I GROANED AND flailed my limbs. They moved millimetres.

Unlike before I succumbed to Riana when I finished shifting into my wolf form, my limbs felt longer again. Like I was human once more.

I rested a bit longer until I felt ready to try moving my arms again. This time, I got them to my face before they fell down again. This time, flat on my face.

My ears heard some low chuckling in the background in response to my 'oof'.

Again, when I felt strong enough, I commanded my fingers to move and rub the goop from my eyes in hopes of making it easier to open them.

"Your drowsiness and inability to control your limbs will soon fade."

Riana? A being stands in front of my closed eyelids.

"Katie. I'm Riana. I think it's time for you to know that I'm your wolf."

I have a wolf? For all this time?

She nodded her head. "I was always the voice that drove you crazy all the time."

Talking about that... what was that for?

Shrugging, "it was funny."

Funny? I was bewildered. All that emotional stress and trauma caused by Riana was just for fun? I'm scarred by those experiences!

Riana padded closer to my eyepiece, or what you could call the lens I could see her from. But instead of her nose meeting my chest, she changed directions to brush her fur against me.

Her fur felt unmatted, soft, and fluffy. Orange strands reflected an unknown light source, glimmering in the otherwise dark surroundings. Riana's height went up to my shoulder, and I observed it was taller than James but shorter than Fynn. Fynn was deadly tall.

A hand lifted from under my vision to comb through her fur. There was no resistance as if Riana used conditioner every day and a hair mask every week.

Hang on, that's my hand!

"Yes," Riana chuckled, "it is your hand."

How is this possible?

And how can I hear you even though you're a wolf? I add on second thought.

"This is an area of your brain. A part of your consciousness. Somehow, all wolf-shifters have a part of their brain allocated to their wolves, where you have a visual of me; accessible whenever you wish. When I don't occupy and control your movements, I stay here and watch from the passenger seat," she explains.

"We're sort of like a two-seater car. You are the assigned, go-to driver. I, on the other hand, take the role of the navigator. I observe from the side-lines, through the windshield that are your eyes."

So you sit in the driver's seat while we're in our wolf form?

"Normally, yes. But sometimes, I will rise to the surface of your consciousness. Similar to what you experienced before you let me drive the vessel of our body."

Kind of like reaching over the centre console to steer the wheel.

"Essentially."

I pause, not sure which questions to ask next. Will you stop treating the human you're bonded to so harshly?" I inquired using third-person.

"I thought you liked that about me!" she huffed in mock sadness.

Before I could respond, "I think it's time to open your eyes. Your mates are waiting."

With the last comment, Riana receded into the background of my mind, and I felt myself being pushed into the present moment.

"Katie?" a masculine voice that I recognised to be Jesse said from his place next to me. "You're finally waking up!"

A hand – no, knee – resting under my back shifted.

Big, warm hands gently combed something out of my face. Hair, probably.

***

A/N:

You guys contributed by voting, you get a chapter early in return!

I don't know how, but we suddenly got more than a 1K increase in views. Each and every one of you who clicked on MVOWF is amazing. I shouldn't count user views as a measure of success, but I'm stupefied by people reading my book!

QOTC: who do those big, warm hands belong to? (cue wiggling eyebrows)?
I ain't tellin' you!

Keep being yourself,

-Hilda