Chapter 41 Chapter 41: First Howl

Chapter 41 Chapter 41: First Howl
SAM POV
The black sedan’s taillights disappeared around the corner, taking Lucas and Jerry with them. I stood there alone under the pouring rain, water streaming down my face, soaking through my hoodie and jeans. My heart was still hammering from the conversation. The burner phone Lucas had slipped me felt heavy in my pocket, like it was burning a hole straight through the fabric.
I turned and started walking back toward the estate. The rain came down harder now, loud and relentless, drumming against the pavement and the leaves overhead. Each step sent cold water splashing up my legs. I told myself I needed to get back before Marcus realized I was gone. The bond in my chest already felt… off. Tight. Like something was pulling at me from the inside.
The unsettling feeling started small. Just a low irritation under my skin, like ants crawling everywhere. I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake it off, but it only got worse. My chest grew hot. The bond flared sharply, sending a jolt of pain through my ribs every time I thought about staying away.
“Fuck,” I muttered, pressing a hand to my sternum. The rain kept pounding down, but I barely felt the cold anymore. Heat was building fast.
My fingers started burning. I looked down and froze. The tips of my fingers were changing. Skin stretched tight as dark claws slowly pushed out, sharp and black. I gasped, stumbling backward. Pain exploded through my hands like someone was snapping every bone.
“Oh shit— no, no—” My voice cracked. My knees hit the wet grass beside the road. The irritation turned into agony. My spine arched as something deep inside me twisted and cracked. I could hear my own bones shifting, popping loudly under the rain. Fur rippled across my arms in waves, dark and thick. I yanked at my hoodie, ripping it off because it suddenly felt like it was choking me. My trousers stayed on, barely, the fabric tearing at the seams as my legs changed shape.
I screamed through clenched teeth. The pain was everywhere—my face lengthening, teeth sharpening, muscles tearing and rebuilding stronger. My vision sharpened until I could see every raindrop clearly. Scents flooded me: wet earth, distant car exhaust, my own fear-sweat. I clawed at the ground, mud caking under my new claws. My body kept changing, joints realigning with wet, sickening cracks. It hurt so much I thought I was dying.
Then it stopped.
I lay there panting on all fours, chest heaving. The rain felt different now—cooler against my fur. I shook my head, ears flicking water away. A strange rush surged through me. Power. Freedom. I stood up on four legs, shocked at how natural it felt. My trousers hung loose and torn around my hind legs, the only piece of clothing left.
I took one experimental step, then another. A wild energy built inside me. Without thinking, I launched forward.
I ran.
The world blurred. My paws slammed against the pavement, claws clicking. I felt strong. Alive. A shocked sound—half laugh, half growl—escaped my throat. I veered toward a row of parked cars along the street and crashed into the side of one without meaning to. The car alarm blared instantly, loud and piercing through the rain. I didn’t care. I kept running, faster, the siren fading behind me as I tore down the dark road.
Freedom. Real freedom. No guards. No walls. No Marcus watching my every move. Just the rain on my fur and the ground flying beneath me.
A loud, powerful howl cut through the night from somewhere far behind me. The sound vibrated in my bones. Something inside me answered instinctively. I accelerated, paws pounding harder, exhilaration flooding every inch of my body. I felt free. Truly free for the first time since everything started.
Then I felt it—something big behind me.
I skidded to a stop and whipped around, heart slamming. A massive wolf emerged from the shadows, easily twice my size. Black fur, scarred muzzle, powerful shoulders rippling with muscle. Golden eyes glowed through the rain. Fear shot through me. I backed up, claws digging into the mud, ready to fight or run.
But the scent hit me first. Cedar and smoke, mixed with blood and raw alpha power. The same scent that had filled the bunker when Draven’s men held me. The same wolf that had torn through guards like they were nothing to reach me.
Marcus.
Recognition flooded me through the bond. It was him. No doubt. The huge wolf slowed, ears forward, watching me. He looked surprised, head tilting slightly. Then something like appreciation showed in the way his golden eyes softened for a second.
He let out a low chuff and started running past me, taking the lead. I followed without thinking. We ran side by side through the storm, his larger body cutting through the rain like a shield. Our paws matched rhythm. The bond sang between us even in this form—warm, alive, pulling us together. I felt his surprise again, and underneath it, a deep satisfaction that I had shifted. That I was running with him.
We ran for what felt like miles, leaving the city streets behind, climbing into a wooded area on the outskirts. Marcus led the way up a steep path until we reached a small clearing overlooking the distant city lights. The rain had eased into a steady drizzle. He stopped and shook out his fur.
I did the same, feeling the shift reverse. Bones cracked again, but less painfully this time. Fur receded. Moments later I stood on two legs, breathing hard, only the torn remains of my trousers clinging to me. Marcus shifted too, standing almost naked a few feet away, rain sliding down his scarred, powerful body. His wound from earlier was still visible, angry and red along his side.
He stared at me, golden eyes intense. “You shifted.”
I nodded, still catching my breath. “First time. It hurt like hell.”
Marcus stepped closer. The rain dripped from his black hair onto his shoulders. “Most omegas don’t shift this early. The bond… it pushed you.” He sounded almost proud. “You kept up with me. Not bad.”
We stood there in the clearing. The tension from earlier hadn’t disappeared, but something felt different now. Easier. I sat down on a wet rock, wincing at the cold. Marcus lowered himself beside me, close enough that our arms brushed.
“I needed air,” I said quietly. “After everything… the bunker, the bond, our conversation at the estate. I just needed to breathe without everyone watching.”
Marcus stayed silent for a moment, staring out at the city lights. “I know what it feels like to be caged. But running away won’t fix it, Sam. This world will eat you alive if you’re alone.”
“I’m not trying to run forever,” I muttered. “I just… I don’t know what I want anymore. Everything’s changing so fast. The bond. You. Me. I feel like I’m losing myself.”
He turned to look at me. His expression was raw. “You’re not losing yourself. You’re becoming what you were always meant to be. Stronger.” His voice dropped. “When you disappeared tonight, the bond nearly drove me insane. I thought Draven had you again. Or anyone.”
I swallowed hard. I touched my pocket instinctively. The burner phone was still there, solid and damning. I didn’t mention Lucas. Not once. “I was just with Silas,” I lied, forcing the words out. “Talking. That’s all.”
Marcus studied me for a long second. His eyes flicked down to my pocket where my hand still rested, then back up to my face. He didn’t push. Not yet.
The rain picked up again lightly. Things felt… better between us. Not perfect, but the anger from earlier had cooled. We sat in silence for a while, the bond humming steadily, warm instead of painful.
Marcus’s phone buzzed where he had left it on a rock. He picked it up, glanced at the screen, and frowned.
“Elena dropped a message,” he said, voice turning serious. “Something important. I need to attend to it.” He stood up, muscles flexing. “Let’s go. The car is parked nearby.”
I stayed seated, rain dripping down my bare chest. “I don’t feel like going home right now.”
Marcus paused. He looked back at me, golden eyes searching my face. For a moment I thought he might argue. Then he nodded slowly.
“I have something you will like to see.”