HER EYES- Run little Wolfe

Bonnie’s pov: The day had finally come. For twenty one years Bonnie McCarthy had counted down to this night, and now there were only hours left. By twelve o’clock midnight, under the full moon, she would finally become whole. She would turn. Every born child of the pack waited for their twenty first birthday. It was the night the wolf fully awakened, the night flesh met instinct, the night they became more than human. Bonnie had dreamed of it since she was a little girl. The pack had lived in Mystic Falls among humans in plain sight for years. They smiled in public, worked jobs, raised families, paid bills and attended school like everyone else. But beneath all of that, they were wolves. This town belonged to them. Its woods were their hunting ground. Its streets were their territory. Anyone foolish enough to threaten the pack answered to the Alpha. Bonnie’s father. Hunters were nothing now but old stories told to little wolves before bed. Warnings from another age. Names whispered beside fires to make children behave. No hunter had stepped foot in Mystic Falls for decades. “It’s time,” Bonnie said excitedly as she spun around her bedroom. Moonlight spilled through the window and caught the smile on her face. She had changed outfits three times already and still could not stay still. Sophia sat across the room on Bonnie’s bed, arms folded, watching her like she was both adorable and exhausting. “Oh, you’re excited,” Sophia said with a grin. Bonnie laughed. “Obviously.” She stopped in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of her black jacket. “I’ve waited my whole life for this.” Sophia rose from the bed and crossed the room slowly. Her dark curls rested over one shoulder, her eyes softer than usual. “You talk like it’s a party.” “It is a party.” “No, Bonnie,” Sophia said, stopping in front of her. “It’s pain.” Bonnie rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.” “I’m serious.” Sophia reached for her hand. “I turned last year, remember? Every bone in my body cracked. My lungs burned. My skin felt like it was tearing apart. I screamed so loud my mother cried outside the room.” Bonnie listened, but the excitement in her chest refused to dim. “And after all that,” Bonnie said, squeezing Sophia’s hand, “you became a wolf.” Sophia stared at her. “Yes.” “You became stronger, faster, freer.” “Yes.” Bonnie smiled proudly. “Then I can handle a little pain.” Sophia groaned. “You are impossible.” Bonnie laughed and moved toward the window. Outside, Mystic Falls slept peacefully under the silver glow of the moon. Beyond the houses, beyond the road, the woods stretched wide and dark. Waiting. “I want to know what it feels like,” Bonnie said quietly. Sophia came behind her and wrapped both arms around Bonnie’s waist. “Like what?” “To run through the trees with the moon above me. To hear everything. Smell everything. To feel wild.” Bonnie rested back against her. “I’ve always felt like something inside me is pacing in circles.” Sophia’s hold tightened. “You won’t feel human and wolf split apart anymore,” she said softly. “You’ll feel complete.” Bonnie smiled. “Exactly.” For a moment they stayed like that in silence. Then Sophia spoke again. “After the ceremony, they’ll tell the old tale.” Bonnie frowned slightly. “What tale?” Sophia hesitated. “The curse story.” Bonnie turned in her arms. “Tell me.” “You know I’m not supposed to.” “Tell me anyway.” Sophia sighed dramatically. “They say the first she-wolf was betrayed by her own blood. Before she died, she cursed the pack. Every hundredth marked moon, she would return through one born under her sign.” Bonnie blinked. “That’s it?” “That’s it.” Bonnie smirked. “You looked hotter when it sounded dangerous.” Sophia burst into laughter. “You flirt at the worst times.” Bonnie stepped closer. “And yet it keeps working.” She kissed Sophia. Slowly at first, then deeper when Sophia pulled her close. The bedroom door opened. They jumped apart immediately. Bonnie’s father stood in the doorway. Silence swallowed the room. Tall, broad and severe, Alpha Marcus McCarthy carried authority without trying. Even standing still, he felt dangerous. His sharp eyes moved from Bonnie to Sophia and back again. “Basement,” he said coldly. “Five minutes.” “Okay, papa,” Bonnie replied quickly. He gave one final glance around the room, then turned and walked away. The door shut. Sophia exhaled. “One day he’s going to catch us.” Bonnie shrugged. “He already suspects.” “And you’re still not telling him?” “After tonight.” “You always say after tonight.” Bonnie grabbed her jacket from the chair. “Because tonight matters.” Sophia folded her arms. “And what if he forbids it?” Bonnie stepped forward and kissed her once more. “Then I’ll disobey him beautifully.” Sophia tried not to smile and failed. “You’re trouble.” “You love trouble.” “I do.” Bonnie opened the door. “Meet me in the woods after.” Sophia’s expression turned serious again. “Be careful tonight.” Bonnie winked. “Stop worrying. It’s my time.” She left before Sophia could answer. The halls of the McCarthy house were already alive with movement. Pack members walked downstairs in dark clothes, voices low with anticipation. Everyone knew what tonight was. The Alpha’s daughter would turn. Bonnie descended the steps into the basement. The large stone room had been cleared for the ceremony. Candles burned along the walls. Symbols had been painted on the floor in ash and oil. Elders stood near the back, whispering among themselves. Pack members formed a circle around the center space. Her father waited there. Bonnie’s pulse raced. She stepped into the middle. Faces watched her with pride, curiosity and expectation. Some smiled. Some bowed their heads respectfully. Her father lifted his hand and the room went still. “Tonight,” he said, his deep voice filling the chamber, “my daughter takes her true place among us.” Cheers rose around her. Bonnie grinned. Marcus looked at her, something softer passing through his eyes for only a second. “Stand strong.” She nodded. The old clock above the basement stairs began to strike. One. Two. Three. Each sound made Bonnie’s heartbeat louder. By the twelfth strike, moonlight poured through the narrow basement window and touched the floor beside her. Bonnie closed her eyes. She waited for pain. For heat. For bones to crack. For the beast inside her to rise roaring. Nothing happened. Her eyes opened. The room was silent. She swallowed. Still nothing. No claws. No shift. No wolf. A whisper came from somewhere in the crowd. “What’s happening?” Bonnie looked at her father. “Papa…?” His face had gone pale. Another whisper, “She didn’t turn.” “That’s impossible.” “No born wolf fails.” Bonnie’s breathing quickened. “I don’t understand.” She looked at her hands like answers might be written there. An elder stepped backward, fear clear in his eyes. Then another did the same. The circle around her slowly widened. Like she was something to avoid. Like she was dangerous. The elder’s voice shook as he pointed at Bonnie. “She is wolfless.”