Page 11 of Crystal Luna

“I would…” She stuttered, scrambling for words. “I would like to do that.”

Wayne’s eyes brightened, creases forming in his cheeks as he smiled at her. “Do you have time now?”

Her eyes turned to the papers scattered over the desk.

Wayne followed her gaze and laughed. “Oh I’ll finish this up later. I was hoping to get a break anyway.”

She nodded but not without her eyes apologetically flickering to Heath.

Wayne gestured to the seat next to him. “How about we talk a little about you and your wolf first. It’ll help us understand your relationship better.”

Velora visibly hesitated again, but after a moment of struggle she stepped over that invisible line and sat on the very edge of the chair, poised to bolt at any given second. Her head was slightly bowed, her hands nervously folded in her lap.

Trying to ease her mind, Heath relaxed into his own chair and softened his face. Wayne did the same, his lips curled into a curious smile.

“Let’s start at the beginning,” Wayne suggested. “Tell me about your first shift. What was it like to meet her for the first time?”

Velora fidgeted with her fingers, searching for the right words, just as she had with Heath. “It hurt,” she whispered, pausing for a moment. “I didn’t know it was coming. I was watching a movie but couldn’t sit still. Then I walked outside and saw the moon, I felt like I was being ripped apart.”

“You were alone?”

She nodded.

“Was your pack not present?”

Her shoulders slumped as she shook her head. “They didn’t like to have me at the moon celebrations. I usually spent those nights watching TV.”

Wayne tensed, eyes blazing as he shot a glare to Heath. He took a moment to calm his anger before he spoke again. “Did you feel her presence at all before you shifted? The wolves usually hint at their existence by making us feel restless, or as if something is nagging us. I kept thinking I’d forgotten something important the days leading up to my first shift.”

Velora stiffened, then shook her head. “I was busy.” She forced a calm breath before explaining further. “I spent the whole day in the kitchen.”

Heath had to suppress a growl as he imagined her working herself to the bone to prepare for the Goddess’s celebration even though she wasn’t invited. Wayne shifted in his chair, beginning to feel the same. Heath calmed, not wanting Velora to think they were angry with her.

“And the days leading up to your shift?”

She just shook her head.

“When you shifted, who was in control?”

She lifted her gaze to Wayne, confusion painted over her features.

“Usually when a wolf shifts under the guidance of someone else, their human remains in charge, even once in wolf form. Was that the case for you too?”

“Yes.”

“Was she very present in your mind when you shifted? Did her feelings overwhelm you or was she more estranged?”

“She was there but more like she was in the background.”

That surprised Heath. Usually, newborn pups were very eager to see the world, making it harder for their humans to keep control.

“What happened after you realised you’d shifted into a wolf?”

“I shifted.”

“You shifted back?”

She nodded again, her eyes resting on her hands.