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CHAPTER 15
~Spring's POV~
My eyes grew wide open at the realization of what was happening. The wolf inside—Spring's wolf—wasn't quiet anymore.
She was waking up, and by waking up, I mean… a full shift.
Shit!
My legs moved before I could think. One second, I was gasping on the floor, my breath shallow and fast, and the next, I was pushing myself upright, staggering to my feet.
The pain still throbbed deep inside my bones, a heat crawling under my skin like I was being unravelled from the inside out—but my mind was clear.
Or… clearer than it should have been. My body wasn't mine, but it was. It felt familiar and foreign at the same time.
I didn't bother with the door. My hand flung open the window, and with one leap, I jumped out, landing barefoot on the cold grass below. I barely felt the shock of the impact.
Everything felt heightened, too loud and too bright. I could hear birds fluttering in the distance, smell the lavender soap from someone's laundry line across the yard. Even the earth under my toes felt alive.
I had almost forgotten what these feelings were like. I was both ecstatic and terrified.
I didn't stop. I ran across the yard, past the trimmed hedges, past the stone path. My nightgown fluttered around my ankles as I darted through the garden and into the forest behind the Kaine estate.
The moon hung low and full above the trees, casting a pale silver glow across the dark earth.
The deeper I went, the louder the pulse in my ears became—not just my heartbeat, but something else.
My legs burned, but they didn't slow. Every part of me screamed to go faster, deeper, closer to where it all began.
Finally, I reached the thickest part of the woods at a secluded clearing wrapped in branches and silence.
There, under the silver eye of the moon, I dropped to my knees and clutched the hem of my nightgown.
"I don't know what's happening," I whispered, my voice shaking. "But my shift shouldn't be as painful and overwhelming as it is now."
A low growl rumbled beneath my ribs, vibrating through my chest like a second heartbeat. It wasn't scary. It was too familiar.
Like an old friend remembering my name.
Without hesitation, I stood again and let the gown slide off my shoulders. The cool air kissed my bare skin, but I wasn't cold.
I tilted my head back as I welcomed the shift.
The first crack snapped through my back, forcing a scream from my lips as my eyes widened.
My body twisted as bones popped and shifted beneath my skin. I dropped to my hands, my vision swimming as hair spread along my limbs.
My hands bent at impossible angles, my claws lengthening, then curling under the weight of new paws. Claws scraped into the dirt, and I felt my jaw expand, teeth sharpening one by one.
The pain was excruciating—but I welcomed it, my lips curling upward in a smile.
I winced immediately as another wave of pain coursed through me, and I did not know when a loud guttural scream tore from my throat.
Every tear, every crack, every shift of bone and breath—I let it come.
Then, all at once… silence.
I was on all fours, my chest heaving as the moonlight bathed my fur in silver. I didn't need a mirror to know I had become a wolf.
I stepped forward slowly, my paws pressing into the earth with instinctive ease. My vision was sharp, and my senses were alive. I could hear water trickling nearby and feel the energy of the land beneath me.
Just as I was about to howl, a strange, familiar voice echoed at the back of my mind. "Hello, Spring."
I swallowed, my chest heaving in my wolf form as I located the water to look at my reflection.
I did not want to say anything until I confirmed it, confirmed whether it was a blessing or just me overthinking things.
When I did, my eyes caught sight of the burgundy streak in her fur. I gasped in her mind as tears welled up in my wolf's eyes.
And I knew her name before she even said it.
"My name's Jade. And I am your wolf."
The feelings overwhelmed me, and I nodded. "You came back to me, Jade. You came back. It is I…"
"Your soul is… Solstice? Princess Solstice?"
"Jade…"
She was my wolf and best friend in my past life and… I thanked the Moon Goddess for such a blessing and for giving us a second chance.
"Princess, our bond never broke," she assured me. "Our souls were only waiting."
As if on cue, a rush of memories—flashes of our past life before this one—rushed through me.
Mountains, forests, moonlit hunts and her—always her. My wolf spirit and then the night when we drew our last breath as the eyes of the one we once cherished flashed before us.
I stood still, my new body rooted to the ground as I tried to breathe through the emotion swelling in my chest.
"You were never just human," Jade whispered.
A soft, trembling laugh left me—or whatever version of me I was now.
"I thought I was just Spring Kaine," I said to her, unsure how lucky I had gotten since my death.
"No. You were more, Solstice. You always were, and I am sorry for what he did to you."
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The next morning came with a buzz of notifications lighting up my phone.
Rhys:Happy birthday, Spring. You're stronger than you know. I have your gifts sent.
Eryx: Happy birthday, my little prodigy. Old enough to vote, not old enough to ditch your big bro. Gifts incoming.
Kaius: Happy birthday, little sis. Check your account. Don't argue. More to follow.
I smiled faintly as I sat up. The feeling of last night's shift tingled beneath my skin. My limbs felt different—lighter, sharper, and more attuned to everything around me.
It was strange… but good. I had returned after spending time with Jade and snuck back in before anyone saw me.
I yawned, stretching on the bed, when a fourth message came in from a number not on Spring's contact list.
Unknown Number:Happy birthday, Spring. Looking forward to more surprises from you.
There was no name or clue, just a kiss emoji. Was this a stalker or what?
I stared at the message momentarily as my thumb hovered over it. I did not know what to say or want to ask who it was, since they did not bother introducing themselves in the text.
I clicked my phone off without opening it. Whoever it was… I didn't care.
I tossed the covers aside and entered the bathroom, the floor cool beneath my feet. My body still felt sore from the shift, but the soreness wasn't painful. It was powerful.
The water was warm, the steam curling around me like a hug. For a moment, it felt like I could forget everything—Rose, the bullies, the past.
But that peace didn't last.
As soon as I stepped out and wrapped a towel around myself, I froze.
Something sharp assaulted my nose.
Pepper.
But not just any pepper—Carolina pepper.