Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 11:
Free from the final stitches, I watch as Taha does a full-body stretch, unable to keep the slight worry from my face. In response, the great wolf nuzzles his head into my side, then brushes his nose against my cheek. I let out a breath at the feeling of reassurance and strength that I receive, whispering while I step into the cradle of his chest, “Sorry. I’m being a worrywart, I know. Just promise you won’t try to hunt on your own right away… that you’ll take someone with you for the first two hunts.”
A wolfy chuckle is the response I get, but when I step back to look into his large eyes, he also gives me a serious nod. To change the subject, I ask, “Is there anything you want before I go get my shower?”
I get a sense that he feels dirty, too, and who can blame him. He still has blood in his fur that I’d not been able to get out, plus he can probably still smell the vampire all over him. I touch his cheek with a small smile, then ask softly, “Can you still smell him? His venom on your coat?”
He kind of wrinkles his snout and hacks a bit in response, giving me the only answer I need. “If you don’t mind me helping you, we can get you washed up in my tub. Sorry, but I don’t have any manly soap. You’ll have to deal with my Dove.”
At the relief I can feel, I grin, “Come on. Let’s get you washed up. Then I’ll get my shower and we can find a movie to watch on tv.”
Once we reach my bathroom, I head straight for the shower to retrieve my body wash, only to find Taha looking from the tub to himself with a shake of his head when I turn back around. I laugh as I realize there was no way he was ever going to fit in my tub, “I guess I didn’t think that bit through, oh mighty wolf. We’ll just have to do this with the hose outback.”
It takes the next 45 minutes to get Taha scrubbed from muzzle to tail, making sure to thoroughly but carefully clean near his healing wounds, though he moves how I need him to when asked. Somehow I still end up just as wet as him. When he is through being rinsed, he backs up about 15 ft from me, then his eyes seem to take me in before he lets out a deep wolfy chuckle. I look down at myself and shrug, chuckling, “Yeah, I look a mess, I know. I didn’t expect to make it through this dry, though. I think we did pretty good, considering.”
The huge wolf’s head tilts slightly, then he nods, agreeing with me. Only a second later, water flies in every direction as Taha begins a full-body shake. Satisfaction is the main emotion I’m getting, so I smile as he gives one more good shake. “When you’re ready, we can finish drying you off with a few towels, then I’ll grab my shower.”
When I walk out into the entry in my lounge clothes after my own shower, I see Taha’s ears perk up as he watches me from the entry floor. I smile, scratch between his ears, then offer, “Let me grab a drink, then I can find us something on tv to watch for a bit.”
Iced tea in hand, I walk into the living room. After placing my drink and the remote on the side table, I realise Taha won’t be able to lay near me if I don’t move and switch things up just a bit. It still feels wrong for him to be too far from me, so I go about moving the coffee table/ottoman to near the line of windows behind the couch, leaving the whole center of the living room and near the fireplace open. I immediately smile at how much better the room feels, and get a nudge to my hand from Taha in agreement.
Once I settle curled up on the couch, Taha stretches out on the floor to lay down in front of me. My hand goes to the fur of his neck, my head rests on the couch pillow, and my eyes close to relish the peaceful sound of Taha’s happily rumbling chest.
TAPOV
My little imprint must have been truly tired, because she falls asleep less than 5 minutes after we settle down in the living room.
Isabella Swan. My Imprint. She is so much like my dear friend Hurit, in looks and mannerisms, that sometimes the resemblance is uncanny. Having spent these last couple of days with her, I can say confidently that Bella will blossom into an exceptional healer, if she chooses to continue walking in her great-grandmother’s footsteps.
I lay in front of the couch for another hour, loving the feeling of Bella’s fingers in my fur, until I hear Zander checking on my recovery in the mind link. I think to him, “I am well. Meet me at the french doors to Bella’s living room please. Bring shorts.”
