The Awakening

Chapter 2

The next day….

Werewolf? Seriously?!

I blinked at my reflection in the mirror, still hearing that stranger’s voice from the diner echoing in my head.

“Beware the full moon… You’re not what you think you are.”

Yeah, okay. That was either the world’s worst pickup line or I was starring in some low-budget supernatural prank show.

“This is ridiculous,” I muttered, tugging my hair into a messy bun. “I’m not some… Twilight reject. I’m a waitress. A tired, underpaid, emotionally repressed waitress.”

Still, my heart wouldn’t stop pounding. Every sound felt louder. Every breath, sharper. It was like something inside me was pacing, ready to pounce.

I shook it off. “Suck it up, Aurora. Diner life waits for no werewolf hallucinations.”

I grabbed my worn-out jacket, slung my bag over my shoulder, and glanced at the clock. Already running late for my night shift. With a sigh and a quick goodbye to Grandma, I stepped out into the cool evening air. The full moon cast a pale glow over the quiet street as I hurried off, trying—and failing—to shake the lingering weirdness from that diner encounter.

The second I stepped into the diner, I knew it was gonna be one of those days.

Mr. Larry stood behind the counter with that greasy grin of his—one that screamed lawsuit waiting to happen.

“Well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence,” he sneered, way too loudly.

I exhaled slowly. “Good evening to you too, Mr. Larry.”

But nope. He wasn’t done. He was in a full-blown Larry Mood.

“You’ve been slacking off lately. I know why. Your boyfriend’s been hanging around my restaurant, eyeing you like a slab of steak. Distracting you.”

I blinked. “My what?”

“Boyfriend,” he snapped. “Tall guy. Creepy. Always outside. Watching. Like a stalker. You think I don’t notice?”

Oh. That guy.

Yeah, I’d seen him too—lurking by the lamppost across the street like some gothic vampire who missed his Uber. He never came inside. Never said a word. Just… stared. I figured he was either painfully shy or legally blind.

“Sir, I don’t know who that man is,” I said, equal parts confused and annoyed.

“He spoke to you yesterday,” Larry growled. “I saw it right outside. You were whispering. That’s when I knew something was off about you.”

My jaw dropped.

“He just warned me not to eat the chili special I packed for later,” I said.

(Okay, not really, but my dignity was hanging by a thread here.)

Larry leaned in closer, voice rising for the entire diner to hear. “You’re a changed person, Aurora. You even tried to seduce me for money.”

Heat rushed to my face—equal parts rage and pure humiliation. “That’s not true! You’re twisting everything!”

But he just sneered and cut me off.

“My office. Now.”

Inside his crusty little excuse for an office, I stood with my arms crossed and my jaw clenched. “You know exactly what happened, Mr. Larry. You tried to take advantage of me.”

“I think you take hard drugs now. You were a bit too aggressive when you pushed me. What did you take? Who's your supplier?” he said.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered. “You are so pathetic,” I said.

His smile made my skin crawl. “You’re fired, Aurora. I wonder how you’ll survive without this job.”

My anger exploded. “You’re a disgusting, pathetic excuse for a human being! You’ll never get away with this! I’d rather die than beg you for my job back!”

I spat on his grimy floor, grabbed his favorite frame off his cluttered desk, and smashed it without hesitation.

“You’ll regret messing with me.”

Then I turned and walked out like a legend. If I had sunglasses, I would’ve put them on in slow motion.

“I can’t believe him! He will pay for this! Why would someone be so disgusting and shameless?” I muttered to myself as I stomped down the sidewalk, practically vibrating with fury.

But it wasn’t just anger anymore. Something… weird was happening.

My body heat spiked. My skin prickled. It felt like I had static under my bones, like my muscles were charging up with some kind of alien electricity.

“What’s happening to me? Why am I feeling this way?” My voice trembled. My legs were already moving, sprinting toward home like instinct had taken over.

The full moon glared down like a spotlight, and I swore I could feel it pulling at me.

I burst through the door. “Grandma! Something’s wrong! I don’t understand!”

She rushed to me, worry written all over her face.

“Calm down, Aurora. Please, don’t panic. I’m here.”

But I couldn’t calm down. My joints screamed. My muscles twisted and pulled in ways no body should. I dropped to my knees, gasping.

“It hurts!” I cried out, gripping the floor.

“Calm down, dear,” Grandma whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

But it was too late. I felt my bones shifting. My entire body was changing—reshaping. I watched in horror as fur crept along my arms. My nails split and grew into claws. My vision sharpened, and everything turned gold. Bright, glowing, terrifying gold.

I lost control.

I shoved her.

Hard.

She slammed into the wall and crumpled to the floor.

Everything in me froze.

“Grandma?”

She didn’t move.

My claws retracted. My breathing slowed. Slowly—so slowly—I felt my body turn back. My skin, my shape, my limbs. I was human again.

But I wasn’t okay.

I dropped beside her, shaking. “What have I done?” I whispered, hands trembling as I tried to wake her.

I called for help, my voice hoarse with panic. The paramedics arrived quickly, asking questions I couldn’t answer. I just kept repeating: “Please help her. Please.”

They took her to the hospital. I followed like a ghost.

Even when they asked her what had happened, she couldn’t speak. She looked… terrified. Not in pain. Just afraid.

That hurt more than anything.

I sat in the waiting room, chewing the inside of my cheek until a doctor finally came over.

“Your grandma is fine,” he said. “No broken bones, no major injuries. She fainted from the impact. Can you tell me how this happened?”

“I… I don’t know,” I whispered. “Please… can I see her?”

The doctor nodded. “We’ll talk more later. You can go in now. She’s stable, but she’ll need rest and monitoring.”

I walked into the room, heart pounding.

“Grandma? Are you okay?” I asked, my voice cracking.

She gave me a weak smile. “Yes, I am.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. “I’m so sorry for what happened. I had no idea…”

“I know,” she said quietly. “I understand what’s happening. Perhaps this is the consequence of keeping a secret for too long.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

She looked like she was debating something. Like she wanted to tell me but wasn’t sure how.

“I don’t think this is the right place to discuss it,” she said finally.

“No, Grandma! I need to know. There’s no one else in this room except us. Please, just tell me what’s happening.”

She studied me. Then, with a deep breath, she said:

“It all started when your dad invited your mum over to my place.”

My stomach dropped.

I didn’t even know what that meant yet, but something told me my whole life was about to be rewritten.