The Last She-wolf

It was another full moon.

The silvery light poured over the forest, casting long shadows on the ground and illuminating every rustling leaf. I prowled beneath the trees, my wolf paws sinking into the cool, damp earth. The familiar scent of the wild surrounded me, the rhythmic pulse of the forest beating in harmony with my own heartbeat. This was my life—wild, free, and simple. Survival was my only concern. Solitude was my companion.

Tonight should have been no different. I would roam, hunt for a meal, and return to my den. But then... something changed.

A sharp, stabbing pain pierced through my mind, sudden and agonizing. I groaned as my body staggered under the onslaught, my wolf's instincts recoiling from the pain. Whimpering, I tried to shake it off, but the sensation only grew stronger, until a voice echoed through my mind—distant yet commanding.

"On the first full moon after your eighteenth birthday, you shall remember."

The voice was thick and ominous, leaving me frozen in place. I didn’t understand. Before I could process the meaning, images began flooding my vision. A man and a woman—people I didn’t recognize—appeared before me, their eyes shimmering with sadness, tears falling silently down their cheeks.

"We love you so much," the woman whispered, her voice trembling.

"We will do anything and everything to keep you safe," the man added, his voice firm but breaking with emotion.

I felt their touch, soft and loving, as they kissed my forehead. But just as quickly as the vision had come, it faded, leaving me with a deeper ache in my head. My wolf let out a pitiful whine, trying to shake off the strange sensations.

"You are free from this day forth," the mysterious voice returned, louder now. "You will no longer be bound to your wolf form."

Before I could comprehend the words, my body convulsed violently. Every bone in my body cracked and shifted, the sound echoing through the silent forest. I let out a desperate howl, collapsing to the ground as waves of pain tore through me.

I felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside, my body reshaping itself against my will. My claws scraped helplessly at the earth as everything around me blurred, dissolving into darkness.

And then... silence.

I lay there for what felt like forever, my breath shallow, my heart pounding. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Something felt wrong. The forest looked different—taller, and somehow more distant. Alarmed, I scrambled to my feet, only to freeze in shock.

My hands.

They were long and delicate, covered not in fur but smooth skin. I stared at them, wide-eyed and trembling. What had happened to me?

My gaze traveled downward, and my breath caught in my throat. Two strange, protruding mounds jutted from my chest. I frowned in confusion, tentatively touching them, unsure of what they were.

Then a voice shattered the silence.

"Oh my God."

My head snapped up, locking onto the figure of a young man standing just a few feet away. He quickly turned away, his face flushing as he refused to look directly at me.

"What the hell are you doing out here naked?" he exclaimed, his voice sharp with shock—and something else I didn’t quite understand.

I tilted my head, studying him. He was tall, with long limbs like mine, and his dark hair was messy. But why wasn’t he looking at me?

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice hoarse and unfamiliar. The confusion and anxiety gnawed at me. One moment, I had been a wolf, prowling the forest. Now... I was something else. Something like the people I had seen in those strange visions.

The boy stared at me in disbelief. "You don’t know where you are?" He sounded incredulous, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

I remained silent, unsure of how to answer. How could I explain something I didn’t understand myself?

The boy muttered a curse under his breath and pulled off his jacket, holding it out toward me. "Here, put this on."

I stared at the piece of clothing, not understanding what he wanted. Why was he giving it to me?

He groaned in frustration when I didn’t move. Stepping closer, he awkwardly draped the jacket over my shoulders, fastening a few buttons. It barely reached past my thighs, but the fabric shielded me from the cool night air.

Satisfied, he finally met my eyes, and for a moment, everything around us seemed to freeze. His breath hitched as he stared into my eyes. I saw something flicker in his gaze—curiosity, maybe even awe—but he quickly shook his head and stepped back.

"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" he asked, his tone calmer now, though still unsure.

