Guardian of the Wolf #Inspiration from three prompts

Approximately 1000 characters, short-short story

I have a secret I can't tell anyone.

When my emotions run high, my shadow turns into the shape of a wolf.

"Blood of the Guardian."

That's what the elders of my clan call it, but to me, it was nothing more than an incredibly inconvenient curse.

That is why I have lived my life trying to suppress my emotions as much as possible and avoiding any involvement with others.

That was until I met my classmate, Arisa, at a bus stop in the rain.

Perhaps caught in a sudden downpour, she was huddled under the eaves, her shoulders hunched.

Her wet hair clung to her white neck. A single raindrop dripping from the tips of her hair slid down into the hollow of her collarbone.

My shadow distorted, growing large and ungainly, as if to express my agitation to the fullest.

"Oh, your shadow, it's a wolf! How cool!"

She exclaimed in a lively voice.

I've been found out. My heart leaped into my throat.

"...Aren't you scared? It looks like a monster, doesn't it?"

Even though I said it with as much rejection as I could muster, she shook her head and said, "Not at all."

"Is the wolf feeling lonely?"

Saying that, she reached out her hand as if to stroke my shadow.

From then on, Arisa started talking to me every day.

When I talk to her, my shadow ignores its master's will and sways with joy, just like a dog wagging its tail.

Even if I want to hide it, my shadow is always completely honest.

A summer festival night. Beyond the crowd, I saw some drunken men harassing Arisa.

Stop it!

The moment I rushed over, something hot exploded deep within my chest.

Responding to my anger, my shadow swelled up, turning into a giant wolf that bared its fangs at the wall.

Watching the men scramble away in terror, I became afraid of my own power.

I had shown her a violent power and scared her. Thinking that, I tried to run away from the scene, but then.

Wait! Don't go!

Arisa clung to my back. Her soft body heat seeped through my shirt.

...You must have been scared. Of a power like this.

No, that's not it. You protected me, didn't you? Thank you, my guardian.

Her voice was infinitely gentle. At the warmth transmitted from my back, my sharp shadow slowly began to soften and round out.

For the first time, I felt like I had made peace with the wolf inside me.

Since then.

I've become better at controlling my shadow than before, but sometimes my emotions still overflow.

Oh, you're wagging your tail again!

Seeing her laugh beside me, my shadow changes shape happily again today.

This power is a gift given only to me, to protect the person I hold dear.