Chapter 4:Run with the Moon
991 Words
The forest swallowed them whole.
Branches whipped past Elera’s face as Kael dragged her deeper between the trees, his grip tight around her wrist. The ground beneath her feet was uneven, roots and stones threatening to trip her at every step.
“Faster,” Kael urged, his voice low but urgent.
“I’m trying!” she gasped, her lungs already burning.
Behind them, the howls grew louder. Closer.
Not just one anymore.
Many.she risked a glance over her shoulder—and instantly wished she hadn’t.
Shapes moved in the darkness. Large. Fast. Not fully visible, but enough to know they weren’t human. Glowing eyes flickered between the trees, tracking them. Hunting them.
Her heart slammed against her ribs. “Kael—what are those?!”
“I told you,” he said sharply. “The others.”
“They’re trying to kill me?!”
“They’re trying to claim you.”
That didn’t sound any better.
A snarl tore through the night—closer than ever.
Suddenly, something lunged from the side.
Elera screamed as a massive figure burst from the shadows, slamming into Kael. The force sent him crashing into the ground, his grip on her breaking instantly.
“Kael!”
“Run!” he shouted.
But her feet wouldn’t move.
The creature rose slowly, stepping into the moonlight. It was huge—far bigger than any normal wolf. Its fur was dark as night, its teeth bared in a low, threatening growl. Its glowing eyes locked onto Elara.
She stumbled backward, her breath shaking. “Stay away from me…”
The wolf took a step forward.
Then another.
Predator.
Prey.
Elara’s back hit a tree. Nowhere left to go.
Fear exploded inside her chest—hot, overwhelming, suffocating.
And then—
It changed.
The fear twisted into something else.
Something stronger.
Something wild.
A sharp pain shot through her arm. Elara cried out, clutching it as the sensation spread—burning, tearing, reshaping. It felt like her bones were shifting beneath her skin.
“What’s happening to me?!” she gasped.
The wolf lunged.
Instinct took over.
Elera threw up her hands—and something snapped.
Her fingers stretched, nails lengthening into sharp, claw-like points. Her vision sharpened, the world suddenly clearer, brighter, every movement painfully precise.
She could hear everything.
The wolf’s breathing.
Its heartbeat.
Her own—louder, faster, stronger.
Time slowed.
The wolf’s jaws came at her—
And Elara moved.
Faster than she ever had before.
She dodged to the side, slamming into the creature with a force that shocked even her. It stumbled, clearly not expecting resistance.
Elara stared at her hands—no, not hands anymore. Claws.
“I… I did that…”
A growl escaped her lips.
But it didn’t sound human.
The wolf recovered quickly, circling her now, more cautious.
Elera’s heart pounded, but the fear was fading. Replaced by something dangerous. Something powerful.
A second wolf emerged from the shadows.
Then a third.
They surrounded her.
Her breathing slowed. Her body lowered slightly, instinct guiding her stance.
Fight.
The thought wasn’t hers.
Or maybe it was.
The first wolf lunged again—but before it could reach her, a blur of movement slammed into it from the side.
Kael.
Only—he wasn’t fully human anymore.
His eyes glowed brighter now, his movements faster, more animalistic. His teeth had sharpened, his posture changed. Not fully transformed… but close.
“Move!” he shouted at her, holding the wolves back.
Elera hesitated, her claws trembling. “I—I can fight!”
“Not yet!” he snapped. “You don’t control it!”
As if to prove his point, another wave of pain surged through her. Stronger. Wilder.
She dropped to her knees, gasping as the power inside her spiraled out of control.
“Kael—help me!”
He turned briefly, his expression tense. “You have to fight it, Elara! Don’t let it take over!”
“But it hurts!”
“I know!”
Another wolf lunged at him, forcing him back into the fight.
Elera clutched her head, her breathing uneven. The sounds of the forest became overwhelming. The growls. The movement. The scent of everything around her—earth, blood, danger.
And beneath it all—
The moon.
She looked up.
It shone through the trees, brighter than ever.
Calling her.
The power inside her surged again, stronger this time—but instead of fighting it…
Elara held onto it.
Just enough.
Her claws remained—but the pain eased slightly. Her breathing steadied.
She stood slowly.
The wolves froze.
Even Kael glanced at her, surprise flashing across his face.
Elara’s golden eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
This time—she didn’t look away.
“Leave,” she said, her voice low, steady… and not entirely human.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, one by one, the wolves backed away into the shadows.
The forest fell silent again.
Elara’s chest rose and fell as the power slowly faded, her claws retracting back into normal fingers. The golden glow in her eyes disappeared.
And just like that—
She collapsed.
When Elera opened her eyes again, Kael was kneeling beside her, watching her carefully.
“You didn’t run,” he said quietly.
Elera swallowed, her body still weak. “Neither did you.”
A faint, almost impressed smile touched his lips.
“You’re stronger than I thought,” he said.
Elara looked down at her hands, now normal—but she could still feel it.
The power.
The wolf.
“I almost lost control,” she whispered.
Kael shook his head. “No.”
He met her gaze.
“You held on.”
Elera’s heart skipped.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
Kael stood slowly, offering her a hand.
“It means,” he said, “you’re not just turning into a werewolf…”
He paused.
“You might be something more.”
- Writer
