The Secret In The Woods

Counting the days

The bell above the diner door jingled as we stepped inside, the smell of frying bacon and coffee filling the air. The place was packed as usual — locals chatting in low voices, forks clinking against plates, old rock music playing softly from a jukebox in the corner. The windows were fogged from the cold outside, and the faint hum of conversation wrapped around us like a blanket.

We slid into our usual booth — me, Luca, Savannah, and Claire. It had become our spot over the last few weeks, tucked near the back where the walls were plastered with old black-and-white photos of Pineridge from decades ago. The kind of photos that made the town look harmless. Ordinary.

Savannah stretched out in the booth, tossing her long curls over her shoulder. “So, the big day’s coming up,” she said, grinning at me. “Eighteen. You ready?”

I stabbed at my fries, trying to look casual even though my stomach twisted just thinking about it. “Ready for what? Turning legal or turning into a wolf?”

Claire nearly choked on her soda, trying not to laugh. “Both, apparently.”

Luca gave me that half-smile — the one that was more tired than amused. “You’re taking this better than I thought you would.”

“I’m pretending to take it better,” I said, sipping my milkshake. “Huge difference.”

Savannah leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “It’s normal to be nervous. Your first shift is… intense. You’ll remember it for the rest of your life.”

“Yeah,” Claire added quietly. “And it’s not just the shift you need to worry about. It’s everything that comes after.”

I looked between them, frowning. “You mean the whole fated mate thing.”

Luca sighed under his breath, but Savannah nodded. “Exactly. Once you shift, your scent changes. The bond becomes… real. You’ll feel it.”

“Feel it how?” I asked cautiously.

Savannah hesitated, glancing at Luca, who stared down at his plate like he didn’t want to be part of this conversation. Claire answered instead, her voice gentle. “It’s like gravity. Like something pulls you toward the person, whether you want it or not. You can try to fight it, but your wolf won’t stop wanting them.”

The table went quiet for a moment.

Luca finally looked up, his voice low. “That’s why it’s dangerous. The bond can consume you if you’re not careful. You stop thinking with your head — you start thinking with instinct.”

I fiddled with the straw in my drink. “And if it’s Kade?”

The question hung there like smoke.

Savannah’s playful grin faded. “Then you’ll have a choice to make,” she said carefully. “Kade’s… not exactly subtle about what he wants. The whole town knows he’s watching you.”

Claire nodded, lowering her voice. “Everyone’s talking about it. He hasn’t acted like this toward anyone before. He’s different around you.”

“Yeah, and that’s what worries me,” Luca muttered.

I sighed, leaning back in the booth. “So what, I’m supposed to just… wait until I turn eighteen and hope I don’t wake up wanting the guy who’s basically a walking red flag?”

Savannah laughed softly. “Pretty much.”

Despite myself, I smiled a little. It felt good to joke about it, even for a second.

But under the laughter, the tension never really left. There was an unspoken understanding between the four of us now — a shared secret tying us together tighter than friendship ever could.

We were a pack.

And I wasn’t just one of them — I was something more.

“So,” Claire said after a moment, trying to lighten the mood, “you’re gonna have a party, right? Something before the big bad moon night?”

I smirked. “Yeah, I’ll invite the whole supernatural population of Pineridge. You know, keep things casual.”

Savannah snorted. “Please. You’d be lucky if half of them showed up without starting a fight.”

“Speaking of fights,” Luca said suddenly, his tone turning cautious. “You guys heard anything about Kade lately?”

Savannah’s eyes flickered. “Only that he’s been restless. Training more. He’s been talking to the council again, too.”

Claire leaned in, lowering her voice. “Some say he’s planning something for the full moon. Something big.”

I looked at Luca. He didn’t react, but his jaw tightened. “Whatever it is,” he said quietly, “we’ll deal with it. Together.”

The waitress came by, refilling our drinks, and for a moment the heaviness lifted again.

We talked about school, music, random things — normal things — and I clung to that normalcy like it was air. But even as I laughed with them, a strange pressure settled deep in my chest.

My birthday was a week away.

One week until everything changed — until the wolf inside me finally woke up.

