CHAPTER TWENTY
The moon is high, casting ethereal light through the dense canopy of the dark woods. My heart pounds with a wild rhythm as I stand beside Ethan, our breaths mingling in the cool night air. Anticipation coils tight in my chest; this is the moment where we shed our human shells and embrace the wilderness within.
"Ready?" Ethan's voice is a low rumble, his blue eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Always," I shoot back, the corner of my mouth lifting in a half-smile.
Our bodies contort, bones and sinew twisting, reshaping into something powerful, something primal. My senses sharpen as my form shifts, the scents of pine and moist earth filling my nostrils. Beside me, Ethan's transformation mirrors my own, his body expanding, fur sprouting along broad shoulders and down strong lim
