The wolf shifter came to us on a Monday, though he didn’t ruin his own life until two days later. He was the first shifter I’d ever seen, and I didn’t recognize him as one right away. In his human form, to a mortal with untrained eyes, he looked like an ordinary man in his late twenties—stunningly good-looking, all pent-up strength and well-built muscles, the type most women’s eyes would linger on. But it was his eyes, dark and troubled, that really caught my attention.
I guess I liked them brooding and mysterious. I had just turned nineteen; I didn’t know what I liked yet. He waltzed into the shop like a man on a mission, his determination amusingly evident across his handsome features. I’d seen him pace the street a couple of times before making his grand entrance.
I stared at him carefully, the storm blazing behind his gaze. You’d think he was here to start a fight. The tension emanating from him slightly abated when he noticed me, though not by much. “I’m here to see the magician,” he told me in a commanding tone.
“I’d like to make a wish. ”
“No,” I replied, returning a book to a shelf with carefully crafted detachment. The book probably didn’t belong there, but I didn’t care. “He doesn’t grant wishes.
”
“I know what he is,” the shifter insisted, his voice low and urgent. “I’ve heard the stories. He grants wishes, and I need one. ”
I shook my head.
“He’s not taking new clients. ”
“I’m not leaving until I see him. ”
“You can wait outside. ”
“I’ll wait here.
”
He sat down in one of the dusty chairs, crossing his arms, a stubborn set to his jaw. I sighed, returning to my shelving, but I could feel his gaze on me the entire time. He was like a coiled spring, ready to snap at any moment. The tension in the shop was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
After what felt like an hour, I finally heard footsteps on the stairs. Adrien, the shop’s owner and the man I worked for, descended slowly, his eyes landing on our uninvited guest. He didn’t look surprised; he rarely did. “Caleb,” Adrien said, his voice flat.
“I was wondering when you’d show up. ”
“You know why I’m here,” Caleb replied, rising to his feet. “I need you to grant my wish. ”
Adrien gave him a long, assessing look.
“What is it you desire? ”
“I want to be stronger,” Caleb said, his voice fierce. “I want to be the strongest wolf in the pack. I want to be able to protect anyone I care about, no matter what.
”
Adrien’s expression was unreadable. “Is that truly what you want? ”
“Yes. ”
“Then it shall be done,” Adrien said, and I swear I felt a chill run down my spine.
“But know this, Caleb: every wish has a price. And you may not like what it costs you. ”
“I don’t care about the price,” Caleb said. “I just want to be strong enough to protect my pack.
”
Adrien nodded slowly. “Very well. Your wish is granted. ”
And that was it.
Caleb left the shop looking lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible had just happened. Days turned into weeks, and I didn’t see Caleb again. But I heard about him, through the whispers of the supernatural community that sometimes frequented our shop.
He had become the strongest wolf in his pack, a force to be reckoned with. He was feared and respected in equal measure. Then one day, about a year later, I was closing up the shop when the door burst open. Caleb stood there, looking nothing like the man I’d met before.
He was still strong, still powerful, but there was a wildness in his eyes, a desperation that made my blood run cold. “I need to see the magician,” he growled, his voice rough. “Adrien isn’t here,” I said, my heart pounding. “He’s away on business.
”
“When is he coming back? ”
“I don’t know. ”
Caleb’s fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles white. “I need him to undo the wish,” he said, his voice cracking.
“I need him to take it back. ”
“What happened? ” I asked, despite myself. “The pack,” Caleb said, his voice barely a whisper.
“I lost them. All of them. My brother, my sister, my mother. They were attacked while I was away, and I couldn’t save them.
I became the strongest wolf in the pack, but I couldn’t save my own family. ”
I stared at him, horrified. “I’m so sorry. ”
“Sorry doesn’t bring them back,” Caleb said, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“I need Adrien to undo the wish. I need to go back in time, to save them. I can’t live with this. ”
“He can’t undo a wish,” I said, my voice soft.
“Once it’s done, it’s done. ”
Caleb’s face contorted with rage, and he slammed his fist against the wall, leaving a dent in the plaster. “Then what good is he? ” he roared.
“What good is his magic if it only brings pain? ”
I didn’t have an answer. I just stood there, watching as the powerful wolf shifter crumbled before my eyes, his grief and guilt consuming him. He left the shop that night, and I never saw him again.
But I never forgot him, either. His story was a warning, a cautionary tale about the price of power and the cost of wishes. And I couldn’t help but wonder: if I ever had the chance to make a wish, would I be willing to pay the price? The next shifter who came into the shop was a girl.
She looked frail and pale, with light blonde curls and earnest brown eyes. She wouldn’t have looked powerful or impressive even if she tried, but she greeted us with a warm, hopeful smile. “I’m Annie,” she told Adrien. “I heard that you grant wishes, so I’ve come to make one.
”
Adrien gave her an assessing look. “What is it you desire? ”
Annie’s expression became resolute. “There’s someone in our pack who’s been so worried about us being vulnerable that he focuses his entire life on making sure we’re safe,” she said.
“He doesn’t think about his own happiness. I just want him to be happy. ”
“Is that your wish? ” Adrien asked, not unkindly.
“Yes, sir. I wish for the man I love to be happy. ”
“Very well,” Adrien replied. “Tonight, the man you love will ask something of you.
Agree to it, and you’ll ensure his happiness forever. ”
A bright, relieved expression spread across Annie’s features. “I will. Thank you, sir.
Really. ”
She left the shop, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding. Annie had just made a wish, but she didn’t know the price. She didn’t know that her happiness might be the cost.
I wondered if Caleb ever found out what Annie had done for him. I wondered if he ever realized that she had given up everything to make his wish come true. But some questions, I suppose, are best left unanswered. Years later, the shop is still there, tucked away on a busy street.
Adrien still grants wishes, though he asks a price for each one. Sometimes I see hints of the people who’ve made wishes, the changes in their lives, the consequences of their choices. I wonder if Caleb ever found peace. I wonder if Annie did too.
I guess I’ll never know. But their stories stayed with me, a reminder that magic has a price, and that the cost is often higher than we can imagine. I just hope that if I ever have to make a wish, I’ll have the courage to face the consequences.
