Here's the extended version of the scene,
Miles away, Zoelle sat on a worn couch in a dimly lit cabin, the faint glow of a lantern casting flickering shadows on the walls. The air was heavy with unspoken tension. Her hands trembled as she clutched a steaming mug of tea, stealing nervous glances at Maxwell. He stood a few feet away, his broad shoulders taut, his expression unreadable.
"I need to show you something," Maxwell said quietly, his voice carrying a weight that sent a shiver down her spine.
"Show me what?" Zoelle asked, her voice wary, a knot of unease tightening in her stomach.
Maxwell turned to face her, his piercing blue eyes locking onto hers. "You deserve the truth. About me. About everything," he said, his tone steady yet somber. He paused, inhaling deeply as if steeling himself. "But I need you to stay calm."
Zoelle frowned, her brows knitting together. "Maxwell, you're scaring me. What's going on?"
Without answering, Maxwell took a step back, putting more space between them. His eyes softened for a brief moment, but then his expression hardened into grim resolve.
"I didn't want to hide this from you," he said. "But I need you to trust me."
Before she could respond, Maxwell closed his eyes. His body began to convulse, muscles rippling and stretching in unnatural ways. A faint glow seemed to emanate from his skin as his form shifted. Zoelle gasped, her mug slipping from her hands and shattering on the floor as she watched in stunned disbelief.
The man she knew as Maxwell was disappearing before her eyes. His features contorted, his limbs elongating and reshaping. Fur as white as freshly fallen snow sprouted from his skin, covering his towering form. Within moments, Maxwell was no longer a man but a massive wolf, his icy blue eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
Zoelle bolted to her feet, her heart pounding like a war drum. She backed away, pressing herself against the cabin wall as her chest heaved with panicked breaths.
"Stay back!" she cried, her voice cracking under the weight of her fear. "What… what are you?!"
The wolf—Maxwell—lowered his head slightly, his ears flattening in response to her fear. He took a cautious step toward her, his massive paws silent on the wooden floor, but Zoelle flinched violently, her hands trembling as they grasped at the wall behind her.
"Zoelle," Maxwell said, his voice deep and guttural, reverberating through the small cabin. "It's still me. I'm not going to hurt you."
"Don't come any closer!" she shouted, her voice rising in pitch. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision as she stared at the enormous wolf before her. "You're—you're a monster!"
The word struck Maxwell like a physical blow. His glowing blue eyes dimmed slightly, and his massive frame seemed to shrink under the weight of her fear. He froze in place, his tail lowering as he hung his head.
"I didn't want to scare you," he said, his voice laced with sorrow. "That was never my intention. I just… I needed you to know the truth."
Zoelle's breaths came in shallow gasps as she stared at him, her mind racing. The wolf before her was enormous, its pristine white fur shimmering in the lantern light. Yet, despite her terror, she couldn't ignore the familiarity of his eyes.
"You're lying," she whispered, shaking her head as if trying to dispel the surreal sight before her. "This can't be real. You can't be real."
Maxwell let out a low, rumbling sigh. "I am real, Zoelle. And I'm the same Maxwell you've known these past weeks. The same man you helped. The same… wolf you saved."
Her eyes widened as his words sank in. "The wolf I… saved?" she repeated, her voice trembling.
"Yes," Maxwell said, taking a step back to give her space. "That was me. You found me in the woods, broken and bleeding. You nursed me back to health. You gave me back my strength."
Zoelle's pulse raced as she pieced it together. She remembered the white wolf she had found, the hours she spent tending to its wounds, the way it had looked at her with those same piercing blue eyes.
"It was you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Maxwell nodded, his massive head dipping slightly. "It was me. You saved my life, Zoelle. And you didn't just heal my body—you gave me hope. You gave me a reason to fight."
Her hands fell to her sides as her fear began to ebb, replaced by confusion and a flicker of understanding. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because you deserve the truth," Maxwell said earnestly. "I didn't want to lie to you anymore. You've done so much for me, and I wanted you to see me for who I really am."
Zoelle hesitated, her gaze darting between his glowing eyes and the pristine fur that gleamed in the lantern light. Slowly, almost hesitantly, she stepped forward, her hand outstretched but trembling. Maxwell remained perfectly still, his body tense as he watched her every move.
Her fingers brushed against the soft fur of his snout, and she gasped at the warmth that radiated from him. "You're not… cold," she murmured, her voice filled with wonder.
Maxwell chuckled softly, a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through the air. "No, Zoelle. I'm very much alive."
Tears welled in her eyes as the weight of everything crashed over her. "You scared me," she admitted, her voice cracking.
"I know," Maxwell said softly, his voice heavy with regret. "And I'm sorry. I hate that I scared you."
Zoelle studied him, her mind still reeling but her fear slowly melting away. "I don't know what to think," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "This is all… too much."
"Take your time," Maxwell said, his tone gentle. His body began to shift again, fur receding as he returned to his human form. He approached her cautiously, his movements slow and deliberate.
As he stood before her, human once more, he reached out but stopped short, giving her the choice to close the distance. "I just needed you to know the truth," he said, his voice steady. "And to know how much I owe you—for saving me, for everything you've done."
Zoelle exhaled deeply, her chest rising and falling as she wrestled with the emotions churning inside her. She looked into Maxwell's eyes, the same eyes she had seen in the wolf, and saw nothing but sincerity.
"I don't understand all of this," she admitted, her voice trembling. "But… I believe you."
Relief washed over Maxwell's face, and a faint smile curved his lips. "That's all I could ask for."
For the first time since the night began, Zoelle allowed herself to relax. The tension in her body eased as she met Maxwell's gaze. Despite everything, despite the fear and confusion, she couldn't deny the truth staring back at her.
This was Maxwell—human or wolf, he was still the man she had come to trust