Chapter 3

Lily's steps started slow, then quicken. 

As she started to get near the gate, her adrenaline surged through her veins,

 She broke into a full sprint.

She didn’t stop until she was well beyond the perimeter.

The world outside the estate was so much darker,  

The pull of the moon was even stronger now, 

Whatever was lying ahead in the forest, would certainly be interesting enough to behold.

Certainly enough to keep her entertained and cure her distraction for maybe some minutes or at most an hour.

Lily knew she was about to uncover what had been hidden from her and the thought both terrified and thrilled her.

 Her heart hammered in her ears, a mix of fear and exhilaration driving her faster with every step. 

 Finally, when the pack house was far enough behind her, she bent over, her hands braced on her knees, and tried to steady her breathing.

After a few moments, she stood upright again.

 The full moon hung low in the sky.

“This… this is beautiful,” 

she murmured..

 Her wolf Dora stirred, a familiar warmth unfurling in her chest.

 “Do you feel it, Lily? The power. The freedom.”

Lily smiled faintly, her fingers brushing the bark of a nearby tree as she gazed at the moon.

 It really is something else, she thought. 

So much more vivid than anything back home. No wonder people revere it so much.

She couldn’t help but wonder again about Alistair’s warning. 

Why would he fear this? she thought with a hint of amusement. He is not that old to be paranoid, is he?

She had a wry smile at the thought, but it faded instantly as a low, malevolent groan right behind her suddenly made her jump.

The sound was guttural and unnatural, sending a shiver down her spine.

  

“Who’s there?” she called out,  

Her breath quickened, her mind racing as her wolf stirred uneasily.

“Lily… we’re not alone,” Dora whispered.

The groan came again, closer this time, and she took a hesitant step back, her bare foot pressing into the soft earth.

“Show yourself!” she demanded, though her voice was trembling.

The night held its breath, and for a moment, there was only silence.

 But deep down, Lily knew she had crossed into something forbidden and whatever it was, it wasn’t friendly.

Lily’s heart beat so fast now as she spun around, the sound of the growl still echoing in her ears,

 Her body trembling with fear and adrenaline.

 The night air seemed to grow heavier, the shadows pressing in around her, as she instinctively took a few unsteady steps toward the source of the noise. 

Her eyes were wide, her breath shallow, as she tried to make sense of the threatening growl.

Another, more aggressive growl came again, sending a bolt of panic straight to her gut. 

The growl was much closer now, her feet suddenly feeling like a bed of nails, but she couldn’t stop now. 

She had to keep moving.

As her feet carried her forward, her eyes looked left and right, searching desperately for any sign of what was lurking in the shadows.

 It was then that she saw it, a massive, beastly figure slowly emerging from the darkness. 

“A rogue wolf”

Her breath almost stopped as she froze in place, eyes wide in alarm as she took in the creature’s features. 

The rogue wolf’s fur was matted and dirty, its eyes glowing with an unsettling, predatory gleam. 

The beast was huge easily twice her size.

 The rogue’s eyes never left her own, and Lily could feel the malice radiating off of it.

Lily’s body trembled uncontrollably as the rogue wolf took a step forward, its claws digging into the earth. 

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, and before she could stop herself, a scream ripped from her throat.

But the sound of her voice didn’t seem to faze the creature.

 Instead, it let out yet another a low, growl that sent a wave of terror crashing over her.

“Lily… do not run,” her wolf’s voice was calm, but urgent, its presence inside her growing stronger. 

Before she could even process the words, her body began to shift, 

 Her limbs elongated, fur sprouting across her skin as her senses sharpened, her body taking on a new form entirely. 

.

Within moments, she was standing on four powerful legs, she had transformed into Dora.. 

“I’m ready,” 

Dora whispered, a growl of her own rising from deep within her chest. 

She lowered her head, ready to fight.

The rogue wolf lunged at her with terrifying speed.

 She dodged, as she swiped at the rogue's exposed side.

 The rogue wolf howled in pain but quickly retaliated, its sharp teeth catching Dora’s flank.

Pain flared as the rogue’s teeth sank deep into her side, but she pushed through it, retaliating with another fierce swipe.

“Lily! Stay focused! You can do this!” 

Dora urged, but the world around her was blurring, and her body was losing its fight.

The rogue wolf raised its paw high, ready to strike the final blow.

 But just as its claws were about to come down on her, a deafening roar shattered startled the both of them.

Lily’s head turned, her vision hazy, just as a larger, more powerful wolf burst from the shadows.

 The beast was massive.

 It was a king among wolves, and as it charged toward the rogue, the very ground seemed to tremble beneath its paws.

She watched, her breath shallow and painful, as the two wolves squared off.

The larger wolf lunged with a terrifying speed, its jaws snapping shut around the rogue’s throat.

 The rogue let out a shrill yelp, but it was no match for the larger wolf’s strength. 

With a brutal swipe of its claws, the larger wolf sent the rogue sprawling across the ground, its body leaving a trail of blood.

The rogue scrambled to get up, but the larger wolf was relentless, delivering a crushing blow that sent the rogue skidding backward.

 The rogue’s growls turned into whimpers, its body trembling in fear as it attempted to retreat.

With one last defiant snarl, the rogue wolf turned and bolted, disappearing into the shadows from which it had come.

Lily's eyes widened in disbelief as the wolf's form began to shrink, its powerful limbs retracting.

She stepped back slightly, feeling the earth beneath her feet as the wolf shrank, revealing not just a man, but someone she knew.

It wasn’t just any stranger .it was the man who welcomed her beside her husband in the morning the man whose face she had touched her herself to few hours ago.

It was Callum, her husband’s son.

Callum stood before her, completely naked, his body strong and lean, a hint of the very power she had just witnessed in his wolf form. 

He was taller than she had imagined. and the dark, rippling muscles that now glistened under the moonlight only added to the raw, primal energy radiating from him. 

Her heart skipped a beat.

He was naked. Completely naked. 

The reality of the situation dawned on her, the shock, the awkwardness, and the confusion. 

Her body stiffened as she instinctively turned her head away, her hands quickly rising to cover her face. 

Her fingers brushed against the skin of her arms, her mind still reeling from what she had just witnessed.

“No… no… this can’t be happening,” lily thought in panic.

 “I shouldn’t be looking… I shouldn’t have seen…”

She squeezed her eyes shut, her cheeks flushed with heat, trying to steady her breath. 

Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, as though she could hide the sudden vulnerability she felt, as though covering herself would somehow shield her from the disorientation coursing through her body.

For a moment, she was paralyzed, unsure of what to do, how to react, or what to even think. 

But that was the thing about the truth it always came crashing in when you least expected it. 

Lily had been trying to come to terms with everything, with the strange world her husband was a part of, with the moonlit warnings he had given her. But nothing could’ve prepared her for this moment.

Callum stood there, unmoving, completely aware of her reaction.