After the devastating conversation with Alastair, my tears threatened to fall, but I refused to let anyone see my weakness. I transformed into a wolf and ran through the forest, leaving behind the oppressive presence of the clearing center. With each step, the pain of Alastair's rejection intertwined with the lost hope of a different fate.

I ran among the trees, the breeze caressing my fur as I tried to escape the shadows closing in around me. Finally, I stopped in the middle of the ...