Lure To The Woods

XXI

I was sat on the grey sofa again, looking up at Xavier. My favourite part of him shifting was when he stripped beforehand; it was fascinating to watch him transform before my eyes, but it was more fascinating to look at his shirtless self.

He finished taking off his shirt and jogging bottoms, beginning to sprout black fur as his bones cracked and moved under his rippling skin. The sound of bones cracking made me feel slightly nauseous again, but I was too entranced by what was happening to pay too much attention to it.

It only took a few seconds for the whole process to finish- a wolf was now sat where Xavier had once stood. Kodiak was massive, his head probably coming up to my shoulders when we were both stood up. He was still cautious around me, fighting off his own excitement- it's sweet how considerate Kodiak is about how I feel.

I patted my legs, coaxing him towards me with a smile. Once he realised I wasn't freaked out like yesterday, he bounded towards me at full speed. My eyes went wide, not having expected that. As sweet as he is, having a large wolf run at you full speed is fucking terrifying.

He jumped on my lap, crushing me with his own weight. He was licking my face all over, making me cringe backwards. It was strange knowing that somewhere in there was Xavier and he was essentially bathing me in slobber- a thought that made me deeply uncomfortable. Kodiak stopped his greeting, ducking his head low and wagging his tail.

I got the message loud and clear, giving him head scratches. He's essentially just one big puppy; a husky dog on steroids. He laid down in my lap, which was cute, but suffocating. I laid back into the sofa, getting comfy as Kodiak desperately moved closer, laying his head on my chest and staring up at me.

"You're like one massive hot water bottle." I complimented, "This is cosy."

Kodiak's tail wagged, showing me that he understood my words. I absentmindedly stroked his fur, letting my thoughts wander. When I touched Kodiak I didn't feel tingles like I felt with Xavier, but I just felt so calm. Kodiak's wolfish grin was so comforting and everything felt so much simpler. It was a completely different feeling than what I felt towards Xavier, which was strange. 

"You're a good boy." I praised, scratching under his chin, "I know you wanted to tell me, but you shouldn't be so hard on Xavier- he didn't mean to hurt me."

He whined, burying his snout in my hand and huffing hot air. I had never seen a wolf sulk before, but it was clear that it's what he was doing. I stopped scratching his head, fixing him with a pleading look. He barked, shoving his head back into my hand.

"Promise me you'll forgive him?" I bargained, my hand hovering over his head.

He barked, his tail wagging as he pushed his head once again. I took that as a promise, continuing to scratch his head. If Xavier was supposed to make me feel loved, then Kodiak was definitely supposed to make me feel protected and calm... It was working.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the weight of the heavy wolf on my chest. I wasn't tired, but it was great to have a moments peace. My mind had been working in overdrive since I'd gotten out of the hospital yesterday evenong- I just needed a moments peace.

Kodiak seemed to appreciate the moment's silence too, considering he was fast asleep when I opened my eyes again. I ran my hands through his fur, admiring just how soft and clean it was. I wonder if Kodiak takes baths? Do wolves care about personal hygiene?

I let my eyes flutter closed once again, just revelling in the silence. Don't get me wrong, I like Xavier a lot- I'm just trying to process everything. Having Kodiak with me helped a lot, it was easing my nerves about my future being set out in front of me without much input from me.