My first strange realization was that I could not feel the beating of my heart. I understood that my numb stillness must mean I was dead, but oddly the thought only brought me peace, not the panic I might have expected.

But then a throbbing sort of pain slid into my consciousness and made me reconsider my initial assumption. I was lying on my side and could feel something beneath me. I actually could feel my limp body, my exhausted wolf form. My left shoulder and my chest hurt. I shifted experimentally and it caused pain to radiate through me.

"Elise?" said a familiar deep voice. I forced open an eye and looked towards him without even moving my muzzle. I was too tired, and I did not want to agitate the pain.

Serge was there. He looked exhausted and worried, but the relief on his face was apparent.

I felt a swelling of affection for him, but I was too tired to do anything to let him know about it.

"Don't transform yet, Elise. You'll have to stay in your wolf form until you're healed. You almost died."

I moved my head as much as I could manage, a miniscule movement indicating agreement, but I hoped he would be able to see it.

"What were you thinking, putting yourself in danger like that?" he asked, moving his chair flush with the bed.

I was not sure what he was talking about. My mind slipped back to what I remembered, and it all came back to me. I was not sorry. If he thought I was just going to let him die, he was insane. I grinned a bit to show him what little guilt I felt about my actions, although I did feel the slightest bit about how worried he looked.

He would have to wait until later for my explanation, though, when I was human again. For now, blackness tugged at my mind and drew me back into its peaceful embrace.

* * *  *  *  *  * * *

I woke again in a lot more pain than before. I cracked open my eyes in the soft light of the room and looked around me.

I was surprised to find my father dozing in a chair at the end of the bed. I adjusted myself a bit, trying to get more comfortable but it only seemed to aggravate my pain.

He opened his eyes immediately upon my movement. "Elise."

I could definitively say that getting shot hurt worse than anything else I had experienced.

He grasped my paw in his hand. "I was so worried. Don't transform just yet."

I nodded, even though his advice was obvious. Everyone knew you only hurt yourself worse if you transformed with an injury. I looked around what I could see without moving and tried to will him to read my mind.

"We're in the eastern headquarters infirmary," he explained to my unspoken question. I was glad he knew I wanted answers.

He continued, "Matthias killed the king, Elise. And his son is a thrall. The battle is finally over. The rest of the thralls are free. The warriors are being dealt with. Most of them have come over to our side."

I nodded slightly.

"I flew down when I heard you were hurt, Elise. I should have been here to protect you. Now, you should really rest."

I wished I could ask my father where Serge was. I wanted to see him. I missed him, but tiredness was beginning to wear away at me again, so I let my eyes shut again.

I was so tired and sore and confused.

And not afraid.

My eyes opened in surprise and I yelped.

I was not afraid, not even slightly.  The cold clinging to me was gone.

"Elise?" my father asked. His voice was rough with concern.

I shook my head and looked at him meaningfully, but it seemed he did not understand what I had noticed. I wished to tell him that he had no reason to be worried, because I was not afraid. I felt a million confusing things, but I did not feel the curse magic.

My eyes getting heavy in spite of my joy at my realization. I could not help but let myself drift away.

The next time I woke, Serge was in his wolf form with his head resting on the bed next to me. I rested my muzzle closer to his before drifting back to sleep.

* * *  *  *  *  * * *

As I healed, my inability to properly communicate began to wear on me. I wanted to tell them that I was free, but I had no proper way to communicate such complex ideas in my wolf form.

I stared Serge and other members of our pack straight in the eyes as much as possible, but no one seemed to realize why I suddenly could do that no matter how much I wanted them to figure it out. They were all so fixated on my wound that they were not thinking at all in the right direction.

While I was bedridden, I had a number of visitors. I was excited when Matthias came by. He sat in the chair opposite my bed and it felt like old times, except I had never seen him so wound up and frazzled.

"So, I'm somehow supposed to be the leader of these people, Elise. And I've got Jordan as a thrall. Not that he doesn't deserve it, but I never wanted a thrall. What the hell am I supposed to do with a thrall? It was Serge who goaded me into doing it. I was doing it to prove that it wasn't possible, but it worked," he groused.

I raised my eyebrows in interest, encouraging him to continue.

