Ana Discovers Brian's Inner Beast

Through watery eyes, I stared across to the beast that had saved me. Its bright yellow eyes bore into mine, sending a shiver up my spine. The white wolf began its approach slow. Its head hunched between its muscled shoulders. I backed a step once it had paced forward five. It stopped upon my retreat. A cooing whine came from its throat. I stepped back slowly, leaves crunching underfoot. Just as I was about to turn and run, I fell backwards, tripping over a tree’s scraggily root. I landed on my butt in the moist forest floor. I clenched my eyes shut waiting on the wolf to pounce.

I heard the dry leaves crackle under its paws. A whimper escaped my lips. Maybe if I didn’t move it would go away. I was frightened, more scared than before. If this beast could scare off my pursuers, it could surely kill me with ease. Suddenly, the crunching stopped. I waited, but heard nothing. Had it left? I risked opening my eyes, very slowly. Shocked, I jumped backwards. The white wolf was sitting before me, watching me with its glowing eyes. It still had its head down as though… it were afraid of me? How could that be?

That’s when I noticed it. The silver chain around its neck. At first, I was puzzled since when did wolves wear jewelry? As soon as I saw the heart-shaped pendant hanging from the dainty chain, a though I didn’t dare believe clicked into my brain. The silver locket was all too familiar. The artfully engraved vines rose up in relief off the heart. The wolf cooed again, moving its head just a little closer to me. I reached out a shaking hand.

“Brian…” my voice shook with fear and disbelief.

The wolf’s head bobbed slightly once. It slowly inched forward, finally, nestling its face into my palm. I hesitantly stroked the top of its soft head. After a while I began to scratch it behind the ears, my fear slowly dissipating. The wolf stopped cooing as it through my hand off with its nose in irritation. My mind still couldn’t process the thought as my hand went for the locket. I lifted it up and over the wolf’s massive head, taking the heart shape in my palm. I glanced up at the wolf once more before prying the locket open with shaky fingers. Inside was what I’d feared. The picture of Brian and I from the movie theatre photo booth, the picture from our first date.

I stared into the wolf’s too yellow eyes, a look of shock on my face. How could my boyfriend be a wolf…? It didn’t make sense. But this was Brian, it really and truly was. Tears streaming down my face, I took the slender white wolf in my arms, buring my face deep into its oil slick fur and cried.

“Brian…” I choked out in eager sobs. He rested his massive head on my shoulder, as if to hug me back. I repeated his name over and over again. That was all I could do, hold my wolf and cry. Scared and relieved. Scared because I could have died. Relieved because Brian was here and he’d saved me. I don’t know how long we sat like that, all I know is that the next morning I woke up warm and snug in my bed, wondering if last night had really happened.