Mae POV
I stand with my arms crossed over my chest, waiting for Kieran to shift. For some reason, he seems to be nervous about me meeting his wolf.
I remember seeing the rogues shift, and it was gruesome. The way their bodies contorted and changed shocked me, but at the time, I was too focused on keeping Sofia safe that it didn't matter. Now, I would be lying to myself if I didn't admit that I was a little nervous about seeing Kieran's body shift in the same way.
Not wanting to show my fear, I keep my eyes on Kieran. He leaps into the air, and within seconds, a large charcoal gray wolf is standing in front of me. He shifted so fast that I blinked and missed it.
His wolf, Karr, steps toward me, and I instinctively take a step back. Karr is massive. He is so large that he is as tall as me, standing on all fours. I am suddenly hyperaware that he could rip me to pieces easily.
Karr notices my hesitation and sits down. He cocks his head to the side and whines at me. I know he is trying to show me that he won't hurt me.
I take a moment to study his enormous form. The moonlight is glittering off his fur, and my fingers are itching to touch him. He looks like he is so soft.
I take a tentative step forward, and Karr's eyes widen with excitement. His fluffy tail starts to thump loudly on the ground. I take another step forward, and Karr crouches on the ground with his butt in the air. His whole body is wiggling with excitement.
Carefully, I reach down and run my fingers over his fur. He is just as soft as I imagined he would be. I scratch behind his ear, and his leg kicks against the ground.
"Oh, is it itchy right there?" I ask Karr in a baby voice.
Karr whines as I use both hands to scratch behind both ears. His tongue darts out of his mouth as he tries to lick my face.
"Hey," I giggle. "No kisses."
'Mate likes us,' a voice says in my mind.
I pause with my hands on Karr's ears. Karr gets up onto all fours and licks me in the face. He practically pushes me onto the ground.
"Karr," I gasp between his licks. "Stop."
Karr sits back on his haunches and whines loudly.
'Mate wants to meet me,' the voice says again.
I step away from Karr and try to collect my thoughts. Being a nurse, I know that hearing voices within your mind is never a good thing. I think I am going crazy.
'You aren't crazy,' the voice tries to tell me.
I place my hands over my ears and shake my head back and forth. There has to be a way to rid myself of the voice in my mind.
Each step I take away from Karr, he closes the distance between us.
'Stop running from our mate,' the voice chastises me.
I close my eyes and take several deep breaths. I feel a warm muzzle against my elbow, and I open my eyes to see Karr sitting next to me.
'Mate wants to help,' the voice tells me.
"Stop!" I scream.
Turning my back to Karr, I consider running away. When he is close to me, the voice in my head seems to get louder.
I feel warm hands on my shoulder, and I turn to see Kieran looking at me confused. "What's going on?"
'Tell mate what is happening,' the voice urges me.
"Stop talking," I scream out loud to the voice in my head.
Kieran turns me and shakes me gently. "Mae, what is going on?"
Tears spring to my eyes, and my voice gets caught in my throat. I don't know how to explain what is going on. I am afraid that if I admit that I am hearing voices, Kieran will leave me.
'Talk to mate,' the voice tells me.
"Stop, stop, stop," I cry as I place my hands over my ears. But nothing is drowning out the sound of the voice inside my head.
Kieran rips my hands away from my ears and grabs me by the side of the face. His blue eyes bore into mine. "Karr was trying to communicate with your wolf."
"I don't have a wolf," I whisper as a sob escapes from my chest.
"You do," Kieran assures me. "Now tell me what is happening."
"There is a voice inside my head," I whisper. "It won't shut up."
Kieran lifts my chin and places a chaste kiss on my lips. "Mae, that is your wolf trying to communicate with you."
I pull my head away from Kieran's hands. It is all too much to take in.
"Talk to your wolf," Kieran instructs me. "Get to know her."
"I don't know how," I admit.
"Call out to her in your mind," Kieran guides me. "She will answer."
Kieran holds my hands, and I close my eyes. I try to imagine what it would be like to have a wolf inside my mind, but I am struggling.
'Hello?' I think.
'I am here,' the voice replies weakly.
My eyes light up with the realization that there is a wolf inside my mind. My eyes focus on Kieran, and he is smiling brightly at me.
"What is her name?" He asks eagerly.
"I didn't ask," I reply. "Do you think I should?"
"Of course," Kieran chuckles.
I close my eyes and focus on the new presence in my mind. 'What is your name?'
'Celeste,' the voice replies weakly.
"Her name is Celeste," I respond to Kieran excitedly.
Kieran is bouncing from foot to foot excitedly. "Can you shift?"
Fear washes over my body, and I am suddenly afraid. I have seen what happens to a person when they shift into their wolf, and it looks terrifying. "I don't think I am ready for that."
"It isn't as scary as you think," Kieran says as if he can read my mind. "Karr would love to meet her."
I sigh deeply. "How do I shift?"
"You will need to communicate with your wolf," Kieran tells me. "She will help you through it."
I reach out to Celeste. 'Can we shift?'
'Not yet,' Celeste responds. 'We have to wait until the time is right.'
'How will we know when the time is right?' I respond. I can't help but feel a little disappointed, even though I am scared.
'You will know,' Celeste tells me. 'But now I need my rest.'
Kieran comes back into focus. "I can't shift."
Kieran looks a little dejected. "Did she say why?"
"She said I will know when the time is right," I repeat what Celeste told me.
Kieran chews on the inside of his cheek while he thinks. "I think we need to talk to your mother."
I look Kieran up and down. "Not until you put on some clothes."