The Wolf Within

Leera’s POV

My scream tears through the night as Roman collapses, his massive frame crumpling to the gravel. India’s smirk burns into me, her green eyes gleaming with victory, while Khas stands back, his grey gaze locked on me like I’m a riddle. The pack house looms behind us, its lanterns flickering, casting shadows that dance across the forest’s edge. Something inside me snaps a raw, burning surge that claws at my chest. It’s not just fear. It’s rage. A growl rumbles low in my throat, louder than before, and my vision sharpens, the world too bright, too vivid.

“Leera, move!” Benny shouts, his hand tight on my arm, pulling me toward the pack house. Zoey’s beside him, her face pale, her curls wild as she stumbles after us.

“No!” I wrench free, my sneakers skidding on the gravel. Roman’s down, blood seeping from his arm, his neck. That smell—sharp, like chemicals and rot—makes my nose burn. Wolfsbane, he said. I don’t know what it means, but it’s killing him. “I’m not leaving him!”

“You don’t have a choice,” Benny snaps, his dark eyes flashing. He’s all muscle, his presence steady, but there’s fear there too. “He’d kill me if I let you get hurt.”

India laughs, twirling her blade. “Smart boy, Benny. Hand her over, and maybe Roman lives.”

“Over my dead body,” I spit, surprising myself. The growl in my chest grows, vibrating my ribs. My hands shake, not from fear now, but something else something alive.

“Leera, what’s happening to you?” Zoey whispers, grabbing my sleeve. Her eyes are wide, darting between me and the figures in the dark.

“I don’t know,” I say, my voice rough. My skin feels too tight, my heart pounding too fast. Roman’s words echo: You’re a wolf. It’s insane, but that snarl inside me feels real, like a beast waking up.

Khas steps forward, his slicked-back hair catching the moonlight. “You feel it, don’t you?” His voice is calm, almost gentle. “Your wolf. She’s strong. Like Imogen’s.”

“Stop saying her name!” I snap, my fingers curling into fists. “Who’s Imogen? Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

“She was my sister,” Khas says, his grey eyes softening for a split second. “And you… you smell like her. Like family.”

My breath catches. Family? My parents are dead a car accident, which happened six months ago. They were photographers, not wolves. But that burning in my chest, the growl it’s not normal. I clutch my moonstone ring, Mom’s gift, and a memory flashes: her giving me “vitamins,” her eyes always worried. Were they hiding something?

“Enough talk,” India cuts in, her boots crunching as she steps over Roman’s body. My stomach lurches, but his chest still rises, shallow but there. “Khas, you said she’s the key. Take her, or I will.”

“Touch her, and you’re dead,” Andrei growls, his massive frame blocking the path to the pack house. Slate’s beside him, knife in hand, his lean form tense.

India smirks. “Big words for pups. You can’t stop me.”

“Try us,” Slate says, his voice low, deadly.

I don’t wait for her to move. That thing inside me the wolf, I guess surges, and I lunge, shoving India back. My strength surprises me, sending her stumbling. Her blade clatters to the ground, and she stares, shocked.

“Leera!” Zoey yells, pulling me back. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know!” I gasp, my hands burning, tingling. My nails feel sharp, too long. I look down they’re claws, short but real. My heart races. “Roman said… I’m a wolf.”

India recovers, snarling. “A wolf? You’re a freak. A mistake.” She dives for her blade, but Benny’s faster, kicking it into the shadows.

“Back off, India,” he says, his voice steady. “You’re outnumbered.”

Khas hasn’t moved, his eyes still on me. “You don’t know what you are, do you?” he says, almost sad. “They kept it from you. Your parents.”

“Stop talking about them!” I shout, the growl louder now, shaking my whole body. My vision blurs, then sharpens again, Khan's face too clear in the dark. “You don’t know anything about me!”

“I know enough,” he says, stepping closer. “You’re tied to Imogen. To me. Let me help you.”

“Help?” I laugh, bitter. “You’re with her.” I jerk my head toward India, who’s circling like a predator.

