The forest had grown quiet again, the first streaks of dawn filtering weakly through the trees. Tolu still sat motionless beside the unconscious girl, his heavy breaths the only sound that disturbed the silence.
A low rustle came from behind. Two massive wolves emerged from the shadows — their forms just as enormous, though their eyes glowed a steadier yellow. They stopped a few paces away, lowering their heads slightly, acknowledging the primal aura radiating from Tolu.
Neither dared come closer.
Tade's wolf form shifted first, fur receding and bones cracking back into place until the tall young man stood once again, his breath misting in the cool air. He looked from Tolu to the girl lying still on the forest floor.
"She's turning," Tade said quietly, his expression torn between awe and concern. "He's already turned her."
Bode followed, his transformation slower but deliberate. The seasoned alpha's eyes glowed faintly as he studied Tolu. "Yes… he's in his most primal state," Bode murmured. "I think he wants to make her his mate. That's why he's guarding her like this."
Tade glanced at the girl's open backpack on the ground — a few books scattered across the dirt, a notebook half-buried in leaves. "Her life's never gonna be the same," he said softly.
Bode's voice carried a faint note of melancholy. "No," he said. "He's changed her life… but his has changed too. It's an endless cycle." His gaze lingered on the girl's peaceful face. "That one's going to be his most loyal wolf. She'll protect him with her life. Their bond… it'll be unbreakable."
Tade looked at him. "So what do we do?"
Bode watched Tolu for a long moment — the massive wolf still sitting protectively by the girl's side, his eyes dull and distant like a creature fighting its own instincts. "Nothing," Bode said finally. "He'll calm down after a while. But this is something he has to deal with on his own."
He took a step back, his expression thoughtful. "When she wakes up, he'll have to explain everything. But their bond will make it easier."
Tade nodded slowly. They both turned, their forms fading into the mist as they shifted back into wolves. The forest swallowed their silhouettes, leaving behind only the soft wind and the faint, rhythmic breathing of two lives now tied together by fate.
---
Amara stirred, her head pounding like drums deep in her skull. The forest was quiet, the air damp with morning mist. For a moment, she thought it was all a nightmare — the massive wolf, the bite, the burning pain. But then she heard the soft, rhythmic breathing beside her.
She turned slowly… and froze.
The enormous wolf from before — the same one that attacked her — now sat only a few feet away. But something was different. His once terrifying red eyes were softer, his body smaller, fur glinting faintly under the light filtering through the trees. He looked… harmless. Almost like an oversized puppy.
Amara's breath hitched. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but instead, her hand trembled forward — and she touched his fur. Warm. Real. Alive.
He didn't growl. He simply leaned into her touch, a low rumble vibrating from his chest.
She couldn't explain it, but the moment her fingers brushed through his fur, something deep inside her responded — a pulse, a strange warmth that spread through her chest and down her spine. She felt connected to him, as if her fear and his calm were merging into one.
Then, before her eyes, his body began to shift. The glow in his eyes dimmed, the fur receding, bones cracking softly as his form shrank. Amara stumbled back as the massive beast transformed into a boy — no, a young man — with pale skin, tangled hair, and a faint blue aura fading around him.
Tolu collapsed to his knees, panting heavily, sweat trickling down his neck.
Amara blinked. "Y-you're the wolf…?"
He looked up, eyes dazed. "Yeah," he muttered, voice weak.
Without thinking, she ran to him, grabbing his shoulders. "Are you okay?" she asked quickly, forgetting everything else — until her eyes widened.
He was completely naked.
Her face went scarlet. "Oh my God—!" She spun around, fumbling through her bag. She pulled out her oversized pink hoodie — the one that said "I'm a Barbie Girl" — and a blanket decorated with cartoon Barbie faces. She turned away, thrusting them at him without looking. "Here. Just—wear this!"
Tolu, equally red, mumbled a thank you and quickly pulled on the hoodie, wrapping the blanket around his waist. He looked utterly ridiculous — a towering, muscular guy in a pink hoodie and a Barbie blanket — and the absurdity of it only made the silence more awkward.
Trying to break it, he stretched his hand out. "I'm… uh—"
But before he could finish, Amara suddenly dropped to her knees, eyes wide.
He frowned. "Uh… what are you doing?"
"I—I don't know!" she said, standing up quickly, brushing off her skirt. "This is all so messed up. You're a freaking wolf, and—wait—am I gonna turn into one too? You bit me! Oh my God, I'm dead! Am I gonna eat people now?!"
Tolu sighed softly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Relax. It's gonna be okay."
The moment his hand touched her, a strange calm washed over her panic. Her heartbeat slowed, and the storm in her head faded into quiet. She blinked up at him, her breathing steadying.
He gave a small smile. "I'm Tolu. What's your name?"
"Amara," she said softly.
"Nice to meet you, Amara," he said. "I'll explain everything. I promise."
The two sat down on a fallen tree trunk, the forest around them slowly waking with birdsong. Despite the strangeness of it all — the fear, the questions — there was a strange peace between them.
Neither of them fully understood it yet, but a bond had been sealed that morning — one neither would ever break.
---
Time passed. The forest had grown quieter, and the morning sun now spilled gently through the trees. Tolu sat on a fallen log, explaining everything — from the kidnapping, to the wolfsbane, to the chaos that turned him into something more.
Amara listened, legs crossed, brows furrowed, occasionally shaking her head like she couldn't believe half of it. When he finally finished, there was a long pause before her voice broke the silence.
"So let me get this straight," she said slowly, holding up her fingers as she counted. "You're a werewolf. You and your girlfriend got kidnapped. They injected you with some crazy drug that made you lose your mind. You went berserk, killed an alpha — which made you one — and then, in your frenzy, you bit me, turning me into your first beta."
Tolu nodded hesitantly. "…Yeah. That's… pretty much it."
Amara folded her arms. "And now here we are."
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" she echoed, standing up. "Wait—are you sorry for this?"
Before Tolu could answer, she turned and punched a nearby tree. The trunk snapped clean in two, the upper half crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
Tolu blinked. "…That's new."
"Or maybe you're sorry for this?" she continued, crouching slightly before leaping into the air — nearly ten meters high. She landed gracefully, laughing in disbelief. "Woooooo! This is insane!"
Tolu rubbed the back of his neck, still half-stunned. "You're… taking this surprisingly well."
Amara grinned, brushing dust off her jean skirt. "If you really want to apologize, then teach me. All of it. Everything I can do."
He smiled faintly. "I was going to already, but… not today."
She sighed dramatically. "Fine." She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and handed it to him. "Then give me your number."
Tolu took it, typed his digits in, and a few seconds later his own phone rang. Amara smiled, taking hers back. "Good. Now don't wait too long to call, or I'll just spam you until you do."
Tolu chuckled under his breath. "Got it."
She gave a playful wave and started walking toward the road. Her figure disappeared between the trees, leaving Tolu standing there — still wearing the "I'm a Barbie Girl" hoodie and the ridiculous blanket around his waist.
He looked down at himself, sighed, then laughed quietly. "What a day."
As he started heading home, his smile slowly faded. His thoughts drifted to his mother — the worry she must've felt, the questions she'd ask.
He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah… definitely can't tell her I was kidnapped by werewolves."
He shook his head, still smiling faintly, and kept walking as the forest wind carried away the last echo of his laughter.