The Moon Between Us

Chapter 9

I shot up from the chair so fast my mug teetered on the edge of the table. “No. No, this isn’t real,” I said, voice sharp, panicked. “I’m dreaming. I’m going to wake up any second in my old bed, in my old house, Mom downstairs cooking breakfast, and it’ll all be fine.”

Sage’s hand rested gently on my shoulder, her calm presence a stark contrast to the chaos swirling inside me. “Elara, you’re not dreaming,” she said softly. “This is real. All of it. Just… breathe.”

I shook my head violently. “No. I don’t believe it. I can’t.”

Tyler stepped forward, his tone low but steady. “Elara, you’re not asleep. This is happening. I can’t make you believe, but you need to see for yourself.”

Before I could protest, he lifted me effortlessly off the ground. My arms flailed, my stomach twisting in disbelief. “Tyler! Put me down! I’m not—”

The world shifted in a blur as he carried me outside, the misty morning pressing damp and cool against my skin. My chest heaved, heart hammering, and then… it happened.

Tyler shifted. His body elongated, muscles stretching and reshaping, fur sprouting along his arms and chest. Within moments, he was a wolf—sleek, silver-furred, eyes sharp and intelligent—towering over me. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t even breathe properly. And then, everything went black.

When I woke, the sharp chill of an ice pack pressed against my forehead, my hair damp and sticking to my cheeks. Blinking, I realized I was back inside, Sage hovering over me, a faintly exasperated look on her face.

Tyler stood nearby, just a boy again, sleeves rolled up, shirt clinging slightly from earlier exertion. My eyes, betraying me, lingered a little too long over him—ripped abs, strong arms, broad shoulders. Every detail of his body screamed impossible perfection.

“You… you’re going to faint again if you keep staring,” Tyler said, voice teasing but calm.

I tried to form words, to explain the shock, but my throat felt raw.

Sage tossed a blanket at him without a second thought. “Cover up. Now.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, wrapping the blanket over his shoulders, but the smirk never left his face. “Fine. Fine. No fainting this time.”

I swallowed hard, heart still racing, mind buzzing with the impossible truth of it all. Tyler had just transformed, right before my eyes.

Sage leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “So… still think you’re dreaming?”

I opened my mouth, but before I could answer, there was a loud knock at the door—three sharp, deliberate raps that sent a chill crawling up my spine.

Sage and Tyler exchanged a look. A serious one.

The knock came again, harder this time.