"Rayne," I heard Imadis' voice.

I opened my eyes to find myself in a large open field, covered in dewy grass. The full moon was right above me in a sky filled with stars, and I sat up without effort.

In front of me was a grey wolf, and I immediately knew who it was.

"Ima?" I asked her.

She came and sat right in front of me, her figure towering over my head.

Her head was bowed, as if in fear, or guilt, and I just couldn't quite make out what was happening.

"Where am I?" I asked her.

"You're asleep," she said, simply.

That makes sense. I'd never seen that many stars out on a night of a full moon.

"How did I just shift?" I asked her.

"I'm not sure Rayne. I'm surprised you survived it. I didn't make it any easier on you," she said.

That's when I remembered.

"Valente! What did you do to him?" I asked her, my temper rising. All I wanted to do was wake up and make sure he was okay.

"I'd lost touch with the human side of our being. I wasn't thinking straight. All I wanted to do was be left alone," she said. Her words made me even angrier.

"So you just hit him? He's supposed to be our mate!" I screamed.

She remained quiet. Her face showed sorrow, as if there was nothing more she could say to defend herself.

"Forgive me Rayne. I wish I knew what's happening just as much as you," she said.

I was finding it hard to tolerate that Imadis had hurt Valente, but she was a part of me, and if what happened really was out of her control, then I can choose to forgive her.

I sighed. It took me a while to find words again.

"What do you make of all this Ima?" I asked her.

"I have never been this restless before Rayne. But I didn't imagine it would be because we were going to shift so soon," she said.

I touched her snout, taking a moment to appreciate her beauty.

Her grey fur shone in the moonlight, every where the light touched her pelt, it looked like silver.

"There must be other grey wolves too," I asked her.

"I believe my brothers and sisters are in the East," she said.

"Do you really think we have come that far from where home was supposed to be?" I asked her.

She looked behind me.

"I think we are exactly where home is supposed to be," she said.

I turned around to see what she saw, to find the cottage from the forest behind me, not accompanied by the rustling of trees or the sound of running water. It stood calmly on the plain field of grass, no embellishments, nothing. But it imparted a feeling of security.

A safe haven.

Gridastadur.

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