to hurt Nia; until I'd learned control. However, now I relished the true release from this world of concrete jungles and noisy, judging humans. I was a wolf at heart and belonged in the wilds and always would, but I could never abandon Nia. The thought brought on a physical ache of pain, to even contemplate it and I could image my wolf instincts agreeing with me. At least I was getting some semblance of peace from them at the moment, they always went crazy when I was around Nia.
*****
The clouds drifted lazily across the blue expanse and my heart swelled at the thought of all that room to run and be free. A strong gust of wind, powerful enough to whip the branches of the trees, caught my attention, as it stirred up a storm of leaves and dust. It dissipated over the lake and as I turned to look in to the woods behind me, where it had come from, a wolf appeared to me in the shadows of the wood boundary line. I turned to study it, as it just stood there looking at me. Our primalupus scent meant we often got lone, wild wolves joining us on a hunt and sharing the territory of the campus grounds with us. They however, were of no threat.
This wolf was just a common grey wolf, but my blood sang with recognition of our common genetics. The markings seemed familiar, but I would have to remember where I'd seen them later on, because the wolf was trotting away and looking back once over its shoulder waiting. The gesture was obvious, it wanted me to follow it and so I did.
I ran behind the wolf, following it deeper into the woods, for what felt like ages and it stopped every so often to let me catch up, but the almost human like look of concern on its face kept me going and I sped up, pushing branches out of my way as I went. Sometimes when the wolf passed through beams of the phosphorescent moonlight and when it did, it looked almost transparent and ghostly.
A scream shattered the air and the wolf howled mournfully in response, before breaking into a run. I was now running at full pelt, leaping logs or fallen branches and dodging low hanging branches.
"Sam!" The cry tore at me inside and I howled a response, before leaping and changing mid-air. Nia needed me and a wolf never leaves one of its pack members behind. I roared when I came upon the scene and without thinking, flung myself at the person practically pinning her to the trunk as she squirmed as far away as she could; almost burrowing in the trunk to get away from him.
Nia.
Samantha leaped out of the surrounding woods, with a throaty roar. The kind of sound that burrows into your cranium, until it had grabbed onto the long forgotten primitive self, that lives in each of us. The one forgotten since man lived in caves and hunted with teeth, claws and spears. The one that wakes up in the face of danger and makes you react on impulses; out of self-preservation. What it awakened in me, made me fight harder against Maara.
The wolf leaped at Maara, who turned at the last minute so she was sent crashing to the ground, instead of having her belly disemboweled, but I'd seen her shake of and walk away from leaving a dent in a tree trunk; so this was a mere annoyance. She flipped herself to her feet, in a move so fast and fluid, it blurred. The wolf skidded around and snarled, her fur bristling along the entire length of its back and tail, making it inches taller, as electricity crackled and snapped off its ridged back hair line. Saliva and spittle dripped from its fangs as it eyed Maara, but I still saw Samantha's eyes looking out from the wolf's face.
Then as Samantha seemed to access the Exile in front of her, a bit of the confidence leeched away. The changes were subtle, but noticeable in her body language, if you knew what to look for. Her tail wasn't held so high in dominance and aggression anymore and she had stopped growling in outright anger. It was like she knew she couldn't beat Maara, but still she didn't back down. Instead she subtly shifted herself sideways, until her body was blocking any direct access Maara had to me.
"Who do you think you are, leaping in here like you're some kind of big bad wolf. Trying to save you're mate?" She laughed at Samantha and the sound was filled with condescension. She spread her arms wide in triumph.
"I'm guessing no one ever told you about the monsters that Exiles are. You can't kill us, we're immortal. Even primorphs heal slowly compared to us."
Something started to happen then. Samantha looked at me and for a moment I thought she had given in, however I noticed yellow starting to slip into her eyes, taking over her usual blue colour. Normally whilst she was in wolf form her eyes would remain their human colouring, only really turning a little yellow if the wolf was coming to the surface, when she was human. For the yellow to appearing like this now, was a bad sign. A sign that she was giving herself over entirely to the wolf. Sam was no longer in the driving seat of her mind, instead her wolf was stepping forward and with a wild animal in control, everything just became even more unpredictable. Even Maara wavered for a moment, when she caught sight of Sam's eyes; but the look of concern was fleeting and didn't last.
