Page 25 of Wolf Proclaimed

As we moved, the forest seemed to accept me, a welcome participant in its nocturnal dance. The shadows played across my fur, and the moonlight glanced off each strand, creating a silvery aura around me. The wilderness in its raw, untamed form was liberating, allowing me to lose myself in the rhythm of nature, to forget for a while the chaos my life had become.

But even amidst the forest's tranquil symphony, a gnawing void persisted in the back of my mind. The lingering fragments of forgotten memories plagued me like ghostly specters just beyond my reach. Women—faces with familiar yet elusive features—haunted my dreams, their identities shrouded in the fog of amnesia. A ripple of frustration coursed through me, intensifying my need for answers.

Turning my gaze to Bastian, I let the words escape my lips. "The women in my dreams," I began, my voice threading the silence, "Who are they?"

His response interrupted the quiet in the forest, a profound confirmation that hung in the air. "They're your sisters, Mira." The words wrapped around me, a shroud of truth that felt both freeing and imprisoning. Sisters. The concept gripped my heart, tugging at the gaping hole in my memory where the notion of family should reside.

"My sisters?" My words came out as a whisper, the two words echoing my internal disarray. My mind strained to remember, to piece together the puzzle of my past life, but the images remained just out of reach. I was trying to grasp at the fog, to clutch onto the memories that slipped away even as I reached out to them. A tidal wave of frustration washed over me. A family, a part of me that I couldn't recall, left me teetering on the edge of hope and despair.

Bastian watched me, his gaze deep and unreadable. His quiet nod in response to my whispered question was as grounding as the earth beneath our paws. There was a tangible link to my past, a thread woven into the fabric of my forgotten life. This small revelation was a victory, a beacon in the fog of my memory loss.

Yet with the relief came a deluge of questions, like a dam bursting within my mind. The peaceful silence of the forest was drowned out by the clamoring uncertainty inside me, echoing my yearning for answers and my desperation for clarity.

Taking a steadying breath, I sought the first of many answers. "The others, where are they?"

He was silent momentarily before responding, "Their packs need them," he explained, his voice a soothing balm to my turbulent thoughts, "They're not nearby."

His words struck me, the disappointment hitting as hard as a physical blow. I had barely begun to comprehend my sisters' existence, and they were already distant, kept from me by circumstances I didn't fully understand. A wave of dissatisfaction washed over me. I was standing on the precipice of a journey into my past, into the truth, but the path was littered with enigmatic half-answers.

His eyes met mine, a silent understanding flickering between us. The weight of my memory loss was a shared burden now, the mystery of my past, a labyrinth we were navigating together. The uncertainty was daunting, the stakes seemingly growing with every revealed truth. But amidst the tumult of my feelings, his presence offered a glimmer of comfort. As much as I longed to leap ahead, to face my past and its ghosts, I understood the need for caution.

Despite my upheaval, my next words came out steady, determined. "I want to meet them. I need to meet my sisters."

I could see the hesitancy flicker across Bastian's face. His eyes were a tumultuous sea of conflicting emotions – concern, fear, uncertainty – each battling for dominance. "Mira," he began, his voice carrying a warning, a plea. "As I said, they're far away, immersed in their responsibilities towards their packs."

But his objections only stoked the flames of my determination. I yearned to pull back the curtains of my past, gaze upon my sisters' faces and hopefully kindle a spark of remembrance. I was tired of the darkness, the empty spaces where memories should reside. I wanted to fill them, to reclaim what was lost.

"Bastian," I said, a steel undertone in my voice, "I need this. I can't sit back and wait for my past to come to me. I have to chase it."

We stood in silence, our gazes locked in an unspoken battle. Bastian was wrestling with his concerns, his protective instincts clashing with his desire to aid my quest for understanding. I could see it in his eyes, the fear of history repeating itself, of losing me once again to the past.

"I don't want you to get hurt, Mira," he finally broke the silence, his voice a hushed whisper, echoing his internal conflict. "What if... What if meeting them triggers something? What if you..." He trailed off, unable to voice his fears.

"But what if it helps, Bastian?" I retorted, my determination undeterred. "What if seeing them brings back memories, fills in the gaps? I can't live like this, always wondering, always lost. I need to know, even if it hurts."

For a moment, he was silent, his gaze thoughtful. Then, with a sigh, he nodded, his agreement a quiet surrender. "Alright," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper, "We'll go see your sisters."

His words were a small victory, a step closer to uncovering my past. But as relief washed over me, I noticed the concern in his eyes, his fear of possible setbacks still lingering. He was worried about me slipping away from him again, a thought that hung heavily between us.

"I promise, Bastian," I said, reaching out to grasp his hand, "whatever happens, I won't let this drive a wedge between us. We'll face it together."

Days had passed since Bastian's reluctant agreement to my plea. During this time, we'd become a near-constant presence by each other's side, the bond between us strengthening with each passing moment. Now, we stood before the pack, under the watchful eyes of wolves we led and protected.

Bastian, in his human form, commanded the attention of the entire pack. His posture and presence exuded the aura of an alpha, a leader who bore the weight of his pack's safety and wellbeing on his broad shoulders. The gathered wolves listened with rapt attention, their respect for him evident.

"Theon, Dmitri," Bastian began. "I'm entrusting the pack to both of you. Ensure our territory remains protected and our laws upheld in my absence."

Acknowledgment flickered in their eyes, understanding the gravity of the responsibility bestowed upon them. They nodded, a wordless vow to fulfill their duty to the pack.

"Where are you going, Bastian?" The question came from a younger member, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Bastian turned to meet her gaze, his face softening slightly. "I'm going on a journey with Mira. To Magic Mountain."

His words stirred a wave of whispers among the pack, many familiar with the significance of the place. Magic Mountain—a site known to our kind for its mystic power, where past, present, and future seemed to intertwine.

As the whispers died down, Bastian continued. "Mira needs to regain her lost memories. I believe this journey is the right step toward that." His gaze met mine, and his support was unwavering, even amidst the nervousness I could sense within him.

With the meeting adjourned, we prepared for our ascent. As we began our journey toward the towering heights of the mountain where my sisters and mother lived, I could feel Bastian's internal turmoil. The weight of his fears, his worries about this decision's potential implications, loomed in the air. But he was determined to honor my wishes.

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