THE AWAKENING

I felt it first — the sharp, splintering pain that tore through my bones.

It was crackling, breaking, reforming. It didn’t stop. It just kept going, wave after of pain, until I couldn’t even scream anymore.

My body folded, and I rolled on the cold floor, howling.

It was as if my insides were twisting and fighting to rearrange themselves. My spine arched backward, my vision blurred. My fingers bent in ways fingers shouldn’t. My bones snapped, healed, and broke again — all in the same breath.

And then I heard it.

The sound of fabric ripping. My clothes — tearing apart as something else pushed through. Something… alive.

I gasped when the agony began to fade, replaced by an odd lightness. My breathing steadied, my heart thundered with wild rhythm, and when I finally opened my eyes—

I didn’t see hands.

I saw paws.

White paws.

Paws…

Wait—

Does that mean…?

A trembling laugh broke out of me.

“I—I finally awakened my wolf.”

I howled — loud and proud. The sound echoed off the walls, raw and wild. Joy buzzed through me like electricity. My tail swayed, my fur bristled under the moonlight that leaked through the window.

I turned, chasing my own tail just to see the rest of me. My coat shimmered like snow under silver light, pure white and radiant. My ears twitched, catching sounds from miles away — footsteps, voices, the ticking of the old inn clock downstairs.

And then I heard them — the voices.

“Damn it, those werewolves wouldn’t listen, will they?” the innkeeper muttered.

Another man laughed. “Oh come on, let them have their fun while they’re still young.”

Their words were faint, yet crystal clear to me. I could hear the squeak of a rat in the kitchen, the flap of a bird outside, even the rustle of a spider’s legs crawling on the opposite wall.

My senses were alive — sharper, brighter, stronger.

I could feel the blood rushing through my veins like wildfire.

If Raphael were here, I’d have laughed in his arrogant face and said,

“Who’s the wolfless loser now?”

The thought made me grin internally, but the joy was quickly replaced by resolve. Even if he came crawling back, I wouldn’t accept him. I wouldn’t take back the boy who broke me, who made me feel less than what I was meant to be.

I could finally walk among others without shame.

Then I heard a soft voice.

“Hey.”

My ears perked up. “Hello? Who’s there?”

“I am Kate,” the voice said.

“Your wolf.”

My heart leapt.

Oh, right. Every werewolf could talk to their wolf — form a connection, a bond stronger than anything else.

“Kate,” I whispered, both in my mind and heart. “It’s… nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” she replied warmly. “But tell me, why did it take so long for you to reach me?”

I blinked in confusion. “I don’t understand. I just awakened now, right? You mean I could’ve heard you before?”

A pause. Then her tone softened. “No, Ella. You awakened your wolf the day you were born. But I was sealed.”

“Sealed?” My voice trembled. “By who? Why?”

“Ella, I’ll explain everything when I’ve fully recovered,” she murmured.

“Wait, Kate—” I tried to call her again, but she was gone. The silence in my head stretched like a ghostly echo.

My chest tightened. What did she mean by sealed?

I paced back and forth, unable to stop thinking. My heart raced as if it was trying to chase her through the silence. I wanted answers, but I could feel her energy fading, slipping back into rest.

“I’ll get answers later,” I whispered to myself.

The restless energy inside me begged for release. My body wanted to move — to run. So I decided to go for it.

Shifting back, though, wasn’t as easy as I thought. I tried once, twice — nothing. My body just trembled and stayed wolf.

Then I remembered.

When Anna awakened her wolf, Dad had been with her in the backyard. I’d been peeking through the window, jealous but curious.

“Close your eyes and relax,” Dad had told her. “Imagine your human form. Feel it.”

She had done exactly that, and I’d watched as her wolf shimmered and shifted back to human, all calm and radiant. She’d hugged him proudly — and then stuck out her tongue at me.

Typical Anna.

I sighed and decided to try it.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply.

“Relax, Ella,” I whispered. “Everything’s alright.”

I focused on my heartbeat, my breathing, the image of myself — brown hair, small nose, scar on my left knee. The me I knew.

My body began to tremble again, but this time, it wasn’t painful. It was like my bones were being gently guided back into place. My fur retracted, the crackling softened, and the weight of my paws disappeared.

