"What are you doing here?"

The voice was cold, sharp, and very human. Yuna opened her eyes, gasping for air, and found herself staring up at Noah Phillips.

He stood over her, shirtless, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His dark hair was messy, his jaw tight with barely controlled anger. But it was his eyes that made her freeze. They still held a faint glow, fading slowly back to their normal deep brown.

"I could have killed you," Noah said, his voice low and dangerous. "I thought you were something else."

Yuna scrambled backward on the floor, her heart still racing. "You... you were going to attack me!"

"Yes." Noah didn't sound apologetic. "You shouldn't be here."

"Well, you shouldn't go around thinking whatever you want and trying to kill people! Jeez!" Yuna snapped, her fear quickly turning into anger. She had already had the worst day of her life. She didn't need this.

Noah's expression didn't change. He grabbed a shirt from the nearby bench and pulled it on, his movements precise and controlled. "I don't understand."

"Understand what?" Yuna got to her feet, brushing off her jeans.

"You smell different."

Yuna blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Different from other students. Different from..." He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he studied her.

"Well, I smell like shame and disgrace and humiliation," Yuna shot back. "You don't have to spell it out."

Something flickered across Noah's face. His body went rigid, and for a moment, he looked like he was fighting with himself. His wolf stirred inside him, restless and insistent. The mate bond clicked into place like a lock turning, and Noah's entire world tilted.

No. Not her. Not now.

"I think you should leave," he said, turning his back to her.

"Why? You own the court?" Yuna challenged, crossing her arms. She knew she was being difficult, but she couldn't help it. Something about Noah made her want to push back, to stand her ground.

But she couldn't deny what she felt. A pull, warm and insistent, tugging at something deep inside her chest. Her wolf purred, pressing against her skin, drawn to him in a way that made her stomach flutter.

She had just been humiliated by one boy. She wasn't about to let another one see her as weak.

"Leave," Noah repeated, his voice strained.

"Unless you tell me why you think you can chase me away, then I'm ready to make this air suffocating for you."

That did it.

Noah moved so fast Yuna barely saw him. One second he was across the court, the next he was right in front of her, his hands slamming against the wall on either side of her head. She was caged in, trapped between his arms and the cold concrete behind her.

Their faces were inches apart. Yuna could feel the heat radiating off his body, could hear his ragged breathing. Her own heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it.

Noah stared down at her, his jaw clenched. Her heartbeat was wrong. Too fast, too irregular. Not like a werewolf's. His instincts screamed at him, caught between two primal urges: kill the threat or protect the mate.

Yuna's knees went weak. She hated how her body betrayed her, leaning slightly toward him even as her mind screamed at her to run. This guy looked like he wanted to kill her, but some twisted part of her was definitely enjoying this.

"Your heart," Noah said quietly, his eyes searching her face. "It doesn't beat right."

"Maybe because you're scaring me to death," Yuna whispered, but her voice came out breathless instead of angry.

Noah's gaze dropped to her lips for just a second before he caught himself. He pushed away from the wall abruptly, putting distance between them. The loss of his warmth made Yuna shiver.

"You need to go," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Now."

Yuna straightened, trying to regain her composure. "Fine. I was leaving anyway."

She grabbed her bag from where she had dropped it and headed for the exit. Her legs felt shaky, and she hated that he could probably see it. When she reached the door, she paused and looked back.

Noah stood in the middle of the court, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, watching her.

"What's your problem anyway?" Yuna asked.

Noah's expression was unreadable. "Stay away from me."

"Why?"

"Because my wolf recognizes you as prey," he said flatly. "Next time we cross paths, I might not stop myself from killing you."

Yuna's blood ran cold. She stared at him for a long moment, trying to figure out if he was serious. The look in his eyes told her he was.

"Why?" she asked again, quieter this time.

Noah turned away from her. "Just stay away, Yuna."

The way he said her name, like it hurt him, made something twist in her chest. But she didn't ask again. She pushed through the door and left, her mind spinning with confusion and fear and something else she couldn't name.

