Saving Nicole

Chapter 15: A Gift

Nicole's POV
--

When I become conscious again, I sit up in my bed. How did I get here? I stretch slightly, raising my arms above my head and arching my back, before realizing that my room smells different and that I don't have navy blue sheets.

I'm also not wearing my clothes that I wore yesterday, my skinny jeans and hoodie gone. And that's when I remember.

I blacked out after becoming a wolf. Why did I black out? And now I don't know where I am. But I have a good idea.

That's when Dallas strolls into the room, immediately spotting me. His eyes widen slightly and he quickens his pace towards me.

"You alright, Nic?" He asks quietly while hoisting himself onto the end of his bed to sit. His hands run through his hair in a stressed gesture before he turns his head to gaze at me. Something in his gaze startles me.

"Yeah.. Yeah, I'm fine. What happened?" I frown, struggling to remember.

"My mom found you in the woods." He says and something in his expression tells me he's not telling me all of it. "Naked." There it is.

My eyes shoot open wide. "What?" I shake my head and look down at "my" clothes. They look like something Carly would wear. Carly must have.... Oh my gosh. "Why was I in the woods?" Again, he has that expression that tells me he's not saying everything. Maybe he knows I was a wolf.

"How am I supposed to know? We were hoping you could tell us." He says discreetly.

"You weren't with her..?" I look at him sideways. This earns a dimpled grin and a laugh to come from him.

"No, Nicole. I was not with her." He hops off his bed and twists to a crack his back. "My mom called me and told me she found you and that she needed me to bring her some of her clothes." At my frown, he rushes on. "I walked as close as I dared and put her clothes in a bush so that she could get them and I wouldn't see you. " he rolls his eyes. "Trust me, Nic."

I nod with my eyes in slits and stand up next to him. I suddenly feel very small because he's a good few inches taller than me.

"Well. Thanks. Do you know where your mom is? I want to thank her." Dallas shakes his head.

"She's running some errands."

--

When I get home, I immediately change into my own clothes and promise myself I'll return Carly's clothes tomorrow.

Then, I sit on my couch, examine the pillows as I think through what happened yesterday. I turned into a wolf and then a name came to me, making me black out.

Amanda! That's what the name was. The One Who Deserves Love. Like an angel, she speaks.

Something inside of me uncoils itself, as if it were in a slumber. It roars through me, retreating into my brain to leave me with a feeling of renewal.

"Amanda." A voice in my head whispers. "I am Amanda."

Oh no. A repeat of yesterday.

"Yes. I know that. Do you say anything else?" I ask it sarcastically in my head.

"I need out." she says. "I need control." What kind of control are we talking about here? Mind- control? World control?

"Not until you explain to me what is going on." I respond, attempting to start to block her out. She only howls and growls.

"Fine! Fine! Fine. You are a lycanthrope. I am your wolf. You are my human. You turned fifteen, something about that being the average age of shifting, blah blah blah. When you shift, your clothes rip. I can take control over our consciousness while you can do the same, obviously. Any more questions?" I didn't know my own consciousness could sound annoyed at me.

"Yes. How do I shift back?" At this, Amanda seems to smile softly. I don't know how I can tell, but I can.

"Just imagine yourself as me. But not now. I like this shirt." I roll my eyes.

"Well. Goodbye, Amanda." With that( and a few angry yells at me from Amanda), I shut off our connection and ignore her.

I want to run. Without interruptions.

So I do.

--

After going out into the woods, I strip behind a tree. I don't know, the animals are watching. Their eyes burn holes into me, but I focus. I focus on the way I felt(before the black out) and concentrate on getting it back.

And when I open my eyes, I'm amazed to see that I got it on the first try. I paw the ground and hop from foot to foot in excitement. The smells of the rich, earth fill my nose and my eyes sharpen ever so slightly. I can practically hear the heartbeat of the mice in the nearby bush. And when I walk, my steps sound like the beat of a drum.

And that's when the joy rushes to my head and I break into a sprint. Dirt clouds up behind me and bushes swish as I dart through the forest, the wind fresh on my fur. This is freedom.

I realize that this is a gift. I have been given this very special gift that allows me to change forms from human to wolf and back. This is a privilege that I should not take advantage of. I am special, and for the first time in many years, I actually believe it.