As the sun rose, I transformed back into my human form. My bones crackled and realigned to their original positions—a painful process, yet not nearly as excruciating as the first time. When the shift was complete I was left laying in the grass, sweating. I nearly jumped at the sound of his voice, almost forgetting he was here.
“It does get better. Shifting will be quick, easy, and painless.” He moved to sit in front of me, handing me my water bottle.
“Thank you.” I took it and sipped on it.
“So, why did you choose this location?” He gazed at me.
“I remember coming here with my mother as a child. I would play, swim, and generally come home with a bundle of flowers from the clearing over there. I knew that it was far enough away from the humans to not pose as a threat. I knew the risk o
