Yet here they were and these strange events were happening.
“I will face towards the west,” said Raphael. “If you turn towards the east, we can both transform at the same time after undressing. Are you ready?”
Skye nodded, her heart beating uncontrollably.
She turned facing east while her companion rotated to face the sun, which had now disappeared. The moon was out now, emitting a gentle light among the cluster of stars above. Aptly, thought Skye, it was a full moon tonight.
Transformation only took a second, if that. Years ago, the very first Morphers sometimes experienced great difficulty with transformation, especially those who acquired the gift at an old age. The ability to transform depended upon the art of controlling the mind and triggering a certain type of emotion. Morphers of the old era sometimes took months, years even, to master the ability. New Morphers, such as Skye and Raphael, had no problem at all with transformation for they had been doing it from a young age. Morphing was very similar to learning a new language; the older that one grew, the harder it was to learn, whereas if one learns it from toddler-age, the art becomes a part of them, not different from eating, sleeping or breathing. One moment, the two humans were facing in opposite directions, having dressed down to their underwear as they did whenever they transformed. The next, a powerful white wolf and a majestic striped tiger stood in their places, turning to face one another, each with great snarls contorting their features. The tiger roared at the beast before him while the wolf growled in a low, menacing tone. But these signs of aggression were quickly controlled by their human minds. During the first few seconds of absolute transformation, the human self submits completely to the animal instinct; and, in that instant, these two great predators could only think of killing one another. But the human mind is vastly superior in terms of authority and, within minutes, Skye and Raphael had relaxed, their hackles lowering, their snarls subsiding. They moved forwards, sniffing one another all over and eventually nuzzling to show that they were on friendly terms.
Neither one of them had experienced anything like this before. Skye and Raphael could not quite contain their excitement at having this type of companion for the first time. This was apparent from the fact that, as soon as they had finished nuzzling, they started to play. It was quite beyond them as to why they were both suddenly leaping up and down, pawing at each other like a pair of enthusiastic cubs that had just been brought into the world. The wolf arched her back and wagged her tail playfully, teasing the tiger to chase her; the tiger, in response, pursued her with great vigour, his remarkable speed quick to catch her, gently biting on the back of her neck as he did so. This continued for a good few minutes before the tiger suddenly shot off into the darkness among the trees. The remarkable thing was that, while no words passed between them, Skye could hear in her mind the message that Raphael wished to express to her. Not with words, but with pure feeling.
Follow me! he conveyed.
So she did. She raced after him as he sped through the trees, through the brambles and among the thickets; past a pond and through a shallow lake where ducks flapped about in great alarm as the two big carnivores splashed around them. Her wolf senses were magnificent; she could hardly see what lay before her, but his dominant scent led her to his exact step. Skye felt more exhilarated than she had ever felt in her life. To run was one thing; but it was another to be able to share it with someone else and engage in feelings of such comradeship that she never even knew existed.
To go from one extremity to the next, from the despair and grief that had overpowered her in her human form not long ago, to the joy and elation she felt at that moment in time – this was unheard of. But this evening, her feelings appeared to have a mind of her own and, to express the absolute freedom she felt, she let out an ear-splitting howl, one that echoed throughout the forest. Somewhere in front of her, a boisterous roar could be heard as Raphael also released the passion burning inside him. It terrified the smaller wildlife into their habitats, while these two glorious creatures sprinted through the park as though it were their own.
How long they ran for, no one can say. But the wolf now knew why the tiger had sought her friendship. He, with his sociability, his friendliness and his experience of companionship, must have known that the experience shared between two Morphers was one worth fighting for. She realized now she wouldn’t have it any other way. For the first time in a long, long time, no matter how brief the moment may be, she felt content and at peace with the world. For her, who had suffered as she had, such a feeling was so rare and beautiful that her senses intensified and she raced faster towards the tiger in front of her until she was running along by his side; their howls and roars could be heard for miles around. They sped up, covering the breadth of the park with the power in their legs and the new joy within their hearts, racing together, pausing briefly for drinks at the pond, scaring the rabbits who had come out to play and, occasionally, enjoying playful tumbles together as though he were a kitten and she a pup, delighting in one another’s company as they were unable to do in their human forms, for as animals they could rely solely on instinct and forget about the complications that human nature so often demanded.
It was very late by the time they returned to the car. An owl was perched on top of it, its gleaming yellow eyes flashing in the darkness, but it took off with a great screech as the wolf and tiger bounded forwards. Gazing at each other for several seconds and conveying a mutual agreement to transform back into their human selves, they resumed the same positions as before and focussed on changing back. As the familiar, electrifying sensation absorbed Skye’s entire body, within seconds she reverted back to her human self, feeling quite dazed as though she had just awoken from a vivid dream. She was thoroughly glad that it was so dark for she was completely naked; she hastened to find her clothes, pulling them on in a hurry. Raphael did the same.
“Are you dressed?” he called out to her softly in the dark.
