The forest was quiet, even the wind seemed to hesitate around me, as if it sensed what I was carrying inside. My claws itched, my teeth buzzed with that raw, electric hunger I hadn't fully controlled yet. My wolf or the thing inside me whispered constantly, low and insistent: move faster, strike harder, test them. Hunt. Kill.

I clenched my fists, trying to shove it down, trying to pretend I was still just... me.

Kelan stood a few feet away, hands open, voice calm but firm. "Ayla, slow down. Breathe. Focus on controlling it. You can control it."

I wanted to throw myself at him. My wolf roared.

"No. Don't listen." I whispered to myself.

"Control it," I muttered through gritted teeth. My voice sounded like someone else's. Deeper and darker. It sent shivers down my spine. Kelan flinched slightly but didn't move.

We were at the training grounds. Normally, this place was a sanctuary; a controlled area where young wolves honed their skills, learned to fight, to hunt, to shift safely under the Alpha's watchful eye.

But tonight... it felt different.

Every step I took sent tremors beneath my feet. Leaves quivered, small creatures froze, the air thickened around me. The other wolves stared from a distance, their expressions wary, uncertain. They were whispering, of course they always did, but tonight, I could hear confusion, fear, and suspicion laced in their words.

I tried to focus on Kelan's instructions. "Slow your heartbeat. Center yourself. Imagine a cage around the wolf inside you. Let it move... but don't let it escape."

I did. I tried.

But the moment I exhaled, the wolf surged, claws scraping the earth, muscles tightening, eyes flashing with silver fire that wasn't mine.

"Stop!" Kelan shouted. His hand reached out to grip my arm, and the moment he touched me, a shock of power coursed through my veins. I yelped, snapping back instinctively.

The wolves around us stepped back, some growling softly. Their fear made me more agitated, I felt dangerous. My wolf roared silently inside me, pressing against the edges of my control. It wasn't angry, it was hungry, impatient, ready to prove itself.

Kelan's eyes softened slightly, but the worry remained. "Listen to me. You're stronger than you think. You just have to listen, not fight it. It's part of you, Ayla. Not a monster yet."

I swallowed, my throat raw. "I'm not... sure I can."

He shook his head gently. "Yes, you can. I've seen the way your senses react. You're... different. Special. Don't fight it. Guide it. Use it."

I nodded. Tried to focus. Tried to feel the wolf inside me instead of letting it control me. It was harder than I thought. Every breath, every heartbeat screamed with power that wanted release.

Every sense was sharper than it should be. I could hear the pinprick of movement from leaves a hundred meters away. I could smell the sweat of wolves, the iron of their blood. I could feel... something else, deeper, lurking, waiting.

The pack elder, Rhea, watched from the edge of the grounds. Her eyes narrowed slightly, lips pursed. I didn't look at her, but I felt her suspicion like a weight pressing down on my chest.

Kelan stepped closer. "Focus on me. Not them. Not the others. Just me."

I did. Slowly, slowly, I forced the wolf's energy down, made it curl like a coil in my chest. The tremors beneath my feet slowed. My teeth retracted, claws softened and then, my vision cleared.

And just when I thought I was gaining control... a sharp cry split the night.

A young wolf in training shouted, tripping over a root. It wasn't fear-it was instinct, pure surprise. And that cry... set the wolf inside me alight again.

I stumbled, almost falling to my knees. Kelan's grip tightened. "Hold it, Ayla. Don't let it take over."

I growled-silent, deep, like the wolf's voice inside me. My ears flicked, eyes narrowing. The forest around us shivered.

The others stepped back further. Whispers escalated. Some whispered about my strength, others about danger. One even murmured the word that froze me where I stood: unnatural.

Unnatural.

My wolf snarled. Yes. Unnatural. And powerful.

I forced myself to take a deep breath. "I..."

My voice broke. Too low. Too rough. Kelan's hand was still on mine. "I have control."

The pack elder Rhea stepped forward, her lips tight. Her eyes widened slightly, not in fear, but in recognition. And then, she did something that made my blood run cold: she extended her hand, pointing directly at me.

I froze. My wolf growled, claws flexing instinctively.

"By the old rites..." Rhea muttered, voice barely audible, trembling. "That energy... it shouldn't exist here. Not in one so young. Not now at least."

A chill ran down my spine. Every nerve screamed. Something inside me hissed, warning me, threatening to explode.

Kelan's voice was frantic, gripping my shoulder. "Ayla! Ignore her. Don't react. Focus on me!"

But it was too late.

Rhea's eyes glinted in the firelight-or maybe it was the moon-but I felt her awareness, her attention pierced me. She had seen the power rising. Felt the pulse of the wolf that I had only just begun to master.

And then a whisper of her own reached me, soft and deadly:

"She's not just a wolf... she's something else. Most likely dangerous."

The others glanced at me nervously, some instinctively stepping away. My wolf's heartbeat roared in my ears, eager, hungry, ready to explode at any misstep.

