The Last She-Wolf

4_ Out of place

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After we finished eating, I remained seated, watching as Dylan moved around the kitchen. His back turned toward me as he cleaned up the plates from breakfast. My eyes trailed down to the strange utensils, the things he called forks, knives, and spoons. The way he used them to eat with such ease had baffled me. I had tried my best to copy him, but it had felt awkward, foreign in my hands. I preferred using my fingers, but something told me Dylan would’ve thought that was strange.

When he disappeared into his room, I let my curiosity take over. I rose from my seat, padding silently through the open space of his apartment. Everything here felt like it belonged to another world. It was nothing like the woods, where life was simple, where survival was instinct. Here, there were so many things, strange objects, buzzing lights, and moving pictures that made no sense to me.

I made my way back to the kitchen, running my fingers over the cool surface of the counter. There were shiny metal boxes with doors that opened and closed with a click. I opened one of them, finding smooth glass surfaces inside. What were these things used for? I closed the door gently, not wanting to make any noise. The other room, which Dylan called the living room, was even more perplexing. There were large, soft-looking seats, much larger than the one in my guest room. I sat on one, sinking into its cushion. It was soft, but it felt so strange. I ran my hands over the material, trying to understand its purpose.

My eyes wandered to the large black screen mounted on the wall. Dylan had mentioned something about using it, about how it was for entertainment. A TV, he’d called it. I glanced at the small rectangular device he’d shown me earlier, sitting on the table in front of me. I hesitated, picking it up and inspecting the buttons, wondering if I should press one. I was afraid it might make the same loud sounds it had when Dylan turned it on before.

Before I could test it, Dylan came out of his room, fully dressed. I paused and stared at him, my eyes drawn to his clothes, simple but well-fitted. His dark jeans and plain black shirt made him look different from how he’d been before, more refined. There was something about him that fascinated me. The way his hair fell into his eyes when he moved, the sharp angles of his jaw, the ease with which he moved around this strange environment. I couldn’t stop staring.

“Katrina,” his voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “I have to go out for a bit.” He walked toward me, his expression serious. “Are you going to be okay staying here by yourself?” His tone softened, concern evident in his eyes.

I nodded, though the thought of being left alone in this strange place made me feel uneasy. Still, I didn’t want to disappoint him.

“I need you to promise me you won’t run away again,” Dylan said, his gaze intense as he waited for my response. I met his eyes, knowing that I had broken his trust once already.

“I promise,” I said, my voice soft but sincere.

He nodded, seeming relieved. “Good. There are a few things you can do while I’m gone,” he added. “You can watch TV or read some of the books on the shelf if you get bored. Just… try to stay inside, alright?”

I nodded again, even though I had no idea what I would do with all this strange stuff. “Okay,” I agreed. Dylan seemed satisfied with my answer, giving me a small smile before he headed toward the door.

I stood there, watching him leave, and as soon as the door closed behind him, the silence became deafening. A strange emptiness filled the space. I was used to being alone, had been for years in the forest, but this kind of loneliness was different. It was quieter, more unsettling. There were no familiar sounds of the forest, no birds or rustling leaves. Just silence.

For a while, I did as Dylan had suggested, picking up the small rectangular device and pressing one of the buttons. The TV blinked to life, filling the room with moving pictures and sounds. I stared at it, watching the images flash across the screen. People, laughing and crying, doing things I didn’t understand. It held my attention for a time, but eventually, I grew restless. It didn’t feel real.

After a while, the emptiness grew too much to bear. I needed to move, to do something that felt more familiar. The window caught my eye. I approached it and looked out, just like I had the night before, when I’d jumped out to return to the woods. I opened it again, the fresh air hitting my face, and without much thought, I climbed out, landing gracefully on the ground below.

The sun was high, casting long shadows across the pavement. It was bright outside, and for the first time, I saw everything clearly, the tall buildings that surrounded Dylan’s home, the people walking by, and the strange metal boxes that sped by on wheels. I took it all in, feeling overwhelmed. This place was nothing like the forest. But it wasn’t the woods I was searching for this time.

Dylan. I wanted to find him.

I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply, searching for his scent in the air. It was faint, but I found it, a trail that led me through the strange city streets. I followed it, moving through crowds of people who stared at me with wide eyes. Their gazes felt like thorns, prickling my skin. But I ignored them. All I could focus on was finding Dylan.

Eventually, the trail led me to a large building surrounded by trees and flowers. It was unlike the rest of the city. The grounds were open, with pathways winding through the greenery. I stepped onto one of the paths, following it toward the entrance of the building. People were everywhere, walking in groups, talking, laughing. Some of them stopped to stare at me, but I paid them no mind.

I found Dylan walking with two other males, their voices loud in the quiet of the garden. Relief washed over me when I saw him. Without thinking, I stepped in front of them, stopping them in their tracks.

“Katrina?” Dylan’s voice was filled with shock and disbelief. His eyes widened as he took me in. “what are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“I followed your scent,” I replied simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. His two friends exchanged confused glances, but I ignored them, my attention focused solely on Dylan.

His expression changed, going from shocked to horrified. He quickly grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the others. “You what?” he hissed, dragging me to a quieter corner of the garden. “You followed my scent? Do you have any idea how weird that sounds?”

I blinked at him, unsure why he was so upset. “It’s how I found you.”

Dylan ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “You promised you wouldn’t run off again,” he reminded me, his voice tight with worry.

“I didn’t go to the woods,” I said quickly, trying to ease his frustration. “I followed you instead.”

He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping as he glanced down at my feet. “You walked here barefoot?” he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. I nodded. Dylan closed his eyes for a moment, muttering something under his breath before looking up at the sky as if asking for patience.

“Okay,” he finally said, his voice calmer. “Let’s get you home.”

He led me back to his car, driving us in silence. When we returned to the apartment, he didn’t seem angry anymore, just exhausted. Once we were inside, he sat down on the couch, rubbing his face with his hands.

“Katrina,” he started, looking at me seriously. “I need to know… Do you really not remember anything about your life? About who you are?”

I hesitated, my mind swirling with fragmented images and memories that didn’t make sense. “I don’t,” I admitted softly. “I only remember being a wolf.”

Dylan’s expression softened, and he leaned back against the couch, staring at me as if trying to piece me together. “Okay,” he said after a long pause. “Let's say i believe you. Tell me everything you do remember. Even if it doesn’t make sense.”

I did. I told him about my time in the woods, about the flashes of memories of my parents, about the moment I turned into a human. I told him everything, feeling a strange sense of relief as I spoke.

When I finished, Dylan sat quietly for a moment, processing everything. Then he nodded slowly. “Alright,” he said, determination in his voice. “I’ll help you. We’ll figure this out together.”

And for the first time since I had turned, I felt a spark of hope.