All Chapters of BEYOND THE MOON: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

I woke to the taste of copper in my mouth and the unsettling sensation that my own body had become foreign to me overnight.Sitting up in bed, I ran my tongue across my teeth and froze. My canines felt different – sharper, more pronounced. When I pressed my fingertips against them, they were definitely longer than they had been yesterday."That's new," I whispered to my empty room, my voice sounding strange in the pre-dawn darkness.I stumbled to the bathroom and flicked on the light, squinting as my eyes adjusted. But instead of the usual gradual accommodation to brightness, my vision seemed to sharpen instantly, as if someone had fine-tuned the contrast on everything around me.In the mirror, I looked... different. Not dramatically so, but enough that I noticed immediately. My eyes seemed brighter, the green more vivid than usual. My skin had a subtle luminous quality, like moonlight was filtering through from beneath. And when I smiled tentatively, there was no mistaking th

The gentle knock on my door came just as I was trying to process the whirlwind of emotions from my morning in the forest with Kael. My enhanced senses immediately identified the visitor – Ryder's familiar scent of pine soap and something uniquely comforting that had always made me feel safe, even during the darkest days with the Vales."Come in," I called, setting aside the book on werewolf physiology that Adeline had given me to help understand my transformation.Ryder entered with his usual careful demeanor, but I could see the concern etched in the lines around his kind grey eyes. In his hands, he carried a steaming mug that smelled like chamomile and honey."Thought you might need this," he said, offering me the tea. "Kayla mentioned you've been having a rough few days with the changes."I accepted the mug gratefully, wrapping my fingers around its warmth. "That's putting it mildly. This morning I accidentally crushed a door handle just trying to leave my room.""Growing pain

Later during the day, the scheduled meeting was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Kael's supernatural friends had gathered in the pack's conference room, but the atmosphere felt more like a war council than a casual get-together. The afternoon sun streamed through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the polished table where some of the most powerful beings I'd ever encountered sat discussing my fate. Stephan arrived first, as always, his vampire grace making him appear to simply materialize in his usual chair. Today, however, his normally impeccable appearance seemed slightly strained, and I caught the subtle scent of concern emanating from him despite his composed exterior. Kanaq entered next, the skinwalker's connection to the natural world immediately evident in the way every plant in the room seemed to turn toward him. His dark eyes found mine briefly, and I saw understanding there – he knew what it was like to be caught between different forms of exis

The supernatural disturbances began at dawn the next morning, and by noon, it was clear that my attempts to keep my awakening abilities hidden were about to become impossible.It started with the plants.I'd been walking through the pack house's main corridor when I noticed the potted ferns lining the hallway beginning to glow with a soft, silver light. At first, I thought it was just a trick of the morning sunlight streaming through the windows, but as I moved closer, the glow intensified."That's not normal," Kayla said from behind me, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and concern.I spun around to find her staring at the plants with wide blue eyes. "You can see it too?""Everyone can see it, Aria. Look around."I followed her gaze and realized that pack members had begun gathering in the hallway, all of them staring at the luminescent foliage with expressions ranging from fascination to barely concealed fear. The plants weren't just glowing – they were thriving in ways that

The emergency meeting convened at sunset, and I'd never seen Kael's office so crowded with supernatural beings. The decision to reach out for additional support had been made swiftly after the afternoon's manifestations, but seeing the response in person was both reassuring and overwhelming.Stephan arrived first, as usual, but this time he wasn't alone. Behind him stood a woman with silver hair and eyes like starlight – clearly another vampire, but one whose presence made the air itself seem to shimmer with ancient power."This is Elena Blackthorne," Stephan said by way of introduction. "She speaks for the Northwestern Vampire Council."Elena inclined her head gracefully. "Alpha Hawthorne. Miss Vale. The Council has been monitoring the supernatural disturbances across the region with great interest."Kanaq entered next, followed by two other skinwalkers I didn't recognize – a tall man with intricate tattoos covering his arms and a woman whose eyes held the depth of old forests.