Alpha KEAL

2

When she woke the next morning, her nails had returned to normal. Her skin bore scars from the fight, but they were healing.

There was blood beneath her nails. She cleaned herself in silence, washing every inch of her hands as if it might rid her of the memory. But it didn't. That fight had etched itself into her soul. It wasn't just survival-it was awakening.

Damien came that evening.

He didn't knock, didn't wait, just appeared in the doorway like a wraith. She sat on the edge of the bed, barefoot, calm. She didn't rise, he stepped in.

"You shifted."

"Halfway."

He nodded. "You survived."

She met his gaze. "Surprised?"

"Impressed."

She laughed bitterly. "Do I get a prize?"

He crossed to her, stopped a few feet away. "You're changing, Raven. That shift wasn't natural. Your blood isn't clean anymore."

She stilled. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're becoming something… else."

She stood slowly. "Then you'd better be careful, Wolves bite."

Damien stared at her for a long moment. His voice was low. "So do I." He turned and left. Raven remained standing.

That night, when she closed her eyes, she dreamed of two wolves-one black, one silver-locked in battle beneath a blood-red sky. And in the distance, a voice whispered:

"Choose."

And when she woke, she was afraid because whenever she dreamt it always came to pass, so she didn't know what it meant.

When she woke the next morning, her nails had returned to normal. Her skin bore scars from the fight, but they were healing.

There was blood beneath her nails. She cleaned herself in silence, washing every inch of her hands as if it might rid her of the memory. But it didn't. That fight had etched itself into her soul. It wasn't just survival-it was awakening.

Damien came that evening.

He didn't knock, didn't wait, just appeared in the doorway like a wraith. She sat on the edge of the bed, barefoot, calm. She didn't rise, he stepped in.

"You shifted."

"Halfway."

He nodded. "You survived."

She met his gaze. "Surprised?"

"Impressed."

She laughed bitterly. "Do I get a prize?"

He crossed to her, stopped a few feet away. "You're changing, Raven. That shift wasn't natural. Your blood isn't clean anymore."

She stilled. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're becoming something… else."

She stood slowly. "Then you'd better be careful, Wolves bite."

Damien stared at her for a long moment. His voice was low. "So do I." He turned and left. Raven remained standing.

That night, when she closed her eyes, she dreamed of two wolves-one black, one silver-locked in battle beneath a blood-red sky. And in the distance, a voice whispered:

"Choose."

And when she woke, she was afraid because whenever she dreamt it always came to pass, so she didn't know what it meant.

When she woke the next morning, her nails had returned to normal. Her skin bore scars from the fight, but they were healing.

There was blood beneath her nails. She cleaned herself in silence, washing every inch of her hands as if it might rid her of the memory. But it didn't. That fight had etched itself into her soul. It wasn't just survival-it was awakening.

Damien came that evening.

He didn't knock, didn't wait, just appeared in the doorway like a wraith. She sat on the edge of the bed, barefoot, calm. She didn't rise, he stepped in.

"You shifted."

"Halfway."

He nodded. "You survived."

She met his gaze. "Surprised?"

"Impressed."

She laughed bitterly. "Do I get a prize?"

He crossed to her, stopped a few feet away. "You're changing, Raven. That shift wasn't natural. Your blood isn't clean anymore."

She stilled. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're becoming something… else."

She stood slowly. "Then you'd better be careful, Wolves bite."

Damien stared at her for a long moment. His voice was low. "So do I." He turned and left. Raven remained standing.

That night, when she closed her eyes, she dreamed of two wolves-one black, one silver-locked in battle beneath a blood-red sky. And in the distance, a voice whispered:

"Choose."

And when she woke, she was afraid because whenever she dreamt it always came to pass, so she didn't know what it meant.

When she woke the next morning, her nails had returned to normal. Her skin bore scars from the fight, but they were healing.

There was blood beneath her nails. She cleaned herself in silence, washing every inch of her hands as if it might rid her of the memory. But it didn't. That fight had etched itself into her soul. It wasn't just survival-it was awakening.

Damien came that evening.

He didn't knock, didn't wait, just appeared in the doorway like a wraith. She sat on the edge of the bed, barefoot, calm. She didn't rise, he stepped in.

"You shifted."

"Halfway."

He nodded. "You survived."

She met his gaze. "Surprised?"

"Impressed."

She laughed bitterly. "Do I get a prize?"

He crossed to her, stopped a few feet away. "You're changing, Raven. That shift wasn't natural. Your blood isn't clean anymore."

She stilled. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're becoming something… else."

She stood slowly. "Then you'd better be careful, Wolves bite."

Damien stared at her for a long moment. His voice was low. "So do I." He turned and left. Raven remained standing.

That night, when she closed her eyes, she dreamed of two wolves-one black, one silver-locked in battle beneath a blood-red sky. And in the distance, a voice whispered:

"Choose."

And when she woke, she was afraid because whenever she dreamt it always came to pass, so she didn't know what it meant.

When she woke the next morning, her nails had returned to normal. Her skin bore scars from the fight, but they were healing.

There was blood beneath her nails. She cleaned herself in silence, washing every inch of her hands as if it might rid her of the memory. But it didn't. That fight had etched itself into her soul. It wasn't just survival-it was awakening.

Damien came that evening.

He didn't knock, didn't wait, just appeared in the doorway like a wraith. She sat on the edge of the bed, barefoot, calm. She didn't rise, he stepped in.

"You shifted."

"Halfway."

He nodded. "You survived."

She met his gaze. "Surprised?"

"Impressed."

She laughed bitterly. "Do I get a prize?"

He crossed to her, stopped a few feet away. "You're changing, Raven. That shift wasn't natural. Your blood isn't clean anymore."

She stilled. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're becoming something… else."

She stood slowly. "Then you'd better be careful, Wolves bite."

Damien stared at her for a long moment. His voice was low. "So do I." He turned and left. Raven remained standing.

That night, when she closed her eyes, she dreamed of two wolves-one black, one silver-locked in battle beneath a blood-red sky. And in the distance, a voice whispered:

"Choose."

And when she woke, she was afraid because whenever she dreamt it always came to pass, so she didn't know what it meant.