*****
The beast dived for Maara and I froze in terror, not daring to move in case it brought its attention to me and it saw me as the easier prey. I could imagine less painful ways to die, than being ripped apart by a wild primalupus. Luckily the beast hadn't noticed me and was fixated instead on Maara, its gaze unwavering as it drilled into him. I felt a moment of sympathy for the celestial's predicament, at being caught in the cross-hairs of a primalupus; with its wolf in control, but mostly relief it wasn't me. The beast snapped and lunged at Maara, but she managed to somersaulted backwards with the grace of a ballerina, lashing out a foot as she did, so that her boot connected with the wolf's jaw with a crack. The beast didn't even yelp in pain when its head was snapped to the side, by the force of the blow. Maara landed in a crouch on all fours and eyed up the hulking beast before her with a battle smile on her face.
"I was a general in the heavens and commanded my own legion of angels. Do you really think you can defeat me." Enraged at this small victory, the beast slashed out a paw, each toe was laced with a deadly hooked claw; intent on tearing Maara's face to shreds. She waited until the last possible moment, before ducking under the path of the paw and slamming a fist upwards into the wolf's exposed and vulnerable jugular, making it back up choking and gagging. The creature's yellow eyes glared balefully at the Exile and she resorted to going on the offensive, as she circled Maara looking for a point of weakness. Maara of course spun with the beast, never breaking the stare, or letting it out of her sight; her hands hanging ready and loose. It was a Texas stand-off, until she suddenly turned to me with a snarl of her own.
"When its time, I'll be back for you, Nia." Then she spread her two massive eighteen foot wings, in all of their majestic glory and leaped up into the tree canopy. The downdraft caused a gust of wind to sweep over us and I put up my hands to shield myself from being pelted by the flying twigs and dust. The beast too turned its head away from the onslaught and as it did, its gaze finally settled on me. The blood drained from my face and my hands trembled in fear. It sniffed the air, probably savoring the scent of the fear that was pulsing off me in waves, before it turned around to face me fully. The look in its feral eyes almost daring me to run; so it could give chase. It was a predator and it was in its natural to relish the chase, before the bringing down its prey. Primalupuses enjoyed the wild hunt every full moon, the transformation leaving them starved of calories and famished for a meal. I heard my dad's voice cut through my mind, surprising me in the moment. 'You turn tail girl and get the hell out of there, girl. There's no shame in runnin', if you live to fight another day.' The familiar twang of his voice had my heart aching. However I didn't move an inch. I could never outrun a primalupus and knew there was no use in even trying.'
It stepped forward and began circling me, steadily pacing and even though it was the size of a horse, its paws made no sound on the forest floor. It stopped behind me and I tensed, expecting to feel canines tearing into my flesh any minute, wishing I could have seem Sam's blue eyes one last time. As I felt its breath at my back, I found myself thinking of her. Of all the times we'd shared together over the years, until the day I discovered what she was; it was also the day she had discovered what she was. I could sympathize with the confusion, fear and anger that had no doubt coursed through her then. I'd felt it myself at Maara's revelation in the barn. Its breathe was hot and moist on my back, as its muzzle rubbed against my skin; having lifted my shirt slightly. I didn't know why it was taking to long to eat me, but I was completely frozen in fear; unable to move a muscle. I felt it inhaling my scent and moving lower down my body. It was still behind me, so I couldn't see what it was doing, only feel it and I felt the slight sharp prick of its fangs glide down to the top of my trousers. The air seemed to still between us and then with a sudden twist and jerk, it flung its head to the side. The movement jarred me and I lost my balance, it was enough to snap me out of my frozen state and as I fell, I manged to catch myself with my hands.
I landed on my hands and knees and whilst my trousers were still on me, they now had a gaping rip in them and I could feel the cool forest air against my backside. Its muzzle was suddenly back and I yelped with surprise, as it again pressed against me; only this time there was no material in between us. A wet and rough tongue traced it way up from between my legs, to my bare arse; making my fingers curl in the dirt beneath me at the unwanted attention. If it had liked my scent before, my taste now drove it crazy; as it started lapping at me from behind. Turning my head, I could see its domineering body looming over me, but its face and muzzled was buried in my ruined trousers. Groaning, I couldn't deny the sensations coursing through me, but it felt wrong at the same time. I was sure this wasn't Sam and that I was having a wild animal ravaging me.
Suddenly its tongue slipped inside, making my body quake, as a shiver spread along my spine. My breathing was ragged and I could no longer deny how wet I was getting from being eaten out by the wolf, whilst on my hands and knees.