Though I can clearly see the curiosity and surprise in his thoughts, he quickly agrees. Bella chooses that moment to shift slightly on the couch, her hand slipping from my fur. I rise and take the edge of the throw from the back of the couch between my teeth, then pull slightly to make it drape over Bella’s legs. She doesn’t move or wake, so I slowly make my way toward the french doors.
Zander is already there in human form, so he opens the door for me, allowing me to exit the house to the backyard. Once we walk a good distance from the house, he asks softly, “Are you ready for this, Sir? Do you want me to stay?”
Nodding, pausing, then nodding again to let the alpha know his support is welcome, I let out a slow breath and close my eyes. I think about my sleeping imprint and how long I have waited for her, about how I want her to see me as human, and about the tingle that always accompanies shifting from one form to another.
Nothing happens. Nada. Zilch.
I let out a huff and try again, focusing harder on trying to turn back to human.
Not even a hint of tingle.
I look to Zander in alarm, thinking I might possibly be stuck, and a panic builds inside me. He shakes his head, “Let’s not speculate. Will obviously knows about you now, so lets go see him. He might know what to do.”
My head turns toward the house, toward my sleeping imprint, but Zander promises, “Shiloh is here, and we’ll only be a howl away. She needs the rest after the last couple of days; you need answers. She’ll just worry if you wake her now.”
I nod, knowing he’s right, then Zander and I are both heading toward the woods to make our way to Will’s house down the street.
Will is by a blazing fire in his backyard when we reach it. He nods to me, then offers the empty chair nearby to Zander. Without needing to be filled in, the wise old man offers, “I had a feeling I would be seeing you without your little coyote soon. Fear not, alpha wolf. You are not stuck in your spirit form. You can not transform because your heart, the little coyote, is not yet ready for you. She is not yet whole in herself, which means she is not yet ready to meet her mate in human form. Isabella’s coyote has been hidden from her by the bite of a cold one. It is still with her, protected by Hurit’s spirit. The cold ones have also taken more from her… confidence in herself, in her abilities, and in her strength of spirit. The spirit walk Isabella must travel will help her find herself -her confidence and her coyote- again. Once she is of sound mind and body, your little mate will be ready and you will be able to shift. Before you ask, the answer is yes. I am positive this is the safest and most direct route for Isabella to become whole again, and for you to transform back to human.”
I nod, now understanding that I’m truly not stuck in my wolf form, then nudge his hand in thanks. To my surprise, Will asks if he can have a few hairs of mine. I nod, so he plucks a few from behind my ear. Tossing them in the fire with a bit of blue powder, he offers me a genuine smile, “Your future, alpha wolf, if you have the patience to wait a bit longer.”
I look to the fire, and suddenly the ghostly image of my human self appears, kissing Isabella as my hand gently rubs her slightly protruding belly. I can hear both myself and Zander gasp, but my whole focus is on that ghostly image. That happy image. An image I was beginning to think would never happen for me.
When the image in the firelight fades, I feel a pat to my side, and Zander whispering, “Soon, Sir. I’ll walk back with you, so you can be with her.”
I nod to Zander, then place my muzzle on Will’s hand, hoping he understands my gratitude. With a beaming smile from him, I am off with Zander, headed back to my imprint.
When we reach the french doors, I hear a slight whimper from Bella, causing my head to instantly turn in her direction. Zander whispers as he quickly opens the door for me, “I’ll be around for a bit still, then Greg will be available if you need anything. Just reach out, and we’ll be here. By the way, Sir… congratulations.”
I stop to nod to Zander, but at another small whimper from Bella, I am hurrying to reach her instead. She is still asleep on the couch, though restlessly, and seems to be reaching for something. As soon as I get close enough, her fingers weave into my fur, and she settles back into a peaceful sleep.
My imprint may not be ready to meet me in human form, but some part of her recognizes our bond. That part of her is strong, and Will believes that she will be whole in herself soon. I have waited lifetimes just to see the face of my imprint. Waiting another few years for her to be strong and whole? That should be a piece of cake, especially knowing what the future holds for us together.
