3.

DAISY

After having my cake yesterday, I had returned back to my room and I barely slept.

Now that morning is here, my mind is spinning with a thousand questions regarding what happened and about what could still happen today.

What if I failed? What if Louise actually succeeded in stealing my wolf despite my intervention? What if the cake switch wasn't enough? What if her witchcraft was stronger than I anticipated? What if I'm still destined to be that broken, wolfless girl who disappointed everyone? What if—?

My chest tightens with anxiety that threatens to crush me, but a strange stirring in my guts suddenly pulls me out of my spiraling thoughts.

I clutch my belly, gasping. The sensation is foreign yet oddly familiar, like remembering something I've never experienced before.

What's happening? I'm feeling… weird.

‘Daisy Caldwell. I am Rayla, your wolf. There's no need to squeeze me in.’

I jolt upright in my bed. ‘What?’

‘I’m glad you're finally talking back to me. You're eighteen now. It's nice meeting you Daisy.’

Tears flood my eyes instantly.

My wolf. I have my wolf! She's real. And she lives inside me. Louise’s plan didn't work.

I have a wolf!

The happiness I'm feeling right now is so intense it's almost painful. All those years of being called worthless, wolfless, broken, defective, a disappointment, even insulted that I was cursed by the Moon Goddess herself. But it was all a lie.

I was never broken. I was sabotaged. And now, finally, I have what was stolen from me.

‘Rayla?’ I call her name so I can be sure that she's truly real if she answers back.

‘Yes?’ she responds.

Joy explodes inside me. I scramble out of bed and stumble to the mirror, instantly staring at the bright golden sparks shining in my irises. My reflection stares back.

I feel different. Stronger. My senses are even sharper too. I can hear the birds beginning their morning songs outside. I can smell the dew settling on grass three floors below. This is beyond any feeling words can describe.

‘Shift,’ Rayla urges, her bubbly excitement bleeding into my consciousness.

‘What?’

‘It's our eighteenth birthday Daisy, so shift and let us run away for a little while,’ she says naughtily, making me smile despite my nervousness.

I chuckle. ‘Are you serious right now? I've never shifted before. What if I mess it up?’

‘You won't. I'll guide you. Come on,' she nags, practically bouncing inside my mind. ‘Don't you want to feel what it's like? Don't you want to experience what Louise tried to steal from us?’

She's right. God, she's so right. I've waited my entire life for this moment.

I roll my eyes. ‘Alright, but we can not be found by anyone. I have a big plan, and if Louise discovers I have my wolf, she'll know something went wrong.’

‘'I know. I couldn't speak, but I saw what you did. Your stepsister is trying to do something horrible to us. But don't worry, we'll make her pay.’

Pride swells in my chest. That's my girl. In my previous life, even though I didn't know it, Rayla must have been there, trapped and tortured alongside me.

But we're free now.

I close my eyes and reach deep inside myself, allowing Rayla to take over. The moment I sink into our connection, my bones crack. My muscles stretch. Black fur ripples across my skin. My hands become paws. My spine elongates.

And in mere minutes, I’m no longer standing on two legs but four.

A black wolf stares back at me from the mirror, her eyes glowing bright gold. My fur is thick and lustrous, darker than a moonless night. I look so sleek, so powerful, and so beautiful.

I have never shifted before, but this… this is stunning.

‘Rayla,’ I laugh and wag my tail.

She laughs back. ‘Happy birthday Daisy. Now let's get out of here.’

~ ~ ~

For the first time, I feel completely whole.

The house is quiet, and everyone is still asleep. I approach my open window and gauge the distance to the ground. In my human form, this jump would be impossible. But as a wolf?

I leap.

The wind brushes past my fur as I sail through the air, landing on the grass below with barely a sound. My paws dig into the earth, and the sensation is glorious because I can feel every pebble, every blade of grass, and every vibration of life in the soil. Rayla instantly masks our scent, and with the urge to run now thrumming through me, I surrender to it completely.

I run.

The woods behind the house welcome me wholeheartedly. Morning dew has sprinkled across the trees and leaves, also making the air a bit hazy and the sight is so cool. The trees blur past as I sprint faster and farther away from the packhouse than I’ve ever been.

This feels so damn good!

I want to howl, to announce my presence to the world, to let everyone know that Daisy Caldwell has her wolf and she will never be broken again.

But I think fast against it because Rayla and I wouldn't want to be caught so soon—

A sharp crack ahead of me pulls my attention, and I also instantly sense another presence here in the woods.

