Chapter 5-Changeling

When her shift ends at the flower shop, Luna arrives at the vet clinic. She stops by the desk to see one of the vet assistants.

"Hey Laurel," she greets, giving the middle aged woman a wave. "How's the patient today?"

The woman frowns when she sees the young woman, letting out a small sigh.

"Hey Luna…"

The girl stops, her face twisting into that of concern.

"Is everything alright?"

Luna's heart sinks as the older woman breaks the news, discovering that the white wolf is nowhere to be found. Her eyes scan the area with a mix of desperation and worry, and her voice trembles as she speaks.

"No..." she breathes. "How did this happen?"

"We think he managed to break out of his enclosure."

The nurse shrugs her shoulders in disbelief. "We called animal control to keep a lookout for him. It's the strangest thing…"

When she notices the devastation in the young woman's eyes, she gives her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, hun. A white dog shouldn't be that hard to find. He'll turn up eventually."

Luna nods gloomingly, bidding Laurel farewell and exiting the clinic. Her grip tightens on her bag as she stares down at her black sneakers. Rain drops had started sprinkling the ground as she slowly lifts her head.

"This doesn't make sense," she says to no one. "How could he have escaped?"

Determined not to give up, Luna decides to search for the wolf, pulling up the hood of her gray jacket and zipping it up. Her steps lead her through the rain-soaked streets. The rain falls in a gentle drizzle, painting the town with shimmering reflections. Luna's footsteps are hesitant as she searches for the injured wolf that had captured her heart earlier. She feels her phone vibrate in her damp hands, a message popping up from her mother.

"Are you on your way? It's getting late."

Luna sighs. Ever since she told her about her dreams, she noticed her mother acting strange. Luna had started avoiding her, attempting to confide in her father only for him to be as dodgy as she was. This led her and her sister to snoop in their parents room but to no avail. The only clue she had was her connection to the wolf and she couldn't bear to have him slip away now.

This determination propels her forward, armed with her smartphone light in as she scans the damp alleys and dimly lit corners.

Amidst the rain-slicked cobblestones, Luna spots a figure, a man standing beneath the shelter of an awning. Shivering, Luna stands beside the stranger, taking her hood off her white hair. when she looks over at the man. He looked about her age; wearing faded jeans with black and white sneakers a white shirt with a blue jacket. His dark hair, thick and stopped at his shoulders, was plastered on his handsome face, his eyes a piercing blue. He stares unflinchingly back and Luna fidgets under his gaze, her face feeling warm despite the cold air.

"It's pouring, isn't it?" The words slip out awkwardly, her attempt at small talk reflecting her distracted mind. The man before her nods in agreement, and Luna notices the shared sentiment of discomfort in his eyes. He looks at Luna, a sense of familiarity tugging at the corners of his mind.

"Yeah, it is."

" Have we... met somewhere before?"

Her voice is tentative as she tries to place where she might have seen him before. The man's eyes widen slightly, but he's cautious in his response.

"I…don't know."

The question hangs in the air, a thread of curiosity that connects them in an unexpected way. As the rain gradually begins to ease, Luna points out the change in weather, her voice carrying a note of relief.

"Oh! The rain stopped."

The man looks upward, acknowledging the shift in weather. Luna takes a moment to study his face, her curiosity growing stronger by the second.

" What's your name?"

"My name is… Kiba."

Something in the name tugs at the corners of Luna's memory, but before she can delve further, she notices an odd familiarity in the way the man's eyes meet hers. As Luna gazes at him, her eyes narrowing with curiosity, the fragments of memory and emotion begin to align, linking this "Kiba" to the recent dreams.

No way.

The realization dawns upon her, but she remains silent, caught in the whirlwind of astonishment and disbelief. She shakes her head and her lips curve into a friendly smile, a sense of connection forming in their exchange.

"I-I'm Luna. Nice meeting you, Kiba."

This can't be a coincidence.