Free from the final stitches, I watch as Taha does a full-body stretch, unable to keep the slight worry from my face. In response, the great wolf nuzzles his head into my side, then brushes his nose against my cheek. I let out a breath at the feeling of reassurance and strength that I receive, whispering while I step into the cradle of his chest, “Sorry. I’m being a worrywart, I know. Just promise you won’t try to hunt on your own right away… that you’ll take someone with you for the first two hunts.”
A wolfy chuckle is the response I get, but when I step back to look into his large eyes, he also gives me a serious nod. To change the subject, I ask, “Is there anything you want before I go get my shower?”
I get a sense that he feels dirty, too, and who can blame him. He still has blood in his fur that I’d not been able to get out, plus he can probably still smell the vampire all over him. I touch his cheek with a small smile, then ask softly, “Can you still smell him? His venom on your coat?”
He kind of wrinkles his snout and hacks a bit in response, giving me the only answer I need. “If you don’t mind me helping you, we can get you washed up in my tub. Sorry, but I don’t have any manly soap. You’ll have to deal with my Dove.”
At the relief I can feel, I grin, “Come on. Let’s get you washed up. Then I’ll get my shower and we can find a movie to watch on tv.”
Once we reach my bathroom, I head straight for the shower to retrieve my body wash, only to find Taha looking from the tub to himself with a shake of his head when I turn back around. I laugh as I realize there was no way he was ever going to fit in my tub, “I guess I didn’t think that bit through, oh mighty wolf. We’ll just have to do this with the hose outback.”
It takes the next 45 minutes to get Taha scrubbed from muzzle to tail, making sure to thoroughly but carefully clean near his healing wounds, though he moves how I need him to when asked. Somehow I still end up just as wet as him. When he is through being rinsed, he backs up about 15 ft from me, then his eyes seem to take me in before he lets out a deep wolfy chuckle. I look down at myself and shrug, chuckling, “Yeah, I look a mess, I know. I didn’t expect to make it through this dry, though. I think we did pretty good, considering.”
The huge wolf’s head tilts slightly, then he nods, agreeing with me. Only a second later, water flies in every direction as Taha begins a full-body shake. Satisfaction is the main emotion I’m getting, so I smile as he gives one more good shake. “When you’re ready, we can finish drying you off with a few towels, then I’ll grab my shower.”
When I walk out into the entry in my lounge clothes after my own shower, I see Taha’s ears perk up as he watches me from the entry floor. I smile, scratch between his ears, then offer, “Let me grab a drink, then I can find us something on tv to watch for a bit.”
Iced tea in hand, I walk into the living room. After placing my drink and the remote on the side table, I realise Taha won’t be able to lay near me if I don’t move and switch things up just a bit. It still feels wrong for him to be too far from me, so I go about moving the coffee table/ottoman to near the line of windows behind the couch, leaving the whole center of the living room and near the fireplace open. I immediately smile at how much better the room feels, and get a nudge to my hand from Taha in agreement.
Once I settle curled up on the couch, Taha stretches out on the floor to lay down in front of me. My hand goes to the fur of his neck, my head rests on the couch pillow, and my eyes close to relish the peaceful sound of Taha’s happily rumbling chest.
TAPOV
My little imprint must have been truly tired, because she falls asleep less than 5 minutes after we settle down in the living room.
Isabella Swan. My Imprint. She is so much like my dear friend Hurit, in looks and mannerisms, that sometimes the resemblance is uncanny. Having spent these last couple of days with her, I can say confidently that Bella will blossom into an exceptional healer, if she chooses to continue walking in her great-grandmother’s footsteps.
I lay in front of the couch for another hour, loving the feeling of Bella’s fingers in my fur, until I hear Zander checking on my recovery in the mind link. I think to him, “I am well. Meet me at the french doors to Bella’s living room please. Bring shorts.”
