Celeste felt like she had a long, long dream.
She remembered hearing Jeremy's voice before she was consumed by the darkness. Her shoulder and chest hurt, and her head was throbbing with stabbing pain. So when enticed by the grasp of the still, peaceful darkness, she closed her eyes to welcome it.
Everything fell into silence.
Time passed in a blur. Celeste couldn't recall how long it had been, perhaps it was only a few seconds, but a voice sounded in her head. A mysterious, strange, yet somehow familiar voice. It was as if it had been a part of her thoughts for years.
But the voice was so muffled. It was like someone was trying to speak to her from under the water. She couldn't make out the words being spoken but could somehow sense the urgency and desperation in the tone.
With sheer exhaustion clouding her senses, she wished nothing more than herself being consumed by the darkness.
But the anguish and distress in the mysterious voice broke her heart.
She shook her head, trying to get rid of the exhaustion for a little bit. She wanted to know what the voice was talking about. She tried to listen.
"Let me out. Let me heal you."
As if her thoughts had magic, she heard the voice clearly this time. It was still muffled, but she made out the meaning of it.
"Let me help you, Celeste!" The voice repeated.
"Who's speaking?" she asked. How did they know her name?
Almost immediately, a white, furry ball appeared in her sight, standing out in the darkness.
She took a step forward, trying to touch the furry ball. But as she leaned closer to it, the ball moved away, too.
She frowned and took another step, and the ball retreated again as if it was teasing her.
Celeste had no idea what the ball was. She should have left it alone. But her stubbornness managed to get the best of her. Determined to catch that glimmer of light, she reached out for it again.
When the ball moved away, she ran after it. Her feet wouldn't stop until she touched it. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch it.
She was always one step behind the ball. If she sped up, the ball moved faster. When she slowed down, the ball also held up. Celeste gritted her teeth. She felt like she was chasing after a carrot she could never get.
Exhausted, she finally came to a stop, hands on her knees, gasping for breath with her head down.
When she looked up again, the darkness around her vanished and was replaced by the endless snow.
Celeste blinked. Her mind hadn't figured out what had just happened.
Her eyes darted across the snow. There it was! In the center rested the furry ball.
As Celeste walked closer to it, she finally realized it was not just a furry ball. It was an elegant, white she-wolf resting in the crisp white snow. The wolf's eyes were as blue and clear as the skies above them, staring calmly back at Celeste.
Celeste's heart thumped in her chest. She couldn't hold back the smile forming at the corner of her lips.
She loved the wolf already. Her feet were drawn automatically toward the beautiful creature.
The wolf didn't run this time. Instead, she stood in her glory, patiently waiting for Celeste to approach.
Finally, Celeste stood before the wolf. She reached out to gently place a hand on her soft fur. The wolf didn't dodge. Instead, she tilted her head and nuzzled into her palm. Celeste's heart melted immediately.
The wolf cried softly under her hand. Celeste knew who the wolf was.
"Let me out, my human."
The smile on her face widened.
She nodded. "I have been waiting for you. Come out, my wolf. "
The wolf pounced happily toward Celeste, pushing her into the snow. Celeste expected the heavy weight of the wolf to knock the air out of her lungs when her back landed on the ground, but to her surprise, the snow beneath her was as soft as marshmallows. She sank into the fluffy, white cushion of snow as the wolf settled on top of her.
Celeste giggled, wrapping her arms around the wolf's warm form and burying her face in her fur.
When she opened her eyes again, she was disappointed to find herself back in the dark. Celeste blinked her eyes in confusion.
When she saw the ceiling, she realized she was lying on the bed.
She looked down. No white, warm wolf was in her arm. But she could feel her. It wasn't just a dream.
Her wolf had shown up! And the wolf had saved her with her power! Celeste's heart raced when the realization landed in her mind.
Excited, Celeste tried to wolf out. She closed her eyes and searched for the wolf. But she failed, her wolf was too weak to surface.
Celeste heaved a sigh of disappointment and opened her eyes.
That was when she noticed a figure lying at the edge of the bed. She didn't need to take a closer look to know who it was.
A strange sensation crept over her body, leaving her skin covered in goosebumps. Her heart beat rapidly as a shiver ran down her spine.
She was speechless, lost in thought as she tried to make sense of what was happening to her.
She wanted…
Her train of thought trailed off. She wanted what? Celeste frowned. She couldn't quite comprehend it.
She heard her wolf whining from the depth of her heart, but the voice was muffled again.
Desperate to hear it, Celeste took a deep breath and focused on the voice. Louder. Clearer.
"Mate!"
Her eyes widened.
"Mate! Mate! Mate!"
She heard it this time. Loud and clear. Her face paled.