She thought to herself. He definitely looked like the guy from her dream. She realized that she was still staring at him and she quickly looked away.

"A-anyway," she stammers, "you wouldn't have happened to see a white…dog around right?"

Best not to let the new guy know that there's a white wolf running around.

Kiba stared at her, almost blankly. "No."

He leaned in a little closer. "Is it a lost pet?"

"No, he's a stray that escaped from the vet clinic recently. I was the one who initially found him so I feel responsible for him." Her shoulders sagged slightly, her face crestfallen. "He is hurt after getting hit by a car. I hope he's alright."

When she looks back at Kiba, she feels her cheeks warm as he smiles softly at her. "I'm sure he's alright."

"Uh, thank you." She felt her heart beat rapidly and lets out a shuddering breath.

"you're new to town right? Are you just visiting or staying with family?"

Kiba shakes his head. " I'm here on my own. I was passing through."

"Oh." She widened her eyes in surprise. He seems so young to be traveling on his own, but felt it wasn't her place to pry.

"Well," Luna placed her hands in her hoodie pocket. "I work at the local flower shop. If you ever feel like stopping by, I'll be there." She pulled her hood over her head as she felt her phone vibrate again.

Kiba nods, his face relaxing a bit, a small smile stretching on his lips. "I'll keep that in mind."

Luna rocks back in her heels, tossing a crooked smile. "I gotta get going. I hope I'll see you around." And she quickly waved him goodbye.

. . .

Later, Luna sits in the cozy chair in the living room of her home, the events of the day still fresh in her mind. She is journaling furiously in her leather bound journal, not noticing her younger sister, Phoebe , joins her on the couch, a sense of anticipation in her eyes.

"Hey, Lulu." Phoebe plops down on the couch next to her sister. She barely acknowledges until she feels a poke on her cheek.

"Oh!" She looks up, eyes in surprise. "Hey Phoebe."

"Dang girl, what's got you so laser focused?"

Phoebe leans back with her arm propped up on the arm.

Luna's sighs, a somber look comes her face.

"The wolf wasn't there when I went back." She closes the journal and places the pen in the holder. "It was like he disappeared."

Phoebe's eyes widened in shock.

"Are you serious?" Luna nods. "Yeah, it was strange. I felt like we had this bond…"

"Aww, sorry to hear that."

But you know what's even stranger? I ran into someone who I've never seen in town before.

Phoebe's eyes changed to that of intrigue. "What do you mean?"

Luna leans in, her voice a mix of excitement and uncertainty as she recounts her encounter with the man named Kiba in the rain.

"So, I was walking in the rain, looking for the wolf, when I stumbled upon this guy. His name is Kiba, and he seemed kind of familiar. But what's really weird is that when I look at him, I get this feeling, like I've seen those eyes before.

Phoebe raises her eyebrow. "Like déjà vu?"

" Yeah, something like that. And I asked if we've met before, but he wasn't sure either."

Phoebe then eyes her sister, a mischievous smile creeping on her face "Maybe you've got a secret admirer! Was he cute? Was it love at first sight"

Luna groans, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please. It's not like that. It's just... I can't shake the feeling that there's more to this guy than meets the eye."

She looks at her sister, who was smirking at her still.

"Okay! Luna concedes. "He was cute, I'll say that. Phoebe squeals in delight, causing Luna to wince.

" Ooh, mysterious stranger alert! You should totally try to find out more about him."

Luna plays with a lock of her hair. She hadn't told Phoebe that she had seen the stranger in her dreams. It's one thing to dream about animals but to dream about a guy, especially since he turned out to be real, was well beyond freaky.

"Well, you know me. But for now, I think I'll focus on finding the white wolf again."

Phoebe sighs, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she leans back against the couch cushions. "Well, maybe you should invite mystery man on your hunt…"

"Ugh, you're unbelievable!"

Phoebe laughs as Luna tosses a pillow in her direction.