Though I can clearly see the curiosity and surprise in his thoughts, he quickly agrees. Bella chooses that moment to shift slightly on the couch, her hand slipping from my fur. I rise and take the edge of the throw from the back of the couch between my teeth, then pull slightly to make it drape over Bella’s legs. She doesn’t move or wake, so I slowly make my way toward the french doors.
Zander is already there in human form, so he opens the door for me, allowing me to exit the house to the backyard. Once we walk a good distance from the house, he asks softly, “Are you ready for this, Sir? Do you want me to stay?”
Nodding, pausing, then nodding again to let the alpha know his support is welcome, I let out a slow breath and close my eyes. I think about my sleeping imprint and how long I have waited for her, about how I want her to see me as human, and about the tingle that always accompanies shifting from one form to another.
Nothing happens. Nada. Zilch.
I let out a huff and try again, focusing harder on trying to turn back to human.
Not even a hint of tingle.
I look to Zander in alarm, thinking I might possibly be stuck, and a panic builds inside me. He shakes his head, “Let’s not speculate. Will obviously knows about you now, so lets go see him. He might know what to do.”
My head turns toward the house, toward my sleeping imprint, but Zander promises, “Shiloh is here, and we’ll only be a howl away. She needs the rest after the last couple of days; you need answers. She’ll just worry if you wake her now.”
I nod, knowing he’s right, then Zander and I are both heading toward the woods to make our way to Will’s house down the street.
Will is by a blazing fire in his backyard when we reach it. He nods to me, then offers the empty chair nearby to Zander. Without needing to be filled in, the wise old man offers, “I had a feeling I would be seeing you without your little coyote soon. Fear not, alpha wolf. You are not stuck in your spirit form. You can not transform because your heart, the little coyote, is not yet ready for you. She is not yet whole in herself, which means she is not yet ready to meet her mate in human form. Isabella’s coyote has been hidden from her by the bite of a cold one. It is still with her, protected by Hurit’s spirit. The cold ones have also taken more from her… confidence in herself, in her abilities, and in her strength of spirit. The spirit walk Isabella must travel will help her find herself -her confidence and her coyote- again. Once she is of sound mind and body, your little mate will be ready and you will be able to shift. Before you ask, the answer is yes. I am positive this is the safest and most direct route for Isabella to become whole again, and for you to transform back to human.”
I nod, now understanding that I’m truly not stuck in my wolf form, then nudge his hand in thanks. To my surprise, Will asks if he can have a few hairs of mine. I nod, so he plucks a few from behind my ear. Tossing them in the fire with a bit of blue powder, he offers me a genuine smile, “Your future, alpha wolf, if you have the patience to wait a bit longer.”
I look to the fire, and suddenly the ghostly image of my human self appears, kissing Isabella as my hand gently rubs her slightly protruding belly. I can hear both myself and Zander gasp, but my whole focus is on that ghostly image. That happy image. An image I was beginning to think would never happen for me.
When the image in the firelight fades, I feel a pat to my side, and Zander whispering, “Soon, Sir. I’ll walk back with you, so you can be with her.”
I nod to Zander, then place my muzzle on Will’s hand, hoping he understands my gratitude. With a beaming smile from him, I am off with Zander, headed back to my imprint.
When we reach the french doors, I hear a slight whimper from Bella, causing my head to instantly turn in her direction. Zander whispers as he quickly opens the door for me, “I’ll be around for a bit still, then Greg will be available if you need anything. Just reach out, and we’ll be here. By the way, Sir… congratulations.”
I stop to nod to Zander, but at another small whimper from Bella, I am hurrying to reach her instead. She is still asleep on the couch, though restlessly, and seems to be reaching for something. As soon as I get close enough, her fingers weave into my fur, and she settles back into a peaceful sleep.
My imprint may not be ready to meet me in human form, but some part of her recognizes our bond. That part of her is strong, and Will believes that she will be whole in herself soon. I have waited lifetimes just to see the face of my imprint. Waiting another few years for her to be strong and whole? That should be a piece of cake, especially knowing what the future holds for us together.