The forest had always been alive at night. That was normal. Comforting, even.
Tonight?
Tonight it was screaming.
Every leaf that rustled felt intentional. Every snapped twig sounded like a warning. The wind didn't just pass through the trees, it whispered, like it knew something I didn't.
Or worse... like it knew something I was trying very hard not to think about.
My wolf was pacing under my skin, restless and smug, like it had been waiting for this moment. Hungry and excited. Whispering secrets it definitely shouldn't be allowed to know but somehow did.
Kelan stuck close, because of course he did. His hand brushed mine every few steps, grounding me, reminding me I was still human. Still me.
"You need to focus," he murmured. "Let it guide you. Not control you."
Easy for him to say.
I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath, doing the thing everyone said I should do-listen to the forest. Not the sounds, but the pulse beneath them. The life. The wolves.
Big mistake.
At first it was just noise. Chaos. Thoughts crashing into each other; fear, hunger, irritation, pride. Someone thinking about dinner. Someone else worrying about being watched. My wolf loved it. Absolutely dove in like a child into deep water.
And then...
Oh.
Oh no.
I wasn't just sensing movement anymore.
I was hearing thoughts!
I froze so hard I almost tripped over my own feet.
A young wolf sparring nearby thought,
"She's stronger than she looks. Too strong. Don't get close."
Another one whispered in his mind, "Focus. Don't let her see you shaking."
I grabbed Kelan's arm like it was the only solid thing left in the world.
"I can hear them," I whispered. My voice sounded wrecked. "Kelan... I can hear their thoughts."
He stared at me. "You're-wait. You mean-"
"Yes." I didn't want to say it out loud, but my wolf was practically purring. Dark. Proud. Thrilled. "Thoughts. Intentions. Everything."
Kelan sucked in a breath and tightened his grip on my shoulder. "That's incredible. And also... very bad. If anyone figures this out-"
"They already have," I cut in.
Because I could feel it now. The pack's awareness. Like a web under my skin. Fear. Curiosity. Suspicion. A whole lot of "what is she?"
My wolf loved that too, by the way. It wanted attention. Challenge. Recognition. It did not care about my desire to stay alive.
I forced myself to breathe slower, to keep control. Because if I lost it now, I wouldn't just be different.
I'd be dangerous.
We moved deeper into the forest, and the younger wolves scattered. Their thoughts fluttered everywhere-Is she testing us? Is she watching? Is she even a wolf?
And then something cut through all of it.
A whisper. Barely there but sharp.
"She's mine... soon..."
I stopped dead.
That thought didn't belong to anyone in the pack.
My wolf snapped to attention instantly, all excitement gone, replaced by something colder.
Kelan noticed. Of course he did. "Ayla? What's wrong?"
"I don't know," I said, and for once I really didn't. "It's not them. It's... something else."
The voice came again, closer this time.
"We're waiting... The shadow wolf is..."
Great. Fantastic. Definitely needed that tonight.
My stomach dropped. I didn't know what a Shadow Wolf was, but my wolf absolutely did and it reacted with a terrifying mix of warning and hunger.
"Kelan," I whispered, stepping back. "It's hunting me."
He didn't laugh. Didn't question it. He just tightened his stance. "We'll handle it."
He didn't get to finish.
Something shifted behind us. Not quite a wolf. Not quite anything I could name.
And I heard its thoughts as clearly as my own.
Every hair on my body stood up. My wolf growled, claws scraping dirt as it pushed forward, ready to break free. The presence in the shadows was heavylike the forest itself was holding its breath.
"Ayla, stay with me," Kelan said sharply.
I wanted to scream. Or shift. Or run. Or attack. My body ached for it. My wolf was practically vibrating, begging me to let it loose.
And then it hit me-the worst part.
This thing didn't just know my power.
It knew me. My wolf. My instincts. My secrets.
"It knows me," I whispered, shaking. "Everything."
Kelan's eyes widened. "Then we warn the Alpha. Now."
"No." I shook my head hard. "If the pack feels this... they'll try to kill it. Or me. Probably both."
The presence lingered, patient and terrifyingly calm. Waiting for me to make a mistake. Waiting for me to answer.
The forest felt too close. Every sound too loud. Every shadow alive.
And then, clear as day, the voice came one last time-deliberate and cruel.
"Soon, Ayla."
My heart stopped.
My claws dug into the ground.
And I knew, with horrible certainty, that I wasn't just being hunted, I was being chosen.