My instincts take over and I skid to a stop, my ears pricked as I quickly hide behind a tree and peer through the leaves and broken branches in front of me.

From the gaps in the blades of glass before me, I see a white wolf stepping into a shaft of early morning light.

My breath catches.

The wolf is very huge, almost twice my size, and its fur is so white like pure snow under the dawn light.

But it's not just the size of the wolf or fur that has me still staring.

It's the way the wolf moves with graceful strides and a proud, elegant posture despite the bulk size.

This is no ordinary wolf. Every instinct I have screams that truth at me.

Also, I can't smell any scent from the wolf. Maybe the wolf's scent is completely masked, just like mine.

'Daisy,' Rayla whispers nervously. 'Is this the time for us to run back home or—’

“It’s rude to stare,” the wolf's voice suddenly catches me off guard, the baritone sinking into my bones.

It's a male.

“You can come out now.” he continues in the same baritone voice, waiting for me to creep out.

Oh no. I came out here for a quiet run. But I guess that's no longer the case now. My mind races through options. I could run, but something tells me this wolf could catch us easily if he wanted to. I could shift back to human form, but I'm naked under all this fur and that’s the worst option right now. And besides, there's something about this wolf that isn't threatening.

If anything, I bet he wants to see me too.

Quietly, I emerge from my hiding spot with as much dignity as I can muster and face him squarely.

We lock eyes.

His gaze is instantly piercing—bright green like spring leaves—and heavily guarded, also curious as he stares at me. He's studying me as intently as I'm studying him, trying to figure out who I am and what I'm doing here.

Right then, my chest twists as something stirs inside me.

It's a sudden pull I don’t understand, but whoever this wolf is, I can sense that he's a powerful fellow. I can sense the Alpha energy radiating from him, but there's something more about him that makes Rayla whimper inside me.

'Rayla?' I question her silently, confused by her reaction.

'I don't know, Daisy. There's something about him.’

The white wolf begins circling me slowly, probably a predatory move or a display of dominance, but I circle right back. My father taught me to never turn my back on strangers, and I refuse to be intimidated. Being out here in the woods alone with this wolf has me on high alert. I keep my eyes locked on his green eyes, matching his pace step for step.

He could be dangerous. He—

Suddenly, he stops circling me. I stop too, ready for anything. But then, his tail flicks in the air and playfully slaps against mine, his lips curling into a smile that completely transforms his intimidating presence into something playful, almost boyish.

“Oh, so you want to play?” I smile back.

He dips his head slightly.

It's all the answer I need. And also a silent challenge.

“Alright then, let's play,” I laugh and shove past him as I dart forward, my paws pounding on the ground as I break into a run. He chases me from behind, and soon, he's catching up on me with effortless grace that should terrify me, but instead, it fills me with more energy.

I like it.

My heart is hammering inside my chest with the wind rushing through my fur as I keep running between the trees. Every muscle in my body is alive and burning with energy I never knew I had.

This is what Louise stole from me. This freedom. This power. This joy.

Just then, I snap my head to the side and see the wolf now running beside me and no longer behind me. His movements are smoother than mine and more practiced, as if he was born running through these woods. Every time I think I’ve gained distance, he appears again, slipping past the trees with a speed that makes me wonder if he's an ordinary wolf or a Lycan.

‘He sure runs like one,’ Rayla laughs inside my head. ‘He’s fast and strong. Don’t let him catch you too quickly.’

‘Like hell I will!’ I scoff and keep pushing harder, my paws digging into the soil with my lungs expanding as I leap over a fallen branch and land smoothly on the other side.

If he's running like a Lycan, then is it possible that he's truly a Lycan?

A pang of memory strikes my chest, momentarily stealing my breath.

Liam Kingston. The Lycan Prince.

In my old life, he had held me as I died, and his voice had been the last thing I heard before I passed away. The memory of his blood on my lips has my heart squeezing inside my chest.

He gave me this second chance. He begged me to live again.

I shake my head quickly, forcing myself back to the present. I can’t think like that. He can’t be here right now. He should be in his Royal packhouse miles away. This is just a coincidence. A powerful wolf who happens to run like a Lycan.

Whoever this wolf is, his scent is concealed just like mine. We're just running together and enjoying each other's company. Nothing more.

My claws scrape against the bark of a tree when I suddenly leap onto the trunk before I launch off at a different angle. I land perfectly on another trail leading further into the dewy woods. The rush of power that instantly sweeps through my veins makes me smirk at the wolf.

