My First Shift

Valerie

I pushed my legs harder, running as fast as my exhausted body would allow. My lungs burned with every breath, and my legs were beginning to feel painfully heavy, but I couldn't afford to slow down.

One would think that after spending four years in prison, I would have lost at least some weight. Somehow, though, it seemed the fat had decided to remain stubbornly attached to me. Despite everything I had endured, I was still almost the same weight I had been before I went to prison.

A deep, terrifying growl echoed through the forest behind me. I didn't need to look back to know he was close.

The sound of his paws pounding against the ground grew louder with every passing second and judging by the speed at which he was closing the distance between us, I would be caught within seconds.

“Moon Goddess, please help me. I cannot die now,” I prayed desperately as I forced my legs to move faster.

Then something inside me suddenly shifted, my vision changed. The daylight filtering through the trees became incredibly sharp, every detail around me suddenly clear. At the same time, an unfamiliar strength surged through my body, my balance changed, and I nearly stumbled.

I looked down at my hands, my eyes widened. Claws were already pushing through my fingertips. My skin began transforming, disappearing beneath a layer of fur that spread rapidly across my hands and arms.

I stared at myself in disbelief, I was finally shifting for the first time in my life. A sharp pain tore through my entire body, I collapsed onto the forest floor. My bones cracked violently as my body began to transform. Every part of me seemed to twist and rearrange itself at once, the pain so intense that I could barely think.

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped, I had shifted completely. Another powerful growl sounded behind me. The King's wolf was still coming.

My wolf immediately sprang to her feet and took off, racing deeper into the forest. Her speed was nothing like mine had been. She moved with an incredible force and agility, carrying us through the trees at a speed I could never have managed on two legs.

“I can't believe you are finally here,” I said inside my head, still struggling to comprehend that my wolf had actually appeared. “Thank you for coming to me when I needed you most.”

She didn't respond, I waited for an answer, but there was only silence. Behind us, I could hear the King's heavy paws striking the forest floor as he continued his pursuit.

“The King is catching up to us. Can't you run any faster?” I asked, my panic rising as his footsteps grew closer.

She still didn't answer, Instead, she pushed herself harder. The trees blurred around us as we raced through the forest, but no matter how quickly she ran, the King's wolf remained close behind.

Then suddenly, a violent crash came from behind. The King's wolf slammed into us with tremendous force, sending my wolf crashing onto the forest floor. I barely had time to recover before his enormous body pinned us down.

He was massive, at least five times larger than my wolf. His entire body was covered in thick, pure-black fur, and his sheer size made him look almost unreal. I struggled beneath him, but there was no way I could overpower him.

Yet somehow, the most confusing part wasn't his size, it was his scent. I couldn't understand why I found his scent so incredibly intoxicating.

The moment it filled my senses, something inside me reacted against my will. More heat spread through my body, and an unfamiliar desire awakened within me, deeper than what I was feeling before.

My body wanted him. It was a frightening realization because my mind understood exactly that the desire meant death.

My wolf struggled desperately beneath him, but the King was far stronger than she was. No matter how hard she fought to free herself, his immense strength kept her pinned firmly against the forest floor.

Eventually, he managed to force her completely still, he lowered his head and stared directly into her eyes. His lips moved as he said something, but I couldn't make out a single word.

I was incredibly grateful that I was still in my wolf form, he couldn't recognize me. Because if I had been in my human form, the hunger and lust reflected in his eyes would be replaced by a murderous look , and I knew that if he realized who I really was, I wouldn't survive the next few seconds. I would have been torn apart.

I had been given one strict instruction when I started working at the palace, never appear before the King or anywhere close to him. I had obeyed that instruction without question from the moment I arrived. I had been careful to remain invisible, avoiding the King and keeping my distance from everyone who served him until now.

The King suddenly lifted his head and released a deafening growl.bThe sound reverberated through the forest, powerful enough to make the trees seem to tremble around us.

He bared his enormous fangs, my entire body went rigid as he lowered his head again, clearly preparing to sink his teeth into my neck.

Before he could do it, my wolf reacted, she suddenly lifted her head and slammed it against his with all the strength she could muster. The impact was hard enough to send him stumbling backward.

My wolf didn't hesitate, she immediately pushed herself onto her feet and sprinted away, taking advantage of the brief opportunity his shock had given us.

This time, she ran faster than she had ever run before. I could hear the King's furious growl behind us, followed by the heavy pounding of his paws against the forest floor as he gave chase.

My wolf suddenly veered in an entirely different direction, taking us deeper into the forest and away from the path we had been following.

She kept running until the sound of the King's pursuit gradually disappeared behind us. I had no idea where we were anymore.

“Slow down. If you take us any farther, I may not be able to find my way back on my own,” I said, trying to make her understand that we were already deep enough into the forest.

She ignored me, she continued running as though she hadn't heard a word I said. I frowned. Why wasn't she responding to me?bWe were supposed to be able to communicate. Every wolf could communicate with their wolf, so why was mine completely silent?

“What is your name?” I asked. There was still no response. “Are you ever going to answer me?” I yelled inside my head, growing increasingly frustrated by her silence.

Instead of answering me, she suddenly veered toward the large river that had appeared ahead of us.

My eyes widened, before I could understand what she was doing, she leapt straight into the water. I screamed internally, completely caught off guard by her sudden decision.

The moment my body hit the cold water, I shifted back into my human form almost instantly. The strange heat that had been consuming my body disappeared the moment I entered the river, leaving me feeling strangely empty and confused.

I gasped as I lifted my head above the surface, coughing slightly while I pushed my soaked hair away from my face. Then I remembered, I was completely naked. I quickly looked around, but there was no one in sight.

“Are you still there?” I asked cautiously, no response came. It felt as though she had completely vanished. I couldn't sense her presence anywhere inside me anymore.

My wolf had disappeared again, after remaining dormant for twenty-three years, she had finally appeared when I was in danger, only to vanish the moment I needed her again.

What kind of cursed wolf was this? “Fuck you, Moon Goddess, for turning my life into such a cruel joke,” I cursed bitterly in my mind. “A plus-size woman with a completely useless wolf. You must have been terribly bored when you created me and decided I would make an amusing experiment.”

I remained in the water for several minutes, trying to calm myself down and cool the anger boiling inside me. Tears eventually slipped down my face, mixing with the water around me, I cried until I had nothing left.

When I was finally tired of crying, I pulled myself out of the river, completely naked and shivering slightly from the cool air against my wet skin.

I stood there for a moment, looking around the unfamiliar forest. How was I supposed to find my way back to the kingdom now? I had no idea where I was.

I took a step forward and I froze, standing directly in front of me was the King. He was completely naked too. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him in disbelief.

“You?” he said.