POV: APHRODITE
The scouts retreat after my howl.
I feel them pulling back through the forest, their scents fading as they put distance between themselves and the Direwolf standing in the clearing. My declaration worked. They're afraid.
Good.
But as the adrenaline from the shift begins to fade, something else rises in its place. Something wild and hungry and demanding that doesn't feel entirely like me.
My Direwolf instincts.
I shift back to human form, the transformation coming easier now that I've done it voluntarily. Draco brings me clothes without being asked, keeping his eyes averted in that careful way he's adopted since I set boundaries.
I dress quickly, but the wildness doesn't leave with the fur. It stays coiled in my chest, pressing against my ribs, wanting out. Wanting to hunt. To dominate. To make everything around me submit.
"Are you alright?" Cassian asks, approaching cautiously.
"Fine," I say, but my voice comes out rougher than intended. Almost a growl.