Behind her, Noah stood alone in the darkness, his wolf howling inside him. The mate bond pulsed with every step she took away from him, but he forced himself to stay still.

His father's words echoed in his mind. Kitsunes are dangerous. Cunning. They'll destroy everything you love.

But Yuna didn't smell like a kitsune. She smelled like something else entirely. Something his wolf wanted to protect and possess.

And that terrified him more than anything.

"Ready for failure, loser?"

Yuna slammed her locker shut and turned to find Megan Wright standing behind her, arms crossed, a smug smile on her face. Her friends flanked her on either side, all wearing matching expressions of superiority.

The girls' locker room smelled like cheap perfume and sweat. Most of the team had already changed and left for warm ups, but Megan had clearly waited for this moment.

Yuna took a deep breath, trying to keep her cool. "I'm not doing this with you, Megan."

"Oh, you don't have a choice," Megan said, stepping closer. "Everyone's talking about how you're going to cost us another tournament. Coach should've kicked you off the team months ago."

"Then maybe you should focus on your own game instead of worrying about mine," Yuna shot back.

Megan's smile vanished. "What did you just say to me?"

Yuna tried to walk past her, but Megan grabbed her wrist hard. The movement was sudden and violent, and Yuna felt something snap.

Her bracelet.

The delicate chain broke, scattering beads across the tile floor. They bounced and rolled in every direction, the sound echoing through the empty locker room.

Yuna's heart stopped. The bracelet her father had given her. The one he had made her promise never to take off. The one he said would keep her safe.

She stared at the broken pieces, and something inside her cracked open.

Heat flooded her veins. Anger, pure and blinding, surged through her body like a wave. It was overwhelming, consuming, nothing like anything she had ever felt before.

Her fist flew before she even realized what she was doing.

The punch connected with Megan's nose with a sickening crunch. Megan screamed and stumbled backward, blood gushing from her nostrils. Her friends shrieked in shock.

"Yuna, what the hell was that?" one of them shouted.

Yuna stared at her hand, trembling. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what came over me."

Megan was crying now, her hands covering her face. "You're going to pay for this! You're psychotic!"

Panic seized Yuna's chest. She had done it again. Lost control. Hurt someone. What was wrong with her?

She ran.

She left the broken bracelet on the floor, left Megan crying, left everything behind as she sprinted out of the locker room and toward the court. The tournament was starting. She had to pull herself together.

But the anger was still there, simmering just beneath her skin.

The gymnasium was packed. Students filled the bleachers, cheering and waving banners. The opposing team was already warming up on the other side of the court, their movements smooth and coordinated.

Yuna joined her team, avoiding Megan's glare. Camille gave her a worried look.

"Are you okay?" Camille whispered. "Megan's telling everyone you attacked her."

"I know," Yuna muttered. "I'll deal with it later."

The referee blew the whistle, and both teams took their positions.

Yuna's hands were still shaking. Her skin felt too tight, like something inside her was trying to break free. She could hear everything. The squeak of shoes on the polished floor. The rustle of clothing. Heartbeats. So many heartbeats, all pounding in different rhythms.

The whistle blew again, and the game began.

The ball came to Yuna within the first thirty seconds. Instinct took over. She moved without thinking, her body responding to commands she didn't consciously give. She dribbled past the first defender with ease, her movements fluid and precise.

The crowd gasped.

Yuna didn't pass. She couldn't. Something was driving her forward, pushing her to move faster, harder. She spun around another defender, her feet barely touching the ground, and took the shot.

Swish.

The ball sailed through the net perfectly.

Her team erupted in cheers, but Yuna barely heard them. Her chest was heaving, her vision sharpening to an impossible degree. She could see every detail. The grain of the basketball. The individual fibers in the net. The sweat on her opponents' faces.

The game continued, and Yuna dominated. Every time the ball came to her, she scored. She moved like a professional, like someone who had been playing for years instead of struggling just weeks ago.