"Oh god ..." I couldn't form words, as its tongue dove deep inside me; further than any human tongue could have gone. A combination of my wetness and its saliva was now coating my backside; as my body trembled in the dirt. I found myself pushing back against its snout, all objections gone, as I felt the tides of an orgasm building up within me. It's tongue was touching places I didn't know was possible, rolling upwards to push against my g-spot and making my eyes roll back. I came hard, the force from it and the pressure of its tongue inside me, made my orgasm squirt out of me; no doubt coating its muzzle in my juices. Instead of stopping, the sudden surge seemed to excite the wolf further and it was now eating me out so forcefully, it was pushing me along the ground a bit. I had collapsed on my chest from the waves of bliss washing over me and my arse was now sticking in the air. I kept jolting from the sensitivity of it, but my arms were still to weak to support me, as I tried to crawl away. It didn't like me trying to escape and snapped at the air next to my head, a clear warning; before diving back in. I buried my face in my arms, to stifle the moans and my body continued to twitch, still sensitive from my orgasm. No need to encourage it any further.
I managed to gather up enough resolve, to twist my body and kick my leg out. It connected with the wolf's muzzle, snapping its head to the side with a startled yelp. Using the few seconds I had, after stunning it, I gathered myself up and ran into deeper the woods; kicking off the ruined remains of my trousers so to not trip over them. I knew I wouldn't have a big head start and that I wouldn't be able to out run iT, but maybe I could out climb it. Trying to ignore the remnants of my orgasm dripping down my legs, I focused on finding a tree that I could climb. Just when I was about to climb one, it came up behind me and bowled me over. I lost my grip on the branch and was once again flung to the ground. Once again it towered over me and snarl plastered on its muzzle. All of a sudden a faintly transparent wolf leap out of the foliage and blocked it off from me with its body. It didn't snarl, or bare its canines, but just stared at the beast with a knowledge that should have been beyond that of a wild wolf. What shocked me was that the beast actually backed down, as if the mere presents of this new wolf was a burdening weight upon it. It laid down with its great head on its front paws, ears pinned back against its skull, whilst darting anxious looks between me and the wolf. Then the new wolf turned to me and sudden sadness crashed over me. Its eyes were so human and so sad, as if it had so many unspoken things it wanted to say.
The markings on the wolf were familiar to me, but I had only seem them once. Even as I thought of the possibility the wolf started fading, growing dimmer and more transparent with every passing second, but as it did it began to change and when the mist had cleared, my mum stood before me looking at me with those same sad eyes.
"Mum." It was a half whisper, half question, in case this was just some vivid apparition before me. She smiled and spoke softly, her voice carried faintly on the wind; caressing my nerves and soothing my muscles.
"We'll always be here for you even if you cannot see us. I'm sorry there is so much we never got to tell you, but stay strong for yourself and those around you." She was washing out completely, until the only thing I could make out clearly were her eyes, that were gazing at me with a mixture of pride and a mournful sorrow. Then even they too dwindled and vanished entirely. I stepped forward in a panic, I couldn't lose her again.
"Wait!" I had so many questions and needed t lest some answers, but more than anything I just needed a hug. To be in her comforting arms again, as she rocked me and whispered in my ear that everything would be alright. Just like she had that night they had both told me about all the supernatural creatures and what it was they did. I slid to the forest ground and wrapping my arms around my chest, hugged myself. My head was bent forward so my hair curtained my face, giving me privacy as I cried with chest heaving sobs.
When I was all cried out, I looked towards Samantha to see the beast shaking as it changed back to the familiar girl I loved; albeit a naked one, but I could live with that. I took the opportunity to take in her naked form. Lithe muscle from all the shifting made up her body, but it was also a body with curves that stood before me.
"What happened?" She slurred her words a bit, like she was drunk, but I knew she was just dehydrated and famished. She would have very little, to no memory of what had happened because the wolf had taken over and she had been pushed back into the unconscious part of her own mind. She grabbed my hand suddenly and her skin was still hot from the shift, her hand shaking slightly from the draining effects of the adrenaline.
"I didn't hurt you or anyone, did I. I don't normally black out like that." She must have known something was up, even though she couldn't remember anything. I nodded that I was okay, but she noticed the tear marks down my cheeks and pulled in for a hug, as I sniffled. She was completely undaunted by her own nakedness and I guess she had gotten used to it, since she'd started shifting. I stood up and she immediately blushed.
"Um, where are your trousers?" She was trying not to look, but kept catching herself doing so.
