The full moon
1420 Words
The silence between them was heavy, thick with unspoken words and unanswered questions. Sienna could feel the weight of Lucian’s gaze, but she refused to look at him. Her mind was spinning, trying to process
everything he had said. Werewolves? Hunters? The full moon?
It was too much.
Lucian shifted, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re going to need help. More than just what I can offer.”
Sienna’s eyes shot to his. “Help? From who? I don’t even know who—or what—you are!”
He sighed. “You know enough. You know that you’re different now. And if you don’t want to lose control, you’ll
need to train.”
“Train?” she repeated, incredulous. “Train for what? I don’t want any part of this! I just want my life back!”
Lucian’s expression hardened. “You can’t go back, Sienna. You’ve been bitten. The wolf inside you is waking
up, and if you don’t learn to control it, someone will die.”
Her breath hitched. “Die? What do you mean?”
“The first change is always the hardest,” he said, his voice softening slightly. “When the full moon rises, you
won’t be able to control yourself. The wolf will take over. And if you’re not prepared… people get hurt. People
die.”
Sienna felt her stomach twist in fear. “No. No, I would never—”
“You won’t be yourself,” Lucian interrupted. “That’s the point. The wolf doesn’t care about who you are. It’s
driven by instincts, hunger, rage. You have to be stronger than it.”
Sienna stared at him, her mind reeling. This couldn’t be real. She couldn’t be some… monster.
Lucian’s gaze softened. “I can help you. But you have to trust me.”
She wanted to scream, to tell him he was wrong, that she wasn’t some creature destined to lose herself to the
moon. But deep down, she knew he wasn’t lying. She could feel it—the power coursing through her veins, the
heightened senses, the strange pull toward the forest. It was all real.
Sienna swallowed hard, her voice trembling. “Why are you helping me?”
Lucian hesitated. “Because I’ve been where you are. And no one deserves to go through this alone.”
There was something in his eyes—something haunted, as though he carried a burden she couldn’t yet
understand. For a moment, she considered walking away, leaving this nightmare behind. But then she
remembered the growl in the woods, the shadow that had hunted her. If she didn’t learn to control whatever
was happening to her, it would only get worse.
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” she whispered.
Lucian shook his head. “No.”
---
Sienna followed Lucian deeper into the forest, her mind racing with questions she wasn’t sure she wanted
answers to. The trees loomed tall around them, their branches casting long shadows on the forest floor. The
air was cool, but Sienna barely felt the chill. Her senses were sharper than ever—every sound, every scent was
amplified, and her body felt more alive than it ever had.
As they walked, Lucian began to explain more about the world she was now a part of.
“There are packs,” he said, his voice low. “Groups of wolves that live together, protect each other. Most
werewolves are born into it. They grow up learning to control the wolf, to shift at will. But when someone is
bitten—someone like you—it’s different. The transformation is harder, more violent. You don’t have the same
instincts to guide you.”
Sienna frowned. “So, I’m an outsider?”
Lucian nodded. “Yes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn. I’ll teach you.”
She didn’t respond, her thoughts swirling. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be taught. She wasn’t sure she
wanted to be anything other than human.
“There are also hunters,” Lucian continued, his tone darkening. “They’ve been around as long as we have.
Their job is to eliminate any threat. To them, every werewolf is dangerous. It doesn’t matter if you’ve hurt
anyone or not. They won’t care.”
A chill ran down Sienna’s spine. “So, they’ll come after me?”
“If they find out about you, yes.” Lucian’s expression was grim. “That’s why you need to learn control, fast. The
more attention you draw, the more dangerous it becomes.”
Sienna clenched her fists, her fear morphing into anger. “So, what am I supposed to do? Just hide forever?”
“No,” Lucian said. “You learn. You get stronger. And you survive.”
The cold certainty in his voice left no room for argument.
---
They arrived at a small clearing deep in the woods, a place that felt untouched by time. The trees formed a protective ring around them, and the ground was soft beneath their feet, covered in moss and leaves. Lucian
stopped in the center, turning to face her.
“This is where we start.”
Sienna frowned. “Start what?”
“Your training.” He studied her for a moment, his eyes narrowing. “I need to see what you’re capable of.”
“I don’t even know what I’m capable of,” she muttered.
Lucian’s expression was unreadable. “That’s what we’re here to find out.”
Before she could respond, Lucian lunged at her.
Sienna barely had time to react. Her body moved on instinct, faster than she’d ever thought possible. She dodged his attack, her heart racing as adrenaline surged through her veins. Lucian was fast—faster than any human could be—but somehow, she was keeping up.
He came at her again, his movements precise and controlled. Sienna ducked, narrowly avoiding his strike. Her
mind was a blur, but her body knew what to do. She lashed out, her fist connecting with Lucian’s chest, and to her shock, he stumbled back.
For a moment, they both stood still, breathing hard. Lucian wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, a strange smile playing on his lips.
“You’re stronger than I thought,” he said, his voice laced with something that sounded like approval.
Sienna blinked, her chest heaving. “What the hell was that?”
“That was me testing your reflexes,” Lucian replied. “And you passed.”
Sienna scowled. “You could’ve warned me.”
Lucian shrugged. “In a real fight, no one’s going to warn you.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but then closed it. He was right. If the hunters were as dangerous as he said,
she couldn’t afford to be caught off guard.
Lucian’s expression grew serious again. “There’s something else you need to know. The full moon—it’s in three
days. When it comes, the wolf inside you will try to take control. You won’t have the luxury of thinking. You’ll
be driven by instinct.”
Sienna’s heart skipped a beat. “What am I supposed to do?”
Lucian’s gaze was steady. “You fight it. You hold on to who you are. And you don’t let the wolf win.”
---
Later that night, after hours of training, Sienna made her way back to her apartment, her body exhausted but
her mind still racing. Lucian had been relentless, pushing her to her limits, testing her strength, her speed, her
instincts. And though she hated to admit it, she was starting to understand why.
She was stronger now. Faster. But was it enough?
As she unlocked the door to her apartment, a cold chill ran down her spine. Something was wrong.
The door creaked open, and Sienna froze. Her apartment had been ransacked. Furniture was overturned,
drawers pulled open, their contents scattered across the floor.
But it wasn’t the mess that made her blood run cold.
It was the note pinned to the wall with a silver dagger. The blade gleamed in the dim light, and the paper
fluttered slightly in the breeze from the open window.
Sienna stepped closer, her heart pounding in her chest. The note was scrawled in dark, jagged letters.
We know what you are. And we’re coming for you.
Her hands shook as she backed away, the reality of her situation crashing down on her like a wave.
The hunters had found her.
- Writer
