Chapter 5 : Lost In The Moonlight

*Lena*

Time seemed to slow as I watched the doorknob turn fully, and with a final push, the door burst open. I braced myself as Eason rushed in, expecting to see horror engraved across his beautiful features, expecting him to run away in fear as soon as he witnessed what was going on.

Instead, he knelt beside me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Lena, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern. “Why did you suddenly leave the party?”

I was afraid to look into his eyes, but also, I was confused. Shouldn’t he be running away? I stared at my hands. The claws were gone, and although I still felt drained, every primal urge had disappeared. It left me wondering if I’d imagined it all.

“I… I’m not feeling well,” I managed to croak, still avoiding his gaze.

Eason’s brow furrowed with worry. “Let me help you. Do you need some water? Medicine?” He started to stand, ready to fetch whatever I needed.

Panic surged through me. I couldn’t let him stay. “No!” I blurted, more forcefully than I intended. He visibly flinched, obviously surprised by my outburst. “I… I can’t stand it anymore.” My heart clenched, hating myself for what I was about to do. “Your sister, your family… I hate them all. Just… just leave me alone.”

I finally met his eyes, and I almost broke. I wanted to apologize, pull him into a tight hug, and say that I had no idea what was going on. But I knew that wasn’t the right thing to do.

“Go!” I yelled, pushing him out of the bathroom. “Get away from me.” I shut the door firmly and turned away from him, not wanting to keep looking at the shock and hurt swimming in his eyes.

I heard Eason’s voice, thick with emotion, through the bathroom door. “Lena, I... I’m sorry. I had no idea you felt that way about my family. I thought…” He trailed off, and my heart shattered. The guilt was overwhelming, but I knew this was the only way to keep him safe.

“Please, just go,” I managed to choke out, fighting to keep my voice steady.

There was a long pause, then I heard a soft thud against the door. “I brought your favorite cake,” Eason said quietly. “I’ll leave it here for you. I... I’m sorry, Lena.” 

I waited, barely breathing, until I heard the front door close. He was gone. 

Suddenly, an overwhelming urge took hold of me. My body moved of its own accord, driven by instincts I didn’t understand. Before I knew what was happening, I had flung open the window and leaped out into the night.

The moment the moonlight touched my skin, everything changed. It was as if a switch had been flipped in my mind. 

My bare feet hit the grass, and I was running. The world looked different through my new eyes - sharper, clearer. Even in the darkness, I could see every leaf, every blade of grass. The scents of the night filled my nostrils, rich and intoxicating.

With each stride, I felt the change progressing. My bones shifted and reformed, my muscles stretched and grew. Fur sprouted across my skin, and my face elongated into a muzzle.

And I didn’t try to stop it. I welcomed the feeling. My human thoughts were distant now as I shifted completely, running on all fours now. Driven by instinct, I threw back my head and howled, my voice echoing through the trees. 

All that mattered was the hunt, the moon, and the primal call of the night.

—

I found myself naked and shivering in the Angeles National Forest, leaves and twigs sticking to my skin. The events of the night before came rushing back, no longer dulled by animal instincts. The realization hit me like a physical blow.

I was a werewolf. 

No. I couldn’t live like this. I couldn’t live my life afraid of being around people I cared about. But… I didn’t have a choice. Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to process this new reality. 

One thing was for sure, things would never be like they used to.

I stumbled through the woods, trying to orient myself. After about an hour, where thankfully I didn’t run into any early morning joggers, I approached my house. My heart sank even further. 

There, sitting on my front steps, was Zara. 

“Zara, I…” I whimpered, my voice hoarse. As I looked into her worried hazel eyes, I realized I didn’t know what to say. I stood there, frozen, as Zara rushed toward me. To my surprise, she didn’t recoil or ask more questions. Instead, she wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace.

“Oh, Lena,” she murmured. “I was so worried about you.”

Tears I’d managed to fight away found their way back to my eyes. Noticing my obvious distress, Zara gently guided me into the house, her arm still around my shoulders. Once inside, she sat me down on the couch and draped a blanket over me.

She took a deep breath and looked me in the eye. “I think the person who bit you is a werewolf.”

I closed my eyes, trying to put my emotions in check. I didn’t even process the words. I could only think of one thing. “Eason,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “What am I going to do about Eason? I can’t... I can’t tell him what I’ve become. He’ll hate me. He’ll be afraid of me.”

Zara took my hand, squeezing it gently. “Lena, Eason loves you. He’s going to find out the truth eventually. You can’t keep this from him forever.”

I shook my head, unable to face that reality. I said nothing, there was nothing else I could say.

Zara didn't push the issue. Instead, she pulled me into another hug, holding me tight. “Listen to me,” she said firmly. “No matter what happens, no matter what you decide to do, I’m here for you. Always. We’ll figure this out together, okay?”

I nodded against her shoulder, tears streaming down my face. I cried because I knew things were only about to get worse. 

—

*Eason*

The cafeteria bustled around me, noises and scents merging into a giant ball of overstimulation. But I barely noticed. My mind was stuck on that horrible birthday party two nights ago. I’d started the night on a good note, happy to see my girlfriend. Then, it was like I blinked and she was declaring she hated my family and shoving me out of her house in the middle of the night.

