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A growl rumbles deep in Ollie’s chest as his fingers flex at his sides, edging with claws.
My heart pounds up my throat hard enough I’m concerned my wee Pomeranian trachea might collapse, seeing as that’s a concern for this breed. Maybe I should opt for a fox throughout the duration of this event.
Shifting, I curl my tail around my paws. It’s never going to get old, I think. This freedom to change and become exactly what I am from moment to moment, without ridicule from anyone who matters, is never going to get old.
Existing around people who care for me enough to urge my wellbeing in the moments when I’m too afraid to stand up for it myself makes a world of difference.
Healing is about environment, sometimes.
It couldn’t happen at home. Things only got worse with Noah. I didn’t know how to do it by myself.
There’s far too much pressure put on broken people to find their way to okay alone.
Support matters.
Having people lend you their strength and promise to fight for you while you’re too tired to do it yourself matters.
It’s impossible to believe in love without action.
Thanks to Ollie, I may never have to doubt it again, and, hopefully, somewhere inside himself he knows he doesn’t have to, either.
Projecting his voice, Cael says, “Five steps.”
Ollie and his brothers turn their backs on each other, take five steps away then face front again.
“I wanted better for you!” Markov shouts across the distance.
“Perhaps you did, but never once for my sake.”
Markov hisses, “You’re a disgrace to the Talon name, Dolly.”
Ollie’s lungs fill, a stationary, injured peace washing over him, making him much too soft. Still seated on the ground, I shift back into my human form before Ollie’s quiet words fill the rift between him and the family that rejected him. “The hardest part is knowing you believe that, Mark.”
“Begin,” Cael says.
I blink, and there are three charging gray wolves.
I blink again, and they yelp, scrambling back as crackles of thunder and electricity ripple through thick swirling, clouds. A laugh explodes from my chest as Ollie’s tail flops against the ground, crushing trees beyond the valley and sending an earthquake that whips a shower of petals into the air.
Markov shifts back into his human form, stumbles away, and falls as Ollie sets a massive paw in front of Cael, Zylus, and me.
Giant, half the size of the palace, Ollie’s white body streaks with tan fur as he vibrates with electric menace.
His other brothers swear as they also regain their human forms.
Jabbing a finger at Cael, Wolfgang yells, “You’ve cheated! You’ve endowed him with an enchantment!”
Cael hums. “What a desperate accusation. I have done no such thing.”
I tug on the corner of Cael’s robe, and he peers down at me, “Yes, little one?”
“Can I ask Ollie to eat them if they don’t forfeit?”
A spark of mischief gleams in the prince’s eye. “Well, you certainly are capable of saying such a thing, aren’t you?”
I giggle, a mite bit chaotically. Jumping to my feet, I wrap my arms around as much of Ollie’s ankle as I can, feel the static of sheer magic flowing off him, and shout, “Forfeit or I’m asking him to Kronus your Poseidons!”
Ollie shakes with a gruff laugh, and I cling to his fur for dear life as the entire world rumbles.