Kelan's grip tightened again. "Ayla... stay with me. Don't-don't let it see you like this."

But it had already been seen.

And I knew, deep in my bones, that from this moment forward, nobody in the pack would ever treat me the same.

The night stretched silently except for the subtle pulse of my wolf, the rustling leaves, and the sound of hearts hammering in fear or awe.

I had controlled it, just barely at least, but the energy inside me was undeniable.

And now... unfortunately... someone had noticed.

The forest had always been alive at night. That was normal. Comforting, even.

Tonight?

Tonight it was screaming.

Every leaf that rustled felt intentional. Every snapped twig sounded like a warning. The wind didn't just pass through the trees, it whispered, like it knew something I didn't.

Or worse... like it knew something I was trying very hard not to think about.

My wolf was pacing under my skin, restless and smug, like it had been waiting for this moment. Hungry and excited. Whispering secrets it definitely shouldn't be allowed to know but somehow did.

Kelan stuck close, because of course he did. His hand brushed mine every few steps, grounding me, reminding me I was still human. Still me.

"You need to focus," he murmured. "Let it guide you. Not control you."

Easy for him to say.

I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath, doing the thing everyone said I should do-listen to the forest. Not the sounds, but the pulse beneath them. The life. The wolves.

Big mistake.

At first it was just noise. Chaos. Thoughts crashing into each other; fear, hunger, irritation, pride. Someone thinking about dinner. Someone else worrying about being watched. My wolf loved it. Absolutely dove in like a child into deep water.

And then...

Oh.

Oh no.

I wasn't just sensing movement anymore.

I was hearing thoughts!

I froze so hard I almost tripped over my own feet.

A young wolf sparring nearby thought,

"She's stronger than she looks. Too strong. Don't get close."

Another one whispered in his mind, "Focus. Don't let her see you shaking."

I grabbed Kelan's arm like it was the only solid thing left in the world.

"I can hear them," I whispered. My voice sounded wrecked. "Kelan... I can hear their thoughts."

He stared at me. "You're-wait. You mean-"

"Yes." I didn't want to say it out loud, but my wolf was practically purring. Dark. Proud. Thrilled. "Thoughts. Intentions. Everything."

Kelan sucked in a breath and tightened his grip on my shoulder. "That's incredible. And also... very bad. If anyone figures this out-"

"They already have," I cut in.

Because I could feel it now. The pack's awareness. Like a web under my skin. Fear. Curiosity. Suspicion. A whole lot of "what is she?"

My wolf loved that too, by the way. It wanted attention. Challenge. Recognition. It did not care about my desire to stay alive.

I forced myself to breathe slower, to keep control. Because if I lost it now, I wouldn't just be different.

I'd be dangerous.

We moved deeper into the forest, and the younger wolves scattered. Their thoughts fluttered everywhere-Is she testing us? Is she watching? Is she even a wolf?

And then something cut through all of it.

A whisper. Barely there but sharp.

"She's mine... soon..."

I stopped dead.

That thought didn't belong to anyone in the pack.

My wolf snapped to attention instantly, all excitement gone, replaced by something colder.

Kelan noticed. Of course he did. "Ayla? What's wrong?"

"I don't know," I said, and for once I really didn't. "It's not them. It's... something else."

The voice came again, closer this time.

"We're waiting... The shadow wolf is..."

Great. Fantastic. Definitely needed that tonight.

My stomach dropped. I didn't know what a Shadow Wolf was, but my wolf absolutely did and it reacted with a terrifying mix of warning and hunger.

"Kelan," I whispered, stepping back. "It's hunting me."

He didn't laugh. Didn't question it. He just tightened his stance. "We'll handle it."

He didn't get to finish.

Something shifted behind us. Not quite a wolf. Not quite anything I could name.

And I heard its thoughts as clearly as my own.

Every hair on my body stood up. My wolf growled, claws scraping dirt as it pushed forward, ready to break free. The presence in the shadows was heavylike the forest itself was holding its breath.

"Ayla, stay with me," Kelan said sharply.

I wanted to scream. Or shift. Or run. Or attack. My body ached for it. My wolf was practically vibrating, begging me to let it loose.

And then it hit me-the worst part.

This thing didn't just know my power.

It knew me. My wolf. My instincts. My secrets.

"It knows me," I whispered, shaking. "Everything."

Kelan's eyes widened. "Then we warn the Alpha. Now."

"No." I shook my head hard. "If the pack feels this... they'll try to kill it. Or me. Probably both."

The presence lingered, patient and terrifyingly calm. Waiting for me to make a mistake. Waiting for me to answer.

The forest felt too close. Every sound too loud. Every shadow alive.

And then, clear as day, the voice came one last time-deliberate and cruel.

"Soon, Ayla."

My heart stopped.

My claws dug into the ground.

And I knew, with horrible certainty, that I wasn't just being hunted, I was being chosen.