Chapter 48

Her head snapped up. Her eyes grew dark, and her mouth opened in a wordless cry, but the teeth sharpening before his gaze and the fur sprouting from her caught his attention the most. It wasn’t just patches but the whole of her this time, growing so thick that she was coated in a sheen of silky dark gray. Bones creaked as the rest of her tried to catch up to the momentum, but there was no bursting into her beast form even when she visibly tried to get it out with all her might. She pushed, then pushed again. His hands squeezed her shoulders to stop the next.

“Know your limits,” he said. “Don’t push to the point that there’s nothing left of you.”

Her eyes flared. She nodded as her fingers clutched the pole tighter, effectively pressing closer to him. Maya pushed once more, a grunt flying off her lips at the effort it took. Her muscles quivered and her breath sharpened. Her fur grew even thicker as she buried her head in his neck, where he felt her mouth transform into a snout before re