Her whole body began to hum, vibrate with connection and power. Her heart pounded so loud she thought he might hear it. She didn’t know if it was adrenaline or magic—but it was real.
And it worked.
The storm inside him calmed.
The growling ceased.
The golden eyes began to dim.
A hush fell over the field as the murderous aura surrounding Heiko dispersed like smoke in the wind. And right before everyone’s eyes, he began to shift back—limbs shrinking, fur retracting, bones realigning in a grotesque symphony of nature and power.
Until finally—
There he was.
Naked, bloody, exhausted—but himself.
Heiko blinked as if awakening from a long nightmare, disoriented for a moment until his eyes locked with hers.
“River…” he rasped.
And before he could say another word, she ran to him and thr