And deep down, I already knew: once that happened, there would be no going back.

We ended up at Claire’s house after the diner — the four of us crammed together on her oversized couch in the living room. The place smelled faintly of vanilla and cedarwood, warm and comfortable, with fairy lights draped across the windows and an old quilt thrown over the back of the couch. A movie played quietly on the TV — something Savannah had insisted on watching, though none of us were really paying attention.

I had a bowl of popcorn in my lap, an open bag of chips beside me, and a plate of leftover diner fries balanced precariously on the armrest.

“I’m so sorry,” I mumbled between bites, “I’ve been soooo hungry lately.”

Savannah laughed, tossing a piece of popcorn at me. “Hungry? Girl, you’ve eaten enough to feed half the pack.”

I shrugged, popping another fry into my mouth. “I can’t help it! I feel like I’m starving all the time.”

Luca smirked from where he sat on the floor, leaning back against the couch. “That’s normal. Your metabolism’s kicking into overdrive before the shift. Your body’s preparing.”

“Preparing?” I asked, still chewing.

“Yeah,” he said. “You’re burning energy faster than you can replace it. It’s your wolf waking up.”

That made me pause mid-bite. “So this—” I gestured to the mess of snacks in front of me. “—is because of her?”

Savannah grinned. “Oh yeah. Once your wolf’s awake, you’ll eat twice as much. And run it off just as fast.”

Claire nodded, sipping from her soda. “You should see me after a full moon. It’s like feeding a small army.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, though a part of me couldn’t shake how strange it still felt — talking about my wolf like she was a person living inside me. A part of me that had always been there, waiting.

Luca handed me a napkin, watching me with a faint smile. “You’ll get used to it. You might even start craving raw meat soon.”

I froze mid-chew. “You’re joking.”

He didn’t blink. “Am I?”

Savannah and Claire burst out laughing as I glared at him. “That’s not funny.”

“Oh, it’s hilarious,” Savannah said between giggles. “Wait until your senses really kick in — everything smells too much. Especially people.”

“People?”

Claire leaned over, teasing, “Just wait until the moon’s full. You’ll know exactly what she means.”

I groaned, hiding my face behind a pillow. “I hate all of you.”

They laughed harder, and even Luca cracked a rare, genuine grin. The tension that had followed us for weeks seemed to melt away for a little while. For the first time in what felt like forever, it was just… normal.

Warmth spread through me, not from food or laughter, but from the realization that these people — these wolves — were mine. My friends. My pack.

After a while, Savannah stretched, yawning. “Okay, I’m calling it. I’m too tired for emotional werewolf bonding.”

Claire threw a pillow at her. “You’re the one who made us watch this dumb movie!”

“It’s not dumb, it’s vintage,” Savannah argued, already heading for the kitchen to grab another drink.

Luca chuckled, standing up and grabbing his jacket. “I should head out soon anyway. Elias will freak if he finds out you were up late again.”

I nodded, suddenly aware of how heavy my eyelids felt. “Yeah… I probably should too.”

But as everyone started gathering their stuff, that familiar sense of unease crept back in — the one that had been following me for days. My senses were sharper tonight, my skin prickling every time the wind rattled the windows.

Something inside me stirred, restless.

Claire must’ve noticed because she touched my shoulder lightly. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I said, forcing a small smile. “Just tired.”

Savannah handed me my coat. “You’ll feel like this a lot before the shift. The closer you get, the stronger everything gets — hunger, emotion, instinct. It’s weird, but it’s kind of amazing too.”

I nodded, pulling my jacket on. “Amazing and terrifying.”

“Exactly,” she said with a grin.

Luca lingered by the door as I slipped my shoes on. “You’re sure Elias is home?”

“I’ll check when I get there,” I said.

“Text me,” he replied quietly. “If he’s not… I’ll come by.”

The warmth in his tone sent a strange flutter through my chest, but I just nodded. “Okay.”

As we stepped out into the cold night air, the moon hung low above the trees — thin and silver, like it was watching.

And for the first time, I could feel it. A faint hum beneath my skin, alive and waiting.

A reminder that my time was running out.