"Don't worry about it. We need to get back to the campus rooms." She looked at me, unsure on how to proceed, knowing I was keeping something from her. I knew I had no choice but to tell her and the best way I could do that, was to show just her. I open my wings, slowly unfurling them away from my body, until they arch above and around me in a semi-circle. The transparency of the feathers gave them a delicate look, but I could feel how strong they were. They caught the light coming in through the canopy of the trees and glowed softly in it; a gentle illuminating glow that gave the illusion of an aura around me.
Samantha took a step backwards before she could stop herself and I didn't blame her for the impulsive reaction. I gave her a timid smile, but made no move towards her. After a moment she stepped forward and gently ran a hand over my right wing, the contact sparking a thousand sensitive nerve endings all over my feathers; that ran like electricity down my spine and I shivered gently.
"They're as soft as silk." She said in a slight awe.
"You don't mind them, then?" I tried to hide the hope in my voice and didn't know how to reply to her statement, because I myself was still getting used to them.
"Does this mean you're a celestial and not just a witch?" I could only nod, scared of the reaction, when I finally told her.
"Apparently I'm an exile." I held my breath, waiting for her response. She stepped forward and studied my eyes intently, before shrugging her shoulders.
"If you can cope with me being a primalupus, I can cope with you being an exile. I don't care what they say about exile's. I know who you are and you're my mate. You're not bad person, Nia." She reached up to cup my face, drawing me closer for a kiss, but as soon as her hand made contact with my skin, she let go all of a sudden; with a hiss of pain; a growl almost coming out of her mouth. We both looked down at her shaking palm in confusion. The skin all across her palm was now red and blistered, as if torched by an intense heat; but even as I watched, it started to smooth out. The accelerated healing kicked in, s her wolf worked to heal her and new skin grew in its place; until not even a scar was left. I'd done that to her. My very skin had burned and hurt her. She had thankfully healed quickly, just like all primorphs did. The very essence of what I was had burned her, I could see that way my skin glowed; seeming to come from within. It was a whole aura that surrounded me. Would this happen with everything that came into contact with me and was it a curse that all full-blooded celestial's carried. I knew that an exile's energy could do strange things on earth, but nobody was clear on what those things were. There had been tales of how the very presence of an exile in the skies could start thunderstorms, as they flew across; going so far as to alter the very currents in the air and create tornadoes. There were stories in the hunter's library of how they could cause volcanoes to erupt with no warning, but since there hadn't been any exiles on earth for such a long time; these records weren't deemed all that trustworthy. However after what I'd just done to Sam, I was beginning to believe more and more in their destructive force. No wonder they were feared and hated by both hunters and supernatural beings.
Bending down, I grabbed a small twig from the ground and held it flat against my open palm. As we both watched, it began to smoulder, as the bark blackened, with bits crumbling off. Then as we watched, it caught on fire. The small fire burned in my hands and whilst I could feel the heat radiating off it, it wasn't hurting me. I saw Sam lick her lips nervously as she cast her gaze at me, looking for any signs of pain; but I didn't feel any pain from the flames. When there was just a pile of ash and bits of charred wood left, I let my palm fall back to my side, and the remains dissipated in the air on the breeze. Was this what it meant to be an exile. To be unable to touch anything or anyone around me ever again, without fear of burning them? No wonder the archangels had hunted the exiles down after the war had taken place in heaven; to protect every living mortal and natural thing on earth.
The aura around me began to brighten and pulse, small flares of it radiating outwards from my skin. I could feel the ball of panic sitting in my chest, like a hard knot, as the raw emotions of grief and dread grew within. The pulses started to quick, flashing more urgently like a warning. Sam looked wary, taking a step back with nervousness in her eyes, whilst also reaching out a protective hand towards me, but stopped in realization that if she touched me again; she'd get burned. Sam was all I had left. Not just because of the death of my parents, but also because she was one of the only links left I had to my previous life as a human. All my good memories were centred around her. Even though it had been Alec that I'd trained with and who had even stayed over at my parents, it was Samantha I considered the only link to the life I had left behind and the future we'd been planning for.
Once we'd graduated from college, we were going to get internships with our respective degrees. The thing that I had been most excited about, was how we had been planning to rent an apartment together. We'd been friends since I was six and I'd known for several years that Sam had harbored a crush on me. I'd made a promise to myself that once we were living in the same apartment, I'd finally find the courage to tell her how I felt about her.
Thoughts of what could have been plagued my head. A simple life. I'd come to terms with her being a primalupus, but when I discovered that I was an exile, it had been the tipping point. The panic and sadness was now all-consuming and I was no longer aware of where Sam was around me, or what she was doing. I didn't realise it until now, but my hands were shaking. Was I having a panic attack?