“Yes,” she called back.
They turned to face one another, the moon's light transcending around them; her soft beams seemed to be stronger than usual, as though pleased that these two creatures of the night had found such gratification in each other’s company. Silently, Skye and Raphael walked towards the car among the shadows. Raphael unlocked the doors and they both jumped in. He switched on the engine and the lights; they turned to stare at each other, both looking decidedly sweaty and flustered. Though they did not know it, each wanted to savour the moment inside their minds and they smiled simultaneously at each other, lost for words. Raphael started reversing the car and Skye pulled her tag device out of her bag.
The magical moment was shattered when she saw she had eight missed calls from her mother.
“Uh oh,” she muttered.
“What’s wrong?” said Raphael, as he cruised down the dark, quiet roads.
“My mum. She’s been trying to tag me. I didn’t tell her I would be out so late – wow, it’s midnight! She’s must be worried sick.”
Not wanting a scene, she refrained from calling her mother and instead sent her a text telling her she would be home in half an hour. True to her word, Raphael had her back at her house within that exact time-frame. He pulled up in the driveway and stopped the car.
“I’ll take you to your door,” he said, escorting her out of the vehicle. The lights were on in her house and she knew her mother had been waiting up for her, guilt flooding through her at the thought of the worry she must have caused her. She walked up to the porch and rang the bell.
“Skye!” her mother screamed, after throwing the door open.
She threw her arms around her daughter.
“Where have you been? I’ve been so worried!”
“I know … I’m really sorry, mum. I’ve been out with Raphael. I’m fine. You know not to worry about me.”
“I’m really sorry, Mrs. Archer,” said Raphael humbly. “I didn’t realize how late it had got. It’s my fault. I should have reminded Skye to
let you know she was alright. She’s been safe with me.”
“We went for a run,” said Skye.
Mrs Archer, noticeably still shaken by concern for her daughter’s whereabouts, seemed torn between anxiety and pleasure at the knowledge that her daughter had been on a ‘run’ with a fellow Morpher.
“Well … I have been out of my mind with worry; I am glad she was with you, Raphael, but please make sure it doesn’t happen again. She is all I have, you know.”
“Mum,” said Skye, red-faced.
“Well, it’s true. You’ll always be my little baby girl, Skye, even if you are able to turn into a ferocious wolf. You understand, don’t you, Raphael?”
Raphael nodded, bowing his head.
“Of course, I understand completely. My dad feels the same way about me. I promise it will never happen again.”
Mrs Archer smiled shakily.
“You went for a run too? That must have been quite an experience – both of you come inside, I will make you a tea, I want to hear all about it!”
“I’m afraid I must decline as I have work tomorrow morning and this is about as late as I can stay out,” said Raphael with a bow of his head. “But maybe another time, if that’s OK?”
Mrs Archer nodded.
“Yes, fine. Well, I’ll let you two say goodnight to each other.”
She squeezed her daughter’s shoulder and retreated back into the house. Skye and Raphael turned to one another, she looking up at him and he looking down at her, both recounting the extraordinary events that had taken place that night.
“I had a really good time,” he smiled, sincerity palpable in his eyes. “I really appreciate you joining me tonight.”
Skye looked back at him and she knew there was only one word that truly represented how she felt about the evening, not just the running but the conversations they had shared too.
“Thank-you,” she smiled, her face full of gratitude.
They stared at each other for a moment longer. There was no doubt in either mind that a connection had been formed and, overwhelming as it was for Skye, deep inside her she embraced it with all she had. Turning away shyly, she said goodnight to him and stepped inside her house, turning her back as he left the front porch.
“Oh, Skye?”
She revolved round to face him as he called out her name.
“Yes?”
“You know I’m going to look out for you from now on, don’t you? Even if you say you don’t need it, even if you don’t want it … You know I’m going to have your back?”
His eyes burned into hers and she thought she saw a flash of orange for a split-second.
“Same here,” she said. “Goodnight.”
And she turned away, her heart soaring, closing the door gently behind her. She made her way towards the kitchen where her mother had poured herself a glass of milk and was munching on a piece of toast.
“Skye. I’m so glad you were with Raphael. At least I know you were safe. But you must let me know in future where you are; you know how much I worry about you.”
To Mrs Archer’s great surprise, Skye gave her an enormous hug.
“I know, Mum,” she said. “I know how much you worry. I know you’ll always worry about me, even if you know that I’m stronger than ten men put together. I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you where I was and I promise to never do that again. I love you.”
Overcome, but deeply touched by this rare display of affection from her daughter, Mrs Archer was unable to prevent the tears forming in her eyes. They embraced for a while longer and Skye kissed her mother on the forehead, saying goodnight to her and making her way up the stairs. Her blood was singing in her veins; what had happened that night was so surreal, so unexpected, so utterly incomprehensible … yet it had happened and there was only one conclusion that she knew with absolute certainty, much as it frightened her to acknowledge it.
