Where There's a Wolf There's a Way [1]

What am I?

           

Sang POV

            I woke up slowly, the darkness peeling away layer by layer. I try to open my eyes but they feel so heavy I can't get them to respond.

            "Doc, I think she's coming around," I hear a voice say. Instantly I tense, only two-legged ones talk like that. I try again and slowly manage to peel my eyes open. It takes them a second to adjust to the light but finally I'm able to glance around. I'm in some sort of building. I don't like it. I miss the woods. Though, there is a nice warmth in the air. I feel someone's gaze on me and slowly turn my eyes until I meet his. It's the same one from the log! I thought I had dreamed that. He starts coming toward me and instantly I try to back away only to whimper as pain shoots through my side. He freezes and raises his hands up.

            "It's okay little one. I'm not going to hurt you." I can hear his heartbeat which tells me he isn't lying. But all the two-legged ones ever do is hurt me. I sniff the air and immediately identify at least nine different scents. I try to move again and feel something restricting my movements. I raise my head and take in my body. There is a bandage wrapped around the majority of my body. They...helped me? Why would they do that?

            The two-legged one approaches again but this time he has something in his hands. I tense as he gets closer but I can't get away, not with this injury. Slowly he sets the object next to my head. I flinch away.

            "It's okay little one. I just brought you some water. It's fresh and cold." He motions to the object. Afraid of what he'll do if I refuse I lift my head and glance at the object. It's hollow and contains what looks like water. I've never seen water that wasn't in a stream or river or falling from the sky. I tentatively taste it. I sigh and take large laps of it. It tastes amazing.

            "Careful little one, slow down a little. You don't want to upset your stomach." His eyes are so nice. I find myself listening and slowing downs my gulps. "Good girl," he murmurs. I don't know why but I like that he said that. After I've had my fill I lay my head back down but he doesn't go away. Instead he stays next to me bending down so that we are eye to eye. "So little one, where do you come from? My brothers and I are rather curious. It's not every day you find a lone female wolf shifter. I'm glad we found you in time. Any later and you likely would have bled out." He continues to ramble but I don't understand most of what he is saying. I've only heard two-legged ones speak every once in a while. I understand some but not a lot.

            As he drags on I feel myself start to relax. My instincts are telling me to trust him. He has kind eyes and gave me water. Our faces aren't that far apart so I nose his nose with mine to show my gratitude. He freezes in his ramblings and just looks at me before his face softens even more.

            "I'll take that as a thanks." He picks up the object and walks away. I instantly miss his company and wish I could call him back but I'm too weak. Suddenly I feel something poking on the edge of my consciousness. Suddenly he darts back into the room and looks at me intensely. I squirm under his gaze.

            "Did you want to tell me something? You have to let me in. Relax your mind. That nudge you feel is me. Tell me what you want to say," he says. I don't understand. I can't say anything. I feel the nudge again and whine. I don't like it. It's new and different. He begins to ramble again and slowly I find myself relaxing staring into his eyes. He takes one hand and starts rubbing between my ears. No one has ever done that. It feels nice. Suddenly I feel a connection snap into place.

            Good girl. I hear him say but his mouth doesn't move. I whimper not understanding what is happening. What is your name? I don't know that word. I try to communicate back.

            Name? I knew I had done it when he startles only to look at me again with those kind eyes.

            "Yes, your name. What do you call yourself?" he asks. What do I call myself? I am me. A distant memory tugs at the edges of my mind. A word suddenly appears but I can't remember who called me it. I try to send it to him.

            Sang.

            "Well Sang it is very nice to meet you. My name is Lucian but please call me Luke. Can you shift back for me?" he asks again waiting for my response. Everything he says just confuses me more.

            Shift? He looks confused as well. The hairy bars on his face dip down in the center.

            "Do you not know how to shift?"

            Shift? He seems to think about something before turning back to me.

            "It's what we call the transition from our wolf forms to our human forms." I squint my eyes not understanding at all. He seems to realize this. "You are in your wolf form. I am in my human form. You need to change to look like me." My eyes widen as I take in what he's saying. I can't look like him. I'm a wolf, only a wolf. Why is he saying this? "You just need to picture yourself with two legs and two arms and hair on your head like me. You can do it."

            My mind flashes back to a nightmare I had a long time ago where I looked like the two-legged ones. I had long pale hair on just my head but I was still just as skinny. There was yelling and something sharp on the ground. But that can't be me, can it? Suddenly I feel my body jerk and pop. I whimper as I feel my body break and change. Everything goes black for a few seconds before it all just stops. I try to move but I don't feel right. I crack my eyes open and meet his nice ones. 

            "There you are," he says grinning. I have no idea what he is talking about. I shiveras a small breeze hits me. That's odd. I glance down to see why my fur didn'tblock it only to find all my fur gone. My eyes widen as I take in my body. It'sthe same one from my nightmare but I'm not asleep. I whimper and try to sit upbut my new limbs won't cooperate. Why do I look like this? Where did my fur go? What did he do to me? What am I?