“Not by choice,” Khas says, his voice low. “There’s more at play here, Leera. You’re not just Roman’s mate.”

Roman groans, stirring on the ground. My heart leaps, and I drop to his side, ignoring Khas. “Roman, wake up!” I shake him, my claws retracting as panic overrides whatever’s happening to me. His mismatched eyes flutter open, foggy but alive.

“Leera,” he rasps, his hand finding mine. The mate bond flares, warm and steady, easing the fire in my chest. “Run. Get to Jeanine.”

“I’m not leaving you,” I say, my voice breaking. “Not again.”

India’s laugh cuts through. “How sweet. But you’re both done.” She pulls another blade from her boot, smaller but glinting with that same chemical Ricci smell. “Say goodbye, little wolf.”

Benny steps in front of me, his stance wide. “Last chance, India. Leave.”

She smirks, tossing her hair. “Or what? You’ll growl me to death?”

Andrei cracks his knuckles, ready to lunge, but Slate holds him back. “Not worth it, man. Jeanine’s almost here.”

“Jeanine?” I ask Roman, my voice shaky. His hand is clammy in mine, his breathing uneven.

“Healer,” he murmurs, wincing. “She’ll… fix this.”

Khas hasn’t moved, his gaze still heavy on me. “Leera, you need answers. Come with me. I’ll tell you about Imogen. About your parents.”

“Shut up!” I snap, my head spinning. Parents, wolves, Imogen it’s too much. The growl in my chest stirs again, but Roman’s touch keeps it quiet. I focus on him, his golden skin pale, his jaw tight with pain.

Headlights flash through the trees, a car pulling up. A woman steps out, older, her white hair tied back, her presence calm but commanding. “Jeanine,” Benny says, relief in his voice. “Roman’s hit with wolfsbane. Bad.”

Jeanine kneels beside Roman, her hands steady as she checks his wounds. “He’ll live,” she says, her voice firm. “But we need to move him. Now.”

“Leera, too,” Roman whispers, his grip tightening. “She’s… like us.”

Jeanine’s eyes flick to me, sharp and assessing. “Is she now?” She pulls a vial from her bag, pouring a dark liquid over Roman’s arm. The wolfsbane smell fades, and he breathes easier.

“Leera,” Khas says, stepping closer. “You can’t stay with them. You’re not just a wolf. You’re”

“Enough!” I shout, standing, my body trembling. The growl surges, louder, and my vision shifts, colors too bright. My claws prick my palms again. “I don’t know you, and I don’t trust you!”

India laughs, her blade raised. “Smart girl. But you’re still mine.” She lunges, faster than before, aiming for me.

I don’t think I will move. My body feels wrong, too strong, too fast. I dodge her blade, my hand swiping out. Claws rake her arm, drawing blood. She screams, stumbling back, and I freeze, staring at my hand. Claws. Real claws.

“Leera!” Zoey grabs me, pulling me toward the pack house. Jeanine and Benny lift Roman, hurrying him inside. Andrei and Slate cover us, their eyes on India and Khas.

Khas doesn’t follow. He just watches, his voice low. “You can’t run from this, Leera. Your wolf’s awake. And so is the truth.”

Inside, the pack house smells of wood and leather, its walls solid, safe. Jeanine lays Roman on a couch, working fast, her hands glowing faintly as she murmurs words I don’t understand. Roman’s eyes find mine, weak but steady. “Stay,” he whispers.

I nod, my heart pounding. But as Jeanine works, a sharp pain stabs my chest, like fire under my ribs. I gasp, doubling over, the growl erupting, wild and unstoppable. My vision blurs, and I feel it my wolf, clawing free. Zoey screams, Benny curses, and Roman reaches for me, his voice faint.

“Leera… hold on…”

But I can’t. The pain’s too much, my body not my own. Something’s breaking loose, and I’m not sure I can stop it or if I want to. Outside, a howl splits the night, close and menacing. India’s still out there. And she’s not alone.