CHAPTER 288: SHIFTED

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

Chapter 288

~Valerie’s POV~

I turned and bolted into the trees before anyone came out to check.

My heart was racing, limbs moving on sheer panic. I didn’t stop running until the stone wall was long behind me.

The last thing I wanted was to be caught by the very group that had murdered my parents. It would then be game over if I couldn’t escape.

And now, it was clear that whatever that was... I wasn’t ready for it yet, and not without a plan.

The forest blurred as I ran, branches clawing at my arms and legs, my breath coming faster than my thoughts.

I didn’t know where I was going—just away. Away from that rune, from that sound, from the fear gripping my throat.

My feet barely touched the ground. Somewhere along the run, I’d kicked something soft. Leaves maybe. Or petals. I didn’t stop to check.

It wasn’t until my head began to buzz... and the trees swayed strangely.

"Valerie."

The voice was a whisper.

I turned sharply, but there was no one behind me. Only moonlight spilling across bark and branches.

I kept moving, cutting east, where the trees thinned slightly. My chest heaved with exhaustion, and I paused, just for a second, to catch my breath.

I inhaled and regretted it immediately.

The air smelled... sweet, sickly sweet like overripe fruit and cold perfume.

"Valerie," I wheezed out, finally breathing less erratically again as I clutched my chest hard, pacing slowly with my hands on my waist.

"Violet."

My footsteps halted when I heard my name being called softly, as if it were an ethereal voice.

I whipped my head in the direction from which I heard the voice. Still, there was nothing.

I tried to check around, but no matter where I looked, all I could see were trees and grass.

"Violet."

The voice came a little bit louder again, and this time, it sounded way familiar too.

I spun, but the forest shimmered, shifting like it was holding its breath. My heart clenched.

"Run."

That one was unmistakable. Astra.

At Astra’s command, I didn’t think. I immediately took to my heels and I bolted again, crashing through the underbrush like something was chasing me—maybe something was.

"Astra, what was that?"

There was no reply from her, and I took that as my cue to just run.

I didn’t stop until I stumbled out into a small clearing, barely catching myself before tumbling into the edge of a stream.

The moonlight sparkled across the water, and I dropped to my knees, panting, hands digging into the earth.

"Astra?" I rasped.

"I’m here." Her voice filled my head. "Easy. Just breathe slow."

I dipped my hands into the cold stream and splashed my face, the sudden sting jolting my senses.

Astra’s energy wrapped around me like a calming balm, which I clearly needed.

"You ran over Belladonna by the North wall," she said gently. "And you inhaled Datura closer to the East. They plant them for protection. Distraction. Or insanity. Some say they’re alive—those flowers. That they whisper when the moon is full."

"So I... I imagined the voices?" I blinked hard. "It felt so real."

"They always do," she said softly. "That’s how they work."

"Who planted them?"

"Given that it was close to Nightshade’s entrance, I’ll say my best guess is them."

I stared at my trembling hands, then down at the stream. "I need to run. Not just run... I want to shift. I want to let you out."

There was a silence, and then Astra said, "Are you serious?"

I nodded.

"I haven’t let you out since the first time I shifted, and I know you’re itching to come out, right?"

I felt her stir inside me as she hummed eagerly.

"Yes," she growled.

"Yes," I whispered aloud.

"Although... I wanted it to be with our mates, but..."

"You can take what you get for now, Astra," I said with a dry laugh. "Besides... no one’s here. I can’t sense anyone. We’re safe."

There was a brief pause before her response. "Okay." Her voice was threaded with excitement. "Let’s do it."

The moonlight filtered softly through the forest canopy, casting silvery shadows across the forest floor.

I took in a shaky breath and slowly peeled off my hoodie, folding it neatly before placing it beside the thick roots of a nearby oak tree.

My pouch followed, the tiny clasp clicking shut as I set it down like something sacred.

The air was cool against my skin, tingling with magic—an ancient energy that stirred beneath my bones, whispering to the part of me that wasn’t entirely human.

To me, it was part of my powers, perhaps. But other than that, Uncle Zade and I haven’t really had much of a discussion to go by.

I exhaled and stepped back from the tree.

"Now," I whispered in my mind.

A familiar warmth spread through my limbs. It began in my chest, like fire and starlight woven together, then spilt through my arms and down my spine until it burst into something wilder.

The world tilted, muscles realigning, bones shifting as I fell forward onto all fours. I gasped, but it came out as a deep and raw growl.

My paws landed on the soft earth. The transformation was seamless this time and less painful than our first shift.

Astra was in control.

I caught my reflection in the stream as we padded closer. Astra’s coat shimmered under the moonlight—silver-white fur sleek and radiant, with a streak of purple and blue trailing down the length of her tail, like a comet’s flame.

"You look even more beautiful, Astra," I breathed into her mind, too awed.

"And so do you," she replied softly. "You glow more each time you become intimate with our mates."

I blinked, then chuckled. "That’s not awkward at all."

Astra’s energy vibrated with amusement. "What now? You’re in control," I reminded her. "Just don’t do something I won’t do."

"Such as?"

"Going to our mates?"

"No, Vee. I’ll just run," she said, tail flicking. "And howl at the moon."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

She didn’t need another word. We took off, paws thudding against the mossy ground, water splashing gently as we raced along the riverbank.

Trees blurred past as her paws touched the ground. Astra was massive for a werewolf, and that further proved our identity as the Southern Heiress.

The air roared in my ears. It felt like flying.

We climbed a small ridge that overlooked the forest and the academy in the distance. The wind hit us full in the face, and then—Astra lifted her head and howled.

The sound pierced the stillness like a blade of light, lonely, strong, and proud. Astra howled a second time and shook her fur.

"How do you feel now?" Astra asked. "Less, hallucinated right?"

"Yeah. It’s gone. Thanks, girl."

"Any time. Now, let’s go back. You’ve been out long enough before our mates come searching."

"Good call."

After a moment, we turned and made our way back, our heartbeat still pounding with the thrill of freedom.

But the second we reached the tree where I had left my clothes, something shifted. A shadow moved.

Astra froze.

"Wait," I whispered to her. "Don’t panic. If we don’t shift back, they won’t know it’s me. Stay still and breathe."

The figure stepped out from behind the tree, as though he had been waiting.

Silver hair, streaked at the tips with violet, caught the moonlight like it belonged to the stars. Piercing violet eyes shimmered in the dark, trained right on us.

"Xander?" I breathed in Astra’s mind.

"Hello, Valerie," he said smoothly, his voice like velvet wrapped in steel.

And then he bowed his head slightly, the corner of his lips lifting into something that wasn’t quite a smile.

"Or should I say... Hello, Heiress."