The training field was bathed in the cold, gray light of early dawn.
I stood in the center of the clearing in simple training leathers, heart hammering with anticipation and dread. Today, I would attempt my first full shift.
The Beta faced me, stance wide and balanced, his expression a mixture of fierce determination and quiet concern.
He had risked much by meeting me here before the rest of the pack woke.
“Again,” he said, voice steady. “Focus on the bond. Feel the wolf inside you. Don’t fight it — invite it.”
Kael’s dark chuckle echoed through my mind, rich and possessive.
Invite me, Little Moon. Not him.
I closed my eyes and reached inward.
The golden warmth in my chest flared instantly. Shadows curled at the edges of my vision. My bones began to ache — a deep, grinding sensat
