Madeline burst into the house, causing Arin to shoot up out of bed. In the darkness, Arin struggled to recognize her. When they did, they were elated.

“Madeline? Thank goodness, I was so worried,” they said, striking a match and lighting a candle so they could see.

“I’m sorry but we can’t talk yet,” Madeline said while running to the fireplace. “I’m going to make a fire and keep it warm. Could you go get one of the bottles for when the lambs are sick? And some of the formula that the shepherds use for the newborn sheepdogs?”

“Keep what-” Arin got close enough to see the puppy held against Madeline’s chest. Their eyes widened. “Will the dog’s formula be okay for a wolf?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s better than nothing.”

“Right.” Arin hurried out the door.

Madeline sat in front of the fireplace. With one hand, Madeline kept the puppy close, and with the other she gathered the logs and kindling. It only took striking one match to get the fire started. With the fire growing, and the house warming and growing more comfortable, the adrenaline started to wear off. She looked down at the small bundle of wrinkles and fuzz and skin she was holding onto. It hadn’t made a noise since she first saw it. But she could still feel its little heart beating.

Not long after, Arin returned with the bottle and was shaking it to make sure the formula was stirred properly. They held it by the fire. “We have to get it to body temperature, right?”

“I think that’s how this works. Is wolf body temperature the same as human body temperature?” Madeline asked.

Arin shrugged. “Maybe your body temperature will be closer because you’re part wolf now?”

“Oh my goodness, we have absolutely no idea what we’re doing, do we?” A panicked breathiness came to Madeline’s voice.

Arin put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright, we’ve just got to handle it for a couple hours until sunrise. Tomorrow we can take them to Eric, he knows all about all kinds of animals, I’m sure he can help.”

“Eric?” Madeline looked to the floor. “As in Chad’s uncle?”

Arin took the bottle away from the fire. “Yeah. It’s completely okay if you don’t want to go, I totally get it. I can go alone.”

Madeline took the bottle, and put a drop on her arm. It felt like it might need a bit more time. While she held it back out to the heat, Arin sat down next to her. 

“What happened after I disappeared?” she asked. She looked away, then added, “Sorry for disappearing without you.”

Arin leaned against her shoulder. “No, it was good that you did. It shocked the whole crowd, me included. Once I realized what you did, I just couldn’t stop laughing. That made Chad really mad, and it only made him more mad when I told him that you were probably gonna warn the witch about him. The crowd basically all went home after that, I guess thinking that even if  they were going to do anything, it was too late now. Did you warn the witch, by the way?”

“I did. She and her partner don’t seem too scared of him. Unlike me.” She tested the formula again. It seemed good this time.

Arin stroked her head at the base of her wolf ears. Madeline felt the tension pent up in her body ease a little. Arin said, “Don’t feel bad about feeling scared. What happened tonight was scary, and it happened during what I can tell is a scary time in your life.”

It was Madeline’s turn to lean against them. After she did, she held up the bottle near the puppy’s mouth. Within seconds it started suckling on the end of it. She sighed with relief that it was well enough to eat.

“If you don’t mind talking about it, what’s scaring you the most right now?” Arin asked, carefully leaning over to gently pet the back of the puppy’s head.

“When I teleported out of there, I challenged him to make me go back. I guess right now I’m most worried that he could actually find a way.” She shifted positions on the floor to lean more into Arin’s arms. “I practically don’t know anything about magic, except that it’s apparently very complicated. And while it doesn’t sound like there’s anything out there that could hurt me and Chad would ever have access to, it’s not like I ever expected to have a witch help me. It’s scary that the remote possibility exists. Plus, he doesn’t need magic to be harmful. What if he gets the idea to drive me away, and convinces everyone else? What if he tries to get to me by hurting you?”

Arin held her tighter. They rubbed their cheek against hers. “I’ll fight for you, you know that right?”

Madeline turned her head to look in their eyes. They were speaking so calmly, but their face seemed worried too. She could worry about herself all night and day, work herself into a fit over every possible and imaginable horrible thing that could happen. But if someone worried Arin, even her, then the time for worrying was over and the time to act began.

She leaned over and held her forehead against theirs. They kissed. It was short, but sweet. Madeline didn’t want it to be too long while she was also trying to look after the puppy. But she hoped it communicated even a sliver of the passion she felt.

“I’m going to fight like hell for us.” she said, snuggling even closer. 

The warmth of the fire, of the puppy, and of Arin melted away the fear of that night. Or perhaps the fear of rejection, the one that had been with her for as long as she could remember, had briefly disappeared- pushed away by the rhythm of the two heartbeats that were now so close to hers. If there was ever a worry that becoming who she was hadn’t been worth it, she was living the moment of proof that it had.

Soon the puppy drained the bottle, and Madeline set it aside. Arin reached over to pet it again.

“Looks like this little girl is doing alright.” Arin delicately touched their little ear.

“I think she’s going to be okay. I’d like to raise her at least until she’s old enough to make it on her own, if that’s okay with you.” Madeline smiled. “Taking care of a lost wolf is something I think I’ll have a lot of experience with, pretty soon.”

“Same here.” Arin moved from petting the puppy’s ear to petting Madeline’s. “Mind if I name her? You got to name the last adorable wolf who lives here, so it’s only fair.”

“Go ahead.”

Arin pet the little wolf again. “I want to call her Anya.”

“Anya it is.”

The three of them sat by the fire for the rest of the night. Arin and Anya quickly fell asleep, both while curled up with Madeline. She forced herself to stay awake until sunrise, to tend to the fire and to the puppy. She was still up when Arin woke back up, and started getting dressed to take Anya to Eric.

“Wait,” Madeline said through a yawn.

“Yes?”

Madeline stood up with Anya still in her arms. She said, “I want to go with you.”

Arin held her hand. “Are you sure?”

Madeline placed her free hand on her hips and stood as tall as she could. “If Rodehills wants to drive us off, then they should get it over with. And if they aren’t going to, then they better get used to me.”

Arin nodded and grinned. They said, “If that’s the plan, then let’s go.”

A few minutes later- in one sense for the first time in days and, in another, for the first time ever- Madeline walked out into the sunlight.