The days blurred together as we kept moving, but there were small moments that stood out. Like the times I shifted to my wolf form—or my serpent form. It was crazy. I shifted twice into a massive, snake-like creature in the span of just a few days. Every time, I lost control, and the hunger was there, bigger and more dangerous than before. My body kept changing, twisting, growing in ways I couldn’t predict.
Orion had to step in each time to reign me in, literally grabbing hold of me, grounding me, reminding me who I was, who I needed to be. At first, he was patient, talking me down, guiding me through the chaos. But by the fifth time I shifted uncontrollably, he snapped at me.
“You’ve got to learn to control it, Evelise,” he said, his voice tense. “You can’t keep letting the wolf or the serpent run wild. You’re better than that.”
I hated how right he was, how weak I felt each time he had to stop me from destroying everything around me. I could feel it—my strength growing with every shift, but it was like I didn’t know how to harness it. That’s when he started to train me in combat, teaching me how to control my body, how to use my own anger to my advantage.
Orion wasn’t just teaching me about my powers. He was teaching me how to fight. Sparring with him was intense. He’d throw me into scenarios where I had to think on my feet—fighting without relying on my shifting. Every time I made a move, he was there, countering it, pushing me to be better, faster, smarter.
But it wasn’t all about combat. The hunger—the damn hunger—was still there, gnawing at me. One evening, when my stomach growled louder than I could ignore, Orion looked at me, a smirk on his lips. “You’re starving, aren’t you?”
I just nodded, eyes fixed on the ground. I could barely focus anymore; all I wanted was food. And it was then he decided we’d hunt for dinner.
“I’ll show you how to hunt, then,” he said. “You need to learn how to take care of yourself. You can’t rely on others for everything.”
So, we did. He led me through the forest, teaching me how to track rabbits. It felt like everything was in slow motion as I followed his lead, scenting the air like he did, moving silently through the trees. Finally, when we spotted a rabbit, I shifted quickly into my wolf form, using the skills he’d been teaching me. I was faster now, more controlled.
When I took down the rabbit, I felt a strange sense of pride. It wasn’t just about feeding myself. It was about gaining control over the wild side of me, the beast I couldn’t quite tame.
That night, as we cooked the rabbits over the fire, Orion looked at me, a small grin playing at the corner of his lips. “Not bad,” he said, impressed. “You’re learning.”
I ate, feeling the hunger subside for the first time in days. But I didn’t feel satisfied—not completely. I was still struggling with the internal battle, the push and pull between the woman I was and the creature I was becoming.
The next morning, Orion had more lessons for me. This time, it wasn’t hand-to-hand combat or hunting. It was archery.
“Focus,” he told me, handing me a bow. “The key to shooting isn’t in strength. It’s in your instincts. Find your target, breathe, and release.”
I wasn’t sure how I’d do with it, but after a few attempts, I found my rhythm. The arrows flew straight, hitting their marks with surprising precision. My confidence grew a little with every shot.
By the end of the day, I was physically exhausted, but I felt... stronger. More in control.
Orion wasn’t just training me in survival. He was teaching me how to be this new version of myself. And though I still had a long way to go, for the first time, I actually felt like I could be in control.
That night, after we finished training, I needed some space. I slipped away from the camp, making my way to a waterfall I’d spotted earlier in the day. I needed to clear my head, to wash away the thoughts that kept swirling in my mind.
When I reached the waterfall, I undressed and stepped into the water. The coolness felt good against my skin, but what happened next made my breath catch in my throat.
The moonlight hit the water, casting everything in silver. And then, I saw it. My body—it was glowing. Not in a way that made sense. More like it was... alive in a way I couldn’t explain. My skin shimmered under the moon’s gaze, and I couldn’t look away.
I didn’t even realize what I was doing until I heard myself howl. The sound tore from my throat, full of raw emotion I couldn’t understand. It was a release, a scream of pain, of confusion, of everything.
And then, as soon as the last echo of my howl faded, I opened my eyes—and there he was.
Orion.
He was standing at the edge of the water, watching me, his expression unreadable. My heart pounded in my chest, and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped. I was naked in front of him, exposed, vulnerable. But in that moment, something clicked.
I couldn’t explain it, but I knew it. I felt it. My pulse thundered in my ears as his eyes darkened, something unspoken flashing across his face.
And then it hit me!
MATE.
