Moon Child
Chapter 16

Hours after Dawn revealed some of her past she was undressing in front of Kane. He mirrored her actions, both of them nude and looking into one another's eyes.

"Remember, we run together. If you start to feel yourself fading just look at me, think of me. Picture us in our human skin."

He moved in on her, cupping her cheek as he leaned down to claim her mouth as his. The kiss was mind-blowing, and it seemed to help cool her nerves a bit. When he moved back she nodded in agreement. She could do this.

With him, by her side, she would shift. Running in her wolf form was something she had always fought, nearly to death. Until now. Now he would be her anchor to her humanity, and she would try her hardest to keep her mind on track.

He moved just enough away from her to give him room to shift. He was nothing like the savages from her old pack. When he removed the human skin and welcomed fur he looked magical. It was like he felt no pain, or maybe he was use to it by now? He had at least eighteen years of practice after all.

He looked toward her, onyx eyes pulling out her animalistic desires. Backing away from him she looked away, allowing her she-wolf to grab hold. The pain was excruciating, and as her skin fell away she begged for mercy through this torment.

...

As a wolf she faltered, stumbled to the side as her vision blurred. A whimper left her sharpened teeth. He was at her side in the blink of an eye, his fur rubbing against her own as she tried to focus. What was she doing?

Silver eyes looked around, nose lifting into the air as he circled her. Who was this animal before her? She knew it. Something in her knew this male, almost double her size and focused solely on her. He wanted something, but what?

He wasn't growling, so not a threat? She moved a step toward him, stopping his movements. He kept his eyes on hers as she tried to move around him. Mating? Did they come together to mate? Sniffing the air she didn't catch the strong scent of hormones. No. He wanted something still, right?

Perhaps they had been hunting together? She was hungry. Food. A flash of humans rushed through her mind. Guns, blood. She backed up, whining as she looked around. The last thing she remembered was running from a hunter. He had shot her, grazed the flesh.

Was he still around? The wolf before her moved closer, nudging her with his wet nose. She turned to him, nipping at his ear as if it were instinct. He looked surprised for a moment, then he pushed at her head with his nose once more and she fully turned to him.

This wolf was different than the others she had met on the run. He was calm, yet needy. Why was he here? What did he want? No mate. No blood or hormones. No hunt? She backed away from him a step, unsure of her footing.

What if he wanted something else? What else? It was in her head, a face she knew but couldn't see. He moved close again, softly rubbing his head against her side. Her heart sped up, her claws dug into the ground, and her tail moved from one side to the other. Whoever he was, she could tell he wasn't a threat.

She moved to face him, her eyes on his as they met face to face. He stayed still as a statue. He was still fully in control within his mind. He knew this female wolf was Dawn, that she was his soulmate and he loved her. She was a gorgeous creature, those silver eyes so curious in every form.

He also knew she was struggling to replace herself inside this furry form. She was lost in there, struggling to figure out who she was and what was happening. It was like looking at himself twenty years ago, when he was eight years old and just beginning to shift. A child, and he was here to help her. Teach her.

She moved, slowly, toward him until their noses touched. When the wet sensation caught her attention she moved back a bit. He remained still, curious as to what she was doing. Was she being...affectionate? Did she understand who he was to her?

The she-wolf began to rub her face against his, moving closer with each second that ticked by. When she nuzzled her nose into his side and whipped her tail in his face he realized exactly what she wanted. It was a very animal way of opening up herself for the mating bond. He wondered if she really knew what she was doing. The wolf did, but the woman?

He smelled the change in her too, her scent blooming into something heated. The wolf in him answered eagerly, putting out his own scent as he circled around to nuzzle his face into her neck. He couldn't stop himself from smiling internally when she began to chirp at him.

It was a sound wolves made when happy or pleased, but to hear her make it had his heart filling. She was so innocent, even in this form.

When he moved toward her backend, nose barely touching a back leg, the air changed. He felt something in her shifting. Backing away he watched as she forced her body to change. Bones broke, fur fell out, and the skin of a human returned. He looked over her, confused yet knowing.

...

Dawn gasped for air, shaking as she moved to her hands and knees. Coughing up blood she continued to struggle for air. A wet nose barely touched her cheek and suddenly she was moving away from him, backing up on her hands and knees. Her gaze was lost somewhere far away, and he wanted to howl for her.

She was in pain, maybe not physically but in her own mind. He remained still, allowing her time to come back to reality. When she did, and her eyes finally recognized him, she forced herself to her feet.

"I can't. I can't."

With those trembling words she turned and ran into the trees, her bare feet quickly getting cut up on loose rocks and branches. She had forgotten herself as soon as the fur came out. As a wolf she was just an animal, unable to see past the basic survival needs of a beast. Hunt, mate, run. Nothing else mattered, and she couldn't stop herself from craving it. Craving the nothingness.