Frigid Prologue
My breath was cool in the frigid air. I could see the small foggy clouds in front of me as I exhaled. It was the dead middle of winter; why couldn't my body have chosen another time to leave me naked and helpless in the center of the forest?
I wrapped my arms around my freezing body and made my way through the trees, my feet crunching leaves loudly along the forest floor. Zac said this would be easy. That liar. I had been waiting for it to be easy for as long as I could remember. It's only gotten harder. Shifting when I wasn't supposed to, lying to my family to protect them.
I should give him some credit. I just changed. I haven't gotten a taste of the animal life yet. Zac's been doing this for about a year now. He would be the one to know if it got easier or not.
I was hoping to be the Alpha soon. All of the pack members had told me I was improving a whole lot - the election was only a month away. I had that much time to prove I was worthy. To the pack, and to myself.
I swore under my breath as I cut my foot on a sharp rock. I examined the wound; it was bleeding like hell. I didn't have much to wrap it in, just a small leaf. Who knows if it was even poisonous.
A blast of freezing winter wind stung my skin, and snowflakes began to fall heavily. I felt a nauseating nagging and pulling at my stomach and I knew it was coming. I started to run, stumbling occasionally on roots sticking up from the rich soil.
I needed to get to town before I switched. I had to see Rose. I hadn't spoken with her in so long, just in wolf form. Mind reading was getting very tedious. I missed her human face so much.
My bones ached. It was getting closer, but I could see civalization and I didn't stop running. I could see it. It was almost within my reach. I didn't feel it until my face slammed hard on the ground, and the throbbing in my foot began.
"Shit," I muttered. Damn roots. I began to get up, when my palms thrust forwards and contacted with the ground as I fell. A growl ripped harshly from my throat and my fingernails peeled back into claws.
The fur that was on my back stood up in the cold, but this body was so much warmer. My vision was black and white, and a loud howl escaped from my jaws. I was back in my body.