"I don’t know," I admitted softly, feeling completely lost. My mind was a mess, struggling to make sense of everything. I could still feel the weight of the transformation, the sharp disconnect between my past and this... strange present.

"Well, it’s dangerous out here," he said, glancing around nervously. "There are wild animals in these woods."

"Wild animals?" I echoed, confused.

"Yeah, like wolves or bears or something," he said, already moving to leave. "Come on, I’ll take you somewhere safe. You’re obviously lost."

I hesitated. Wild animals? I was a wolf—wasn’t I?

He turned and began walking, expecting me to follow. My legs felt weak and foreign beneath me, but I managed to take a shaky step forward, then another. When he realized I wasn’t keeping up, he came back and grabbed my hand, pulling me gently but firmly along with him. His touch sent a strange, unsettling warmth through me.

As we left the forest, a whole new world opened up before me. Bright lights filled my vision, towering structures loomed in the distance, and strange, metal objects moved along the road. The noise, the lights, everything about this place overwhelmed me.

"What is this place?" I whispered, my heart racing.

"It’s a city," the boy answered, eyeing me with a mix of confusion and concern. "Where do you live? I’ll take you home."

"Home..." The word echoed in my mind, but I didn’t know how to answer. My home had always been in the woods, beneath the moon and stars. But that wasn’t what he meant, was it?

"Yes, home," he insisted. "Come on, get in."

He gestured toward one of the strange metal objects, and I hesitated, not knowing what to do. I reached out to touch it, feeling the smooth, cold surface under my fingers.

"What is this?" I asked, bewildered.

"It’s a car," he replied, now thoroughly baffled. "Seriously, where are you from?"

"Is that where you’re from?" I asked, genuinely curious.

He blinked at me in disbelief before shaking his head with a sigh. "Okay, you’re weird. Just get in. I’ll take you home."

I cautiously approached the open door of the car, studying it as if it were a puzzle to be solved. I tried to step inside but my head collided the roof of the car. I winced in pain, rubbing my head.

"Not like that!" the boy rushed over, helping her into the seat properly. He closed the door behind her, muttering something under his breath as he walked around to the driver's side.

The seat beneath me felt strange, and the rattling hum of the vehicle only added to my confusion. My senses were overwhelmed with unfamiliar sights and sounds. My muscles remained coiled, my heart racing, even as the boy—a human—sat next to me, muttering under his breath. The rumbling of the vehicle beneath me sent a jolt through my body, triggering instincts I didn’t fully understand.

Without thinking, I crouched on the seat, poised to flee, or fight, or… something. My legs trembled beneath me, muscles taut like a spring ready to snap. The boy jerked in surprise, his eyes wide as he slapped a hand against his chest.

“What the hell?” he blurted, his voice shaking. “What is your problem?”

I barely heard him. My ears buzzed with the low hum of the vehicle, my senses on high alert. My eyes darted around, scanning the enclosed space for any possible threats.

He blinked at me, clearly confused, before letting out a long, exasperated sigh. "Okay, seriously, just tell me where you live, and I’ll take you home. The sooner I drop you off, the sooner I’m free of this weirdness."

I frowned, unsure how to answer. Home? My gaze instinctively drifted to the dark forest outside, the place that had been my sanctuary for as long as I could remember. I pointed in the direction of the woods, my finger trembling slightly.

“The woods?” he repeated, incredulous. “You live in the woods?”

I nodded, trying to make sense of the unease clawing at me. He stared at me for a long moment, mouth agape, before rubbing his face as if trying to shake off a bad dream. "This can’t be happening," he muttered to himself, dragging a hand through his hair. “A naked girl, acting like she’s never seen a car before, living in the woods. What next?”

The boy, still muttering to himself, slowly reached over and gently coaxed my feet back to the floor of the car. His movements were careful, as if he were approaching a wild animal. "Look," he said, softening his tone, "I’m not gonna hurt you. Just... calm down."

