THE WOLF WITHIN ME

at least emerged from a deep, dreamle

y, it was the defin

customary with my father. Flint specifically stomped my ass

unch and that he was capable of tossing me around like a ragdoll. I was no better at defensive fighting t

in the back of my lower back, and I i

like a friggin

ce, Flint moaned, "You're hold

ree of his massive frame that was choking me. I kicked his leg o

pt to his feet, and motion

ade him appear two inches taller. "Can I pl

yes were completely black. From my vantage point on the floor, I could see them glaring at the gym entr

stand the significance of his altered reactions. However, because I saw Flint's response-

int

sregarded me. His lips split, and I swear I heard a deep growl rumble from the b

int

t him. The smallest, most unthreatening

v

k, her hair was pulled back into a sloppy bun, but soft, wayward brown curls framed her face. She awkwar

like stare with her brown eye

erly been Flint moved, I wa

ng his palms on either side of the door frame. He took a big breath and bent forward, resting his nose in the crook of her neck. Rath

.. is this e

chuckles emerged between the seam. She turned her head, tipping her chin up as if she we

t. His lips moved into words that only she heard as the solid muscles in his shoulders and upper back tensed into angular shapes. She giggled onc

hat I was all too familiar with. My own lips split at how they moved and s

t by pressing my palms firmly into the exercise mat. I cleared my throat and grabbed

if I had said that I had ne

excused myself and slipped past them at the doorway to the closest lavatory. After removing the tape from my k

beginning of Flint

area surrounding my eyes, and in between them all felt dull. Rapidly intensifying pulsations in the

f heat that seemed like a slight inc

bed my head with

hudded into the chilly, hard floor. My entire body was suddenly radiating heat, and the floor was doing little to help. M

locked my fingers and toes in a spread-out position and shot down my arms and legs into my palms and soles. My ear

ing level. I tried to scream, but the anguish swallowed my words and made it difficult fo

experienced was followed by ear-s

ac

seem as though each vertebra had been broken. I backed u

sho

This is no

ac

nguish. I watched helplessly as my body moved and behaved on its own. My mind

tact with the pointy bone sticking out of my left shoulder, a

ac

like if they had been stru

ac

s femurs in my thighs to the smallest bones supporting my ears. My body twisted into unusual angles and position

my ribs, were pushed into oblivion as heat raged through my veins. Every inch of my flesh

t was dotted wi

follow

enc

scomfort. My body started to feel empty and hollow. My eyes, which

ned with paw steps on her broad, white paws. Her electrifying, bright blue eyes were staring at me, and the light

made me think

u are female." There seems to be an addi

t causes me t

me of the voice r

ov

hammering throbs that sent a feeling of disorien

. Am I losi

waited the reaction, it s

ave a

, a knot of stress and ten

have

es

ng wolf

es

ddress you

of my mind

N

nce I had doubts if this was a re

e your

e to me after a

ey

friend, I felt as though a part of

tunning. simila

hale-sound as she chuffed at me,

not drea

dream, fuzziness covered my eyes like lenses and a whirling sensation engulfed my temples. My uncertainty increased as a s

sly lifted myself halfway up and strained to sweep my hands behind my shoulders, ground them far from my body's sides.

As I struggled to stand up, I locked my arms and pressed ha

rey nose, and all-white fur that reached the tips of her ears were added to those features, though. Her body wa

ya

lf. In the dream, ha

's not f

er perseverance and the angry to

es

in my head, which is both

en turned shallow as reality set in rather than panic. Reya was in front of me, her chin protruding and her eyes flashing

rt, dry and cracked. The rest of my body was so feeble, yet I was desperate to speak to her one mo

the hard thud, and blac

h..

ar, crystalline white, this white was duller, older-looking, and yellowed where it met the floor

no door. I quickly realised that I was in a room meant for so

t

d whether I was switching between different nightmares as a result of different coherence states. W

for a long time, so

ardest workout in Flint. My head began to a

age my forehead. Instead, my face was injured by a rou

ght grey pads to roll. My light grey dewclaws, which appeared r

a d

ed by a brief peek back towards the window. Her aqua-blue irises flashed brig

r, my throat tighten

e

ter a few seconds of coord

windows h

feet. She followed as I ducked my head down, raising her hindquarters and her big, white tail in the a

ele

lue eyes. Like a gas flame, they burnt. Her pupils co

llowed suit. I thumped my tail in a strange sor

I have

but all that came

up. I whirled around and blinked at the tiny, white c

and bleated pitifully a

t the scent of hay and

re focused on the tiny creature as my eyes twitched. My body began to heat up

It pulsed through my body, lighting my cells on fire. My lips a

fami

ir on that animal stand up, its pu

t from between my pursed back lips. My leg muscles twitched in an instant, and I l

quid as my canines dug into a warm neck. The metallic taste swelled and began to ooze out of the corners of my lips, awakening yet anoth

wd as I ripped into and chewed the warm, s

She's farther ahead t

. But she sounded to me as if she were leaning over and speaking directly to my ear. Sh

's estate because he was the only "sir

of wonder creeping into her normally quiet voice: "She burned off the

any emotion in his tone, thus it was impossible to tell whether he liked or disliked this knowledge. I'll call the other Alphas for t

d of nothingness while being concea

Orion,