Never ownED myself

Bumps and choices

Early adulthood transition lasts from ages 17 to 22 when an individual leaves their home and family and establishes their independence. During this time, people begin making decisions
From:
Theories of Adult Development | Similarities & Differences
By : Alex Ayres and Melissa Hurs
Study.com

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The pack advanced in a shallow arc a total of five wolves moving as one.
They didn't rush. They stalked, heads low, shoulders rolling, teeth bared in silent promise. Their fur was dark with old blood, eyes glassy, unfocused. Confusion clung to them like a scent, but it didn't slow them.

Philip held the center with two wolves at his sides. Their stances were rigid, bodies coiled past the point of comfort. Annie saw the tremor in Philip's hind leg, the slight hitch in his breathing. He ignored it.

Leah's muscles tightened beneath her skin. Exhaustion pulled at her joints, dull and heavy.

Philip's voice struck her mind, stripped of patience.
If you hesitate, they will tear through us. This isn't time for mercy. This is survival.

Annie flinch inside Leah's body.
He is right and you know it. They keep healing and we are running out of time. We need to kill them.
Leah acknowledged her peer's words.

The lead wolf snapped and charged, Leah followed. The impact was brutal. Bodies collided, teeth slamming shut on fur instead of flesh by a margin too thin to trust.

Annie felt Leah absorb the shock, ribs protesting as they twisted away from a killing bite.

Lina clung to Leah's back, blades flashing low and precise. She struck tendons, hacked at joints, movements sharp but slower now. Her breath rasped close to Annie's ear, uneven, too fast.

A second wolf crashed into them from the side. Leah stumbled. Lina swore, fingers digging into the leather straps as her weight shifted hard. One blade slipped from her grasp and vanished into the churned earth.

Annie pivoted without thinking, taking Leah off course, throwing Leah's shoulder into the attacker. The wolf skidded, claws tearing furrows in the dirt before scrambling upright again. Lina was safe.

The opposite pack fell back only long enough to regroup, to circle tighter, to test for weakness. One dragged a hind leg, bone bent wrong, but it kept moving, eyes locked on the line.

Philip tore into the nearest wolf, forcing it down with sheer weight. Another stepped into its place immediately.

Lina's voice broke, tight with strain.
"Leah—trees. We're running out of time."
Annie didn't answer.

If they pulled back, Philip's flank would collapse leaving the wounded at risk. If they stayed, they could miss their only chance to get through the portal.

The wolves charged again.
Leah moved not waiting for Annie to make her mind.

Leah ran, avoiding the creature as much as possible. Her heart was pounding in her ears. Soon she would be surrounded by the hybrids still lurking the woods.

Phil, stunned at first, hesitated for a second.
Why are you retreating from the battle? He asked, but Leah didn't know what to answer. His instincts kicked in, telling him to go after them and his pack followed.

Something was up. Approaching the first one, he gave the hybrid a bite on the neck, pulled out a piece of flesh and left it without a second glance. His two packmates would take care of it for good. Phil was known for his strength and unparalleled aim. A few seconds later he was on the second creature. He severed its aorta and before it could heal, his pack members bit off its head. They were so synchronized that they barely slowed down. They were ruthless. They were trained. This wasn't their first fight.