By the final quarter, they were winning by twenty points.

When the buzzer sounded, the gymnasium exploded. Her teammates swarmed her, screaming and hugging her. Camille was crying happy tears.

"Yuna, that was incredible! Where did that come from?"

But Yuna couldn't answer. She was breathing too hard, her chest burning like it was about to explode. The voices around her were too loud, echoing and overlapping until they became a wall of sound.

She could hear heartbeats. Dozens of them. Hundreds. All pounding in her ears.

"Yuna, are you okay?" Camille's voice sounded distant.

Yuna covered her ears, but it didn't help. The sounds were inside her head, getting louder and louder.

"I need to use the restroom," she gasped, pushing through the crowd.

She ran. Sprinted across the court, through the hallway, and burst into the girls' restroom. The door slammed behind her, and she collapsed against the sink.

"Stop. Please stop," she whimpered, pressing her hands over her ears.

The sounds didn't stop. If anything, they got worse. And then she felt it.

A prickling sensation across her skin. She looked down and screamed.

White fur was sprouting from her arms.

"No. No, no, no. What's happening?"

The fur spread, covering her hands, her arms, creeping up her neck. Her bones began to shift, cracking and reforming. Pain shot through her body, sharp and relentless.

Yuna fell to her knees, gasping for air. Her spine arched, and she felt something pushing out of her lower back. She twisted to look and saw tails. Multiple tails, white and bushy, emerging one by one.

The transformation was agony. Her face elongated, her teeth sharpened. Her hands became paws. Her screams turned into howls.

And then it was done.

Yuna looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw a creature she didn't recognize. White fur. Nine tails. Eyes that glowed an eerie silver.

Not a werewolf.

A kitsune.

The bathroom door rattled. Someone was trying to get in.

Panic seized her. She couldn't let anyone see her like this. She turned and ran, crashing through the window with strength she didn't know she had.

Glass shattered. The alarm blared.

And the white kitsune disappeared into the chaos.

"Everyone get inside! Now!"

Coach Sullivan's voice boomed across the campus as students scattered in every direction. The emergency bell was ringing, a piercing wail that sent everyone into a panic.

"What is that thing?" someone screamed.

"Did you see it? It was huge!"

Noah stood frozen near the gymnasium entrance, his phone pressed to his ear. His father's voice crackled through the speaker, urgent and commanding.

"Noah, listen to me very carefully. Do not go after that thing. You can't kill it yourself. Find safety now. The hunters are on their way."

Noah watched as the white blur disappeared into the woods beyond the campus. His wolf was already stirring, the hunter instinct roaring to life in his veins.

A kitsune. Here. At his university.

"Noah, did you hear me?" Andrew Phillips demanded.

"Yeah, I heard you," Noah said, but he was already moving toward the woods.

"Noah, I'm serious. Stay where you are!"

Noah ended the call and shoved his phone into his pocket. His father could be furious later. Right now, every instinct he had was screaming at him to chase. To hunt.

Kitsunes were supposed to be extinct. His grandfather had told him stories about the hunts, about how dangerous and cunning the fox spirits were. How they deceived and destroyed entire packs.

This one wasn't getting away.

Noah shifted mid stride, his body transforming seamlessly into his wolf form. His clothes tore away as he sprinted across the field and into the woods. The scent trail was fresh, sharp, and intoxicatingly strong.

The kitsune was fast. Faster than any werewolf Noah had ever chased. It weaved through the trees with impossible grace, its nine tails streaming behind it like ribbons of white flame.

Noah pushed harder, his paws pounding against the forest floor. Branches whipped past him, but he barely felt them. His entire focus was on the creature ahead.

And then it vanished.

Noah skidded to a stop, his claws digging into the dirt. He lifted his head, scenting the air. The trail ended here, but the kitsune was gone.

A sob broke the silence.

Noah's ears swiveled toward the sound. It came from behind a massive oak tree, soft and broken.

He approached slowly, his body low and ready. When he rounded the tree, he froze.

