Instincts

{ Mia }

" How do I turn back?" I screamed frustrated.

" Are you sure you want to ?" Ash growled amused.

" What do you mean?!"

" I mean when you transformed all your clothes were ripped"

" What?!"

Ash just chuckled. " Amature."

Then, a thought struck me.

" I can summon clothes like the axe!"

I smiled.

" Yeah yeah whatever..." Ash sulked before guiding me to on how to de-transform.

" Just close your eyes and breathe. Stay calm and imagine yourself reverting back. Feel the way your bones crack, the way your hands move ..."

Doing as she said I get myself changing. The air around be felt colder as it came into contact with my bare skin. I shivered.

" See, if you stayed in your wolf for you wouldn't be cold." Ash chuckled.

" Shut uppp!!" I waved my hand.

" Now, time for clothes." I breathed deeply imagining the same portal opening up. The air shifted around me I slowly opened my eyes seeing the magical portal open around me. " Not bad." Ash purred in my head.

I rolled my eyes and stuck my hand into the portal. It felt, endless—

" This is awesome..." I muttered.

Then, I thought about clothes, pulled my hand out and there they were." We're Locked and loaded baby!"

" Impressive."

" Now, back to camp..." " Ummm..."

" You want me to help ? " Ash asked amusement evident in her tone.

I just shook my head and nodded.

~ back at camp ~

The campfire flickered in the distance, casting warm, dancing shadows against the trees. My heartbeat was still unsteady, my skin tingling from the transformation. Every step felt too light, too quiet. My senses were still sharper than before—I could hear the crackling fire, the rustle of leaves, and the steady breathing of someone nearby.

Ash hummed in my mind. "You're still adjusting. It'll take time."

I ignored her, focusing on the clearing ahead. Ace and Cole were still unconscious, lying near the fire. Relief flooded through me—they were still here. Still safe.

But something felt… off.

I stepped closer, my eyes scanning the camp. The air was still. Too still. The night had been alive with sounds before, but now, everything felt muted.

We weren't alone.

I tensed. "Ash," I whispered, "do you feel that?"

"Yes. Someone's watching."

My fists clenched. I had barely recovered from one fight—was I already walking into another?

A twig snapped behind me.

I whirled around.

Nothing. Just trees, stretching into the darkness. But I felt it. That eerie sensation of being hunted.

My breath came slow and controlled. "Show yourself," I called out, my voice steady despite the unease crawling up my spine.

Silence.

Then, a voice. Smooth. Mocking.

"You're different now, Mia."

My blood ran cold.

It was him.

The captor.

Still lingering.

Still watching.

Still waiting.

" Mia, let me take control. Transform!!" Ash commanded.

" No, I can do this myself..."

Focusing all my energy to my arms I attacked.

Golden light spewed through the air like a blade but just as it was about to hit the man, a dark shadow engulfed it, leaving Ash to fight for control.

" Mia, you can't do this alone let me help you!" Ash yelled.

" No." I whispered panting. " I can do this, alone!"

But Ash kept fighting, leaving me weak. I could feel my energy draining by the second. Sweat dripped from my body as I tried to fend her off while protecting myself and my friends.

" Stop it Ash..." I grumbled. " You're draining me. I can't keep this up much longer..."

" Then let me in. "

With one final push Ash broke through me and I shifted. My bones cracked and hair spewed all over my body. My nails transformed into claws ready to attack.

I lunged completely giving up. Ash was in full control.

{ Ace }

A dull ache pulsed behind my eyes, each heartbeat sending fresh waves of pain through my skull. My body felt heavy, like I'd been out for days.

What… happened?

I inhaled sharply. The scent of smoke and damp earth filled my lungs, but something else lurked beneath it. Something metallic. Something sharp.

Blood.

My blood?

No, someone else's.

I forced my eyes open, but the world was a blur of light and shadows. My muscles ached as I tried to move, a deep exhaustion weighing me down. My fingers dug into the dirt beneath me, cool and grounding. I was outside. Not in a cell. Not trapped.

I blinked, my vision slowly sharpening. A fire flickered in the distance. Camp?

Where was I?

Then, movement.

A massive figure darted through the clearing, fast and lethal. White fur flashed under the moonlight, golden eyes burning like fire.

A wolf.

A huge one.

I sucked in a breath, my instincts screaming at me to move. But my body refused, still too weak.

The wolf lunged, claws slicing through the air toward—

A man.

A familiar man.

My stomach twisted. It was him. The one who took us.

The captor dodged easily, shadows curling around his form like armor. The wolf snarled in frustration, circling him.

I watched, heart pounding, as it attacked again faster, stronger. But something was off.

It hesitated.

No. She hesitated.

I didn't know how I knew, but I did.

The way the wolf moved, the way it fought, it was too familiar.

Too human.

A terrifying thought slammed into me, knocking the breath from my lungs.

Mia.

No. That was impossible.

Wasn't it?

Mia struck again, her claws aiming straight for the man's throat. But at the last second, her body jerked, like something inside her was resisting.

She skidded back, panting, ears pinned.

I clenched my jaw.

She was resisting.

And it was killing her.

I forced myself up onto my elbows, my head swimming. "Mia…" I croaked, but my voice was lost beneath the growls and crashing movement. But yet somehow, she heard me . She faltered, just for a moment, her golden eyes flickering toward me.

She tilted her head. " Ace?"

That was all the captor needed.

His fist, shrouded in darkness, connected with her side.

She yelped.

A sound so sharp and wrong it made something deep inside me snap.

I didn't think. I moved.

Pain shot through my body as I stumbled forward, barely staying upright. I wasn't at full strength I could barely stand but that didn't matter.

Mia was in trouble.

And I needed to stop this.