Chapter Eleven: The Pack Calls

The city was alive with the rhythm of the night, but inside his penthouse, Alex could feel a cold, electric tension in the air. The full moon was rising, and with it, everything he had been running from was about to crash into him. The wolf inside him stirred, its restlessness undeniable. For the first time since learning the truth about his inheritance, Alex could no longer ignore the power within. The transformation was imminent, and whether he was ready or not, it was time to face it.

Alex stood in front of the window, his eyes trained on the dark sky above. He could feel the pull of the moon, the way it called to him. It was almost like a siren song, a beckoning force that he couldn't resist. The wolf was close to breaking free, and Alex had no idea how he was going to handle it. He had been trying to hold onto his humanity, trying to maintain control, but he could feel the control slipping through his fingers.

The knock on the door came suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. He turned sharply, his instincts kicking in, but he quickly calmed himself. It was Mary. She had been there for him through everything, and right now, he needed her more than ever.

"Alex?" Her voice came through the door, soft and hesitant. "Are you in there?"

Alex walked to the door and opened it, finding her standing in the hallway, her expression filled with concern. Mary always knew when something was off. And tonight, Alex couldn't hide it. He had never been good at pretending, especially not with her.

"Come in," he said, stepping aside.

She walked in, her eyes scanning him carefully. "You've been shutting yourself away. I've been trying to get you to talk, but you keep pulling away. What's going on, Alex?"

Alex sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He could feel the tension building inside him, the pull of the wolf growing stronger with each passing minute. He had to tell her, but even as he thought about it, a part of him wanted to keep her out of it. She didn't deserve to be pulled into this mess.

"Mary, I don't know how to explain it," he said quietly, his voice cracking. "Everything is changing. I can feel it inside me—the power, the hunger—it's like something inside me is waking up. The wolf is real, and I don't know how to control it."

She stepped closer, her brow furrowing in concern. "Alex, you don't have to do this alone. You're not alone in this. I know you're scared, but you've always been strong. You can figure this out."

Her words, soft and steady, offered him a small comfort, but they didn't quiet the storm inside him. He was trying to hold onto himself, trying to stay grounded in the world he knew. But the pull of the wolf was undeniable. It was in his blood. It was who he was now.

"I don't know if I can control it, Mary," Alex admitted, his voice low. "I've been fighting it, but I can't run from it anymore. The full moon is here, and everything's about to change. I don't know if I'm ready."

Mary reached out, placing her hand on his arm, her touch grounding him in the chaos of his emotions. "Alex, you don't have to be ready. You just have to be you. And you've always been more than capable of handling whatever comes your way. You've got this."

He met her eyes, searching for some kind of reassurance, some spark of hope. "I don't know if I believe that anymore. I don't know if I can be the leader my parents wanted me to be. I don't know how to take control of this power."

"You don't have to be like your parents, Alex," she said softly, her voice filled with warmth and conviction. "You just have to be yourself. You've always been strong, and you've always had the ability to lead. You just need to believe in that."

Her words settled over him, like a blanket that momentarily eased the cold that had taken root in his chest. He had spent so much of his life trying to be what others expected him to be, trying to live up to the legacy his parents had left behind. But maybe, just maybe, he didn't need to be them. Maybe he could forge his own path.

Alex closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I don't know if I'm ready, but I can't ignore it anymore. I can't keep pretending I'm not part of this world."

Mary stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. "You don't have to do it alone, Alex. I'm here. And I'll be with you, every step of the way."

Her words, her presence, gave him the strength to take the next step. The wolf inside him was a part of him. It always had been. And now, he had to learn to live with it, to control it, to use it to lead the pack. He couldn't keep hiding from the truth anymore.

He turned away from her, walking toward the window again, his gaze lost in the distance. The moon was rising higher, its light casting a soft glow over the city. Tonight was the night. The first shift. The moment everything would change.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Mary's voice came from behind him, gentle but filled with concern.

Alex turned back to her, his heart pounding in his chest. "I don't know if I'm ready, but I have to do this. I can't keep running."

Mary nodded, a small smile on her lips. "You don't have to run anymore. We'll face this together."

For the first time in days, Alex felt something other than fear—he felt a flicker of hope. He wasn't alone. He had Mary. He had the strength inside him, even if he didn't fully understand it yet. And for the first time, he wasn't afraid of what would happen when the wolf inside him rose.

The full moon was close now, and with it, his destiny. He would face the wolf. He would lead the pack. And maybe, just maybe, he would learn to embrace both the man and the animal within him.