(unedited)

== Enna’s POV ==

Simon was against my flying which was clearly ridiculous. I had never met another flying shifter, so even some shifter could be working with them, none could reach me. I could also flee faster than if I was on foot next to wolves. My only problem was that we were going to start during the night, and if wolves could see at night as if it was day, I felt very uncomfortable with it, which I put mostly on my animal-self species. There were plenty of things I found scary but I had learned not to fear darkness a long time ago.

We didn’t bring any of our stuff with us, I couldn’t carry much while flying, besides my special dress, and it wasn’t like Collins’ pack couldn’t provide us with a change of clothes or two. We were meant to leave in 4 hours, at 3 a.m. Simon had convinced me to try to get a little bit of sleep before the journey but I was restless. Laying on the bed, one of his arms under my head as a pillow, the other around my waist, he was breathing softly into my hair and from time to time, he was moving around, entangling his legs with mine more and more, as if he was making sure I was still here, next to him. He groaned a little in his sleep, shifting a little bit, the warmth and weight of his arm reassuring me a little. How could anything happen to me while I had this person surrounding me with all of him? I smiled a little, turning my head to see his sleeping face. He had a little frown in between his eyebrows. I wondered what could be bothering him in his land of dreams?

I turned my entire body sideways, entangling my legs with his even more. He also moved, pressing my waist flush against his body while staying soundly asleep. I kissed his nose and rubbed lightly his bare back until the frown on his face had disappeared. A bitter smile spread on my face. For all of the happiness Simon was brought into my life, I could already see the storm clouds in the horizon. I sighted, letting go of the day’s revelations to welcome a wave of restless sleep.

____

== James’ POV ==

Everyone met up in a clearing near the border, each coming over thought a different path. I was the first one there as Simon had put me in charge of organizing everything. First came some of Collins’ men. He had called some special members of his pack over to serve as guards during the journey. They were his “best warriors” and they did look the part. None of them was a Beta but you could tell they were deadly just by the way they stood their ground in the clearing, ready to take out anything, even in Human form. Nathalie joined soon after, she was so quiet in the woods, even as a Human that when she slipped into view, Collins’ men almost jumped her. She rested against a tree, waiting in silence for the rest of the group.

Collins’ came with his Beta, Martin, a little later, greeting silently his men, he stood in front of the clearing. He looked strong and serious, a little frown of focus appearing on his forehead, but his jaw set, like he couldn’t wait any longer to start the journey. A few of our men then appeared, they were some of the pack’s best warriors, although Simon had asked for some of the best to remain behind, in case another attack on the pack was to happen. They all stood around the clearing, silently observing and greeting Collin’s men.

Lastly, came Simon and his mate, Enna. They walked hand in hand, his face was closed, focused, but I knew his enough to know it was his way to cope with worry. Enna tried to smile, I could tell she didn’t see as well as a wolf, because she held onto Simon and didn’t look at any of us exactly where we were.

Simon nodded to Collins, a signal to ask “ready?” He couldn’t mind-link Collins or his men so they just communicated by signs, while we could hear his orders loud and clear. Before we all shifted, he turned to Enna, she smiled at him and reached for his face. He bent down and she moved a few strands of his face away from his eyes. They stayed like that for a few seconds, as if they were having a full discussion through their eyes only, until he squeezed her tight against his body to kiss her, and I looked away. She was his world now.

She stepped behind him and is a violent gush of air, a majestic and huge black bird flew from behind Simon to a branch nearby. She looked at us, all traces of Enna gone, only the piercing black eyes of a raven surveyed the space. Martin looked half-surprised, half ready to gag, but no one paid attention to him. Most of Collins’ warriors and ours looked at the bird with astonishment.

I heard Simon loud and clear in my mind: “Enna’s nature, as a shifter, is our most highly guarded secret. You cannot under any circumstances tell it to anyone.” The Alpha’s command was clear, we would all die with this secret, or die protecting it.

Enna took off, as if to launch the journey forward. We all shifted and started to run, the barely visible shadow of a black bird floating over our heads.

____

== Enna’s POV ==

I was a bit bluffing when I said I could fly. I could. Technically….I might have forgotten to mention that the last time I flew freely was before my parents’ death and my abduction. I couldn’t fly in my prison, and when we had escaped, I couldn’t fly away, because I was helping Leïla. I tried to appear confident in my bird form, trying to understand again the little songs the wind would murmur to me as a child, guiding me through its twists and turns, easing my flight. A few times, I misunderstood the wind’s words and almost fell out of the sky. Thankfully, the wolves were too busy to notice it, even Simon, and I was able to resume flying before tumbling down into the dark forest.

The moon was high and almost full, the skies were clear, so I didn’t feel so lonely in the dark up there. Flying was like riding a bicycle to Humans, once you learned, you couldn’t quite forget. But my muscles didn’t seem to agree. I didn’t know how far away Collins’ pack was, but my wings grew tired.

I didn’t say anything, I stayed up in the sky, trying to let the wind carry me as much as I could, gliding silently following the wolves with one eye. They ran like nothing could stop them, for all I knew, nothing could, even the darkness of the woods was as bright as day to them. From time to time, one of them would stop to sniff something off the ground, then take off rapidly to join the pack again. Collins and Simon were running in the middle of the pack, the other seemingly moving according to both Alpha’s moves. I couldn’t help but think that if Simon and Collins didn’t order it to them, their pack members would save them and not me during a fight. Not that I wanted them to, but their dedication was solely and purely to their leader. I was only the bird girl they were supposed to escort.

A little howl took me out of my reverie. The group had stopped in another clearing. I circled down and perched myself on a branch. Simon disappeared behind a tree and came back wearing the shorts he had been carrying. Thankfully, birds couldn’t blush when their mate was half naked and irresistible, or I would be a parrot.

“We’re only taking a short break” stated Simon towards me. I was hesitant to change back, I wouldn’t be naked, but was it safe? I croaked lightly, as if to ask. “You can change if you want. There’s no one around for miles”

I wasn’t sure if he actually understood my question, or if he just guessed but I took off of my branch and changed mid-flight, suddenly enjoying the feeling of the dead leaves and moist ground under my toes. Most of the people had turned to look at me change, of course, expecting a butt-naked girl to appear in the middle of the clearing, but my dress did its trick again, and I appeared fully clothed.

“You can shift with your clothes on?” asked Martin who had changed back again. It was just annoying not to be able to understand each other when we were all shifted.

“No, it’s a special dress made for me” I answered without looking at him, my eyes focused on Simon’s. I laced my fingers with his.

“It’s sorcery” murmured Martin. This time, I looked at him frankly. “Yes, it was made by a witch. Not all of them are evil. I’ve met plenty of terrible werewolves in my life, I know better than hate them all.”

Martin frowned and grimaced like I had just stung him. Collins had a little laugh. “Excuse Martin for his abrupt manners. You come from a world that knows more about magic and shifting than us. It will take time for our world to adjust” he explained with a smile, taking a bottle of water in a pack one of his men, still in wolf form, was carrying.

I smiled back. “But there is only one world and those too blind to see it.” Collins laughed again. “Fair enough. My mate will love you.” He said, laughing out loud again. Simon growled a little next to me. I turned to him, lightly hitting his peck. “Don’t me so possessive” I murmured, which earned me a little smile.

“We should start going again” said James from the side of the clearing. “A few eyes have come to see what is going on over here”

Simon nodded and then turned towards me, a quick little hug and a small kiss before he retreated, leaving me some space to shift back to my bird form.

Except, I didn’t.