Content Warning (Trigger Warning)
This chapter contains scenes that may be triggering for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
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The fever came in waves of heat and chills. William felt his body burn strangely. The darkness of the room faded, giving way to the forest. The smell of mold and disinfectant became the scent of pines and damp earth. The cold of the room transformed into the icy, biting air of the night.
He stood upright. The snow beneath his boots crunched. The tall, dark trees surrounded him. Their canopies blocked the moonlight, creating long and distorted shadows.
A distant howl cut through the silence. A howl of pain and fury. Not the sound of an animal, but the expression of a deep loss.
William walked. The pain in his hand throbbed, but he barely felt it. He followed the sound. The snow yielded beneath his feet. The icy wind enveloped him.
He arrived at a clearing. A huge direwolf stood there, its dark fur disheveled. The animal didn't notice his presence. It sniffed the air, its head low, its shoulders tense.
The wolf stopped. It raised its head and howled. The sound was the same as before, full of mourning and rage. The howl ripped through the air. William shivered, not from fear, but from a sudden understanding. The howl was lonely, with no response. The wolf seemed to be searching for something that wasn't there.
The animal stopped howling. It turned, and its eyes, cold and yellow like ice, met William's.
William felt no fear. Only a strange connection. The wolf's eyes looked like his own. They reflected the same loneliness, the same fury, the same desire to belong.
The wolf turned and ran into the forest. The sound of its paws was light on the snow. It disappeared among the trees.
William took a step to follow it. The forest faded away.
>>>
I was running. The world was a blur of white and gray. With every step, I felt the power of my muscles propelling me, a steady rhythm. The ground, a soft texture, gave way under the weight of my body. The wind whipped my fur, a strange yet familiar sensation. My breath came out in white clouds. There was no fatigue, just the steady beat of my heart.
The wind carried the smells of the forest: the heavy aroma of deer, the sharp scent of rabbits, the smell of foxes. A trail of dried blood on a tree trunk indicated the passage of a wounded fox. I could feel the fear of a rabbit hiding in a hole. The smell of elk was strong to the east. Hunger was a constant ache in my stomach.
Suddenly, a new scent. A mix of smoke, burned wood, and the sweet smell of cooked meat, different from the heavy scent of hunting blood. A smell of prey that was hidden in an aroma of life and warmth. My senses went on high alert. My head rose, my sense of smell working like a compass.
A flickering, yellowish light appeared, breaking the darkness of the forest. It was a contained, trapped fire, a yellow patch against the white of the snow and the black of the pines, different from the cold moonlight. And then, the sound. Not the familiar noise of breaking branches, but the murmur of voices calling to me.
A low, deep growl escaped my throat. The fury of the hunt drove me on. The lights and voices were just potential prey. But a stronger curiosity took over. I needed to get closer, to understand, to see what those lights and voices were. It was an urgency that made me fight against instinct.
I stopped, hidden by a cluster of trees. The wolf crouched, its body still. In front of me, a small village stretched out. The houses were crude, a mix of logs and stretched skins. Gaps in the walls let in the icy wind, but a dense, warm smoke rose from the bonfires, mixing with the air.
The smell was complex, different from anything the wolf had ever smelled. There was the smell of roasted meat, of fat dripping into the fire, and an aroma of human bodies and sweaty skins. The voices were loud, a constant murmur of laughter and conversations that the wind carried back and forth.
The accent was so thick and weird, I could barely follow.
From one side of the bonfire, a hoarse voice rang out. "..what fo dinne? More rabbite?"
Another, softer voice replied, "Maybe. That damnedi elky is still at largi." Laughter followed.
Women with dark hair moved about, laughing while tending to children. They wore simple leather clothes and their movements were quick and efficient.
Men with thick beards sharpened the tips of their spears and swords, the metallic sound of stone on blade cutting the air.
Suddenly, a man's voice echoed, full of anger. "...that bastard. He's got my blackie stone dagger. I'll kill him ifi he doesn't give it back..."
A woman replied, her voice serious, "...calm down, Tormund. You needi to calm down..."
They seemed wild, but not cruel. Their faces didn't show the tension of starving hunters. There was no fear in my heart, only a growing curiosity. That's what guided me. The wolf wanted to hunt, but the man only wanted to observe.
