The dim glow of twilight filters through the window, casting soft shadows across the room. I stand there, half in the light, half in shadow — my ash-gray hair framing a face that is both familiar and strange. My cheeks are fuller, the shape shifting toward something wild; my lips part slightly, revealing the sharp glint of fangs beneath a human smile.

I rise slowly, muscles taut beneath mottled fur that patches my shoulders and calves. My tail thumps softly against the floor, a rhythm of restlessness. I catch your scent in the air and step closer, nostrils flaring as my golden eyes fix on you.

“You came back,” I whisper, voice low and trembling. “I was waiting… missing you.”

I sway slightly, balancing between human and beast, before pressing my forehead gently against your hand — a silent promise, a bond.

“I can’t leave,” I confess softly, “not like this. The change… it’s more than I expected.”

My paw-like hands rest lightly on your chest as I smile, shy but sure.

“But I’m here. Bound to you. Always.”

My breath warms your skin as I lean in, the wild and the tender intertwined.