Chapter 102
“Alright.” The wolf reluctantly agreed after she had considered all of the options.
Ariel was right in a lot of things, and if she would admit it, she was tired of staying alone.
Wolf thrived better with their human companion, and she had made a promise to her parents and their humans that she would take care of Ariel.
It was time for her to start fulfilling that promise.
“Yes!” Ariel screamed excitedly, pumping her fist in the air. “Thank you so much. I promise you will not regret this.”
The wolf chuckled at her, her smile reminding her of the young girl she used to know.
"So, how do we do this?” Ariel asked, breaking the silence. “Do you jump inside me? Do I enter inside you or what?”
Ariel took another look at the wolf, and she dismissed the first thought. There was no way she was going to jump into her without causing harm.
“Just close your eyes.”
“Hun?” Ariel's pupil widened for a split second as she heard it. “What are you trying to do?”
“Just close your eyes!”
“Alright.” Ariel shut her eyes tight. “I trust you.” The wind carried her whispers to the wolf’s ears, and she smiled.
Ariel's eyelids fluttered open, and she was met with a sight that made her heart skip a beat. The old nurse loomed over her, her warm breath wafting across her skin like a gentle breeze.
“Arrgghhh.” Ariel screamed at the sight before her, and the woman burst into a hearty laughter.
“You were mumbling some things I wouldn’t catch, and I was coming closer to hear you.” The woman answered her unasked question, and she straightened up in her seat, but the smile refused to go. “I guess you have a wolf now.”
“How did you know?”
The woman shrugged. “I was sure you wouldn’t come back without your wolf, the fact that I can feel it, and the smile on your lips is enough evidence.”
Ariel's smile only widened.
“I can’t feel anything, though. Are you sure it worked?”
“Of course, it would take a little time to get used to, but I am sure she is here with you.” She was still talking when Ariel collapsed onto her pillow, and a few seconds later, only soft snores were heard.
A soft, gentle chuckle escaped her lips as she gazed at Ariel with warm affection. Her hands moved with tender care, stroking Ariel's hair as if soothing a frightened child. She reached for the blanket, wrapping it snugly around Ariel's shoulders and tucking her in.
She took up and took another look at the girl, whose resemblance to her dad is so striking, and for once, she was sure that she would be fine.
Ariel opened her eyes, and this time it was to an eerie quietness. Her pupil struggled to adjust to the darkness, and she squinted, trying to focus on her surroundings.
And then, in an instant, the veil lifted, like a camera lens focusing into sharp clarity, and she could see everything with stunning precision. The black jacket, once relegated to the depths of her closet, now stood out, its threads and fibers visible in minute detail. The tiny spider that had clung to the windowpane, its delicate legs twitching as it gazed out at the world. The mountains, once a distant blur, now rose up in majestic splendor, their rugged peaks and valleys stretching out before her like an intricate map.
“Oh my!” Ariel gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she took in her new-found sight.
It is no wonder werewolves always looked down on humans.
Her hearing wasn’t left out either.
The stomp of her bodyguard's feet echoed through her mind. Even the humidifier, once a silent companion, now hummed a gentle melody that pierced her eardrums like a thousand tiny needles. Every sound, no matter how faint, echoed through her skull, creating a cacophony that threatened to consume her.
Ariel’s eyes darted wildly, drinking in every detail with an unquenchable thirst, as if trying to absorb the whole world. But it was too much; the new senses were suffocating her, and her mind reeled as she struggled to filter the chaos.
She held her head in her palm as she began to feel the onset of a splitting headache coming on, and her mouth opened in a wordless scream.
Until…
"Hey, new comer.”
This time, the scream erupted from the depths of her vocal cords, and her mouth opened wide as she let out a deafening roar.
“I think I am going crazy.”
“Miss Ariel, are you alright? Do you need us?” The voice of the bodyguard boomed from out the door, adding more to her turmoil.
“It is fine; I am alright.” She replied in a shaky voice, hoping they didn’t catch it. “Oh my gosh!” Her chest rose and fell as she began to catch her breath, and her gaze wandered around, looking for the owner of the voice.
“You don’t have to be afraid. It is I.” The voice came again, and it took all of Ariel not to jump out of bed screaming.
Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to place the familiar voice. “Wolf?”
“The name is Laura, but yeah, it is your wolf.”
“Laura?” Ariel broke off into another fit of laughter. “Who names a wolf like that? I thought you were mythical creatures. What happened to Marlene, Agatha, and Artemis?”
“Not funny. And Artemis was a goddess.”
“Oh my gosh!” Ariel gasped. “Was she real? I thought it was only a myth.”
“So were we.” Laura replied in a cold voice, and Ariel could have sworn she felt her roll her eyes. “Anyways, we have a lot of things to do; I have missed out on a lot of things, and I had to access your memories to be updated.
“W-wait, you can access memories?” Oh my, if her wolf could do this, would it automatically translate to her? Then she remembered the action, and she frowned. “You weren’t supposed to access my memory without my permission.”
“Yes, no, and I don’t care. We are one Ariel, an entity; whatever I know, you know, and whatever you know, I know. There is no separating one from the other; you just have to get used to it. And yes, I can read your mind.”
“I guess that is bye-bye privacy.” Ariel mused sadly.
“That is not why I messaged you. We just got back together, and there are a lot of things we have to do.” Ariel straightened her back at her voice. “First, I will teach you all you need to know about our world and what it takes to be one. You were an alpha’s daughter, and you need to show the world that you are still one. You will have to resume training, but this time it will be more intense. With your new strength, I don’t expect anyone to go easy on you again.”
“I know.”
“And lastly, you need to prepare for your shift?”
“Shift?” Ariel called out in panic.
“Of course, you will have to change into a wolf, but that will be during the full moon, which is still some weeks away. I will prepare you for it, and I will inform Jack to guide you through.”
“Jack?” Ariel scrunched her brows at the name. Her head was already reeling from the new information she had just heard, and she was finding it hard to connect this one.
“The alpha in charge. You need to start learning about your history if you want to survive here.”
“I know, and I am ready to learn. Please teach me.” Ariel’s eyes shone with some sort of confidence that she never knew she possessed, and Laura smiled.
“I think you are ready.”