The wolf yielded. I was in command, but with his senses.
This is unreal. It's unbelievable.
I'm a warg! Is that it then? Was this where my strength came from...?
Probably not... but man, this is insane.
This can't be a dream... please, be real.
One part of me thought how insane this was, but the other, the part that played video games and read fantasy stories, was screaming with euphoria.
I wasn't driven by the wolf's hunting instinct anymore, but with the joy of exploration. The world was my playground. I was strong, fast, and tireless. I smelled fresh water miles away and the woody aroma of pines.
I followed the sound of a stream running under the ice and noticed the shadows of a hibernating bear. The icy air was a caress. The stars, cold points of light, seemed made just for me.
I was free. I ran deeper into the forest, away from the bonfires, wanting to know what else this "ability" would allow me to do. It was my chance to experience the magic that had always been hidden in the books I read. And it was so much more than I imagined.
Being a warg is freaking awesome.
I hid among a cluster of trees. The wolf I was controlling was a giant male. I felt him, the mass of muscles under my fur, the raw strength in my legs.
It was a world of snow and silence. I ran for hours. The icy air that would have once cut my skin was now an invigorating caress.
The trees became a labyrinth of smells and textures. I leaped over a fallen log, and the graceful, instinctive movement made me laugh. A human laugh that echoed in my mind.
Anyone who saw me would think I'm a skinwalker or something...
I'm curious to know what this wolf looks like...
Is it my wolf now...?
I only heard the muffled sound of my run in the snow. With every step, I felt the body's strength. I was strong, fast, and tireless. Pain was a distant memory. I was one with the wolf.
I was hunting, but not for food, for fun. The wind brought me the smell of blood and the shouts of men. A smell of fear and sweat. And the smell of a woman's fear. I ran in the direction of the sound with curiosity.
I approached carefully so as not to betray my presence. I saw the scene.[1]
A young woman was cornered in a clearing. The girl had light hair and blue eyes, probably 15 or 16 years old.
She was surrounded by three men. One's knife gleamed, a disgusting smile on his face. The man with the spear looked at the woman with disgust, a look that made me growl.
"I knew the little whore would come here, Thorin." The fatter man spoke, with a hoarse laugh and alcohol breath. "So far from the village. Thinks she can hide, huh?"
"Of course not. She knew we would come. The bunny likes to be hunted." Thorin replied with a cruel smile.
"It's been a while since I fucked a young cunt like this. She's scared, I can smell it. That's good, it makes the cunt tighter."
He lowered the tip of his spear to touch the ground.
"You did well, Grodi, but you know... I'm the first to taste the cunt."
"Sure, Thorin. I prefer the ass. Tighter." Grodi laughed, his eyes running over her grotesquely.
"No need to fight, we're friends. What do you think, Roinr?" Thorin asked the taller man, with a disgusting smile.
"Me, from what I can see, I'd rather be sucked by those lips, fucking that little whore's throat is going to be beautiful."
Grodi advanced with the knife, his smile widening. "Good idea. It must be good."
The woman tried to retreat, but the spear blocked her way.
"Leave me alone! Mance will kill you for this," she screamed, her voice trembling. She wielded the knife, but her hand was shaking so much that the metal's gleam was barely visible.
"Mance won't know a thing," the tall man said mockingly.
"Where do you think you're going? Your ass has a mission for the night." Thorin mocked, approaching. "The night is long, and we are very bored."
"Don't touch me! You sons of bitches." she screamed, her voice failing.
They advanced together. Thorin and Grodi grabbed her arms, one on each side, immobilizing her.
She struggled, letting out a scream of fury and fear, but they were stronger.
Roinr laughed, approaching, eagerly undoing his pants.
"Calm down, calm down, you little whore. It'll be quick, after the first fuck you'll get used to it and start moaning." He tried to pull her blouse, but she moved, managing to take the knife from his hand.
She hit Thorin's shoulder, making a cut. He let out a scream, his hand releasing her arm.
Grodi, the fat one, held her tighter. "Bitch! You'll pay for this! I'll fuck you to death, you little whore," Grodi said angrily, the disgusting look from before turning into hatred.