When I opened my eyes — my hands were back. Human. Small. Trembling.

“I did it,” I gasped.

I jumped, giddy with victory — then froze.

“Oh no.”

I was completely naked.

Groaning, I scrambled for my bag and yanked out a shirt and sweatpants. My shoes were damaged beyond saving, the soles torn from the shift. Great.

Barefoot it was.

“It’s dark,” I muttered. “No one will notice.”

I stepped out of the room, locking it behind me. The floor was cold as ice, biting at my feet like tiny shards of glass. Goosebumps raced up my arms. The hallway smelled like alcohol and cheap perfume.

Halfway through, I changed my mind.

I couldn’t walk all the way barefoot — my pride wasn’t that strong.

So I went downstairs to the counter where the innkeeper was hunched over a ledger. His pen scratched lazily across the paper until he looked up and found me standing there awkwardly.

We stared at each other for what felt like thirty seconds straight before he sighed.

“What do you want, kid?”

Thank the Moon Goddess — he broke the silence first.

“Uh, sorry, sir. I know this is weird, but do you have any spare slippers or sandals?”

He just blinked at me. Then raised an eyebrow. Then… shook his head.

“Please,” I said quickly, clasping my hands like a pleading puppy. “I’ll return them. My shoes are destroyed. I just need something to wear out. Please.”

I even added a pout — lips trembling, eyes watery, the full effect.

He stared. Then sighed again and patted my head.

“Alright, alright. You win.”

I blinked. “Wait… really?”

He chuckled. “You remind me of my daughter. Hold on.”

He disappeared for a moment and came back holding a pair of new sandals.

“I got these last week. You can have them.”

“Have them? For free?”

He smirked. “If you don’t like free things, you can add a dollar to your room f*e.”

I grinned. “Deal.”

As I slid the sandals on, warmth bloomed in my chest. “Thank you, sir.”

He waved me off. “Go, kid. Just don’t bring trouble back with you.”

If only he knew trouble was exactly what followed me everywhere.

Outside, the night air kissed my skin — cold but refreshing. The moon hung high above, full and luminous. The forest nearby shimmered in silver light, calling me.

So I ran toward it.

The deeper I went, the quieter everything became. The trees were tall and ancient, their branches whispering secrets to the wind. The lake in the center reflected the moon like a silver coin.

It was beautiful. Peaceful. Magical.

I went behind a tree, stripped again, and set my clothes neatly on a rock. I didn’t want to ruin them or end up running back naked again.

Then I shifted.

It was easier this time. Quicker. The pain came like a ripple, not a storm. My white fur glowed in the moonlight. I approached the lake, my reflection rippling softly — and froze.

My wolf’s eyes weren’t the same.

One was blue. The other was gold.

I gasped. “What in the world…”

Before I could process it, I heard a branch snap.

I turned sharply — and my breath caught.

A massive wolf stood in the shadows. Black fur. Eyes glowing like molten amber. His body was enormous — at least five times my size. Power radiated from him, the kind that made the air thicken.

He didn’t move. He just watched me.

Our eyes met, and something ancient and magnetic sparked between us. My chest tightened. My paws trembled. I didn’t know whether to bow or run.

Then instinct screamed — Run.

I darted toward my clothes, grabbed them with my teeth, and fled. The forest blurred past me. My heartbeat roared in my ears.

I didn’t stop until I reached the edge of the inn. When I was sure I wasn’t being followed, I shifted back, dressed quickly, and pressed a hand over my racing heart.

“What was that?” I whispered.

The memory of his stare haunted me. He hadn’t chased me, but his eyes… they’d followed me. Curious. Possessive. Confused.

It felt like he knew me.

Or maybe — worse — like he’d been waiting.

I pressed my hand harder against my chest.

My heartbeat refused to calm. My body felt wired, alive, and terrified all at once.

“Who was he?” I whispered to the wind. “And why did I feel… drawn to him?”

The thought lingered, even as I crawled into bed later, still damp from sweat and moonlight.

That night, sleep refused to come.

My wolf stayed silent.

And the memory of those golden eyes followed me —

burning, patient, and unyielding.