Turning ✔️

Chapter 40. The End

"Dad?"

The man in front of me was silent, his cool blue eyes unwavering from mine as his lips turned upwards into a smile. It was something I had missed, a simple smile that showed he was proud of me without any need for words. Hidden behind his smile, behind the happiness, I could also see something else in his eyes. The only sounds I could hear were the pounding beats of my heart in my ears. Time felt at a standstill as I stepped closer to him hesitantly. The quiescent forest around us seeming to amplify the sounds of each lumbering step I took closer to my father. I felt like my whole life had been leading up to this moment, I could finally get one last hug from my father.

...He has missed so much...Me growing up...There's so much that I want to tell him...For him to tell me...to tell me he's proud of me...to tell me he loves me.

Tears were starting to fill my eyes, clouding my vision as I reached out to embrace my dad. I staggered forward, falling to my knees as my hands met no resistance and passed right through his body with a cold chill. Unabashed, the tears streamed freely down my cheeks as I met my father's eyes once more. My own eyes mirrored the other ulterior emotion I had seen in his eyes earlier. Sadness. Despair. Pain.

"I'm so sorry, pup."

The sound of my father's deep voice cutting through the silent forest around us startled me.

"I've missed you so much, Dad," I said softly, the emotions swelling in my throat causing my voice to break. "This is so hard without you..."

"I know, Nathan, but know that I am always here." He replied softly, bending down to meet my eyes and point to my heart. "It has been a rough life for you. I wish more than anything that I could have been there to help guide you. It's been so hard to watch you unseen in the background as you've grown up. However, I have also watched you become an intelligent, caring, sensitive, and resilient young man because of everything you have gone through. I'm so proud of you, son."

My heart surged at his words, brimming with happiness to hear the words I had always been longing to hear from my father. The ring on my finger glowed a faint purple color and inside my body, a flip switched. I felt light as a feather as I felt a new resurgence of power filling my body. The familiar prickling of my skin growing out thick ivory fur, followed by the cracking of bones breaking and resetting ensued. Within a moment, I sat at the feet of my father's ghost as my wolf once more. Instinctively, I let out a boisterous howl as I realized what had transpired. My father smiled down at me, pride filling his eyes.

"I don't have much more time. That ring you have on is a Stewart family heirloom. It's been passed down for generations of Stewart men..." He sighed, looking away from me and down at the ground with watery eyes. "...and now you. It was out of this family for far too long. Please don't let that happen again. It's magic is too important."

He paused, his eyes glazing over for a moment, before coming back with a downtrodden expression on his face.

"My time is up. Remember, I am always with you, Nathan. I love you so much, my beautiful pup."

The forest erupted back to life once more as I watched my father's ghost fade out into nothing but air. I smiled halfheartedly to myself, happy to have had the short conversation with him, but left wanting more. Now, with my dad gone and my wolf returned, my mind only had one train of thought, my mate. I could feel his presence inside my mind, slightly easing the panic I felt, but I could also feel that he was hurt, sending my body's adrenaline production into overdrive. I hurled myself forward, bolting off in the direction that my instincts told me.

After running north for what felt like miles, I began to recognize the vegetation and terrain that surrounded me. I slowed my sprint down to a slower trot as I looked around, realization dawning on me that I was in the state forest that William had brought me to for our very first date. Taking my nose to the ground, I sniffed, searching for any trace of my mate's scent.  As I was searching, a strong gust of wind whistled through the area, infiltrating my nostrils with the sweet smell of my mate. He smelled close and I could smell blood.