Infuriated, I walked until I was sure I was out of listening range of the two wolves. I was on edge, irritated, and I had no idea why. Something about Matthew just unsettled me. His aura had been muddied with colours, something that was never a good sign in my experience. Auras were precise and delicate in nature a muddied aura was a warning.

I glanced back to see Matthew put his arm around Kyda, leading her back to her house, and I felt a spike of anger flare within me. I pushed it aside and stopped walking as I found myself close to the woods again. I groaned and rolled my shoulders back, trying to relieve the tension that had built up inside of me. I had to get out of here. There was too much going on all the time, and I needed peace.

I slipped into the woods as the sky darkened, letting myself become lost amongst the trees. I sat down on a small stump and pulled out my spell book deciding to take the opportunity to revise. No matter what happened here, I would not let it affect my apprenticeship. The sooner I was a fully-fledged warlock the better. I pulled out my wand and rested the tip of it on the page and murmured a small incantation that pushed back the shadows on the page, letting me read the words easily in the fading light.

After a few minutes, I felt an unbearable itch in my mind and slammed my book shut. I looked around for the source of my irritation. Everything had energy and some of that energy would clash with auras, it was part of how our intuition worked. As I looked over the little clearing I had found myself in but there was nothing of interest around me. That's when I realised that it wasn't a presence that was bothering me, but an absence.

"That damned wolf," I said through gritted teeth. She was imprinting on me. I needed to leave soon before I became attatched.

I stood up and dusted off my robe. I should tell her that I'm leaving in the morning. The sooner the better. I tucked my spell book and wand away. I wouldn't be able to focus until I was far away from here.

I groaned as I realised I had walked farther than I anticipated. The woods were quickly darkening, and I was unfamiliar with my surroundings. Taking a deep breath I let the auras of any beings around me shimmer into my vision, guiding me around them. It took me several minutes, but I finally broke through the tree line. I hadn't been quiet so glad to see open space before as I headed back in the vague direction of Kyda’s home.

It didn't take long for her to appear from amongst the little cluster of houses I was approaching. She held a small plate in her hand an apologetic look on her face. Her aura shimmered with traces of pale pink, a sign of embarrassment.

"I saved you a slice of my sisters cake," she said, holding up the plate.

"I'm not a dog, you can't send me on walks when your boyfriend is around," I said flatly, taking the plate from her.

"He's not my boyfriend, and I'm sorry," she said handing a spoon. I sighed and took a spoonful of the cake, shovelling it in my mouth. Wolves never seemed to stop eating, but I also couldn't deny that they were excellent cooks.

"Good right?" She asked and I nodded, earning me another one of her satisfied grins. I looked her over in the low lamp light, the shadows dancing over her athletic frame, highlighting the muscle and tone of her arms as she folded them across her chest.

"I'm leaving tomorrow," I said, being careful to keep my face blank as I saw a myriad of emotions cross hers. She looked me in the eye, clenching her jaw and taking a deep breath in.

"Fine, thank you for staying as long as you did," she said and she turned away, walking back towards her home. I had already tapped out of her aura, and it took every ounce of self-control I had not to tap in again and see how I had made her feel. That was none of my concern.

There was a low level of chatter in the living room as I entered the house, and I eyed the staircase.

"Let me take your plate, you can go on up," Kyda said, and I silently handed her the plate and made myself scarce. I slipped quietly into the room they had given me yesterday. I took of my robe and bag, leaving them on the chair in the room and sat on the bed. My head swam with emotions, and I ached for the little concoction of flowers I had to take the edge off.

I settled for picking up my wand and silencing the sound from outside of the room, but it only seemed to amplify the sound of my thoughts. Throwing my arm over my eyes, I lay in the ocean of my mind until sleep pulled me in.

***************

When I woke up in the morning, the house was bustling with energy, but there was some tension in the air. Ignoring it, I slipped on my robe and picked up my satchel. Checking over my belongings I secured my wand and robe and stepped out of my room. The door to Kyda’s room was already open and I gritted my teeth before curiosity took me in. I headed down the stairs and almost made it to the front door when someone cleared their throat behind me.

I turned to see Kyda’s father standing in the hallway, arms folded, and a stern look on his face. She had his posture and mannerisms. Stop thinking about her posture you fool I scolded myself.

"Say goodbye to her, Ibhan, give my daughter peace," he held out a large hand and I shook it, giving him a short nod. "You know where to find her, don't you?" He said, already turning away from me. I let out a slow breath as I stepped out of the house. He was right. I owed her a final goodbye. I should settle her expectations before I left.

