The Broken Wolf
Chapter 82

There’s a knock at the door and we both look up to see Sofia walking in.

“You just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?” she asks me with a small smile.

Seth looks at her, a very serious expression on his face. “Did you replace any information?”

“Unfortunately, I think Molly is the only wolf to have their wolf locked away by magic until they’re older. If there are any others, they didn’t keep a record that we could replace anywhere.”

“I was supposed to shift in the meadow,” I murmur, not entirely sure what Seth and Sofia are talking about, but I remember what Sage had told me. “I didn’t get to tell you, but Sage said to shift there. She said it would help me.”

Seth releases my hand and leans forward, holding his head in his hands in frustration. He takes a deep breath and turns his head to look at me. “I don’t want you to shift tonight.”

“I have to!” I tell him, confused.

“You’ve been in a coma for days, Molly. What if your body can’t handle the shift?” he pleads with me.

I look down at my hands in my lap. “I’ll be alright.”

“We don’t know that, Molly,” Sofia adds as she pulls up a chair and takes a seat next to us. “You said you’re in pain, and that you have a headache. We just don’t know what the magic did to your body- from the spell from Lily or what happened last week.”

Their arguments make sense. I know that they do. But I’m heartbroken, and can’t contain my tears.

“I waited so long,” I say with a sniffle, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Seth takes my hand again and tilts my head up to meet his eyes. “I know, I know. But what if you don’t make it? Or it puts you in another coma, but for longer? Maybe forever?”

I sniffle and wipe my nose unceremoniously with the back of my free hand. “Is my mom here?” I ask, my l*p quivering.

“No, Love. They came for a few days but went back to the pack,” Seth tells me. “Please don’t link her. I don’t want you to use the energy. I’ll call her on the phone for you.”

I nod as he releases my hand and stands up, walking over to the chair he was previously in and picks it up off a small table to the side. He scrolls through it for a moment, and holds it up to his ear.

“Hey Randall, She’s awake.

She’s OK, I think.

She’s not taking it very well. She wants to speak with Celeste. Is she nearby?

Thanks. Here she is.”

“Molly?” I hear my mom’s voice, comforting me immediately.

“Hi, Mom,” I sniffle a greeting to her.

“It’s going to be fine in the end,” she tells me but I shake my head.

“What does your wolf think” I ask her, trying to hold back my tears. “She knew I would meet Seth, she knew I had a wolf. What does she think?”

My mom sighs, and it’s very unlike her. “She said she doesn’t know. We’re all, even our wolves, out of our depth on this one. Even Lily doesn’t know what will happen if you’re not strong enough.”

“I was so excited, Mom.” I tell her, sobbing now, unable to contain any of my tears. “I wanted to shift, and be able to run with you. I wanted to finally be like everyone else.”

Seth nudges me to the side a little and I move over, making room for him next to me. He sits down, putting his legs in front of him and pulling me into his arms, placing a gentle k**s on the top of my head. Sofia gets up and leaves the room, giving us some time alone.

“I know, Molly. I know,” my mom tells me gently. “Think of Seth. If you shift and it’s too much… what if it kills you? It would, most likely, kill him, too. I know you don’t want that.” I know she’s right, but the thought it just too much and I just can’t bring myself to respond.

“We love you, Molly. The same as we always have, no matter what happens.”

“I love you,” I say through shaky breaths, and hang up the phone.

Seth doesn’t say anything, he just holds me tightly in his strong arms and lets me cry into his chest.

Sage, I’m sorry. I tell my wolf, but she doesn’t answer me. Sage?

“My wolf won’t answer me,” I tell Seth, crying even harder now.

“I’m sorry, Love. I’m so, so sorry,” he says.

“What if I shift, and Sofia is with me?” I ask, hopeful.

Seth sighs deeply. “We thought of that, but if you start to shift and it goes badly, we wouldn’t be able to stop it.”

‘What does Altair think?” I ask and he shakes his head at me.

“I can’t trust him on this. There’s nothing more that he wants than for you to shift.” he says.

I look up at him hopeful. “So he thinks it’s safe?”

“Yes,” says Seth quietly. “He’s not responding to me now. He’s angry.”

“Because he thinks it’s safe?” I say, hoping I can convince him.

“Molly,” he says looking deep into my eyes. “I can’t lose you. I told you before, before we ever knew you had a wolf, that having you with no wolf is better than not having you.” He just holds me until I finally stop crying, having no tears left to cry. I’m nearly asleep when I finally hear Sage.

They all seem to have forgotten, you have no control over your first shift. It’s going to happen, no matter what.