Her Human Mate

Chapter Three: The First Shift

Nate's POV

The pain of becoming

I woke up drowning in fire.

It started in my chest, blooming outward like an explosion. My veins burned. My skin stretched too tight over my bones. Every breath was a battle, every heartbeat a war.

I staggered to my feet, gripping the edge of my desk. My vision blurred, the room spinning around me. My body felt wrong. Like something inside me was breaking apart and trying to put itself back together at the same time.

And then—

A sound.

Low, deep, primal.

Not from outside.

From inside me.

I froze. My throat burned, raw and unfamiliar.

I hadn't just heard the growl.

I had made it.

Panic surged. I lurched toward the mirror above my dresser, gripping the sides as I stared at my reflection.

My eyes—

They weren't brown anymore.

Gold.

A molten, unnatural gold that pulsed like molten metal. Alive. Watching.

I gasped, stumbling back. "No. No, no, no."

The heat crawled higher, searing into my spine, my muscles locking up. The air in my lungs wasn't enough. My body was suffocating under its own weight.

Something inside me wanted out.

Nicole.

Her name ripped through my mind, sharp and instinctive. She knew what was happening. She could stop this.

I forced myself toward the door, every step a battle against gravity.

But then—

My legs buckled.

The world tilted.

And then everything went black.

The Call of the Red Wolf

I woke up in the woods.

Cold dirt against my skin. Damp air filling my lungs. The scent of pine and rain curling around me.

And standing above me—

Nicole.

Her face was shadowed by the moonlight, blue eyes glowing like frozen fire. She was breathing hard, her body tense like she'd just run here at full speed.

"You—" I tried to speak, but my throat felt shredded.

She knelt beside me. "You shifted."

I blinked. No. No, I didn't.

I would remember if I had. I would remember—

Then I saw my hands.

Except they weren't hands.

They were claws.

My heart stopped.

I stared, my pulse roaring in my ears. My fingers had elongated, thick black fur dusting my knuckles. My nails were claws, curved and razor-sharp.

I scrambled backward, my breath coming too fast, too uneven. This wasn't happening. This wasn't—

Nicole's grip caught my wrist, grounding me.

"Nate," she said sharply. "Breathe."

I couldn't.

My chest heaved, lungs screaming for more air. I wasn't built for this. I wasn't made for this.

I was human.

I had always been human.

This wasn't supposed to be happening.

Nicole's grip tightened. "Look at me."

I did.

The second our eyes met, something in me stilled.

Her presence, her scent, the steady strength in her voice—everything anchored me. Pulled me back from the edge.

I exhaled shakily. "What's happening to me?"

Nicole studied me for a moment, then sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. "Your wolf is forcing its way out before you're ready."

I shook my head. "That's not possible. I—I didn't even—"

She arched a brow. "You blacked out, Heth. And I found you in the middle of the woods, half-shifted and radiating Alpha energy."

That stopped me cold.

Alpha.

That word didn't belong to me.

That title belonged to wolves like her. Wolves with power, strength, purpose.

Not me.

I swallowed hard. "I don't want this."

Nicole's gaze softened. Just for a second. Then she dropped my wrist and stood. "Tough."

I blinked. "What?"

She crossed her arms. "I told you this was happening. I told you what you were. You didn't listen."

My jaw clenched. "Because it sounds insane."

Nicole exhaled sharply, turning away. "You don't get to pretend anymore, Nate."

I stared at her, my breathing still uneven, my limbs still shaking. "I don't know how to be a wolf."

She looked over her shoulder at me, her red-streaked hair catching the moonlight.

"That's why I'm going to teach you."

The Alpha Trial

The training ground was deep in the woods, a stretch of open earth surrounded by towering trees.

Nicole stood across from me, arms loose at her sides, her gaze unrelenting.

"You need to learn control," she said.

I clenched my fists. "And if I don't?"

Her blue eyes flickered red. "Then the next time you shift, you won't come back."

A chill scraped down my spine.

Nicole tilted her head, studying me. "Your wolf is stronger than most because it's been caged for so long. That means when he comes out, it's going to be violent."

I swallowed. "And you expect me to just...what? Figure it out?"

"No," she said simply. "I expect you to fight."

I barely had time to process that before she moved.

One second, she was standing still. The next, she was right in front of me, her fist slamming into my ribs.

I stumbled back, gasping.

"What the hell?!"

"Instinct, Nate." Nicole didn't hesitate. She went for me again, this time aiming lower. I barely dodged, her kick skimming my side.

I felt it before I understood it.

The fire in my blood surged, twisting into something sharp.

Something hungry.

I moved.

Not a conscious decision. Not a choice.

My body just reacted.

I caught her wrist mid-swing.

Nicole's eyes widened slightly. "There it is."

I froze.

That split second of hesitation cost me.

Nicole twisted, sweeping my legs out from under me. I hit the ground, hard, breath slamming from my lungs.

She crouched beside me, smirking. "Close, Heth. But not good enough."

I groaned, rolling onto my back. "You suck."

She snorted, then stood, offering her hand. I stared at it for a moment, then sighed and took it.

Nicole hauled me to my feet.

I exhaled, still shaking, still reeling from everything. "So what now?"

She studied me for a long second.

Then she smirked. "Now? We do it again."