13

•••Days, weeks, months have passed•••

We are in October, it's fine, the weather is still good, I sigh with contentment. I am in the forest with my little sister, it is now a habit, every two weeks we go to the forest as a family. We have fun, except that today our parents couldn't come. I look at my sister, she doesn't look like me at all, as a wolf, she's red and black and I admit that this color is practical for blending in with the forest full of dead leaves.

Now I only think of Etienne from time to time, I forget him as time goes by. Well, there, I think I'm exaggerating a bit, I'll never forget that, I know that. But he is no longer present in my mind as before.

I still haven't said anything to Elsa about Etienne, in my opinion, she must have forgotten.

Besides, Elsa should also have come this morning but she will come this afternoon, like my parents.

I'm thinking about high school, I'm in final now, I'm going to pass the baccalaureate. I sigh, Elsa and I are still in the same class, yet I feel like we've drifted apart.

Gab is no longer in high school, he is now studying engineering and I only see him from time to time.

With Jenna, we go back home to eat and find Elsa and the parents.

Arrived in the garden, we are transformed back into humans and we get dressed.

We go into the house, my parents are already there, they are preparing the meal, Elsa will not be long.

Indeed, as soon as I think about that, she arrives and comes to sit with us at the table.

It is Sunday.

We eat peas and carrots with steak. Yum!

When we finish, we go to the garden to transform, then we jump over the portal.

What a pleasure to run in the forest, even if it is the second time of the day, I will never get tired of it.

I accelerate seeing that the others start to race, I fly above the ground, I feel incredibly good.

I run when I trip over a root, I fall face first. Stunned, I get up slowly and shake my head from right to left, I shake myself to remove the mud then I rush again.

This race reminds me of one, when I came back from the Grande Réunion, except that I had won it, and then I lost it.

I arrive at the finish, at the clearing, and I see that my family and Elsa have their heads and ears pricked in one direction. I look in the same direction as them. About fifty wolves are on the other side of the clearing, between the forest and the grass. They also stare at us. A group breaks away from them and advances towards us. Through thought, my father tells us:

-"Be careful. These wolves are powerful, watch your actions.

I will allow the spokesperson to speak to me and you will relay what they say. It's understood?"

We nod. It is true that the wolves advancing towards us are imposing. In the lead, there is a black wolf; a brown-white wolf stands by her side and other wolves follow them.

I have never seen wolves so big, the grass reaches them between their knees and their shoulders.

I detail them and notice that their positions are threatening, the wolves remained at the edge of the forest watching them advance towards us.

My father is on the defensive and the group of wolves stop in front of us. I see my father begin to communicate with them, a few seconds later he tells us:

- "I speak with the black wolf, he is an Alpha, he says that war is declared with the hybrids, the first massacre of wolves took place not far away."

I look at the black wolf, it's an Alpha. I notice a movement among the other wolves who stayed behind, they come forward. Oddly, I'm not scared as Elsa, Jenna and my parents back off.

The black wolf turns its head towards me, and I see that its chest and its belly are white, it is not entirely black.

Then I look him in the eyes, his eyes remind me of something, they have a chocolate tint. The moment I realize who he is, I turn around and go to sit next to my sister, staring at my paws. I'm panicked, I'm scared. I wanted to leave.

-"Lou, what's going on?", my father asked me that.

- "Nothing, don't worry.", I'm lying.

He does not insist and to prove to him that everything is fine, I raise my head. But not to look at it, I want to see what it looks like.

The wolf next to my Alpha has a brown tint with white. She is short on legs and her muzzle is very elongated. Personally, I don't find her very attractive. Even if I don't judge on the physical, I don't like her, I hate her.

She also looks at me, her eyes laugh at me.

I don't move, but look at Etienne again. He is still looking at me, I feel my eyes flashing but another feeling takes over me. Elsa sits next to me. My father speaks by thought and I know that he also speaks to my Alpha:

-"Elsa, Lou, walk Jenna home. Get out."

I get up, Elsa follows the movement and Jenna approaches us. We turn our backs on the wolves and rush into the forest.

Shortly after I feel a running noise behind me.

I communicate with Elsa and Jenna and tell them to speed up the movement. I run as fast as possible, I know I'm fast.

The wolves or the wolf behind me are getting closer. I see the portal.

-"Elsa, Jenna, go to Elsa's, I'm coming."

I jump over the gate when I feel a wolf jump on me. I am pinned to the ground, on the lawn of my garden. I struggle. It's Etienne who tackles me to the ground.

I shout to him:

-"Leave me alone!"

-"No way!"

I wonder how he managed to communicate with me when I didn't authorize him.

I send him scratches, which he dodges each time.

A voice enters my mind:

- "Let her go, immediately.", my father shouts.

My father throws himself on Étienne and I take the opportunity to free myself while my father is struggling to recover from a kick that made him fall.

Étienne growls in his Alpha voice:

- "Leave sir, I don't want to see you anymore."

My father squeals before walking backwards, he gives me one last look before leaving, sorry.

Free, I'm free, I run towards the portal but it's faster, I'm back on the ground.

I spit on him.

-"What do you want?"

-"I do not know."

A movement near the gate makes us turn our heads. It's Étienne's wolf. She's talking to Etienne, I can feel it.

I watch them from my position, finally the wolf turns on her heels and leaves.

- "What did you tell him?"

He releases me, he knows that I will not leave. I lick my chest to make myself look more decent.

- "I told him that I had things to settle with you."

- "Ah well.", I say, ironically.

- "Lou, accept to be my soul mate.", he begs me.

-"Étienne, I can't. Not after what I've been through.", I look at him, sorry and obliged. "Besides, if I accept, I will leave those I love."

He answers, aggressively:

- "You will have to do it one day."

- "I need time. You, you are 3 years older than me, you are already more independent!", I found an excuse.

- "Lou, it doesn't work with me.", he said, mockingly.

-"I can't.", I suffer, there is a dilemma in me.

-"You can't or you won't? I know you love me."