Arya.
The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on the room. I lay beside Tyler, the lingering echoes of our shared moments still palpable. A strange mix of contentment and uncertainty settled within me. The events of the past few days had been a tumultuous ride, from betrayal to forgiveness, and finally, the consummation of our mating.
A blush spread through my body as I lay pressed against Tyler’s chest and one of his arms wound around me possessively. Last night, he had been so gentle, yet so passionate and the way he’d held me… it was almost like he’d been terrified I’d break if he applied too much force.
I did feel closer to him now. It was inexplicable, but somehow my feelings were in tune with his. The sound of his voice and the feel of his touch were now the most familiar things to me and it was strange, but Tyler and I now seemed like two sides of a coin.
Next to me, Tyler rustled in the sheets, gathering me into his arms so I was almost lying on top of him. He kissed my forehead and I smiled heartily. “Good morning, Little One,” he murmured groggily. “How are you?”
“I’m okay. If only a bit sore.”
He paused. “Did I hurt you? I’m sorry. I should’ve been more gentle.”
“No, no,” I said quickly, raising my head to look at him. “Last night was perfect.”
He didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure? Because I—”
I silenced him with a kiss. “I’m sure.”
Tyler smiled under my lips. “Hmm. You’re bold this morning. This is the first time you’ve kissed me.”
I froze, blinking. He was right. Every single time we’d kissed, Tyler had been the one to initiate it. A fierce blush burned my cheeks and I averted my gaze. “Oh.”
“Don’t shy away from me, Little One. I’ve seen you naked.”
The blush spread furiously. “Tyler, stop it,” I whined, covering my face with my palms as I rolled away from him to lay on my back. “You’re embarrassing me.”
He laughed. “There’s no one else here, Arya. It’s just you and me.” He tried to pry my hands away from my face.
“Still.” I let him, meeting his lovely gray eyes. “I’ve not done this before.”
“What? Been with a man? I noticed.”
My face had to be the color of a tomato, and it didn’t help that I had a pale complexion. “That’s not what I meant. I mean that I’ve never had feelings for a man before. Or woken up next to one. Or even wanted to sleep with one.”
But Tyler had stopped listening. Instead, his hand came up to cup my cheek and he stared into my eyes intently, as if seeing me for the first time. Emotions stirred in his eyes, holding me transfixed that I didn’t blink for fear of missing it. “You have feelings for me?”
Wetting my lips, I nodded. “I do.”
“I have feelings for you too, Arya. Intense feelings. Feelings that threaten to consume me.”
Whoa. What did I say to that? Without waiting for a response, Tyler kissed me. Deeply. Passionately. And it would have led somewhere if I had not stirred and a wave of nausea washed over me.
Dismissing it as the aftermath of an emotional rollercoaster, I pushed Tyler away and tried to sit up, but dizziness gripped me. Clutching the sheets, I closed my eyes, willing the room to stop spinning.
“Are you okay, Arya?” Tyler's concerned voice cut through the haze of my discomfort.
“I'm just... a little dizzy,” I mumbled, attempting to push through the fog in my mind.
He propped himself up on one elbow, his gaze searching mine. “Maybe we should get you to a healer. This doesn't seem normal.”
Nodding weakly, I allowed Tyler to help me to my feet. As I stood, a sudden sensation surged through me — a strange energy, as if my very essence was in flux. The room blurred, colors shifting before my eyes, and I stumbled.
“Whoa, Arya, what's happening?” Tyler steadied me, his concern deepening.
Before I could respond, an intense heat surged beneath my skin. It was as if an invisible force coursed through my veins, awakening something dormant within me. Panic seized me, and I clutched Tyler's arm.
“Tyler, something's not right. I feel... different.”
A jolt of discomfort surged through me like tiny electric shocks, a prickling sensation beneath my skin. I clenched my teeth, determined not to scream. “What is happening?”
I didn’t have to look at Tyler’s face to hear the helplessness in his voice. “I have no idea. What do you feel?’
The discomfort escalated into an intense throb, as if my bones were rebelling against their hold. I cried out involuntarily as the agony intensified with each passing moment. My body convulsed, contorting in ways that hurt The ground rushed up to meet me as I collapsed, my hands instinctively reaching for my sides where the pain seemed most unbearable.
I heard a snap first before screaming as my left knee curved inward. Tyler’s voice faded into the background and all I could hear and feel was my screams and the pain that tore through me.
On my knees, each crack and pop reverberated through the room. I felt like dying but somehow, I knew this wasn’t death. Death couldn’t be this painful. And then the torment subsided as swiftly as it had begun. I gasped for breath, my body cool with sweat as the world righted itself.
“What the fuck?” Tyler’s voice suddenly filled my ears and I heard the bewilderment in his baritone.
At the look in his eyes, I looked down at my legs—which had somehow turned into paws. What…”
I was covered in fur. Silver blue fur. What was happening? Fear filled me. I did not want to think of the possibility of it. Had I just transformed into a wolf?
But I had. Unlike what I’d been made to believe, I’d just transformed into my wolf form for the first time.
However, when I met Tyler’s eyes, there was deep mistrust in them. “What are you not telling me, Arya?”