The One

Curiosity kills the cat

Four days before the trip, she absorbed in thoughts of the dreams that had suddenly ceased, leaving her feeling bewildered and uneasy. It was the same dream she tried desperately to dismiss by burying herself in work, yet it had returned, unbidden.

She had prayed night after night, and all that remained was an empty void, devoid of dreams, causing her patience and faith to wear thin.

"Please, any god out there, if I dream about that wolf again tonight, I'll take it as a sign to seek it out and bring it home. It'll mean the wolf needs my help, and I'm willing to answer its call. Just let me dream of that wolf once more, for closure to quell my worry."

That night, she lay back and relaxed as the dream unfolded. She opened her eyes to a sky full of stars, each twinkling light a soft promise whispering down to her.

She found herself in the same serene forest as in her previous dreams. The quiet, calming atmosphere enveloped her, a comforting embrace that felt oddly like home.

Ignoring the gentle caress of the wind that brushed against her, she returned her focus to the constellations, feeling as if her prayer had faded into the background.

'If I can't dream of the wolf, I might as well enjoy this moment stargazing and bury any thoughts of seeing the wolf again.'

A few minutes later, she was startled by a series of rustling noises just a few metres from her resting spot.

She quickly whipped her head left and right, scanning the forest as she called out, "Who's there? You'd better show yourself, or I swear I'll make you rue the day you disturbed my comfort. I'm not joking—come out now!"

As she continued to scan the area, the rustling grew nearer. With her gaze fixed to her right, she watched as a familiar midnight-black wolf stepped into view, its piercing blue and golden eyes locking onto her.

Overwhelmed by the situation, she abruptly sat up cross-legged, staring at the magnificent creature. She kept her eyes glued to the wolf as it trotted towards her leisurely. As soon as it was beside her, the wolf flopped down into a resting position.

It rested its head on its paws like an oversized puppy, gazing up at her as she sat there, dumbfounded. Yet happiness welled up inside her at the sight of this enormous yet adorable wolf.

Trusting her instinct, she extended her hand to stroke the wolf's soft coat, and it responded with a deep purr that felt like rumbling thunder, but calming all the same. The urge to hug the beast clawed at her, but she held herself back, not wanting to act rashly.

Minutes passed in a blissful silence as she stroked the wolf, leaning down to rest her head against it. Suddenly, the wolf straightened up, alert, prompting her to sit back and put some distance between them.

As soon as she created space, the wolf stood on all fours, scanning the surroundings before turning to her with a confused look. It gave her a few gentle nudges with its nuzzle before turning and jogging away in the direction from which it had come.

Feeling baffled, she murmured to herself, "Wait, is the wolf saying goodbye or something?"

Without overthinking it, she started to follow the wolf, moving stealthily as if stalking it. They passed a series of trees until they reached the treeline's edge. She hid behind a massive oak tree, peeking out to watch as the wolf stopped beside another large oak before the open field.

But what happened next left her utterly flabbergasted. In a split second, the wolf transformed into a perfectly sculpted, naked man. He quickly gathered his clothes and dressed, causing her to avert her gaze and press her face against the bark of the oak tree, flames of embarrassment rushing to her cheeks, her heart pounding like a jackhammer in her chest.

'Blimey! That arse! Crikey, he's got a perfect backside!'

She slapped her cheeks a few times to snap herself out of it and bolted away like a professional runner, her mind racing with a million thoughts swirling chaotically. All of a sudden, her heart was sprinting alongside her, and she tried to calm herself, but her brain was hijacked by the image of the wolf morphing into a naked, stunning man.

"Good grief! Did I wish so hard that the wolf became a bloody man?"

"But why on earth did the wolf turn into a man?! Am I that obsessed that my dreams diverted from the wolf to some bloke?"

"Then again, Grandpa and Grandma did tell me tales of werewolves."

"Why, though? How? Why? Crikey! I think I'm losing my marbles. Not God again—he might mess with my head and turn the wolf into a frog or something!"

She couldn't help but tussle her hair like a deranged madwoman before collapsing onto her bed.

"I'm going bonkers!"

"Hell no, I'm going to research this until I unearth the truth!"

With newfound determination, she rolled out of bed.