The Skin Walker

12 | The Cursed Children of the Moon

"It's no one's fault, it's just my terrible condition."

Difficult Gracie Abrams

R U T H

Reese didn't finish explaining what he meant when a wolf prowled into the open gates of Rueben's property. The guards did nothing to stop the animal, and both Reese and Zeke merely stared. The wolf was bloodied, its brown and black coat soaking in crimson. Its steps were broken, held together in a limp. 

"What the hell?" Zeke managed to whisper, and it set Reese off into a slight jog as he dashed toward the injured wolf. 

Its eyes were latched on mine. Gold. My head ached from staring into the wolf's eyes, but I couldn't look away. Something was nudging at me, in my mind, to remember. I didn't know what I had to recall from my broken memory. It was like the wolf was forcing me to. I couldn't, not even as I became nauseous. 

All I knew was that Rueben was the wolf, and he was hurt. 

"Theo," Reese warned the wolf, and I was confused again. Maybe werewolves had different names for their wolf selves. "You'll scare her."

Theo, as Reese called him, snarled at his Beta's words, keeping his attention on me. His steps didn't falter, not even as his limping worsened. 

"Theodoros," Reese repeated, his voice torn.

But the wolf didn't stop until he was in front of me. I wasn't afraid. Zeke was beside me, and Theodoros appeared to be too weak to do any damage. He lowered his head, a choked whimper escaping as he nudged at my shoes. 

"I don't understand," I said to no one in particular. 

"He wants you to reach a hand out," Zeke replied. 

I did so with caution. My fingers lowered to the wolf's head, his fur tickling my skin as I rested my hand on him gently. 

"What now-"

A flash as bright as the sun evaded my vision, and I couldn't close my eyes to protect myself from the pain it produced in my head. When it dimmed, I was no longer in the same place I was a moment ago. I could hear Zeke's voice, I could feel Theordoros' fur, but I was not with them. I couldn't see them. 

I was surrounded by trees, the autumn-coloured leaves crunching beneath my feet as a cold breeze gushed through my hair. 

'So warm.' 

My body jolted at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. It chuckled, its amusement sending chills down my spine. 

'Don't be scared.'

I looked around for a voice, but saw no one. My eyes did a double take when I spotted a brown wolf in the distance, peering at me behind a few trees. Gold eyes watched over me like I was a treasure that needed to be safeguarded. 

'There we go,' the voice was so deep, I could almost feel its vibration rumble through my skin. 

"Who are you?" I asked breathlessly. 

The wolf, Theodoros, didn't move his gaze from mine as he walked past the thin and thick trees to see me clearer. He wasn't bloodied or injured as I had just seen. 

"Where is Rueben?" 

'Rueben is too naive to talk to you right now,' the voice spoke tensely. 'He lost it when he came back here after seeing you.'