In his wolf form, Ashen strides toward home. He knows he can't shift back, not unless he wants to return naked.
The wind brushes against his thick fur as he moves quietly under the cover of night.
Even though the world is drowned in darkness, his enhanced eyes see everything. He keeps low, slipping between shadows and avoiding the pools of moonlight that filter through the trees.
Eventually, he reaches home, silent and unseen. As always during the night, he climbs through his window.
His room is dim, but to his wolf eyes, it's perfectly clear. He takes a breath, long and slow, grounding himself before letting the change wash over him.
Bones snap, skin pulls, fur retracts, until he's left standing in his smaller, more fragile human form.
The contrast is stark.
He walks to his closet, his mind still fogged with exhaustion and emotional weight. Just as he reaches for warm clothes, a knock startles him.
