After that night, my tail continued to grow daily. Each day it got longer, and once it was over a foot long, it started to fluff out. It was growing fluffy red fur along the shaft and the tip of it was a lighter shade of reddish/orange. My ears grew a bit more and became tall, skinny, and pointy at the tips. My tail was super fluffy and somewhere between 2-3 feet long when it finally stopped growing - and the growing pains stopped. Dania and I had our guesses on what kind of beast I was going to be. My money was on fox, because of my coloring and the fluffy tail. She was guessing red squirrel, probably more wishful thinking than anything on her part.
We were almost to Lashwood when my tail and ears were fully grown. With Dania's guidance I learned to control my jumps, My new tail really helps with balance. I have been practicing by leaping up into trees, then going branch to branch before taking down prey with my bow and arrow. I've gotten faster and my senses are more keen. My enhanced senses are more consistent and I've learned to control them. The light used to bother my eyes, the sounds were overwhelming, and scents overpowering. Now I have gotten used to these things and can control myself to some degree.
On top of those changes, my hair also grew very quickly. In the short amount of time I have been with Dania, my hair has grown down to my waist. It stayed a nice fiery red color, which I was happy with. My face no longer looked sickly, I had a nice peach color to my skin and I looked as healthy as I felt. Marshall will be shocked when he sees me. Marshall…
My life has been like the real version of a series of unfortunate events. I was born as middle child into a dysfunctional family. Both my siblings were favored by one of our parents, and I was always the odd one out. I used to long for my mother's affection and my father's approval, but after years of physical and mental abuse, I finally gave up. My siblings were so entitled and liked to use me as their scapegoat whenever they did something wrong. I was usually beaten in their place by my father , or chastised by my mother.
My father used to only beat me when I did something wrong. I would cry and plead for him to stop, which only seemed to make him more enthusiastic. By the time I was a teenager, he stopped making up excuses and would just come find me when he needed to vent his anger on something. By this point I learned how to keep silent through the beatings, usually he would lose interest and it would be over quicker.
Even at the best of times, those icy blue eyes of his could scare the hell out of me. It was as if you were peering into the pits of hell, any joy or hope you had was sucked away and all that was left was fear. I remember the feeling of ice in my veins when I heard his voice. The churning of my stomach when he approached me. The feeling of my blood turning to ice when he looked at me.
I escaped from that hell as soon as I could. I got my first job when I was 14 and saved up money until I was 16. At that point I bought my first car and found a place to live. I severed all ties to that family and hid myself away. I heard that my mom died 2 years later. I figured that my father flew into a rage and beat her to death (since he did that to our family dog when I was a kid), but I later found out that she had a heart attack.
It wasn't too much longer after that when I was hit by truck-Kun. There wasn't a single person in my whole life on earth that made me feel special or loved. I was bullied at school and outcasted by my family. My only solace was found in books. Maybe that is why when I found Marshall, and he showed me such unconditional love, that I grew so attached. I found myself wanting to be with him all the time. Even when he was being a pervert and I was scolding him, I still found myself falling for him. His puppy eyes slowly worked their magic on me and I finally couldn't resist any longer- consequences be damned.
Honestly If it wasn't for Dania, I think I would have curled up into a ball and just cried most days. I never had time to dwell on those feelings, except for late at night when she was sleeping. A few nights, I did cry myself to sleep. I finally told him everything, we bridged the gap and were ready to be together. I hoped he didn't think I left him.. I mean technically I did, but I didn't mean to. I cried thinking of him being hurt; or on the other hand maybe he just moved on with someone else and forgot all about me. I wish I could just call him and tell him everything. Not knowing what to expect was the worst.
Dania helped me keep my idle thoughts at bay. She was energetic, quirky, and full of knowledge. I found myself thinking that she hoardes knowledge like she does snacks. In the weeks we spent together we grew closer. She began to feel like a sister to me. Her positive attitude was contagious, her laughter was infectious. I felt comfortable and free in her presence, like I could tell her anything.
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MARSHALL POV:
I had been sniffing around Lashwood for the last week. They told me that they hadn't seen anyone like her around, but they invited me to stay. They had built some cabins on the forest floor below the main city, which is where I am now. I must have sniffed every corner of this city by now. There is no trace of her. They told me that they have not let any outsiders into Lashwood in the last month. I described her to everyone i came across and no one has seen her. I sniffed all over and couldn't even find that scent from before. This city was my only lead, but if she's not here, I'm going to have to move on.
I sat on the ground adjusting the buckle on the satchel my uncle gave me. I sized it for my human body, my inner wolf was sulking and refused to come out. It was dark, and my mood was low. I leaned my back on the hut behind me and closed my eyes to sleep. Tomorrow I will go home and see if there is another way to find her.
I have never been interested in mating until I met her. I found females attractive but I couldn't find one that I would trust to be my mate. Females are the dominant sex in our world- for obvious reasons. Once you mate with one, they can have total control over you and your beast. They are the alphas and can make you bend to their will. I know a few guys in the warriors that have fallen for a female only to end up miserable. My parents have a great relationship; my mother is still very much in charge, but I have never seen her use her alpha status on my father.
I always hoped to find a natural mate, but I would settle for a kind, genuine female like my mom. Of course the pack always kept me busy, as the leaders' son I had to be available to help when anyone needed it. I was out helping the hunters when I first caught her scent.
It was like my heart had stopped in my chest and my body felt light as a feather. I felt as if I was being pulled by some invisible force into the woods where I found her. I remember standing in the bushes, hesitating, before finally approaching. She was lying naked, basking in the sunlight. The light from the solar eclipse seemed to reflect off her skin. She was so small and pale, like she has been neglected for a long time. And her scent…
It drew me and before I could stop myself, I was right up in her face, taking a big sniff. I remember how confused I was, and how enthusiastic my wolf was. He was practically purring. The hormones he created surged through my body and I almost lost control. I still can't understand why she never felt the mate bond. Or maybe she did on the night after the Stonehenge…
I won't know until I find her. I need to make her mine. Being without her now is torment. It feels like I'm constantly forgetting something, like I'm missing something important. It feels like my heart is empty, like I'm always hungry and can never get full. I know that I just need to be with her. Always and forever. Having her stroke my fur until she fell asleep every night, being lulled to sleep by her heartbeat and gentle breathing…
I couldn't sleep. It felt like the night went on forever. It was cold and lonely, and my depression worsened. As soon as the sun rose, I stood up and begrudgingly started walking home. This was going to be a long walk, my wolf wasn't cooperating and so I couldn't run home in beast form.
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MIKA POV:
Dania dropped her pack on the ground and turned to look at me. "By tomorrow we will be in Lashwood. Let's rest here for tonight."
I agreed and started unpacking the tents.
Dania took off to find firewood while I set up camp.
Tomorrow we will finally arrive in Lashwood. The plan is to meet with the Alchemist from the Felines and see if she can answer a few questions. On our journey I have come to realize that my heightened senses are a result of my transition from human into Demi-human. My strength is explosive, however I have learned to control it.
Even under Dania's tutelage I have not been able to transform; I'm not even sure if I can. According to Dania this needs to be addressed because I won't survive long without a beast form. She says that our inner beasts provide us with not only these enhanced physical abilities but also special instincts that I will need to survive. She says no one in her known history has ever not had a beast. I'm at least hoping to know what race I am.