478
She was starving herself. That was the nicest way to say it. Day and night the motley female had spent all of her time with her wounded mate. He haunted her thoughts every minute she was away and tortured her mind when she was near. Ever couldn’t even remember the last time she had eaten or even cared for herself. Ezra didn’t take the news of his upcoming change well, but eventually he had coaxed it out of her battered body.
She awoke, pelt soaked with something she couldn’t remember. A thick black paw was nearly crushing her face until she gained enough energy to move it. Once the girl became aware of her surroundings, she was surprised to see she wasn’t already off the bed. Her mangled form had twisted in the bloodied sheets and only her shoulders and neck were in the center of the bed. She was also meekly astounded she had shifted in her sleep. Lupus paws scrambled on the bed to get up. Thoughts of Ezra may have induced the transformation, Ever concluded.
The mornings were still edged with frost and even her room was still with the cold. Bunching her muscles, the youth jumped upon the window sill to take a look. Her graceful leap was disturbed the groggy teeter to gain balance on the thin chipping piece of wood. Mind swam with the sudden motion and lack of sleep. It clutched onto reality until the fog cleared enough for her to know she had to get to her mate.
Black hands now fumbled with the button on her cotton, red winter dress Ever had pulled over her head. It was too cold not to wear anything and impossible to change without being in Optime. Normally, she made very careful preparations so that Ezra would not see much of this form, but along with the sleepy feeling and a shrug, the youth decided he better get used to it. Grabbing another tee shirt to cover her mate with incase he still shivered, Ever took off.
By the time she got there she was glad she had been in Optime. Along the way she had heard the howl, desperate, heart-wrenching, it had left her gasping from the run near Ezra’s doorstep. But she froze, the fever-like cold and warmth dancing along her skin. There he was, in perfect … Optime. The bruises seemed to disappear in his beauty as the white stretched farther over his skin than in Lupus. Ever yearned to run forward and into his arms but she deliberately held back.
“Ezra……..?”
She held herself, circling him like a buck ready to charge. He was frightening her. Now he had so much power over her. He was beautiful. Ever didn’t know how long she could hold back.