The hunger beneath the skin

Elara sat on the edge of her bed, gripping the pendant so tightly it left indentations on her palm. Kieran and Lucien stood in her small living room, watching her with a patience that felt like it was balanced on the edge of something far more dangerous.

The weight of their words still pressed against her chest.

You're not just a werewolf.

You're something stronger.

Something more dangerous.

She exhaled, forcing herself to meet Kieran's gaze. "Then let's find out what I am."

Kieran nodded, his expression unreadable. "There's only one way."

Lucien arched a brow. "Oh? I do love a dramatic reveal."

Kieran shot him a glare before turning back to Elara. "You need to shift."

Elara's stomach twisted. "What?"

Lucien smirked. "Well, that escalated quickly."

Kieran ignored him. "You need to tap into whatever is inside you. If you're truly a wolf, your instincts will guide you."

Elara shook her head. "That's ridiculous. I would have shifted before now."

"Not if something was suppressing it," Kieran countered.

She faltered. Suppressing it.

Her mother had kept secrets. What if this was one of them?

"What if I can't?" she whispered.

Lucien crouched in front of her, his silver eyes gleaming with something both soft and dangerous. "Then we find another way."

Elara's pulse quickened. Why did he have to look at her like that?

Kieran stiffened, stepping closer. "You won't be alone in this. I'll help you."

Lucien's smirk widened. "So will I."

Kieran's gaze darkened.

Elara ran a hand through her hair, frustration bubbling to the surface. "And what if I don't want either of your help?"

Lucien chuckled. "Too bad, little moon."

Kieran sighed. "Let's go. The full moon is close. If anything can trigger your shift, it's that."

Elara swallowed hard. She wasn't ready for this.

But ready or not, she followed them into the night.

---

The forest was alive with energy.

Elara felt it vibrating beneath her skin, a pulse deep in her bones.

Kieran and Lucien stood on either side of her as they reached a clearing bathed in moonlight.

"Close your eyes," Kieran instructed.

She hesitated but obeyed.

"Breathe," he continued, his voice low, steady. "Feel the moon. Feel the pull."

Elara focused, letting the night wrap around her like a second skin.

And then—

A spark.

Heat ignited in her chest, spreading outward like wildfire. Her breath hitched as something shifted deep inside her.

Her body knew this feeling.

It had been waiting.

Lucien's voice was closer now. "There you are, little moon."

She gasped, falling to her knees as fire raced through her veins.

Kieran knelt beside her. "Don't fight it."

She clenched her teeth as her fingers dug into the earth.

Then—

A flash of silver.

Elara's vision blurred as the pain sharpened, her body trembling, changing—

And then everything went black.

---

When she woke, the world smelled different.

Stronger. Sharper.

She blinked, disoriented, her body feeling wrong.

"Elara," Kieran's voice was soft, reverent.

She turned—and saw herself.

Not human. Not fully wolf.

Something in between.

Lucien let out a slow exhale. "Well. That's… unexpected."

Elara's reflection stared back at her in the river's surface—glowing silver eyes, darkened veins along her arms, and elongated claws.

Not a wolf. Not human.

Something else.

Something new.

She shivered. "What am I?"

Kieran and Lucien exchanged a glance.

And for the first time, neither of them had answer.