Sleep evaded me that night. How could I possibly rest when my entire identity had been turned upside down? I wasn't human. I was a wolf—a dormant wolf.
Kaelen stayed with me, his large body a comforting presence beside mine as we talked late into the night. He answered every question I fired at him with patience I didn't know he possessed.
"So all those times I felt like I was arguing with myself... that inner voice that sometimes seemed to have opinions different from mine..." I trailed off, the realization hitting me like a physical blow.
Kaelen nodded, his green eyes glinting in the dim light. "That was your wolf. She's been with you all along, Seraphina. Just... muffled. Unable to fully communicate or emerge."
I pressed my palm against my chest, trying to feel for that other presence inside me. Now that I knew what to look for, I could sense her—a warm, wild energy curled up in my core.
"She feels... sad," I whispered. "Like she's been trapped for so long."
