Days turned into weeks, and my training with Gideon intensified. Each morning I woke before dawn, my alert senses picking up the sounds and smells of the forest preparing for a new day.
"Up, pup," Gideon's voice resonated from outside the cabin. "Today we're going to try something new."
I got up, noticing how my body had become stronger and more agile in recent weeks. The initial pains of transformation had disappeared, replaced by a constant energy burning beneath my skin.
Outside, Gideon was waiting with a serious expression. "You've progressed well in controlling your senses and emotions," he said. "But today, we're going to face the wolf directly."
My heart raced. I knew this moment would come, but I still felt apprehensive. "Am I going to... transform completely?"
Gideon nodded. "It's time you learn to embrace your wolfish nature, not just control it."
We ventured deeper into the forest, moving further from the cabin than we had before. We arrived at a wide clearing, surrounded by ancient trees that seemed to be watching us.
"Here," said Gideon, stopping in the center of the clearing. "This is a good place for your first voluntary transformation."
I took off my shirt, aware that it probably wouldn't survive the change. Gideon had explained that, with practice, I could learn to transform without destroying my clothes, but that was far beyond my current abilities.
"Close your eyes," Gideon instructed. "Focus your attention inward. Feel the wolf, don't fight it."
I obeyed, closing my eyes and breathing deeply. At first, I felt nothing but my own nervousness. But then, little by little, I began to feel a presence within me, wild and powerful.
"That's it," Gideon's voice sounded distant. "Let it out."
The change began slowly at first. I felt a tingling in my skin, then a heat that spread throughout my body. Suddenly, a wave of pain shot through me and I fell to my knees, gasping.
"Don't resist," I heard Gideon say. "Accept it."
I screamed as I felt my bones begin to change, elongating and restructuring. My skin itched intensely as fur sprouted. My senses, already sharp, intensified even more.
The process seemed to last an eternity, but it was probably only a few minutes. When it finally ended, I found myself on all fours, panting heavily. Everything looked different, smelled different, felt different.
"Well done, Alex," said Gideon, his voice mixed with a note of pride. "Open your eyes and look at yourself."
I obeyed, and almost jumped in surprise at the sight of my own paws, covered in dark brown fur. I staggered over to a small nearby pond and peered at the surface. A huge wolf stared back at me, my own green eyes shining with a new intensity.
"How do you feel?" Gideon asked.
I tried to speak, but only a low growl came out. I felt... powerful. Free. But also scared and confused.
"It's okay," said Gideon, reading my expression. "Take your time to get used to it. Explore a bit."
I spent the next hour running through the forest, marveling at my new form. Every sense was amplified beyond what I had experienced even in my enhanced human form. I could smell a deer miles away, hear the flutter of a bird high in the trees.
But with this freedom also came a challenge. Part of me, the wolf, wanted to hunt, wanted to chase those tempting scents. I struggled to maintain control, remembering Gideon's lessons.
When I returned to the clearing, exhausted but exhilarated, Gideon was waiting with a smile.
"Now comes the hard part," he said. "Returning to your human form."
It took me almost an hour of intense concentration and guidance from Gideon to manage to reverse the transformation. When I finally returned to my human form, I collapsed on the ground, exhausted.
"You did well for your first time," said Gideon, helping me up and offering me a blanket to cover myself. "With practice, you'll be able to change form in seconds."
Back at the cabin, as I ate with a voracious appetite, Gideon watched me thoughtfully.
"Alex," he finally said, "you've progressed faster than I expected. I think it's time we talk about your future."
I looked up from my food, surprised. "My future?"
Gideon nodded gravely. "You can't stay here forever. Eventually, you'll have to decide what to do with your life. Return to the human world, or..."
"Or what?" I asked, though I feared I knew the answer.
"Or join a pack," Gideon completed. "There's one nearby. They're... moderate. They accept newly turned and teach them to live in balance with their wolfish nature."
The idea of joining a pack both terrified and intrigued me. "What if I don't want either option? What if I want to stay here, with you?"
Gideon smiled sadly. "I appreciate the sentiment, pup. But my job is to prepare you for the world, not keep you away from it. Besides," he added with a twinkle in his eye, "this old hunter has other responsibilities to attend to."
That night, lying on the couch that had become my bed in recent weeks, I couldn't sleep. My mind was spinning with the possibilities and dangers that awaited me. Could I really return to my previous life? Or would I have to fully embrace this new existence?
As I listened to the nocturnal sounds of the forest, part of me yearned to run free under the moon. But another part, the human part, missed the familiarity of my old world.
The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: I was no longer the same Alex who had entered this forest weeks ago. For better or worse, I had become something more. And soon I would have to decide what to do with it.