‘You sound different.’ I smile.
‘I was weak earlier because you kept taking pills and fighting me. I’m much stronger now.’Sasha rubs her head into my chest.‘No more of those little red pills. They hurt. You won’t need them now that I’m here.’
‘I had no idea you where trying to contact me. I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow. Deal, no more red pills. I’m so happy you’re here and I’m finally meeting you. Where are we?’I look around.
‘We’re in your mind.’Sasha laughs.
‘But we were in my mind earlier and it was nothing but darkness.’I tilt my head at her.
‘I was hurting and scared, and I didn’t want to meet you for the first time like that.’Sasha stretches.‘I’m ready to meet my mate and run. Aren’t you… ready to run?’
‘Yes, but how does it work?’I cross my arms in front of me.
‘You and I are one, Kate. We will know each other better than anyone else. Because we are one, we can switch giving each other control in both forms.’Sasha explains.
‘How do we switch?’I ask.
‘You just visualize taking a step back in your mind. That’s when I will come forward. You’ll be able to feel everything I do, and vice versa. If a time ever arises… like an emergency, I can push through… and vice versa.’Sasha stands.‘It will be hard at first, but it will get easy as time passes. Ready?’
‘Ready.’I take a deep breath and smile.
I open my eyes and see Ian’s wolf, Alex, sleeping next to me. He is such a magnificent-looking beast. Alex is beige with red undertones and a white chest. He almost looks like he’s wearing a beige tuxedo. I’ve only seen him twice from a distance, and now he’s here, up close and personal. I need to touch him. Bumping his nose with mine, he opens his eyes. His ears perk up as he sits up, staring at me.
‘Kate?’A gruff voice that is unfamiliar to me fills my head.
‘Yes,’I answer.
‘My name is Alex. I’m Ian’s wolf. I’m so happy to finally meet you. I’ve been watching and waiting for you.’Alex bows his head at me.‘can I meet your wolf now?’My heart swells and it feels like a thousand butterflies are in my belly, fluttering around, hearing him say he’s been waiting for me.
‘Yes,’I concentrate on stepping back into my mind. Suddenly I feel like something pulls me backwards, and soon it feels like I’m sitting in front of a giant movie screen complete with surround sound.
At first Sasha is clumsy. She trips over her paws as she gets used to her body. I watch her learning how to use her new body in amazement. It’s like I’m on a ride in an amusement park. I can feel the bounce in her step, running, jumping, and even snuggling into Alex for affection. Everything, I can feel everything. This is wild, freeing, and exhilarating. I giggle with excitement.
Alex and Sasha make their way through the forest. Soon the sounds of howls are heard from all around as members of the pack join us. My heart flutters as I see my parents’ wolves. They both nuzzle into Sasha, showing her so much love. Soon Sasha is tackled to the ground by my brother’s wolf. She quickly jumps to her feet and chases after him. They play and wrestle like young pups until Zane’s wolf tackles him to the ground. Soon the three male wolves are play fighting while Sasha watches. She and I both laugh at the shenanigans.
We continue running and playing until the sun rises. Even though I’m having fun, I can feel Sasha’s body getting tired, and I know the fun will need to stop so we can rest. Slowly but surely, everyone goes home and soon it’s just Alex and Sasha. He guides Sasha into the lake next to the fishing cabin for a swim. The cool water is instantly refreshing and makes me feel like we can keep running for hours more, but I know we can’t. We need to rest.
We exit the water behind Alex. He shakes, shedding water out of his fur, then shifts. It’s almost instantaneous and effortless for him.
‘Time to shift back to our human form, Kate.’Sasha says in my mind.
‘How am I going to do that? I’m not even sure how I shifted into my wolf’s form to begin with. When I woke up, I had four legs, paws, and fur.’I snap.
‘You’re so silly,’Sasha giggles.‘It’s all about instincts. Some things will come naturally. You’ll just know how to do them.’I feel her lie down on the ground,‘Okay, so close your mind’s eye and think of your human body. Visualize your legs, arms, hands, and skin. As you do, step forward in your mind to regain control.’
‘That easy, huh?’I question.
‘Yes, that easy.’Sasha giggles.
‘Will it hurt?’I ask, afraid of feeling the pain I experienced during my first shift.
‘It may be uncomfortable the first few times, but soon it will be as easy as walking and talking.’Sasha replies.
I follow her instructions and hope that she is right about only experiencing a minor discomfort. Closing my mind’s eye, I visualize my legs, hands, arms, feet, skin, hair, and my face. As I take a step forward, I feel a free-falling sensation. It’s the same sinking feeling you get in your belly when you’re on a rollercoaster. As I’m being pulled forward, the breath escapes my lungs as my internal organs push against each other. When the sensation stops, I’m in control of my body that is still shifting back to its human form. I can hear the sounds of dishes breaking, but soon realize it’s my bones changing from one form to another. My muscles and joints ache, but the pain is nothing like last night. I take deep breaths and soon I feel cool air against my skin.
I open my eyes and see my human hands pressed flat against the ground. My body is laying flat on the cool ground. I can hear the birds singing and feel the warmth of the sun on my back. I raise my head and see Ian’s smiling face looking lovingly at me.
“Welcome back, angel.” Ian offers his hand to me. I lift my hand to his and he pulls me to my feet. “Did you have fun on your first run?” He brushes the hair out of my face.