Chapter 19: The Forbidden Change

The hallway of Beacon Hills High had fallen silent.

The loud crashes that had shaken the building minutes ago were gone. Broken lockers hung open like broken jaws. Glass covered the floor in sharp, glittering pieces. Chunks of concrete and splintered desks lay scattered everywhere. Deep claw marks ran across the walls, some reaching almost to the ceiling. The place looked less like a school and more like the aftermath of a war.

Jax laid down in the middle of this destruction.

His body didn’t move. Blood had soaked through his torn clothes. Fresh claw marks covered his chest, shoulders, and arms. It was deep and making it hard for him to heal. His breathing was weak and uneven, each breath a quiet struggle.

A few minutes later, the sound of a Jeep echoed through the empty parking lot. The vehicle came to a sudden stop. Mike jumped out first. Ryan followed right behind him. Both of them stared at the damaged entrance in complete shock.

“What… happened here?” Mike whispered, eyes wide.

Ryan didn’t answer. He was already running inside.

Their footsteps echoed through the ruined hallway as they searched every classroom they passed.

“Jax!” Ryan shouted, voice cracking with worry.

No reply.

“Jax!” Mike called out, his voice bouncing off the broken walls.

Still nothing. Then Ryan suddenly froze. “There!”

Mike looked ahead. Jax lay on the floor surrounded by broken glass and chunks of concrete. Ryan’s heart nearly stopped. He rushed over and dropped to his knees beside his brother. “Jax!”

There was no response.

Ryan gently turned him onto his back. Blood stained his hands immediately. His eyes widened. “So much blood…”

Mike hurried over, face pale. “Oh my God…”

The claw wounds looked horrible. Some were deep enough to expose raw flesh. His breathing sounded painful. Every breath seemed like a struggle.

Ryan placed two fingers against Jax’s neck. A weak pulse. “He’s alive.”

Mike let out a relieved breath. “Thank goodness.”

Ryan wasted no time. He carefully slid one arm under Jax’s shoulders and another beneath his legs before lifting him into his arms. “We’re taking him back to the pack.”

He had only taken two steps before Mike spoke.

“Wait.”

Ryan stopped. “What?”

“I know someone.”

Ryan looked back. “What do you mean?”

“Someone who can help him.”

Ryan frowned. “We have a method that can trigger his healing capabilities and they are the best.”

Mike shook his head. “No. The pack isn’t safe.”

Those words made Ryan pause. Mike stepped closer. “If they see him like this… if they find out what happened…”

Ryan slowly lowered his eyes toward Jax. Mike was right. The pack already feared Alpha-made wolves. If they discovered Jax had become something completely different… they wouldn’t try to save him. They would probably kill him before he fully changed.

Ryan clenched his jaw. His grip around Jax tightened. “Lead the way.”

Mike hurried toward the parking lot. “Let's get him to my Jeep outside.”

Ryan followed with Jax still in his arms. Within moments, the engine roared to life. Mike drove as fast as he could through the quiet streets of Beacon Hills. Neither of them spoke. Ryan kept looking down at Jax. His breathing was becoming slower. Every passing minute felt dangerous.

“Stay with me,” Ryan whispered. “You’ve survived worse than this.”

Jax didn’t move.

The Jeep turned onto another road before finally stopping in front of a small building. A faded sign hung above the entrance: Beacon Animal Care Clinic.

Ryan looked confused. “An animal clinic?”

Mike opened his door. “Come on. There isn’t time to explain.”

Ryan climbed out quickly. He carried Jax inside. A small bell rang above the door. The waiting room was empty except for an elderly man cleaning a pair of glasses behind the reception desk. He looked up. His eyes immediately landed on Jax. His calm expression disappeared.

“Bring him here.”

Ryan didn’t ask questions. The old man led them through another door into an examination room.

“Lay him on the table.”

Ryan gently placed Jax down. The doctor rolled up his sleeves. His movements were calm but quick. He cut away what remained of Jax’s torn shirt. Mike looked away for a second. The injuries were even worse than he had imagined.

The doctor carefully examined each claw mark. His fingers stopped over one wound near Jax’s shoulder. “Hm…” He leaned closer. Then he checked Jax’s pulse. Next, he listened to his breathing. Finally, he gently lifted one eyelid.

