CHAPTER TWO:The Stranger

Caleb's body ached like he had been crushed beneath a truck. Every muscle throbbed, his skin felt raw, and his head pounded with the force of a drumbeat. But none of that compared to the cold fear settling in his stomach as he stared at the man standing at the edge of the clearing.

The stranger's golden eyes glowed, inhuman and unreadable, locked onto Caleb like a predator sizing up its prey. He was tall, broad-shouldered, his features sharp and rugged, but there was something more—something unnatural about him. His presence sent every instinct in Caleb's body screaming.

The man tilted his head, sniffing the air. "You're new."

Caleb struggled to his feet, his legs weak beneath him. "Who the hell are you?" His voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.

A smirk tugged at the corner of the man's mouth. "Someone who's been waiting for you." He took a step closer, his movements smooth, almost too controlled. "Did you enjoy your first night?"

Caleb's mind reeled. Flashes of memory threatened to surface—his bones snapping, his vision blurring, the overwhelming hunger. He swallowed hard. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The man let out a low chuckle. "Denial won't change what you are."

Caleb clenched his fists. He didn't have time for riddles. "What am I?"

The man studied him for a long moment before answering. "A wolf. A hunter. A predator." He took another step forward, his golden eyes gleaming. "And from the looks of it, an untamed one."

The words sent a chill down Caleb's spine. The memories came rushing back—the scent of the forest sharper than ever, the feeling of power coursing through his veins, the sound of his own heartbeat like a drum in his ears. The hunger. The blood.

No. It couldn't be real.

He shook his head. "This is a mistake. I'm just—"

"Human?" The man's voice was almost amused. "Not anymore."

Caleb's breath came faster. His hands trembled. No. This wasn't possible. People didn't just turn into monsters. That was something out of stories, out of nightmares.

And yet—his body told a different story. The ache in his bones, the sharpness of his senses, the instincts stirring beneath his skin.

The man watched him carefully, as if waiting for something.

"You felt it, didn't you?" he asked. "The power. The hunger. The thrill of the hunt."

Caleb flinched. He had felt it. And worst of all—part of him had liked it.

He took a shaky step back. "I don't want this."

The man's expression darkened. "It doesn't matter what you want. The change has already begun." He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "And if you don't learn to control it, you will hurt someone."

Caleb's stomach twisted. The memory of blood on his hands surfaced, sharp and vivid. He didn't know if it had been an animal or—God help him—a person.

"I can help you," the man said. His voice was steady, certain. "But you need to trust me."

Caleb met his gaze. The golden glow in the stranger's eyes wasn't just inhuman—it was familiar.

Because deep down, Caleb knew that his own eyes would soon look the same.

And there was no turning back.