Sam.
I couldn't stand next to Nia anymore. The glow that surrounded her, had started pulsing when she had zoned out; caught up in her mind. It hadn't taken long, before I noticed that the pulses were getting faster and faster and that her hands had started shaking. The heat around her, in that glow, intensified with the pulses; pushing me further back from her. My instincts were going haywire, telling me a danger was approaching, but I didn't know what. I just had the urge to run, which was surprising; since my wolf was so dominant and wolves never leave their mate behind. My wolf's first instinct usually wasn't to run, but to fight. Something bad was about to happen.
I don't know why I did it, but one second I was standing and the next I threw myself down to the forest floor. A wave of heat washed over my head, just as I dropped and I realised that I'd been a second away from getting incinerated. I didn't dare get up, but looking up, I saw a second wave of heat and energy pulse off the glow that surrounded Nia. It radiated outwards in a destructive arch, burning anything it came into contact with.
"Nia!" I yelled her name, hoping to get her attention. The wind was starting to get stronger around her, like she was at the epi-centre and she was, the epi-centre of destruction. The pulses passed through all the trees that surrounded us, in a complete arc, burning wood at such a high temperature that it sliced straight through them. It spread out about twenty meters, before fading out. Looking back at Nia, I saw that no more pulses had come, because her fists were clenched and I knew she was fighting to regain control again. Cautiously I stood up and walked back over to her, as the glowing aura that surrounded her, started to once again fade away.
Nia.
"Can you control it?" Sam's voice broke my thoughts as I was concentrating. I didn't want to hurt anyone, or be a danger to anything around me. I wanted be able to touch the woman I loved. I fought to gain control over the panic and other raw emotions swirling around inside me. It made sense now why full-blooded celestial's were so far removed from their emotions, when bouts of anger or any strong emotion proved so destructive.
As I gained control over my emotions again, the light slowly started to fade from around my wings and the aura that had been around me, receded back underneath my skin. I no longer had an ethereal glow about me, instead I looked quite human again. Sam leaned in to kiss me again, but I pulled away, scared that I'd burn her again.
"Nia." She held me by the wrists and I let her lips come closer again, until they were pressing against mine. She didn't flinch or pull away this time and once I realised that she was okay, I gave into their softness and I kissed her back. Our kiss was deep, long and passionate and I wrapped my arms around her shoulders; pulling her in closer. I felt a warmth starting to spread across my skin, covering every inch of me and thought it was just the passion and bond between us, until she staggered back and dropped to her knees on the floor. Looking down at her I could see I'd once again burned her, only this time it was all along her arms and across her lower face, where I had been hugging her. She had even started to shift as a defense mechanism from the pain and her wolf was pushing towards the surface; to heal her. After a few deep breathes her features once again returned to normal and she got to her feet again; walking towards me. I held up my hands to warn her off.
"Samantha I think you'd better stay back, at least until I know how to control all of this." She stopped short, before speaking.
"I'm sorry." I was sorry for many things too. For the things I had said to her when she'd first shifted and for the things she'd been through herself. She hushed me and wrapped her strong arms around me. As my head rested against her chest, I could see the damage I'd done around me. Flinching, I buried my face deeper against her skin. I was too numb to feel any emotions right now and I guess that was the reason I wasn't glowing. Strong emotions seemed to set me off.
"I choose to come with you Nia, always remember that I'm here for you and that I love you." Sam felt more solid than before and I reminded myself that primorphs grew stronger bones, denser muscles and thicker skin over time, from all the shifting they endured; it was a side effect of the lupine genes.
We didn't know how long she had been shifting without her knowledge, as her wolf had been suppressed somehow. It took a few years for any noticeable changes to be apparent; so it looked like she could have started shifting at sixteen. With her wolf suppressed, she would have only be shifting on full moons and wouldn't remember anything about those episodes. Our soul-mate bond must have weakened whatever cast had been put on her to suppress her wolf, until that night in the alley, when her wolf finally broke through into her conscious mind. Her first voluntary shift, even if she didn't know what she'd unleash at the time, with such intense emotions.
Suddenly I was so tired and drained, that I was leaning against her for support; like the last of my energy had been depleted.
"Looks like its tied to your emotions. We'll just have to make sure we don't get you too excited." She gave me a sexy smirk and I blushed.
"Does that mean no more sex?" I joked. She tucked my hair behind me ear, before leaning in to whisper in my ear.
"I'm sure we could find a way to work around it."