Chapter 5: First Full Moon Warning
770 Words
The days blurred into a strange rhythm at the safe house.
By day, Zane taught Lina the basics—how to listen for pack scents on the wind, how to spot unnatural shadows in the trees, how to hold a knife without cutting herself. She was a quick learner, her hands steady even when her heart wasn’t.
By night, they shared the bed without touching. Not really. Just close enough that she could feel his warmth, hear his breathing slow as he fought sleep. The bond hummed between them like a live wire—quiet, constant, impossible to ignore.
On the fifth night, Zane woke her before dawn.
“Full moon’s in three days,” he said, voice low. “We need to prepare.”
Lina sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Prepare how?”
“I can chain myself in the old root cellar. Thick iron bars. My grandfather used them when the curse first hit him.” He paused. “But if the beast breaks free… I don’t want you anywhere near.”
She stared at him. “You’re not chaining yourself alone.”
“Lina—”
“No.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “If I’m your mate, I’m not hiding while you fight this thing by yourself. We figure it out together.”
His eyes flashed gold—anger, fear, something deeper. “You don’t know what it’s like. The pain. The rage. I’ve hurt people before. Good people.”
“Then teach me how to help.” She stood, arms crossed. “Show me what happens. Let me see the curse so I’m not blind when it hits.”
Zane ran a hand through his hair. “You’re stubborn as hell.”
“You have no idea.”
He exhaled sharply. “Fine. Tonight. After dark. I’ll shift partially—controlled. Just enough for you to understand.”
They spent the day fortifying the cabin. Zane reinforced the doors with extra bars. Lina gathered supplies—water, blankets, a first-aid kit she hoped they wouldn’t need. Tension hung thick between them, unspoken questions piling up.
As the sun dipped behind the ridge, Zane led her to a clearing behind the cabin. Moonlight already silvered the snow.
“Stay back,” he warned. “And if I tell you to run—run.”
Lina nodded, heart in her throat.
He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath.
The change started slow. Muscles rippled under his skin. Bones shifted with wet cracks that made her stomach turn. Fur sprouted along his arms, dark as midnight. His eyes burned brighter gold, pupils slitting like a wolf’s.
He grew taller, broader. Claws extended from his fingertips. Fangs lengthened.
But he didn’t lose control. Not completely. He stayed on two legs, breathing hard, staring at her through the haze of the beast.
“See?” His voice was deeper, rougher. “This is me holding it back. On the full moon… there’s no holding.”
Lina stepped forward despite every instinct screaming no.
She reached out. Touched his cheek—warm fur, hot skin beneath. He flinched but didn’t pull away.
“You’re still you,” she whispered. “Even like this.”
Zane’s clawed hand covered hers. Gentle. Careful. “Barely.”
The partial shift faded slowly. Fur receded. Bones settled. He dropped to one knee, breathing ragged.
Lina knelt beside him, hand still on his face. “We’ll chain you if we have to. But I’m staying close. If the bond is supposed to help, maybe being near me keeps you grounded.”
He looked up at her, eyes fading back to normal gold. “You’re risking everything.”
“I know.” She smiled faintly. “But I’m not leaving you to face it alone.”
He pulled her into his arms—sudden, fierce. Buried his face in her hair. “God, Lina… what are you doing to me?”
She wrapped her arms around him. Felt his heart racing against hers. “The same thing you’re doing to me.”
They stayed like that until the cold forced them inside.
Later, under the quilts, he held her for the first time. Not tentative. Not careful. Just held her like she was the only thing keeping the darkness at bay.
She traced the cursed mark on his arm with her fingertip. “We break this. Together.”
Zane pressed a kiss to her forehead—soft, reverent. “Together.”
Outside, the moon climbed higher.
Three days.
And the night everything would change was coming fast.
- Writer