The moment he saw Jax’s eye color… his face changed.

Ryan noticed immediately. “What is it?”

The doctor remained silent. He checked the other eye. Then he stepped back. “I’ve heard stories…” He spoke almost to himself. “But I never believed they were real.”

Ryan took a step forward. “Tell us what's happening to him, is he going to die?”

The doctor folded his arms. “Who attacked him?”

Ryan answered honestly. “An Alpha werewolf.”

The doctor nodded slowly. “I thought so.”

Mike frowned. “Can you save him?”

The old man looked at both of them before speaking. “He’s changing.”

Ryan’s heartbeat quickened. “Changing into what?”

“An Omega but–” The doctor suddenly became silent.

Mike looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

The doctor walked toward a shelf and picked up an old notebook. He opened it carefully. “An Omega is a werewolf created by the bite of an Alpha.” He pointed to an old drawing. “Their eyes are supposed to turn gold.”

Ryan looked at Jax. “But…”

The doctor nodded. “Yes. But your friend is different.” He closed the notebook. “This young man was already born a wolf.”

Ryan’s expression became serious. “He belongs to our pack.”

“I can tell.” The doctor continued. “He already carried wolf blood.” He looked back at Jax. “Yet he was bitten by an Alpha while in his human form.”

Mike swallowed hard. “So what does that mean?”

The doctor sighed. “It means nature is trying to create something it was never meant to. Something forbidden.”

Ryan felt his chest tighten. The room suddenly became colder.

The doctor gently opened Jax’s eyelid once more. “Look.”

Ryan stepped closer. Mike did the same. Jax’s eyes were partly open. The color wasn’t gold. It wasn’t red either. It was blue. A deep, glowing blue.

The doctor slowly released his eyelid. “Those are Beta eyes.”

Mike blinked. “But you just said…”

“I know what I said.” The doctor’s voice became heavier. “An Omega should never have blue eyes.”

Ryan looked confused. “How is that possible?”

“I don’t know.” The doctor shook his head. “In all my years… I have never seen anything like this.” He walked toward the window. “The Alpha’s bite should have erased what he was.” He turned back. “Instead… it merged with him.”

Mike stared at Jax. “So he’s both?”

The doctor didn’t answer immediately. Finally, he nodded. “That is what it appears to be.”

Ryan looked at his unconscious brother. “So he’ll survive?”

The old man closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again… there was sadness in them. “I wish that were the question you should be asking.”

Ryan frowned. “What do you mean?”

The doctor took a deep breath. “What's happening to him is forbidden.”

Neither Ryan nor Mike spoke.

“If word spreads…” The doctor looked directly at Ryan. “Every pack will hunt him.”

Mike slowly stepped back. “Why?”

“Because creatures like him change the balance.” The doctor pointed toward Jax. “An Alpha creates Omegas. A wolf becomes stronger through rank. But this… has no place in our world.”

Ryan felt his stomach sink.

The doctor continued. “If he loses control… he won’t just kill. He could start a chain that no Alpha will be able to stop.”

The room became painfully quiet. Ryan’s hands slowly formed fists. “There has to be another way.”

The doctor didn’t answer. “There has to be.”

The old man looked at him with pity. “There is only one way to guarantee innocent lives are protected.”

Ryan’s breathing slowed. His heart already knew the answer. But he didn’t want to hear it.

The doctor finally spoke. “You must kill him.”

Mike’s eyes widened. “What? No!”

Ryan stood frozen. The words echoed inside his head. You must kill him.

His legs suddenly felt weak. He took one step backward. Then another. His knees gave out beneath him. He collapsed onto the floor. His eyes never left Jax.

Only a few days ago… he had believed his little brother was dead. Then fate returned him. Now… someone was asking him to end his brother's life with his own hands.

His chest tightened until it hurt to breathe. He lowered his head. His hands trembled uncontrollably. “I just found him…” His voice cracked. “I just got my brother back.”

Tears blurred his vision. “How am I supposed to lose him again?”

The room fell silent. Mike looked from Ryan to Jax, unable to say a single word.

The doctor’s face remained heavy. No one moved. No one spoke. Only the slow, fragile sound of Jax’s breathing filled the room.

And with every breath he took… Ryan’s impossible choice grew heavier.