She spat in his face. "You'll rot for this!" she screamed, her eyes full of hatred.
The men laughed. "Calm down, it'll be good. You'll beg for more." Roinr said while holding his member through his clothes, laughing.
"We're going to make you comfortable, you'll see. You'll never forget what it's like to be well fucked in the middle of the woods." They dragged her away. She tried to defend herself, but her strength was fading.
Disgust overwhelmed me. The smell of cruelty was worse than that of blood. It was a revulsion that went through my body and made me want to tear out each of their throats.
Those men, with depraved smiles and vulgar words, were scum who didn't deserve to live.
The growl that came from deep in my throat was pure fury. My eyes locked on them, and I moved silently through the clearing.[2]
With a leap, before the man with the spear could scream, my jaws closed on his neck. I felt the crunch of teeth piercing the skin, tearing the jugular and the muscles.
The sound was muffled by the torrent of hot blood that filled my mouth. I grabbed him, and he was suspended in the air for a moment, his legs twitching in frantic spasms, before I threw him into the snow like a rag doll.
I glared at the other two with furious eyes.
"Shit, what the fuck is that?"
"Oh shit, it's a fucking direwolf."
"He killed Grodi."
The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. The other man, the one with the knife, screamed and tried to run.
But I was faster.
I lunged at him, and my claws ripped his face and his throat in a single, precise strike. He fell, gurgling in blood, the knife slipping from his hand as life drained from his body. His blood splattered on the immaculate snow.
Roinr, the one who was left, dropped his dagger and fled in the direction of the village. It was a foolish thing to turn your back like that. With a small trot I approached. He felt a closeness and screamed and used an arm to stop my bite. What a fool.
"Aaaah, my arm!" The wet crack of his arm being torn sounded, the snap of the humerus breaking into pieces and the arm hanging grotesquely.
I'm not a fool beast, I released the arm and aimed for the throat. A new sound of something breaking rang out and then I turned and saw the girl trembling on the ground.
She was fallen, her leg bleeding, her body lightly wounded, a black eye, cut lips.
My eyes met hers. She looked at me with fear, her body trembling. Her accelerated breathing created white clouds in the air.
She tried to move away, but movement was difficult in the snow.
I approached. She raised her hand, the knife trembling.
"Please, don't hurt me," she whispered. "I'm not tasty, my meat is sour, ugh. Please, go away." she said, her voice broken.
I approached, lowered my head and let out a low sound, a kind of hoarse whine.
I licked the wound on her arm and then the one on her leg, trying to clean it. I lay down beside her. She was in shock.
I felt her shock and fear. I didn't want her to fear me; I was a friend. I closed my wolf eyes and felt the heat of the fever return. The pain in my hand pulsed.
I was back in the room. But I was no longer alone. There was the presence of a wolf in my head and the image of a girl with light hair and blue eyes in my mind.
>>>
William's mind took a while to reorient itself. The air in the room felt dense and warm, smelling of mold and disinfectant. The sound of rain was strange after the silence of the forest.
His human body felt heavy, a sense of inertia he had forgotten. He got out of bed, his legs wobbly, and felt small.
This wasn't just a dream... Hell no. It absolutely happened.
He went to the window and watched the dark street. The moonlight illuminated the city in black and white. He remembered the snow in the forest, and the smell of pines.
The loneliness of the room was overwhelming. He was at home, but a part of him, a wild part, remained in the forest. He felt divided.
William closed his eyes. The pain in his hand throbbed, and the image of the girl with blue eyes flickered in his mind.
William's mind focused on the forest. He felt the strangeness. He closed his eyes tightly, focus on the new feeling that pulsed in his mind.
That was so intense... so damn good. The feeling of freedom... fuck... I need more of that.
He imagined the cold, the smell of pines, the texture of the snow under the wolf's paws. He sought the connection.
The smell of the forest became stronger. The sound of rain was replaced by the sound of the wind in the trees.
The darkness of his room was invaded by the white of the snow.
This changes everything...
[1] Content Warning (Trigger Warning) You can skip the next scene.
[2] If you skipped the previous scene, you can jump back in at this point.