Yuna sat curled against the trunk, naked and crying. Her arms were wrapped around herself, trying to cover her body. Leaves and dirt clung to her skin, and her eyes were red and swollen.

"Yuna?" Noah shifted back to human form, shock overriding everything else. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know," she sobbed, her voice barely audible. "Please, I don't know what happened."

Noah's mind raced. The timing. The scent. The way his wolf had reacted to her before.

"Wait a minute." He took a step back, his eyes widening. "No way. That can't be true."

"Please don't tell anyone," Yuna begged, tears streaming down her face. "I don't understand what's happening to me."

Voices echoed through the woods. Men shouting. Dogs barking.

The hunters.

"Shoot, that's my dad," Noah muttered. "We have to hide. Now."

He grabbed Yuna's hand and pulled her to her feet. She stumbled, weak and disoriented, but he kept her moving. They ran deeper into the woods until Noah spotted a small ravine, just big enough for them to hide in.

"Get in," he ordered, sliding down first.

Yuna followed, her bare feet slipping on the muddy slope. The space was tight, forcing them to press against each other. Noah could feel every inch of her skin against his, warm and soft despite the cold air.

"We need to mask our scent," he said quietly. He scooped up handfuls of mud from the bottom of the ravine and began smearing it over his arms and chest.

Yuna watched him for a second before doing the same, rubbing the mud over her shoulders and legs.

"Here," Noah murmured, reaching up to spread mud across her neck. His fingers brushed her skin, and she shivered.

Their eyes met. The space between them felt impossibly small. Noah's wolf purred despite the danger, despite everything.

"This isn't good," he whispered.

The voices grew closer. Flashlights swept through the trees above them, and the hunters' footsteps crunched on the fallen leaves.

"Spread out! It has to be here somewhere!" Andrew Phillips's voice rang out clearly.

Noah held his breath. Yuna pressed closer to him, trembling. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest, rapid and terrified.

The hunters passed directly overhead. One of them stopped, sniffing the air.

"I've got something. This way!"

But they moved in the wrong direction, following a false trail. Minutes passed that felt like hours. Finally, the voices faded into the distance.

Noah waited until he couldn't hear them anymore before moving. He climbed out of the ravine carefully, scanning the area.

"We're safe now," he said quietly. "Let's go."

He shifted back into his wolf form and lowered himself so Yuna could climb onto his back. She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around his neck. Her bare skin pressed against his fur, and Noah forced himself to focus on getting them back safely.

He took a route through the back of campus, avoiding the main areas where students and hunters would be gathered. By the time they reached his dorm building, the sun was starting to set.

Noah's room was on the top floor, away from most of the other students. He shifted back and unlocked the door, ushering Yuna inside quickly.

"Bathroom's there," he said, pointing. "I'll find you something to wear."

Yuna nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. Noah heard the shower start a moment later.

He pulled out a pair of sweatpants and an old t shirt from his dresser, setting them on the bed. Then he grabbed his own clothes and quickly got dressed.

His phone buzzed with messages from his father, but he ignored them. He needed time to think. To figure out what the hell was going on.

Yuna was a kitsune. The creature his family had hunted to extinction. The enemy he was raised to kill on sight.

And she was his mate.

The bathroom door opened, and Yuna stepped out wearing his clothes. They were far too big on her, the sleeves hanging past her hands, the pants pooling around her feet. She looked small and vulnerable.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Before Noah could respond, an announcement blared from the speakers outside.

"All students must report to the main field immediately. This is mandatory. I repeat, all students to the main field."

Noah and Yuna looked at each other.

"They're going to question everyone," Noah said grimly.

Yuna's face went pale. "What am I supposed to say?"

"Nothing. Let me do the talking." Noah grabbed a jacket and tossed it to her. "Put this on. And whatever happens out there, stay close to me."

"Why are you helping me?" Yuna asked, catching the jacket.

Noah met her eyes, his expression hard. "Because if I don't, you're dead. And I might be the one to kill you"