Are you aware of how to locate the path back?Molly enquired with a hint of uncertainty, not regarding him, but rather herself. She was utterly disoriented, unable to ascertain her location. They could have been several miles from the camp, and she would have been incapable of determining the correct direction to proceed.
He cast her a sidelong glance. She presented him with his heavy jacket, which he donned. “You will eventually master navigation,” he remarked.
Molly trailed behind him through the deep snow and felt fatigued after merely twenty feet.
“Thank you once more,” Molly remarked to his back. His shoulders tightened slightly, yet he remained silent. “Thank you for everything.” For all your contributions.
She was indifferent to his disinterest; she felt compelled to express it.
“I-”
“It is acceptable,” he interjected. “If we do not expedite our efforts, we will encounter another storm.”
The following day, Molly encountered Jayce in a clearing distant from the camp. He resided in a separate cabin, and she had not seen him since he returned her to the camp the previous day. No one had ventured out to acknowledge her absence; not a single individual expressed concern for her. Only he did. She loathed the emotions this evoked within her, as if her heart could cease for him, and she abhorred her own vulnerability. It was appropriate that he occupied his own cabin. There were ample accommodations, and it was improper for them to share a bed in the first instance.
She brought oversized clothing and an additional set in case of damage during the process. The last thing she wanted was to be exposed due to her wolf tearing her garments.
He stood with his hands buried in his pockets, avoiding her gaze. She attempted to disregard how attractive he appeared in red, which accentuated the blueness of his eyes—if that were conceivable. She placed her belongings down and positioned herself before him. “Does it always cause pain when you transform into your wolf?”
Affirmative. “You simply acclimatise to it,” Jayce remarked. They were sufficiently distanced from the camp, ensuring that no one could observe or overhear her efforts to transform at will. At the very least, her failures would remain concealed. However, his words compelled her to consider retreating to her cabin and seeking refuge beneath the covers.
However, she was unable to do so. She had evolved beyond that, refusing to exist in trepidation. She needed to assert dominion over her own destiny; her life was intended for living, not for dread. If she now harboured a wolf within, she would endeavour to embrace it… or attempt to.
“Understood.” Molly inhaled deeply. “What action should I undertake first?”
Jayce gazed down at her with elevated eyebrows. “It is not a matter of coercion.” It pertains to asserting control over it.
Molly knitted her brow in perplexity. “I attempted to summon it in the snow, but it did not respond-”
Did you attempt to contact it? Or did you attempt to compel its arrival?Jayce enquired, crossing his arms over his chest. “Your wolf resists control when it is unfamiliar.”
Molly stood and surveyed her surroundings, as though the solution would descend from above. “How do you propose I summon it?” Merely… State her name?
Jayce exhaled in exasperation and gazed upward. “No.” You summon her from within and allow it to dominate you. You must be prepared to allow her to do that.
Molly bit her lip, contemplating that a portion of her had been resisting the wolf’s total domination of her body. Even in her most challenging moments, she endeavoured to maintain control, reluctant to surrender to an entity she did not fully trust. The prospect of relinquishing that control was daunting.
Molly inhaled deeply and shut her eyes. She sensed her wolf resonating within her, as if poised for her summons. The obstinate wolf had likely been attentive beneath the surface. This realisation incited a degree of resentment, as she recognised that it had been aware of her suffering yet refrained from offering assistance. Perhaps it desired her to arrive at the conclusion independently; however, a modicum of guidance would have been invaluable during her moments of confusion.
“Maintain your eyes in a closed position and communicate internally with your wolf,” Jayce instructed near her ear. She sensed his movements encircling her, as if her body instinctively monitored him as an extension of herself. A shiver coursed through her at the resonance of his voice, and her cheeks flushed almost immediately.
Molly cleared her throat and proceeded.
Cordelia?“She enquired internally.”
“Yes?”Cordelia replied, her tone suggesting a smirk.
Molly endeavoured to maintain the dialogue internally even as she articulated her response aloud. “I… I grant you permission to assume control.
“Oh, do you indeed?” “That is pleasant,” Cordelia replied.
Molly exhaled and opened her eyes. “She is exhibiting obstinacy.”
“Our wolves may embody more audacious aspects of our identities,” Jayce stated, remaining positioned behind her. “Summon her, instruct her to assert dominance and transform.”
Molly shut her eyes and attempted once more.
Cordelia. “I command you to take over,” Molly asserted, her confidence exceeding her true feelings. She could have sworn the wolf chuckled at her, prompting her hands to clench into fists at her sides.
