Chapter 7 The Call of the Moon
Lana’s POV
The forest floor was cold beneath my bare feet, but I barely felt it. All I could feel was the thing inside me clawing to get out.
"Breathe," Kian said, his voice steady even as my entire body convulsed. "Don't fight it. Let her come."
"It….it hurts," I gasped, collapsing to my knees. My skin felt like it was on fire, burning from the inside out. Bones were shifting beneath muscle and flesh, breaking and reforming in ways that shouldn't be possible. I screamed, unable to hold it in anymore.
Kian knelt beside me, pulling me against his chest. His warmth should have comforted me, but instead it made everything worse. The proximity of his power amplified mine, creating a feedback loop of agony.
"You're safe," he whispered against my hair. "I've got you."
My vision blurred. The world tilted sideways as my body continued its violent metamorphosis. This wasn't like anything I'd imagined. The pain was primal, ancient, as if my wolf had been waiting eighteen years to claw her way out of my skin.
My fingers began to extend, nails becoming claws. Dark fur rippled across my arms, spreading like ink through water. I tried to scream again but my voice came out as something between human and animal, a sound of pure anguish.
"That's it," Kian encouraged, his hand stroking my spine as my backbone began to shift. "Let her out. She's been waiting so long."
The moon above us seemed impossibly large, pulling at something deep inside my chest. My last coherent thought was that I was dying. This had to be death because nothing could hurt this much and still be living.
Then everything went white.
When consciousness returned, I was different.
The world was sharper, more vivid. Scents I'd never noticed before flooded my senses; the rich earth beneath my paws, the distant smell of a stream, the musk of the male wolf beside me. Speaking of which...
"Mine".... something inside me growled, and it wasn't my voice. It was deeper, primal, female, and absolutely certain.
I looked down and saw black fur where my arms should be. Massive black paws. I tried to speak but only a low whine came out.
"Don't panic", a deeper voice said in my mind, and I realized it was Kian. His consciousness was touching mine through the bond. "You're in wolf form. It's normal to feel disoriented. That's your wolf's instincts overwhelming your human mind. Let her take the lead for now."
I wanted to question this, to demand explanations, but my wolf had other ideas. She stretched massive muscles that had never existed before, testing the strength of legs that could carry me faster than any human could run.
"Come", Kian's voice urged, and suddenly he was beside me, a silver wolf nearly as large as myself, with eyes that glowed like molten metal. Our wolves recognized each other with a connection that went beyond words. The pull between us was magnetic, inevitable, perfect.
We ran.
I'd never experienced anything like it, the pure freedom of moving through the forest at a speed that made the wind scream past my ears.
The earth flew beneath my paws, and every muscle burned with power I didn't know I possessed. My wolf sang with joy, and I understood that this was what she'd been waiting for. This was home.
Kian ran beside me, our shadows merging in the moonlight. Every time he drew close, a current of electricity passed between us; the mate bond singing in harmony. My wolf pushed faster, testing him, and he matched every surge with ease. We were perfectly balanced. Perfectly matched.
We ran for hours, maybe. Time lost meaning. There was only the forest, the moon, and the silver wolf who was undeniably mine.
Eventually, we came to a clearing where a small lake reflected the full moon like a mirror. Kian slowed, and I matched his pace, both of us breathing hard. Then he did something that made my wolf both terrified and thrilled, he shifted back to human form.
I stood frozen, uncertain, my massive wolf body suddenly feeling vulnerable in a way I didn't understand.
"Your turn", he said, though his lips didn't move. He was communicating directly through our bond now. "Let your human side come back. I'll catch you when you fall."
The shift back was, if possible, even more painful than the first one. My bones had to break again, reform again. My fur receded, revealing human skin underneath. I fell, unable to support myself, and Kian was there, catching me before I hit the ground.
I was shaking violently, exhausted beyond measure, and completely naked. I should have been horrified. Instead, I felt safe wrapped in his arms, his warmth chasing away the cold of the night air.
"What... what was that?" I managed to ask through chattering teeth.
"Your first shift." He carried me to a nearby rock, wrapping me in the fur cloak he'd brought. Smart man. "How do you feel?"
"Like I just ran a marathon after being hit by a truck." I looked up at him, his silver eyes catching the moonlight. In this moment, he didn't look like the dangerous Blood Alpha who'd killed to protect me. He looked like something more, something ancient and powerful and completely devoted to me. "How long was I out of control?"
"You were never out of control." He brushed damp hair from my face. "Your wolf is incredibly strong, but she listened when I called. The bond between us is already quite solid."
"I felt her," I whispered. "My wolf. She... she wanted you."
"Of course she did." A slight smile played at his lips. "She recognizes her mate."
The word sent a jolt through me. Mate. It sounded permanent. Binding. The kind of thing that changed everything.
"I don't even know you," I said, but it felt like a lie. Because I did know him, somehow. I'd felt his emotions through the bond, sensed his absolute certainty that I belonged with him. It should have terrified me. And part of me was terrified. But another part, the part that was more wolf than human, was certain that he was right.
"You will." He pulled me closer. "I promise you, Lana, you'll know everything about me. My past, my scars, my fears. All of it."
"Why?"
"Because mates don't keep secrets from each other. Not if they want to build something real." He tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. "And I want real with you. Not just the bond. Not just the power. You."
Before I could respond, a sound made us both go rigid. Voices. Multiple voices, and they were coming our way.
"Hunters," Kian said, his entire body tensing. "Or worse."
"What do we do?"
"We run." He stood, scooping me up despite my protests. "Your first shift exhausted you. You need rest and food. And we need to get you back to the castle before..."
The sky lit up with torchlight. Not from hunters. From the direction of the castle.
"No," Kian breathed, and I felt his fear spike through our bond. He set me down, throwing the cloak around me more securely. "Someone's attacking."
In the distance, I could see flames. The castle was burning.
"Your home," I whispered.
"I don't care about the castle," he said fiercely, taking my hand. "I care about getting you to safety. And whoever's attacking is about to learn exactly why I'm called the Blood Alpha."
He was already moving, pulling me toward the castle, his human form moving faster than should be possible. Behind us, I heard the sounds of pursuit. Ahead, the flames grew larger.
We burst through the castle gates to chaos.
Warriors clashed in the courtyard. Blood stained the stone. And standing at the center of it all, wearing the formal robes of the Council, was a woman with eyes as cold as winter.
"Well," she said, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. "The Eclipse Wolf emerges. How convenient."
Kian stepped in front of me protectively, his body going rigid. I felt his recognition through the bond- fear, anger, and something else. Something that felt
like an old wound opening up.
"Mother," he said quietly.
I nearly dropped the cloak.
His "mother"?