The feelings of desire that she had felt towards Raphael from the beginning, the ones she had tried so hard to bury and destroy, had intensified to such a magnitude that there was little point fighting them any longer; the words she had so determinedly repeated to herself yesterday had been in vain. Much as she may not have wanted to, much as she did not want to admit it and as much as she feared it, the events of the night had only added fuel to the original fire. Her memory of his soulful green eyes, his understanding, his kindness, his passion and, above all, the cohesion she felt with him which showed her she wasn’t alone in the world, that her ability was truly one to cherish, despite the negative consequences that came with it … All these factors only pointed towards something she should have predicted several weeks ago, had she not been so consumed by fear.
“Oh no,” she murmured.
Her heart pounded irrepressibly as she climbed into bed and realized, without a shadow of a doubt, that she had fallen clean in love with him … and there was not a single thing she could do about it.
Chapter Nine
The body of a sixteen year-old girl that had been found in an abandoned warehouse, viciously mutilated and barely recognizable, was news that spread like wildfire throughout the city of London. Newspapers and other forms of media had been outlawed some years back, for the government had come to the conclusion that extreme media coverage towards people and events seemed to do more harm than good; this was one reason why the most talentless drones could no longer have their fifteen minutes of fame. Hence, any news of significance in this day and age relied on word of mouth alone. While it was common for the city to experience crimes of true horror, this particular atrocity drew attention because of the apparent state the victim was in when she was found; each of the paramedics who came to take the body away, for example, threw up excessively before being rendered capable of removing the traumatizing sight.
It was rumoured that a large wild animal had killed the girl and people huddled together fearfully, as though some great beast would jump out from behind and attack them.
“They’re saying it was some kind of big cat,” said Daphne, her eyes round and afraid. It was the weekend, and she and Skye were at Daphne’s house, crimping eath others hair.
“Who’s saying that?”
“Just people. They’re saying some big cat killed her last week and ate some of the remains. So disgusting!”
Skye frowned.
“And what type of cat big enough to do that actually exists in this country? Seriously …” She shook her head. “And I’d like to know who exactly is saying this. None of us could possibly know anything about it, the only ones who do are the forensics and people examining her. It’s more likely it was a group of thugs.”
“Yes, but why would they cut her up like that?”
“I don’t know? Because they’re sick and twisted in the head? The whole lot of them should be rounded up and thrown out to sea.”
Daphne shuddered.
“Let’s talk about something else. What’s going on between you and the gorgeous Mr Renzo?”
The truth was...nothing. It had been a week since that night they shared, when they had run through Hampstead Heath together and Skye had realized how she felt about him. After that night, which had seemed like some kind of mysterious, surreal dream, she had been wrestling with such strong emotions of longing that she hardly knew what to do with herself. However, Raphael did not call or text her the next day. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. In fact, seven days on and there was still no word from him. Skye could not understand why he would suddenly go quiet on her, and it disturbed her a great deal. She wondered if she had done something wrong; if maybe he regretted the conversation they had; if he had simply been acting polite after the running and deep down felt that it hadn’t lived up to his expectations; if he had now experienced what it was like to transform with another Morpher and had grown bored with her now. She found herself staring at her tag device for hours on end, willing it to ring. It never did though (unless it was Daphne, who wanted to have a good old natter about her boyfriend). This
sudden silence created a myriad of emotions in her: confusion, paranoia, inadequacy and, sometimes, downright anger. She had truly believed that the two of them shared a special connection, but she must have misread the signs. She had not called or texted him yet, purely out of fear that he would not want to hear from her. She found herself almost laughing at the irony of it all, that as soon as she would recognize her feelings for him, he would suddenly stop contacting her. This obsession she had swirling round in her mind caused her to be edgy and irritable most of the time, and she cursed herself for allowing herself to get so wrapped up in it. Not wanting to suffer further humiliation, she tried to will herself to forget him, forget about the night, forget about the conversation and the transformation; after all, it had seemed like a dream and, apparently, that was all it had been – to him, at least.
“Nothing’s going on,” she said shortly, in response to her friend’s question.
Daphne raised her eyebrows.
“Huh? But you two were getting on great. What about that magical night you had last week? Never seen you in such high spirits as when I saw you the next day.”
Skye cringed. Fortunately, she had not told Daphne about her feelings for Raphael, but she now regretted informing her of the events that had taken place that night. She felt embarrassed at expressing her contentment considering he hadn’t contacted her since.
“Yes, well, I haven’t heard from him. Anyway,” she said hastily, keen to change the subject, “where exactly is it that we’re going later?”
“Well, have you tried contacting him?” asked Daphne, ignoring her friend’s question.
“No.”
“Well, why not? Jeez, Skye, he’s been running after you from the start! You could at least give him a call for once!”
Thoroughly annoyed, Skye was unable to keep out the bitterness of her tone.
How The Wolf Lost Her Heart Page 10