My life

The first shift

MICA'S POV

I asked her why.

Not angrily. Not accusing. Just why because I needed to understand what kind of pain could make her believe she had to hide from me. She stared at the floor, shoulders shaking, lips pressed together so tightly they went white. She wouldn't answer. And that hurt more than the blades in my hands ever could.

I wasn't angry at her. 
I was angry that she thought she was alone.

I set the blades down slowly, deliberately, trying to show her I wasn't here to punish or control. I took a breath, about to speak again about to tell her we could figure this out together when she turned, slammed the door, and ran.

My heart dropped.

I bolted after her immediately, but I forced myself not to close the distance too fast. I didn't want to terrify her. I just needed her in my sight. Needed to know she was still breathing, still moving, still here.

She was fast. Faster than she had any right to be.

We tore through the trees, branches snapping, leaves whipping past. Her scent was sharp with fear, her steps light and powerful. My wolf surged with pride and alarm all at once. She was healing stronger than she realized but she was running blind with panic.

Then I saw it.

A fallen tree, half-hidden by brush.

She didn't.

She stumbled, momentum carrying her forward, and in the space between one breath and the next, everything changed.

Before she could hit the ground, the air rippled. Bone and muscle shifted with a sound like wind rushing through leaves. It wasn't painful. It was fluid. Natural. Like her body had been waiting years for permission.

She shifted.

Layla stood where Genevieve had been.

I stopped dead.

She was magnificent large and powerful, her dark brown coat threaded with flecks of gold that caught the moonlight. She was almost my size already, broad-shouldered, strong-limbed, her presence radiating raw, untamed strength.

My chest tightened.

She was beautiful.

Everything about the moment felt perfect right until she turned and looked at me.

Her eyes were wild.

Not aggressive. 
Not feral. 
Terrified.

My heart clenched. I'd forgotten completely forgotten that this was her first shift. No guidance. No preparation. No reassurance.

"Genevieve," I said softly, keeping my voice low, steady. "It's okay. You're safe."

But fear had already taken hold.

She spun and ran.

"Layla wait!" I shouted, but she was gone, crashing through the undergrowth with frightening speed.

I ran after her, harder now, longer strides, calling her name again and again. She was fast too fast but panic leaves a trail. I followed it, every sense locked on her.

And then nothing.

Her scent vanished at the edge of the river.

---

GENEVIEVE'S POV

I ran.

I didn't think. I didn't plan. I just ran.

The tree came out of nowhere. I tripped and then Layla surged forward, taking control without hesitation. I'd been told it would hurt. That it would feel like tearing apart and being put back together wrong.

It didn't.

It felt like relief.

Like freedom.

Like finally breathing with my whole body.

I turned, standing on four strong legs, and saw Mica staring at me. His eyes were wide, stunned almost reverent. And somehow, that made everything worse.

He's shocked. 
He doesn't want me. 
I've ruined everything.

The thoughts came fast and cruel. I didn't wait for him to speak. I couldn't bear to hear disappointment, even if it wasn't there.

I ran again.

I was so fast. Strong. Powerful in a way I'd never been before. The ground blurred beneath me as I pushed harder and harder, the forest opening up like it was welcoming me home.

Layla was shouting at me inside my head Stop. Turn around. He's not angry. He's not leaving you but fear drowned her out.

I couldn't face him.

Not after everything he'd seen.

I ran until my chest burned, until the night air tore through my lungs, until the world narrowed to nothing but motion. When I finally stopped, it was at the edge of a river. The water rushed loudly, cold and fast, the sound grounding me just enough to slow my racing thoughts.

Something was wrong.

The air smelled... strange.

Familiar but twisted. Like something I knew had been warped into something dangerous. I lifted my head, ears swiveling, trying to pinpoint it.

That's when it hit me.

A sharp, searing pain exploded across my back.

I yelped, stumbling forward, legs buckling beneath me. The world tilted violently, colors bleeding into one another. I tried to move tried to call out but my body wouldn't respond.

Layla? I thought desperately.

Her presence flickered, panicked and furious.

Hold on, she growled. Don't you dare let go.

But the darkness was already closing in, heavy and relentless. The river's roar faded. The forest dimmed. The last thing I felt before everything went black was the cold ground beneath me and the distant echo of Mica's voice, calling my name like a promise he refused to break.