The Lone Wolf

Chapter 28: Peeta

I wake up after leaving Katniss' dream to Taylor's shaking body. I press my paw to her pelt and find that she's burning up. I panic and bound out of the den and towards Hollyberry's den. Her apprentice, Treepad, meets me at the entrance and the strong shouldered half grown yearling stops me from changing in.

"She's coming," he says. "She saw it in her dreams. Go back to Nightmoon's den and wait with her." I turn around and start back to her den. As I lay back down next to the trembling black mass, I notice I picked up a shadow. The smoky black pup with blue eyes blinks up at me, and I swear I'm looking at my daughter when I see the little black pup.

"You're Starlingpup right?" I ask and she dips her head.

"That's one of my names," she says as she walks over to my mate. Her dark blue eyes narrow as she prods her with her nose. "She's switching over isn't she?"

"How, how do you know that?" I ask and she curls her body up in the small space between me and Katniss, her tiny fluffy head resting on Katniss' foreleg.

"She's my mother," she says softly. "A part of her is anyway." I stand up and take a step away from her.

"What are you talking about?" I ask her and she lifts her tiny head just enough to look at me.

"I'm Taylor and Troyal's daughter," she says. "That's why she had such a strong connection to me. I was born here, in this form, but I'm Rain's wild spirit. I'm the other half of your daughter. That's why I remind you of her." I slowly step forward and press my nose behind her neck and smell that same scent I've known since her birth.

Her mother's wildflower and pine with my cinnamon and dill. I've never been close enough to this little ball of fur to know any better. Even now, I just thought she was just covered in the scent of our cave. But it's her. It's most defiantly her.

"You are her," I say. "But if you're here, where does that leave Rain?"

"When you and Katniss leave, I will go with you," she says. "Once I'm close to her, I'll be absorbed into her. To take care of her and protect her. To give her the tools she needs to take over for you when the time comes." Before I can ask more, Hollyberry comes into the cave and sighs.

"Is she still feverish, Dahlia?" She asks the tiny pup and she nods.

"My mother is receding," Starlingpup replies. "Katniss is coming back." Suddenly, my mate's black body starts seising and Starlingpup is forced to jump out of the way. She scampers over to me and huddles between my front legs. Hollyberry moves slowly and carefully around the shaking mass, muttering under her breath. Suddenly, she looks up, her evergreen eyes urgent.

"She's shifting," she says. "She coming back but to do so," she just shakes her head.

"It's been so long it's like the first time all over again," I say. "She's coming back in her form and her bones have been that way so long, it'll be like she's shifting the first time all over again." Hollyberry nods and looks at the frightened little pup between my legs, who had been so bold earlier, hiding behind my leg as though too scared to watch her mother like this.

"Peeta, she's not your daughter in the truest sense, but you're the only one she'll probably listen to right now," she says as she pulls a think brown pelt over Katniss' body so she won't be exposed once the change happens. I look up at her and nod.

"Get Darkstorm," I say. "She'd want him here. She said if things ever went wrong, he was who she wanted to take her place as your leader." Hollyberry nods and runs out of the den. I lay down and pull Starlingpup, or rather Dahlia, close to my chest.

"Your mom is gonna be fine," I say. "She's just changing into her human form so Katniss is back where she's supposed to be."

"I know," she says. "I just hate seeing her in so much pain." The slaking mass let's out a squeal and I turn us so Dahlia doesn't see what's happening.

"Me too," I say. "But it has to happen this way, little one." Katniss continues to scream as Darkstorm and Hollyberry come in. Darkstorm looks just as frightened as Dahlia but he sits next to her, raising his head to the stars as she cries. Hollyberry comes over and wraps herself around Dahlia so I can get up and go over to my friend. I hear movement at the entrance and see Cato slip in.

"The whole pack is trying to come in here," he says. "Thankfully Duskfoot and Owleyes let me in cause I'm her brother." I just nod.

"She's in pain," he says. "A lot of pain."

"I know," I say. "I feel it." Suddenly, the shaking and screaming beneath the pelt stops and a pale, human hand falls out of the bundle. I lean forward and sniff it and find Katniss' sweet scent. I push the tarp off of her and see her lying there in a sliver Greek gown. Her black hair is pealed around her and she has the moon's glow on her skin. I nudge her with my nose and she groans. I lay my head on her arm as she starts to wake up. Her grey eyes look at me with adoration and the pure wolves gasp. The tiny pup runs forward from where she was huddled and starts attacking Katniss with kisses and nuzzles. Katniss laughs as she sits up and holds her in her arms. She looks at me and let's go of her daughter's spirit. She wraps her arms around my furry neck and starts crying.

"I love you," she sobs.

"I love you too," I say and I pull away from her. "It's time to go home." She nods and reaches her hand out to scoop up the little wiggling body.

"Yes," she says. "I am whole again. It's time to finally go home."