Chapter 36. I Look Like A Savage
Lia
The first sign that something was changing came three days after the bond was completed.
I woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, my skin burning like I had a fever. Kai was beside me immediately, his hand cool against my forehead.
"You're burning up," he said, concern bleeding through the bond. "I'm calling the healer…"
"No." I caught his wrist, surprised by how strong my grip was. "I'm fine. It's just... hot."
But it wasn't just heat. My entire body felt like it was vibrating, like something underneath my skin was trying to push out. Every sound was too loud, the crackle of the fireplace, Kai's breathing, even the wind outside the window. And the smells... god, the smells. I could distinguish every scent in the room, pine soap, leather, Kai's unique musk, the faint trace of whoever had cleaned the room last week.
"Lia." Kai's voice was gentle but firm. "This isn't normal. The bond shouldn't be causing this."
"It's not the bond." I sat up, pushing sweat-soaked hair from my face. "It's what Theron said. About the dormant bloodline."
Kai's expression darkened at Theron's name, but he didn't argue. "You think your wolf is awakening."
"I think something is." I looked down at my hands. In the firelight, I could swear I saw something moving beneath my skin, shadows, or maybe fur. "I can hear everything, Kai. I can smell things I shouldn't be able to smell. And I feel... restless. Like I need to run. Like I need to…"
I cut myself off, but he understood.
"Hunt," he finished quietly. "You need to hunt."
I nodded, slightly ashamed of the primal urge.
But Kai just pulled me against him, his hand stroking my back. "It's normal. Every wolf feels it, especially during transformation. Your body is preparing for the shift."
"But I'm human. Was human. I don't know how…"
"We'll figure it out together." He kissed my temple. "For now, try to sleep. If it gets worse, we'll deal with it."
I wanted to believe him. But as I lay back down, feeling his heartbeat steady against my cheek, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
By morning, it was worse.
The sunlight hurt my eyes. Every sound grated against my nerves like sandpaper. And worst of all, I was starving, not for the breakfast tray that arrived, but for something raw. Something bloody.
The thought should have disgusted me.
Instead, my mouth watered.
"You need to eat," Kai said, watching me push scrambled eggs around my plate.
"I'm not hungry. Not for this." I dropped my fork. "This is going to sound insane, but I want... meat. Raw meat."
To his credit, Kai didn't even blink. "Your wolf is waking up. Raw meat is instinct." He stood. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"To the kitchens. If you need raw meat, we'll get you raw meat."
The walk through the pack house was torture. Every person we passed smelled different, some appealing, some threatening, all overwhelming. I found myself categorizing them without meaning to: pack, safe, ally, threat, rival.
When we reached the kitchens, the head cook took one look at me and immediately understood.
"Awakening," she said simply, and pulled out a plate of rare steak, barely seared.
I devoured it without utensils, without shame, blood running down my fingers. It should have been horrifying. Instead, it felt right. Natural.
When I finally looked up, Kai was watching me with an expression I couldn't read.
"What?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.
"Nothing." But a small smile played at his lips. "You're just... more beautiful when you stop fighting what you are."
Heat flooded my face. "I look like a savage."
"You look like a wolf." He pulled me close, not caring about the blood on my hands. "My wolf. My mate."
The possessiveness in his voice sent a thrill through me, and I felt something respond deep in my core, something that purred at being claimed.
Elder Miriam found us in the training courtyard that afternoon.
"We need to talk," she said without preamble. "About what's happening to you.
I glanced at Kai, who nodded. We followed her to a private room I'd never seen before, small, lined with books and maps, smelling of herbs and old paper.
"Dormant bloodlines are rare," Miriam began, settling into a chair. "Most wolves breed true, wolf to wolf. But occasionally, a wolf will mate with a human, and if the human is strong enough, the bloodline persists. Buried, yes, but not gone. It can skip generations, appearing randomly in descendants who seem entirely human."
"And that's what I am," I said.
"Possibly. Probably." She studied me with sharp eyes. "The signs are there. Enhanced senses. Craving raw meat. The restlessness. All indicators of an emerging wolf."
"But I never shifted before," I said. "I grew up completely human. Why now?"
"Because of the bond," Miriam said. "When Kai marked you, when he completed the bond, he awakened something in your blood. His wolf called to yours, and yours answered. It's been dormant your whole life, but now..." She gestured at me. "Now it's waking up."
"Is it dangerous?" Kai asked, his hand finding mine.
"It can be. Wolves who shift for the first time as adults often lose control. The transformation is more violent, more painful. And if the wolf is strong enough, it might not want to give the body back." Miriam's expression grew grave. "That's why dormant bloodlines are both valuable and feared. They're unpredictable."
"Theron said someone's been killing them off," I said slowly. "Treaty brides with dormant bloodlines. Do you think that's what happened to Elara?"