It hurt, more than I’d like to admit.

“Hey, Eason! How’s it going with that girlfriend of yours?” 

I snapped out of my thoughts, looking up to see Ethan and the rest of my teammates gathering around the table. “Not great,” I admitted, the words tasting bitter. “Lena’s been... cold lately. Distant.”

They exchanged glances, their concern clear. It was suffocating.

“Maybe I’ve been neglecting her,” I continued, flexing my bandaged wrist absently. “It’s got me down, and I guess I haven’t been the best boyfriend.”

“That’s why you should do a grand romantic gesture, show her you really care,” Ethan suggested. 

“Yeah… you could book the entire restaurant, get her flowers. Girls love that stuff,” Jason added.

My other teammates started chiming in with advice, their words blending together. All I could think about was Lena and the fear that I was losing her. I had it all planned out – before everything went to shit. Win next month’s tournament and sweep her off her feet with a grand proposal.

“I was actually planning to propose,” I said, surprising everyone around me. “I wanted to do it right,” I muttered, more to myself than my teammates. “Take her on proper dates, plan our future together, just the two of us.”

Just as the words left my mouth, movement caught my eye. I quickly stood, excusing myself. Their curious gazes followed me, but I was focused solely on Lena. 

“Eason, I’m so sorry,” she blurted out as soon as I was in front of her. “What I said last night about hating your family, I didn’t mean it. And I shouldn’t have left like that. It wasn’t fair to you.”

I hadn’t expected her to apologize first. A part of me wanted to immediately tell her it was okay, that I understood. But, I decided to play it cool, even though in my heart, I had already forgiven her.

I furrowed my brow, trying to look stern. “That was pretty harsh, Lena,” I said, keeping my voice low. “And I can’t believe you chased me out of your house.”

I watched as she closed her eyes, probably recalling the painful memory. It was hard to maintain this facade when all I wanted was to pull her into my arms and forget about the whole thing.

“But,” I continued, softening my expression after watching Lena squirm for a couple more seconds, “I appreciate your apology. It means a lot.” I could see the relief wash over her face and it made my heart swell. “I forgive you,” I added, reaching out to take her hand.

Lena grinned, quickly stealing a kiss. “I missed you so much.”

I pulled her closer, giving her a proper kiss. “That’s for being so beautiful,” I smiled, leading her to a more quiet part of the cafeteria. “I need to tell you something though.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve submitted evidence that Jake set me up. This injury,” I gestured to my hand, “it’s not just from training. It’s the result of his jealousy, his attempt to sabotage me.”

Lena’s hand flew to her mouth. “How did you…”

I placed a finger over her lips. “Not here.” She nodded, and I dropped the finger. “From now on, I’m going to take proper care of myself. I’m not going to let Jake have the last laugh. I’m going to get back in shape quickly, to be ready for when I can get back in the game. No more sulking, no more pushing people away.”

My heart began to race as I prepared for what I was about to say next. “Lena, there’s something else,” I said, my voice softer now, “something important I want to talk to you about. Not here, though. Would you... would you like to go for a walk with me later? Maybe the park by the lake?”

I held my breath, waiting for her response. Did she suspect what I was planning? The ring box suddenly felt heavy in my pocket, but I couldn’t chicken out. 

Lena looked at me curiously, a small smile playing on her lips. “Sure. Is everything okay?”

I nodded, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. “Everything’s fine. Better than fine. I just... I have something I need to ask you.” I pulled her close and kissed her softly. The warmth of her lips against mine sent a thrill through my body, and I couldn’t help but smile as we parted. “See you later.”

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I found myself in my room, pacing back and forth, rehearsing my proposal over and over. Once the sun began to set, I made my way to the park, my stomach a knot of nerves and excitement.

And then I saw her.

She was sitting on a bench drinking what looked to be coffee from a takeaway cup, the last rays of sunlight catching her hair and making it glow. She was breathtaking, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. I approached her, my rehearsed speech flying out of my head.

“Hey, beautiful,” I said, sitting down beside her. “Fancy meeting you here.”

She laughed, the light sound like music to my ears. “I could say the same thing to you.”

We fell into easy conversation, teasing and joking with each other. It felt so natural, so right. This was why I wanted to marry her, I thought. This effortless connection we have.

As we talked, I noticed the sky getting darker. I was about to suggest we move to a more romantic spot when I noticed Lena’s expression change. She looked anxious, her eyes darting around the darkening park.

“Lena? Is everything okay?” I asked, concerned.

She nodded, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. “Yeah, it’s just... it’s getting pretty dark.”

I shrugged, not understanding her worry. “It’s not so bad. The lights are on, and-”

Suddenly, Lena jumped, knocking over the cup of coffee she’d been holding. The lid popped off as it hit the ground and leftover ice shattered all over, the noise seeming unnaturally loud in the quiet park.

“I… I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed, her voice breaking.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s just a cup,” I reassured her. “Let me get you some tissues to clean up.”

I turned away, jogging towards a nearby dispenser. As I grabbed a handful of tissues and turned back, my heart stopped. The bench was empty. Lena was gone.

“Lena?” I called, panic rising in my throat. Where could she have gone so quickly?

Without thinking, I started running, my eyes scanning the darkened park frantically.

I had to find her.