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Sam

She couldn’t hear me. And I couldn’t hear her.Wolf was tearing me up from the inside, and I relished the pain as it kept me grounded enough that I couldn’t fly into a thousand pieces. This was it. The beginning of the end. I clenched my fists and forced a swallow past the despair fighting its way up my throat. I was close. She was close. I knew it. But could she be close enough? Could she choose me? If we had time, I thought she could—would. But time was running out. Faster than ever.

I don’t remember much of the rest of the day. I was strung halfway out of my mind with worry over who might be after Megan and what might happen to her, especially since I couldn’t hear her thoughts regularly now, and what would happen to us, to the pack, to me, if she continued her way to returning human.

****

Dusk came early as it did this time of year. I was both eager with anticipation and loaded with dread. Anxiously I waited for Meg to come out of the bathroom in her robe so we could shift and enjoy some crisp fall air as the evening chill descended.

“Ready?” Meg asked as she clicked off the bathroom light behind her.

“I am. Weather should be good for a run. It’s cold enough your breath fogs. Wolf always enjoys this time of year. I bet yours will, too.” I tried not to roll my eyes at the way the end of my little speech came out higher than the beginning. I was nervous. I was anxious. Meg offered me a tight smile of her own.

Opening the door for her, we went down the steps. A few others were coming in the distance and figured it would be best to shift now without everyone as audience.

I nodded at her and in seconds was in my wolf form, silently urging her to take her animal form beside me. I blinked as I watched her forehead crease in concentration. There was a gentle ripple under her skin but no fur. Nothing broke the smooth flesh over her arms. She glanced at me, fear hiding in the depths of her eyes. A whine escaped my throat. I couldn’t help it. She closed her eyes and spread her fingers, willing them to change. Nothing happened. Not even the ripple. Her eyes opened wide, fear morphing into terror and shock.

“Sam, I…I can’t,” she breathed.

My heart hurt so bad I felt it had been torn out of my chest. I shifted back.

“Go wait inside. Give me a few minutes to let people know we aren’t coming.” Her head bobbed; her eyes still wide in her pale face.

I gathered my tattered emotions around me and braced myself to look nonchalant and as if my entire world weren’t coming apart with every breath I took.