Resurgence

Kara's POV

"Is she up yet?"

"Not yet, Boss."

Familiar voices murmured around me. My head throbbed as I forced my heavy eyelids open. A dull ache pulsed behind my eyes, but I fought through it.

"Kara, are you there?" a soft voice coaxed gently.

I blinked, adjusting to the dim lighting of the room. It was the same place I had woken up earlier, but this time, I wasn’t alone. Gigi, Zayn, and others stood around me.

My gaze landed on Rodrigo, who stood by the window, his hands tucked into his pockets, his expression unreadable.

"Finally, you're up. You scared us," Gigi said with a relieved smile.

I barely heard her. My mind replayed Rodrigo’s words from before, haunting me even in unconsciousness.

"Rodrigo," I called out, and the room fell silent as all eyes shifted toward him. "What do I do now?"

"First, we get you prepared for the shift," he said without hesitation. "I know you have a lot of questions, and I promise to answer them, but right now, we need to focus."

Something was different. My body felt… off. The sharp pain in my ankle was gone, the wound nonexistent. I ran my fingers over my skin, finding nothing but smooth flesh.

"It healed on its own," Gigi explained, sensing my confusion.

A sharp, aching throb pulsed through my gums, my senses tingling. I could hear the waves of the ocean outside, clearer than ever. Every sound, every scent, intensified. My pulse quickened.

Rodrigo motioned for me to follow him, and I obeyed, my feet moving almost instinctively. He led me down the hall to a door, its heavy frame sending an unsettling chill down my spine.

"What is this place?" I asked, hesitating at the threshold.

"A cellar," he replied simply, stepping inside.

The dimly lit room was different from the rest of the house. The air was thick with something primal. My eyes darted around, taking in the chains, collars, and handcuffs that lined the walls. My stomach churned.

"Why are we here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Rodrigo turned to face me, exhaustion evident in his features. Dark circles clung beneath his eyes, proof that he hadn’t rested in days—weeks, even.

"We’re here for you, sweet Kara," he murmured.

"For me?"

"Yes."

Before I could process his words, pain shot through my legs. I screamed as I crumpled to the ground, agony coursing through every nerve in my body.

"It has begun," Rodrigo muttered.

"What has—?" My sentence broke off as another wave of pain shattered through me.

My bones twisted and contorted, sending fresh agony ripping through me. I couldn’t stop the scream that tore from my throat. Before I knew it, Rodrigo grabbed me, dragging me to the wall. Cold metal snapped around my wrists and ankles.

"Please—stop! What are you doing?" I gasped between ragged breaths.

"Relax. This is safer for you. I promise, the pain will pass."

Safe? This was anything but safe.

A guttural scream wrenched from my lips as the pain worsened. My body burned, my skin stretching and shifting as fur sprouted across my arms. Claws extended from my fingers, sharp and lethal. My legs buckled, reforming into something… inhuman.

I tried to scream, but all that came out was a howl.

I wasn't me anymore.

Rodrigo's POV

She had shifted.

I watched as Kara, now in full wolf form, growled and thrashed against the chains. Her sleek brown fur bristled with agitation, her golden eyes locked onto me with wild fury.

"Boss, how is she?"

Zayn stepped into the room, glancing at the restrained wolf.

"Successfully shifted," I said, arms crossed. "But, as expected, she’s not taking it well."

"She’s aggressive in person, too," Zayn mumbled, earning a smirk from me.

"She’ll settle."

We stepped out of the cellar, leaving her to adjust. Her howls echoed behind us, primal and untamed.

"Boss, any idea who bit her?" Gigi asked later as we sat in my office.

I exhaled, rubbing my temples. "No clue. But whoever it was… they’re not ordinary."

The next morning, the sun stood high in the sky as I walked into the cellar, a blanket draped over my arm.

She was curled on the ground, bloodied and trembling. Her human form had returned, leaving her naked and vulnerable. I unshackled her chains, then wrapped the blanket around her before lifting her into my arms.

She stirred hours later, dressed and lying in her bed. A book rustled as I flipped through its pages beside her.

"Rodrigo…" she murmured, her voice hoarse.

"You slept all day, Miss Nox," I teased, smirking.

"Miss Nox?" she repeated, frowning.

The door creaked open, and the boy from before entered, placing a tray of food beside her.

Her stomach growled at the sight, and she wasted no time digging in.

"I'll be in my office when you’re done," I said, standing. Without waiting for a response, I left.

---

When she walked into my office later, I was buried in paperwork. She leaned against the desk, arms crossed.

"I never pictured you as a paperwork guy," she mused.

I raised a brow, smirking. "And what did you picture?"

She shrugged. "I don’t know… guns, warehouses, maybe even drugs."

A deep chuckle escaped me. "You need to do better research, Miss Nox."

She rolled her eyes, and I slid a tablet across the desk.

"Before you start asking questions, there’s something you should see."

She picked up the tablet, her expression shifting from confusion to horror as she read.

"How is this possible?" she whispered.

I leaned forward. "Everything in that article is true. Zach Bills and the ASA are not who you think they are."

Her breath hitched.

"And I also know you were raped."

Silence.

Her body tensed, hands clutching the tablet.

"You knew?" she whispered. Her voice cracked, eyes glassy with unshed tears.

"The doctor confirmed signs of assault after your check-up."

Her breaths grew shallow. "I never saw his face. He was strong, wild… there was nothing I could do."

"It’s not your fault," I said firmly. "You were drugged. There was no way you could’ve fought him off."

Her grip on the tablet tightened.

"If what you’re saying is true, I need to confront Zach. I need to know why ASA betrayed me. And I need to find the bastard who did this to me."

A slow smirk curved my lips. That’s the fire I wanted to see.

A week passed.

Kara trained relentlessly, learning to control her shifts. She researched, studied, prepared. But nighttime was the hardest. I knew she barely slept, haunted by the nightmares of that night.

She wasn’t alone anymore.

Malia and the twin, understood her struggles. Gigi, despite being human, had become part of our family.

She sat in the living room, staring blankly at the TV. I found her there easily.

"I thought I’d find you here," I mused.

She smirked. "I heard you coming, Rodrigo. Perks of being a shifter, I guess."

I snorted. "You like it, don’t you?"

She scoffed. "I never wanted this in the first place."

"Yet here you are," I murmured, stealing her mug of tea for a sip.

She sighed.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "I am."

I studied her carefully. The past haunted her, but I feared what it might turn her into.

"You’re not alone in this," I reminded her.

Her lips parted slightly, and after a moment, she whispered, "Thank you, Rodrigo."

"Now get some rest," I said, standing. "Tomorrow is a big day."