"Because I killed the old king, his leadership apparently fell onto me. I don't want it, but now I'm stuck. There's no challengers, otherwise I would simply let them have it. You know this is not at all what I was planning if the war ever ended, Elise."

I nodded at him sympathetically.

"I never really believed that it would be over, but maybe if I had I would have thought about going to school, or getting a trade or something. I mean, what are they thinking? Someone should really step up to take over, but there's no interest. How can there be no one who wants this?"

I grinned at him toothily. I wished for my human mouth to tell him that I believed in him, but there was not much I could do as I was. I was dearly looking forward to the day when Doctor Fischer told me it was safe for me to transform.

"At least I'm glad you're all right. I swear, this one sided conversation thing is as bad as writing you those letters was, Elise."

I tried to look sympathetic again.

"Anyway, I have to go, but I'll come by again if you want me to," he said.

I nodded my head and tried to look encouraging since he was clearly feeling out of his element.

I really wanted to transform.

* * *  *  *  *  * * *

About an hour after Matthias left, Doctor Fischer came in to check on me.

He inspected my wound and made general genial small talk.

I nodded and shook my head when he asked me questions.

"I think you'll need to heal for another week before you even think about transforming back to human," he commented.

I huffed my disappointment.

"I understand it's hard, but it's better for your healing if you can be patient. I'm really appreciating your patience, Elise. If only all of my patients had your sense."

My nod told him that I would cooperate.

"I'll have one of the nurses come in and remove your IV after I leave," he promised. You can begin to carefully move around, but you still need to get enough rest, and eat, or we're putting another one in."

I nodded again. It was not too hard to do as he said, my wound hurt every time I moved.

* * *  *  *  *  * * *

The nurse came in and removed my IV. He gave me a bowl of broth, which I lapped up happily. It had so much flavour I could barely believe food had ever been so good before.

Serge came into the room and simply sat with me, mostly in silence. I looked at him, and then I realized I was missing something. Something I had taken off before I had decided to go for the eastern king.

I whined and Serge looked over at me. I whimpered again and stuck out my paw, hoping he would get the idea.

"Are you hurting?" he asked.

I shook my head and held out my paw more insistently while I whined.

His eyes finally widened with understanding. "You lost the ring? Don't be upset, we can replace it."

I was more tempted than ever to simply transform back, but it would tear my stitches and injure me further. I shook my head. I wanted that ring, it was irreplaceable.

"Was it in your room?"

I nodded and then shook my head.

"It was, but it's not now?"

I nodded.

"Did you have it when you got shot?" he asked with a stern expression.

I nodded vigorously.

"I'll try to get someone to find it, Elise," he promised.

I wanted him to go. He knew what it looked like. I shook my head and jabbed my muzzle towards him.

"You want... Me to go look for it?"

My wolf form's muscles were not designed for nodding, but I did it anyway. All the excessive nodding was beginning to agitate my wound, but it would be worth it.

"But it might be out of range of the curse," he reminded me.

I shook my head again and met his eyes very deliberately.

"Elise?"

I stared at him determinedly. Would someone please just figure out what I had been trying to communicate?

"Is it... Is it...gone?"

I wagged my head again and grinned a wolfish grin.

His face wore wary shock. "The curse is gone?"

I barked. He looked so happy it was hard to contain my pleasure at the sight. My tail wagged unintentionally. I could almost feel his relief in the air between us.

I grinned my wolfish grin and relaxed back down in the bed.

* * *  *  *  *  * * *

Serge left to search for my ring and I took a nap while he was gone. When I woke up he was back.

"I didn't find it in the offices, but it got picked up when the mess was being cleaned and I managed to track it down. You really did not suffer in my absence?"

I shook my head.

He crouched down in front of me. "And you still want this?"

Of course I did, and he should know it by now. I nodded.

"I got you a chain for it," he said.

More than ever I wished I could transform back into my human form so that I could properly kiss him. Instead I had to bide my time. Besides the lack of a proper mouth, I smelled vile, like some mixture of former thrall and injured patient and wet dog.  The nurses had done what they could, but what I needed was a proper human shower to wash away the disgustingness clinging to me.

He looped the chain over my neck and I wagged my tail again under the sheets. Really, it was a bit embarrassing, but since the curse had left me it was difficult to contain my emotions.

Serge sat back in the chair and I simply took in his handsome face and form, satisfied at least for the moment that he was so near me.