Him, His Uncle And I!

Free in your skin

Rebecca's pov

I cursed under my breath. The cut wasn’t that bad, but it was unmistakably from a knife, and I didn’t want anyone asking questions. Just as I stood there, caught in my dilemma, Selena suddenly reached out.

“You can use my power to heal. Transform, and the wound will close up quickly,” she said calmly in my mind.

“Transform?” I echoed. Ever since my eighteenth birthday just days ago, I hadn’t transformed once. I met my wolf for a short span of time, and then—rejection. The memory brought a pang of guilt. I had completely neglected Selena, not even giving her the chance for her first run in the woods after we met.

“Sel—” I started, but she interrupted me.

“Let bygones be bygones, Rebecca. To get stronger, you need to look ahead, not behind, reminiscing about what you’ve lost. Now, transform. I will guide you through it.” Her tone was reassuring, yet firm, rippling with the kind of wisdom that only elders seemed to carry.

I couldn’t help blurting out, “Selena, how old are you in human years?” Her tone always carried such authority, like an elegant yet intimidating woman from the Middle Ages.

Selena scoffed. “I won’t tell you that. Just know that I am old—and a unique wolf breed.”

“Oh, come on. Ever since you started speaking to me, you’ve always made me feel so immature. Your voice is just so... regal, like you’ve seen everything and then some,” I whined, unable to stop myself. She really brought out the child in me.

She laughed lightly, the sound ringing through my mind like a bell.

“Rebecca, wolves grow faster than man. That’s all I will say. Now, transform,” she said, clearly not intending to entertain my curiosity any further.

My curiosity only deepened. What age was she, really?

Still, Selena was right about one thing: I needed to transform. She instructed me on what to do, including the less-than-dignified step of stripping naked to avoid ruining my clothes. Grumbling internally, I moved deeper into the woods, my senses sharpening as I carefully scanned the area. The last thing I needed was an audience for this... moment.

Once I was satisfied with the silence and the comforting shield of the trees, I hesitantly started undressing. The act felt absurdly embarrassing, and the cool breeze brushing against my skin didn’t help. My hair stood on end as I peeled off my hoodie and pajama top. Taking a deep breath, I shimmied out of my sweatpants, folding all my clothes into a neat bundle at the base of a tree.

Standing there completely bare, I crossed my arms instinctively and scanned the woods one more time, suddenly hyper-aware of every rustling leaf and bird chirp. If one of the warriors stumbled upon me now, I’d probably just dig a hole and bury myself alive.

“Do not worry, there is no one in the area. You can be free in your skin,” Selena said in my mind, her tone impossibly casual.

“Are you kidding me? Free in my skin? Selena, I am stark naked!” I hissed back, incredulous.

“And there is nothing wrong with that. You should be proud of yourself as a human and show off what the gods gave you,” Selena replied with far too much confidence.

I gawked mentally. “By running around naked?” I said dryly.

“Wolves run around with just their fur.”

Her logic was... sound, but that didn’t make it any less ridiculous. I sighed, thoroughly unimpressed. “Can you just tell me what to do to transform quickly? I feel like someone’s going to pop out of the bushes any second, and this is not how I want to die of embarrassment.”

Selena chuckled lightly but didn’t argue further.