“Sneaky,” he growls, not threateningly. He's enjoying this as much as I am.

I whip around suddenly, skidding across the dirt and charging in the opposite direction. The white wolf halts before sprinting after me again. His paws are pounding heavily and faster, and his speed is both terrifying and beautiful.

Lycans are different: larger, stronger, and faster than ordinary wolves. They’re also rare and very powerful, born with abilities that regular wolves can only dream of.

If this wolf is truly a Lycan and he's here playing chase with me, then I'm honored. More than that, I'm thrilled. At least my first day of being eighteen is going great.

Now, my muscles are getting a bit weaker. This is my first shift and my first real run, and though I know I have Alpha blood flowing through my veins, I'm still new to this.

However, I'm not one to give up easily. I push through the exhaustion burning in my legs, but every time I think the white wolf will finally stop running, he just slows down and lets me take the lead, falling back to chase me from behind rather than ending this game.

‘He's holding back,’ Rayla says curiously. ‘I feel he can outrun us if he wants to, but instead he’s letting us lead.’

‘Why?’

‘I think it’s because he likes the chase,’ Rayla answers with a smile in her voice. ‘Or maybe… maybe what if he likes you Daisy?’

‘That's not possible, Rayla.’ My stomach flips as a confusing mixture of emotions rush through me.

‘But he could want to,’ that naughty tone is back in her voice again. ‘The way he's playing with us, the way he's holding back to keep the chase going…’

‘Stop your assumptions. He doesn't even know me. He's just playing with us. That's all.’

‘Hmm…’ she drawls. ‘Alright. If you say so.’

Just then, my legs finally give in to the tiredness in me. I slow down gradually and stop in a small clearing.

Behind me, the wolf stops too, breathing hard but not nearly as breathless as I am. He prowls forward with that same elegant grace and stands beside me, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from his larger body.

Somehow, I want the chase to last forever, even though I know it can't. There's something beautiful about this moment. Something perfect and fleeting that I want to capture and keep locked in my heart.

My chest heaves as I lower myself onto the damp grass to catch my breath. I sink into the grass, instantly grateful for the cool moisture seeping into my overheated fur.

Across from me, he mirrors my movement, lying down gracefully with his bright green eyes fixed on me with an intensity that makes my pulse race for entirely different reasons that make no sense to me.

It's been so long since anyone looked at me that way.

‘Talk to him,’ Rayla urges softly.

‘What? No.’

“Come on Daisy. Don't be such a snub.’

“I'm not a—”

‘Then talk to him. What's the worst that could happen?'

‘Fine.’

Gosh. Rayla is so fucking persistent.

I adjust myself on the grass, still trapped in his mesmerizing green eyes. He is devastatingly attractive. “Who are you?” I finally ask.

He blinks once, smiling in that same way that makes him look less intimidating. “Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters,” I bristle slightly, feeling more curious than offended by his evasiveness. "I want to know who I've been running with and—”

“Well,” he cuts me off smoothly and stands up, shaking out his snowy fur. The droplets fly in all directions, catching the early morning light like diamonds. “All you need to know is that we’ll meet again.”

He sounds so sure about that. So confident as if our paths crossing again is inevitable and written in the stars, destined by forces greater than either of us.

Or maybe he's simply just a proud, spoiled brat.

“So that's it? No name or—”

“Goodbye,” he says softly and swiftly turns and breaks into a run, his white tail swaying like a banner in the wind.

What the hell?

Within seconds, he has disappeared into the forest, swallowed by the trees and morning mist as if he was never here with me at all.

I want to chase after him, but my logical reasoning knows this is where I should let him go and also return to the packhouse before my absence is noticed.

‘You like him.’ Rayla’s voice teases me, and that's when I even realize I've been sitting here all this while and smiling like a fool.

‘That’s not true. I don’t even know him,’ I argue weakly.

‘And yet you were smiling and you didn't want him to leave—’

‘Come on,’ I whine and roll my eyes, embarrassed by how easily Rayla can recognize my emotions. She is right though. I was smiling like a fool, and I'm still smiling as I turn and run back towards the packhouse, my paws lighter than air and carrying with me the secret of a run I’ll never forget.

This feeling, this happiness, it’s intense and overwhelming, and I don’t understand it yet. I feel like every nerve in my body is alive and electrified. Like I've been asleep my entire life and only now, in this moment, have I truly woken up.

And I don't want the feeling to end.

However, it has to end. Reality is waiting for me back at the packhouse, and I can't afford distractions.