ELLIOT

I left a note drawn on the stone tile with charcoal in case she woke up suddenly.

After kissing her head, I refilled the fireplace with more wood and covered her well with her slightly disheveled clothes.

She stayed warm by the fire while I stepped out into the backyard.

The old wooden fence bordering the forest was falling apart, vines spreading across it like they owned the place.

I glanced back at the imposing mansion, its shadows stretching over the damp walls covered in lush wisteria.

I summoned the shift, looking up at the sky. The massive moon, clear of dark clouds, illuminated my transformation into the powerful beast.

Sharp teeth, my jaw and bones reshaping into a snout. As always, the pain burned through every tendon, every vertebra snapping into place, my pores covering with dark fur.

"Awooooo!"

The wolf’s howl echoed in the night, and in the distance, my lycan’s sharp ears caught the reply of a pack of wild wolves.

I could feel Vorath’s exhilaration at his long-awai