CHAPTER 9 — The First Shift
869 Words
Mirabel sat on the edge of the bed long after Lucian left the room.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
Becoming one of them?
Turning into a wolf?
Dying if her body rejected it?
Her mind spun like a storm.
She pressed her palms to her eyes, trying not to break down.
But her heartbeat suddenly throbbed—hard, fast, painfully.
“Not again…” she whispered.
Her chest tightened, heat flooding her veins. Her skin prickled as if electricity buzzed under it.
Then—
Knock.
The door opened before she could answer.
Lucian stepped inside, a dark look shadowing his face.
“Mirabel?”
She looked up at him, breath shaking. “Something is wrong.”
He was by her side in an instant.
“What hurts?” he demanded, cupping her shoulders.
“Everything.”
Her voice cracked.
Lucian lifted her chin, his eyes scanning her face with worry that looked too real, too raw for someone like him.
“You’re burning,” he murmured, pressing the back of his hand to her cheek.
Mirabel jerked back as another wave of pain shot up her spine.
“L-Lucian—”
Her knees buckled.
He caught her before she hit the floor, pulling her against him.
“Easy,” he breathed. “Just breathe.”
A strangled cry escaped her lips.
Sweat beaded across her forehead.
Her bones felt like they were being squeezed, reshaped, pulled apart.
“Is this—” she gasped, “—the transition?”
Lucian’s jaw tightened. “Too early. It shouldn’t be happening yet.”
Mirabel clutched his shirt, her nails digging in as another pulse of agony ripped through her chest.
“I can’t—”
Her voice broke.
“I can’t do this!”
Lucian held her tighter, one hand at her back, one gripping her waist.
“You can,” he whispered fiercely. “I’m right here. Look at me.”
She tried.
But her vision blurred with tears and pain.
“Lucian—it hurts—” she sobbed. “Make it stop, please!”
His expression cracked for the first time.
Fear.
For her.
“Mirabel, listen to me,” he said, his forehead touching hers.
“You’re strong. You’re going to survive this.”
“No… I’m not…”
Her voice was faint.
He growled softly, not in anger, but desperation.
“You will. Because I won’t let you die.”
Her body convulsed, heat spiraling through her limbs. She cried out again, the sound raw and broken.
Lucian pulled her fully into his arms and sank onto the bed with her, cradling her against his chest.
Her head fell against his shoulder, her breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts.
“Lucian… help me…” she whispered.
He closed his eyes tightly.
“I’m here,” he murmured into her hair.
“Just hold onto me.”
Her fingers gripped him like a lifeline.
“Is this… how you changed?” she asked through clenched teeth.
Lucian didn’t answer immediately.
His silence said enough.
“It’s worse for you,” he finally said. “You weren’t born a wolf. Your body is fighting itself.”
Mirabel’s lips trembled. “Am I dying?”
“No.”
He said it like a vow.
Fierce.
Untouchable.
Absolute.
But she saw the fear flicker in his eyes.
Another wave of pain struck her, harsher than the last. She screamed, collapsing forward.
Lucian caught her face in his hands.
“Mirabel!”
His voice shook.
“Stay with me. Look at me!”
She couldn’t.
Her vision darkened.
Her body jerked violently, and for a second, she felt something shift beneath her ribs—something alive.
“Lucian… what’s happening to me?!”
He pulled her onto his lap, holding her tightly as if he could shield her from the agony.
“You’re awakening,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Your wolf is trying to break free.”
Mirabel sobbed into his chest.
“I don’t want this,” she cried.
“I just want my life back.”
Lucian’s heart clenched painfully.
His hand slid into her hair, holding her head against him.
“I know.”
His voice cracked for the first time.
“I’m so sorry, Mirabel.”
Her breathing grew ragged, shallower.
Her body shook uncontrollably.
Lucian pressed his lips to her forehead—
a soft, desperate kiss.
“Stay,” he whispered against her skin.
“Don’t leave me.”
The pain slammed through her one last time—
And her scream echoed through the entire house.
Her eyes snapped open—
And they were glowing.
Silver.
The same as his.
Lucian froze.
His breath left him in a trembling exhale.
“Mirabel…”
His voice was almost a whisper.
“You made it.”
She collapsed against him, exhausted, trembling, barely conscious.
But alive.
Lucian caught her, pulling her fully into his arms, holding her like she was the most fragile—and most important—thing in the world.
He pressed his cheek to her hair.
“You survived,” he murmured.
“My mate…”
Her faint whisper brushed his skin.
“Lucian… don’t let go.”
He held her tighter.
“Never.”
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- Writer