I started walking across the field, scanning the grassy plains for her. Eventually, I saw her and a few other werewolves stretching as they laughed and talked. These weren't students though, they seemed to be equals. I recognised one of the wolves Matthew and I immediately clenched my jaw. He was too close to her, too focused on her.

As I approached, I slowed, not wanting to garner the attention of the whole group. Kyda looked my way and split off from the group, meeting me half-way. I couldn't help but notice how Matthews eyes tracked her as she walked.

"Are you really leaving?" She asked, the smallest trace of hope in her voice.

"I have work to do at home, I'm an apprentice. I've already been away too long," I said, even though it was all a lie. Something told me she knew that too, the way her shoulders sagged a little and her face twitched into a small frown. She very suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me and I tensed. Part of my mind was going haywire at the contact, but in a pleasant way that made me want to stay there.

"That was a hug, you socially awkward fool," she said with a sigh as she stepped back, "It was not an attack." I rolled my eyes and stepped back out of her arms-length.

"Thank your family once again for me, it was nice of them to let me stay." I said, not forgetting my manners lest my mother materialise there to scold me.

I turned and started walking away, back toward the woods so I could find the Heavenly thicket. From there, I would be able to make my way home no problem. But I hadn't taken more than a few steps before I heard a snide remark roll from Matthews lips and stop me in my tracks.

"Kinda knew he wouldn't stick around, he's a warlock after all. He wouldn't have been able to care for you," he chuckled as I turned, wand already in my hand, closing the distance between us.

"Say that again, pup," I hissed through gritted teeth.

"What's the stick for?" He said with a grin, "I'm not exactly interested in playing fetch with you, you're not my type." I stepped closer, the tip of my wand under his chin.

"You don't want to know what I can do to you with this stick," I said, and he narrowed his eyes.

"Was that a threat?" He asked and I noticed little hairs sprouting across his skin. He was getting ready to shift.

"Ibhan," Kyda called out, "don't provoke him." Worry was etched into her features, and I grinned a little sadistically as I faced Matthew again.

"Oh, but I want to see the little puppy bite," that was all it took to push him over the edge, and he pushed me back as he shifted into his wolf form. His bones snapped and cracked as his dirty blonde fur coated his body.

I steadied myself, adjusting my grip on my wand. He lunged at me, and I leapt to the side flicking my wrist upwards, my other hand deep in the grass. The shadows of each blade of grass came alive, wrapping themselves around the wolf. The others snarled and growled at the sight, but Kyda held them back as Matthew struggled to free himself. He tucked himself into a ball and rolled, snapping at the shadows as they let him go.

He came for me again, this time his jaw latched on to the end of my rope, pulling me down to the ground. I turned my wand around, hitting him spare between the eyed with the thick end of the wand and he yelped, releasing my robe. I scrambled up and he shifted into his human form, taking me by surprise as he shoved me down into the dirt. He straddled me, throwing a punch square to my cheek. My vision blurred and I bucked my hips upwards, throwing him off balance and slamming my hand upwards, his jaw clacking shut loudly as he grunted. I pushed him off and put some distance between us, adrenaline frying my nerves.

"Come on, pup, is that all you got?" I asked, wiping blood from my mouth along the back of my hand.

"Watch your mouth, magician," he spat out and he hurled himself at me, shifting into his wolf form again. I pushed my wand into the dirt, a large shadow mass pushing him back as I got to my feet. He growled, saliva dripping from his snout. He pawed at the ground like a bull, ready to charge again.

"Matthew, stop!" Kyda shouted, sensing the rage that poured off of her so-called friend. He snapped his jaws at her, and she narrowed her eyes, a wolf of her ranking offended by his disobedience.

I murmured a small incantation as he was distracted, our surrounding darkening as I pulled on shadows. I had rage too, and he would feel every ounce of it. I took comfort in the darkened field, like a little slice of home had come to me. I slashed down with my hand, a wall of shadow slamming the wolf off of his feet as he still tried to gather his bearings. He roared as his ego bruised with his flesh. I grinned and hit him again.

"Ibhan, please stop!" Kyda called and I faltered. That was all the opening Matthew needed and he sprinted forward. I leapt back and pushed another wall of shadows, but I wasn't fat enough. His teeth sunk into the flesh of my thigh, his claws scratching across my chest. A scream tore through my throat and I took my wand sideways in both hands and thrust upwards, the shadows swallowing the wolf and throwing him aside before I blacked out.