Chapter 4
Stella's POV
The night air felt electric with anticipation as Haley and I nestled into our sleeping pallets in my family's cabin. Tomorrow's "Ice Blood Awakening" loomed before us, casting long shadows over our whispered conversation in the amber glow of the oil lamp.
"Are you nervous about tomorrow's ritual?" Haley asked, her amber-flecked eyes gleaming with excitement. "We'll finally drink the 'Wolf's Blood'!"
Wolf's blood is a specially prepared herbal concoction that can awaken our innate ability to transform into wolves.
I rolled onto my side to face her, my heart quickening at the thought. "Of course! I can't wait to discover what my wolf will look like, what color her fur will be, and how strong my mind-link abilities will be."
Haley nodded eagerly,. "I'm so excited I can barely contain myself!"
Her expression suddenly turned serious, catching me off guard. "Stella, what will you do if Damon isn't your soul mate?"
The question struck me like a physical blow. I exhaled slowly, watching my breath form a small cloud in the cold air. "Honestly, I don't know. I paused, unwilling to dwell on the possibility. "tomorrow's ritual requires us to be well-rested and strong."
Haley seemed satisfied with my answer, and soon her breathing deepened into sleep. I lay awake longer, my thoughts racing between excitement for tomorrow's ritual and dread about what it might reveal,
"Awaken, daughter of the storm-senser!"
The voice pierced my dreams like an arrow through ice, jolting me from sleep. My eyes flew open to darkness, the cabin still silent around me.
"I am not a dream, but the voice of your soul! Awaken!"
I sat upright, heart pounding against my ribs. "Who speaks to me?"
"I am Corvina, your wolf spirit. "
My breath caught in my throat. "My wolf spirit has awakened? But the ritual—"
"The goddess calls when she wills it, not when mortals plan it," Corvina's voice resonated within my mind, rich and wild like the northern wilderness itself. "Some are chosen to meet their wolves before the ritual. You are among them."
"Can I transform now?" I asked eagerly.
"Yes, but be warned—the first transformation is painful, a sacred agony. I will guide you through it."
Without hesitation, I slipped from beneath my thermal blankets. Haley remained asleep, her peaceful face unaware of the divine moment occurring beside her. I crept silently across the wooden floor and out into the predawn darkness.
The forest edge beckoned, a wall of ancient pine trees silhouetted against the star-filled sky. Corvina's presence pulled me forward.
"Here," she directed as we reached a small clearing. "Remove your clothes. They will only restrict the transformation."
I obeyed, the bitter cold raising goosebumps across my skin. My heart hammered with anticipation and fear.
"Now, surrender to the change. Let your bones remember their other shape."
The first wave of pain hit like lightning striking a frozen lake. My muscles seized, bones beginning to shift beneath my skin. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood.
"Imagine your hands becoming paws, your soul taking wolf form," she urged. "The pain is temporary, Endure!"
I curled into myself as my spine cracked and elongated. The sound of breaking and reforming bones filled my ears. I dug my fingers—now transforming into paws—into the frozen earth.
Then suddenly, the world changed.
The forest exploded into a symphony of scents—pine sap, frozen earth, a moose that had passed through hours ago, the distant musk of a fox den. My hearing sharpened, catching the soft footfalls of a snowshoe hare twenty yards away, the gentle hooting of a snowy owl returning to its perch.
My movements felt strange yet natural, as though I'd always known how to walk on four paws across the snow.
"Beautiful!" Corvina's voice was filled with pride. "Run with me!"
We raced through the forest, my wolf body moving with a grace and speed I'd never experienced. The frigid wind rushed through my fur, carrying stories of the wilderness with each breath.
At a small partially frozen pond in Aurora Bay, I saw my reflection for the first time: a sleek wolf with deep brown fur highlighted with copper-red, my distinctive emerald eyes unchanged in this form.
"You should return to human form and rest," Corvina advised. "Today's ritual will require all your strength!"
"How do I change back?" I asked, suddenly realizing I didn't know.
"Imagine moonlight illuminating your human form. Picture yourself standing on two legs again.
The transformation back was less painful but equally disorienting. I stood naked and shivering in the biting cold, quickly pulling on my clothes with numb fingers. My muscles ached with pleasant exhaustion as I made my way back to the cabin.
Haley's scream jolted me awake, my body protesting the sudden movement after the night's exertions.
"My wolf spirit has come!" Haley was bouncing on her sleeping pallet, her eyes wild with excitement. "Her name is Indira, and she's as lively as I am! She can't wait to find our soul mate!"
My parents burst into the room, "What happened? Is there danger?" Sarah demanded, her eyes scanning the room for threats.
"No danger," Haley laughed, "just the greatest blessing! My wolf spirit has awakened!"
"What's your wolf's name?" I asked.
"Indira!" Haley exclaimed. "I can't wait to transform at the ritual and let everyone see her beauty!"
My mother smiled indulgently. "Transformation requires strength!" She gestured toward the main room. "I've prepared honey bread and venison for today."
"No roast boar again?" My father grumbled. "A warrior needs proper meat before a ritual."
"My wolf spirit is named Corvina," I offered, watching Haley's expression shift from excitement to surprise.
Haley's eyes widened. "You've already seen her? You've transformed?"
I nodded, suddenly realizing my mistake as disappointment clouded her features.
"I thought we would experience this sacred moment together at the ritual," she said quietly.
I reached out to hug her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Corvina woke me before dawn—her call was impossible to resist. I've already used considerable strength, but I would gladly transform with you before the official ritual, to share in this glory!"
Haley's face brightened immediately. "Truly? Perhaps my soul mate waits in the forest. I long to experience the sacred connection between soul mates."
"Your friend's enthusiasm for soul mates is rather intense," Corvina commented in my mind.
Haley squeezed my hand. "I understand. I would have done the same if Indira had called me first."
I smiled, though inwardly I knew we would never truly experience everything together as Haley dreamed. Still, I wouldn't shatter her beautiful illusions about soul mates—not yet.
"Girls! Food is ready!" my mother called from the kitchen area.
Haley immediately pushed me aside and darted toward the door. With wolf-enhanced reflexes, I stuck out my foot, sending her tumbling into the wooden railing before racing ahead to reach the kitchen first.
As we ate, Haley outlined our plans for the day. "After breakfast, we'll transform and run through the forest, but afterward we should rest in the cabin, eating dried fruits and jerky. The elders say the first transformation drains considerable strength, so today we conserve energy to be fully present for tomorrow's clan celebration!"
My father nodded approvingly. "Wise plan. Damon, Travis, and Chuck—are busy with clan preparations today."
"That's fine," I replied, masking my disappointment that Damon wouldn't see me today. "They wouldn't be interested in our forest meditation anyway!"
Despite my casual tone, I couldn't entirely suppress the small hope that Damon might find time to seek me out before tomorrow's ceremony. As much as I tried to prepare myself for whatever revelation the ritual might bring, my heart still yearned for the confirmation that we were, indeed, destined for each other.