I try to slip the crystal back into the drawer of my nightstand, but Selene darts forward, her body wriggling between me and the furniture like a furry battering ram. With a huff of frustration, I pull my hand back, the crystal still clutched in my fist.

    "Selene, down," I scold, but she remains resolutely in my path, those pale blue eyes fixed on the object in my grasp.

    Realizing this is a battle I won''t win, I shove the crystal into the pocket of my jeans, ignoring the uneasy weight that seems to settle in my gut at its presence. Selene''s tail wags, and she trots back toward the kitchen, pausing every few steps to glance over her shoulder, as if ensuring I follow.

    The aroma of the saute?ed vegetables greets me as I re-enter the kitchen, and my stomach rumbles in anticipation. But as I move to finish plating the meal, Selene darts underfoot, nearly sending me sprawling. I sidestep her clumsily, shooting her a glare.

    "What has gotten into you?" I mutter, stirring the contents of the pan with perhaps more force than necessary.

    Selene whines, her nose pointed toward the front door, and understanding dawns.

    "All right, all right." I rush over to open the front door.

    But Selene remains rooted to the spot, her gaze flickering between me and the door, an insistent whine escaping her. I frown as realization sets in—she wants me to come with her.@@@@

    "You can''t be serious," I groan, but her resolute stare tells me she''s dead serious. "Fine, but just a quick walk. I''m starving."

    With a sigh, I scrape the food onto a plate and shove it into the microwave, resigning myself to eating a lukewarm dinner in favor of appeasing my restless companion.

    A bead of sweat trickles down the nape of my neck as the air seems to thicken around us, the scent of damp earth and decaying foliage taking on an almost cloying quality. My pulse quickens, each breath growing shallower as an unfamiliar heat blossoms deep in my abdomen.

    What is happening to me?

    Selene pauses, her nose twitching as she scents the air, and I take the opportunity to glance around, trying to get my bearings. But the trees seem to blur together, an endless maze of bark and branches that offers no clear path of escape.

    A tremor wracks my frame, my fingers clenching spasmodically around the leash as a wave of dizziness washes over me. The world tilts precariously, the shadows lengthening and distorting until they seem to reach out with gnarled tendrils, seeking to ensnare me.

    I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting against the disorientation, but it does little to quell the roiling in the pit of my stomach. Something is happening—something I can''t begin to comprehend. But every fiber of my being screams that something''s wrong.

    A low whine from Selene breaks through the haze, and I force my eyes open, blinking rapidly to clear the spots from my vision. She stands before me, her pale gaze locked on mine, and in that moment, I see a flicker of something—a spark of recognition, of understanding.

    She knows.

    The realization is like a punch to the gut, stealing what little breath remains in my lungs. Selene has been trying to tell me all along, and I''ve been too blind, too stubborn to listen.

    The crystal seems to pulse in my pocket, its weight now a tangible thing, a tether binding me to this moment, this path I''ve been set upon.

    Selene steps closer, her nose touching mine, cold and wet. Then, a whisper in my mind. Hello, my human. I''m so glad you''re finally listening.