“Let’s get out of here,” Liana said, her voice urgent. She crouched down and began working on Mira’s bindings, her hands shaking from adrenaline.
Mira hesitated for a moment, her body still weak and battered. But as Liana loosened the ropes, Mira’s instincts kicked in. She scrambled to her feet, leaning on her sister for support.
Together, they stumbled toward the door. The cold night air hit them like a slap when they stepped outside, but there was no time to pause.
“We need to run,” Liana said, her voice firm.
Mira nodded, and without another word, the two sisters shifted into their wolf forms. For Mira, it was an unfamiliar sensation—one she hadn’t experienced before. Her body stretched and morphed, fur sprouting as her senses sharpened.
Liana skidded to a halt, staring at Mira in astonishment. “You... you shifted,” she said, her voice filled with awe.
Mira looked down at her sleek, unfamiliar paws, then back at her sister. “I don’t know how,” she admitted, her voice tinged with wonder. “It just happened.”
Liana shook her head, her expression unreadable. “We’ll figure it out later. For now, we need to keep moving.”
They ran through the dense forest, their paws pounding against the ground. The night was alive with sounds, but all Mira could focus on was the surge of energy coursing through her. Her wolf felt strong, powerful—free.
When they finally slowed down, far from Gareth’s hideout, the sisters shifted back into their human forms. Mira sagged against a tree, her breath coming in gasps.
Liana watched her for a moment before breaking the silence. “When did you first shift?”
“That was the first time,” Mira admitted, brushing her hair back from her face.
Liana’s eyes widened. “The first time? But... how?”
Mira shrugged, her expression thoughtful. “I don’t know. Maybe the desperation, the danger... it unlocked something.”
Silence fell between them, heavy with unspoken words. Liana’s gaze dropped to the ground, guilt flickering across her face.
“I’m sorry,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “For everything.”
Mira looked at her sister, her heart torn. She wanted to believe Liana’s remorse was genuine, but the memories of betrayal were still fresh.
“I don’t know if I can trust you,” Mira said honestly.
Liana nodded, accepting the words with a pained expression. Before she could respond, a distant howl cut through the night. Both sisters froze, their bodies tense.
“They’re coming,” Mira whispered.
Liana’s eyes met hers, filled with a mixture of fear and determination. “Then we run,” she said.
Without another word, they shifted and took off into the darkness, the howls growing louder behind them.