Lunar Shadows

Awakening

Elena faltered backward and her knees buckled beneath her new shape. She still felt her body as though it were not entirely hers; like something should be torn apart and replaced with something wild, uncontrollable; she barely acknowledged the smooth silver fuzz that ran down her arms or the claws that took the place of her fingers. All she could concern herself with was the overwhelming flood of emotions and sensations all registering at once in her senses.

She blinked rapidly, trying to steady herself, her breathing shallow and quick.

"Focus," came the voice of Rafe, cutting through the mist filling her mind. "Look at me."

A lifeline, mind tether, lie of an anchor to reality in the chaos of her transformation. Elena's eyes flickered up, gazing at his. His expression was calm; yet underneath his gaze, there was tension that made her heart race even more.

Lowering her arms in a nonthreatening gesture, he stepped towards her. "You're fine," he said softly. "I understand this feels like the destruction of worlds, but you're not alone. You've just finally discovered who you really are."

Elena shook her head. This is too much like a tidal wave crashing down upon her. "But... this can't be real," she whispered, voice strained. "I'm not a ... a werewolf. I was just ... me. I was just... "

"Just a girl?" Rafe completed her for her with more than a hint of what looked like sympathy in his eyes. "That has been what you've been, yes, but this ... this is your awakening. And it's going to change everything."

She looked up at him, her breath coming in short gasps. "How can I believe you? How do I know this is real? This is not... this is not normal."

But she forced herself to worm her way closer to him despite her disgust. Rafe shifted closer, his eyes softer now, yet still filled with the same intensity. "You feel it, don't you? The power coursing through your veins? The shift inside you?" His eyes dropped to her hands-balled into tight fists. "No, this is not a dream. This is you, Elena, and you have been part of this world always. Now it is time when the world comes hunting you."

The bitter pill was transforming into words that she usually couldn't swallow. Her back was turned on him while she ran the illusions past her mind, trying to fit them into reality. The ground really felt as if it shifted beneath her feet, as though the ground itself had an unstable surface. She tried to keep herself together, but the other's pulls of her instincts and the fierce hunger inside her almost overpowered her.

"How do I stop it?" came the strangled words from her as raw emotion engulfed her throat. "How do I stop this from being who I am?"

Rafe's gaze expressed softening, but he was far from compassionate. "You cannot stop it. It's in you. But you can learn how to control it. I am here for that."

Elena turned to him, her breath staggering. "Control it? How? I don't even know what this is, or how to make it stop."

Rafe let out a slow sigh, running a hand through his hair as though trying to gather patience. "This is just the beginning," he said, "There is a lot that you don't understand. But it's my job to teach you. To help you survive. You're not just a werewolf, Elena. You're part of something much bigger. The world you live in isn't the world you think you know. The supernatural is as real as human who lives and walks among them. And it's getting darker by the day."

Elena looked sharply at him. “What do you mean by ‘darker’?”

Rafe narrowed his eyes, and for the first time, she saw the undertone of something horrid, dangerous lurking within them. “There are forces out there who would use your kind. They are hunting you, and they won't stop until they have you.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Hunting me?”

He nodded gravely. “You are not just any werewolf. You are tied to a legacy-that goes back centuries. And there are people who would stop at nothing to control that power.”

Her head spun. The room seemed to close around her as she processed his words. New instincts pulled her in every direction. She could feel the heartbeat of the city in the air- rhythmically pulsing with its life but also something dark and dangerous. The hairs on her neck stood on end as though sensing the truth of Rafe's words.

“What do you mean-tied to a legacy?” she managed to ask, voice barely above a whisper.

There was silence before Rafe went on in a careful tone. “There are ancient lines among us-wolves whose powers extend beyond shifting. Your bloodline.it's one of the oldest. Most sought after.”

Elena blinked, trying to comprehend this new knowledge. “I don't understand. I didn't even know any of this was real. I don't-how am I supposed to become part of something I don't even know about?”

Rafe's expression softened a bit as he drew closer. “I know it is a lot to take in. But the world is not what you think it is. It never has. The blood moon tonight-the pull you felt... that is a sign. You are awakened. You are no longer just some random person. You have a place in this world, Elena. Whether you want it or not.”

He was silent; looking into her eyes as if seeking to weigh the worth of anything other than life itself, maybe even his demise.

“Let me help you," he said quietly. "The first step is simple. Together, we survive. You have me in this. I will guide you. Show you how to control it, and when you have learned to control it, only then will you really realize how important this is going to be. For you, and for everyone."

Elena was quiet, her stormy mind in confusion and fear. She did not know how he expected her to react in relation to all he had just spoken. Everything she thought she knew had just been turned upside down. The pain of turning was still inside her body, and she could feel the animalistic part of her-the wolf-surging at the surface, begging to be free.

But there was something else in the chaos of thoughts: a faint and nearly imperceptible relief. She wasn't alone. This man, Rafe, could perhaps be giving her a string to lifeboat; he was probably giving her a chance to comprehend what was happening to her and maybe even… control it.

She inhaled slowly, shuddering. "Okay," she whispered, voice trembling yet steely. "Teach me."