His hands were warm as they lightly guided me, and despite my confusion, a small part of me wanted to trust him. I let him position me properly on the seat, though my eyes still tracked every movement.

"What’s your name?" he asked, his voice much gentler now.

“Katrina,” I said, the name rolling off my tongue instinctively. It felt right, like it had always been mine, though I had never needed to say it aloud before.

"Okay, Katrina," he repeated with a nod. "Do you have a phone number or something? Anyone I can call? Family?"

The word family made me pause, my chest tightening as flashes of faces—blurry, indistinct—passed through my mind. My parents? The man and woman from the vision… I shook my head. “I don’t have parents.”

The boy’s expression softened, just a fraction. "Oh. Sorry." He hesitated. “Siblings? Anyone?”

I could see he was trying to help, but his words only deepened my confusion. Family. Siblings. These were concepts I couldn't grasp. I simply stared at him, unsure how to respond.

His shoulders slumped in defeat. “Great,” he groaned, knocking his head gently against the steering wheel. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"

Silence stretched between us for a moment, the air inside the vehicle thick with awkward tension. Eventually, he sat up straight again, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Okay," he said, sounding resigned. "Here’s the deal: it’s late, and we’re not going to figure this out right now. You can crash at my place for the night, and tomorrow, we’ll sort everything out. Deal?"

I nodded, not entirely sure what “crash” meant, but the prospect of sorting things out felt like a step forward, so I agreed.

The drive continued in silence, and I spent the entire time with my face pressed against the window, staring in awe at the world outside. Tall structures loomed over us, their lights twinkling like stars. The city buzzed with life, with strange machines zipping past us on the roads. People walked along the sidewalks, laughing, talking, completely oblivious to the wild chaos I was feeling inside.

Everything was foreign, mesmerizing, terrifying.

When we arrived, the boy—Dylan, as I later learned—had to help me out of the vehicle. My legs wobbled unsteadily beneath me as we entered his building, my senses assaulted by every new sound and light. The ding of a door sliding open made me flinch, the narrow hallway we stepped into made me instinctively want to crouch and bolt.

But Dylan kept a firm, steadying hand on my arm, guiding me into his apartment.

Inside, I was met with even more unfamiliar sights. The furniture was plush, the air smelled faintly of something sweet, and there were no trees, no earth, no wind. Only this strange… warmth. I wandered around, my eyes scanning every corner of the space, trying to make sense of it all.

“What are you?” I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop myself. My voice was hushed, full of genuine curiosity.

Dylan looked at me, confused. "What do you mean, ‘what am I?’" he asked with a small chuckle. “I’m Dylan. I’m… just a guy."

But his words didn’t satisfy me. “I’m a wolf,” I said, my tone dead serious. “I lived in the forest… until today.”

He stared at me for a beat, then burst into laughter. A deep, unrestrained laugh that echoed through the room. "A wolf? Right, sure you are."

My heart sank. Why didn’t he believe me? I narrowed my eyes, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “I’ll prove it,” I declared, stepping closer to him with determination. But when I closed my eyes and reached inward for my wolf, for that familiar presence that had been with me my entire life, I found… nothing.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I tried again, harder this time, but still, there was nothing. No wolf. No shift. Nothing.

Panic clawed at my chest.

Dylan was still smirking, shaking his head as he poured himself a drink. "What, did you forget how to be a wolf?" he teased, the sarcasm clear in his voice.

But this was no joke. I couldn’t shift. The weight of that fact settled like a stone in my chest, and my breath quickened. “What’s wrong with me?” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

Dylan glanced back at me, his smirk faltering when he saw my expression. "Are you okay?" he asked, though he didn’t sound overly concerned.

“I can’t shift,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. "Where’s my wolf?"

He sighed, setting down his glass with a clink. “Look, it’s late. You need sleep. We’ll figure all this out tomorrow.”

But as he walked away, heading down a hallway, I remained frozen in place.

Where was my wolf?

Without her, I wasn’t whole. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.