The Wolf Within

Luca Hale had always felt different, but he couldn’t explain why. It wasn’t the usual teenage stuff—he was sixteen now, and he wasn’t scared of things like failing a test or getting picked last in gym. No, his fears were darker. Deeper. More… primal. The first time it happened was the night of the storm. Rain pounded against the windows of his family’s cabin, nestled at the edge of Hollow Creek Forest. Luca’s mom was out working a night shift at the clinic. His dad had been gone for years—no one talked about him. Not even Luca’s uncle, who always got weirdly quiet when his name came up. Then the pain hit. Luca doubled over on the living room floor, clutching his stomach as a fire spread through his bones. His vision blurred, his skin burned, and his heartbeat pounded like a war drum. Something inside him wanted out. And then… everything went red. When he woke, it was morning. His clothes were torn. His hands—bloody. He stood in the forest, barefoot, surrounded by claw marks in the earth. And he wasn’t alone. A boy about his age, tall and sharp-eyed, leaned against a tree. He looked like he belonged in the woods—feral and calm. “You turned,” the boy said simply. “Turned?” Luca croaked. “Into what?” The boy smiled, but there was no warmth in it. Only teeth. “Welcome to the pack.”