33_ Unfolding truth

The soft morning light streamed through the blinds, warming my face and stirring me from sleep. I shifted slightly, feeling an arm wrapped protectively around me. Dylan. His steady breathing was soothing, his presence grounding after everything that had happened the day before. For a fleeting moment, I felt safe—like the chaos surrounding us couldn’t touch me here.

But reality came crashing back as I remembered my near-transformation and the wildness that had consumed me. I closed my eyes tightly, willing the memories away, but the knot of fear in my chest only tightened.

“Morning,” Dylan’s groggy voice broke the silence, and I felt his hold on me loosen slightly.

I turned to look at him. His messy hair and sleepy eyes might’ve been endearing if my mind wasn’t consumed with fear.

“Morning,” I replied, forcing a small smile.

His eyes studied my face, and his brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

I hesitated, unsure how to voice the storm inside me. “I don’t think I should go to school today.”

Dylan sat up, leaning against the headboard. “Why not?”

“The full moon is in two days,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, Dylan. Yesterday was a disaster. What if I lose control again? What if I hurt someone? What if I hurt you?”

He reached out, his hand resting on mine. “You’re not going to hurt anyone, Katrina. We’ll figure this out together, okay? But if you’re not ready for school, you can stay here. I’ll stay with you.”

I looked at him, grateful for his unwavering support. “Thanks,” I murmured.

The scent of coffee and scrambled eggs filled the air as Dylan and I sat at the small kitchen table. Despite my worries, the mundane act of eating breakfast brought a strange sense of normalcy.

“So,” Dylan started, breaking the silence, “what do you want to do today? Besides avoiding the apocalypse, of course.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “I don’t know. Hide under a blanket? Watch movies? Pretend I’m not part of some grand prophecy?”

“Solid plan,” he said with a grin. “But let me suggest an alternative: we take it easy, talk things out, and see what we can figure out.”

I sighed, poking at my eggs. “Talking never seems to help. It just makes things more confusing.”

“Maybe,” Dylan admitted, “but it’s better than bottling everything up. You’ve got to let it out, Katrina. I’m here for you.”

I glanced at him, his sincerity melting a bit of the tension in my chest. “Fine. Let’s talk, then. What do you think about all this? The prophecies, the wolves, Sabina’s lies?”

Dylan leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “I think it’s a mess. But I also think we’re making progress, even if it doesn’t feel like it. The truth always comes out eventually.”

“Yeah, but at what cost?” I muttered.

“Whatever it is,” he said firmly, “we’ll deal with it. Together.”

As I was about to reply, a sharp, searing pain shot through my chest. It felt like my ribs were being crushed from the inside. I gasped, clutching at my shirt, and before I could stop myself, a scream tore from my throat.

“Katrina!” Dylan’s voice was filled with alarm as he jumped from his chair and rushed to my side.

I couldn’t answer. The pain was unbearable, radiating through my entire body. I fell to the floor, trembling as my vision blurred. And then I felt it—my wolf stirring, pushing forward with an intensity I couldn’t control.

“No... no, no, no!” I gasped, fighting against the shift. My hands clawed at the tile, and when I looked down, my fingers were elongating, nails turning into claws.

“Katrina, listen to me,” Dylan said, crouching in front of me. His voice was calm but firm. “You’ve got to stop this. You’re stronger than this.”

But I couldn’t hear him over the rush of blood in my ears and the overwhelming force of my wolf. My senses sharpened; I could smell his fear, taste the tension in the air. And worse, I could feel the primal urge to attack.

“Stay back!” I choked out, my voice a guttural growl.

Dylan didn’t move. Instead, he reached out, his hands firm on my shoulders. “You’re not going to hurt me. I know you won’t.”

His words cut through the haze, grounding me just enough to push back against the transformation. It took every ounce of strength I had, but slowly, the claws retracted, my vision cleared, and the pain subsided.

I slumped to the floor, trembling and drenched in sweat. “What... what just happened?” I whispered, my voice shaky.

Dylan exhaled deeply, relief flooding his features. “I don’t know, but it’s over now. You’re okay.”

“No, I’m not,” I said, sitting up and hugging my knees. “I almost hurt you, Dylan. I felt it. What if I can’t stop myself next time?”

“You will,” he said firmly. “I trust you, Katrina.”

I shook my head, tears brimming in my eyes. “I should go. Get far away from here. From you. I can’t risk it.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Dylan said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We’ll figure this out together. I’m not letting you face this alone.”

I looked at him, his determination unwavering, and nodded reluctantly.

To distract ourselves from the chaos, we decided to watch movies. Dylan picked an old comedy, and for a while, I managed to forget about prophecies and transformations. His laughter was infectious, and I found myself smiling despite everything.

But the peace didn’t last long.

Dylan’s phone buzzed on the coffee table, and he grabbed it, frowning at the screen. “I need to take this,” he said, standing and moving to the corner of the room.

I tried to focus on the movie, but my wolf ears picked up every word of the conversation.

“What did you find?” Dylan asked, his voice low.

There was a pause, and then, “Sabina’s been visiting someone named Talia... Yeah, Talia. Apparently, she’s her mother.”

I froze, my heart pounding. Sabina’s mother? The same Talia who hannah talked about?

Dylan turned back to me after ending the call, and the look on his face told me he already knew I’d heard everything.

“Katrina...” he started, but I cut him off.

“Talia is Sabina’s mother?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

all.

I stared at Dylan, my mind spinning as the weight of the revelation settled in. Sabina’s mother was Talia? The same Talia who had bound the werewolves for years? It was too much of a coincidence. My fists clenched at my sides, and I could feel my wolf stirring restlessly within me.

“I knew Sabina was lying,” I said, my voice shaking with anger. The more I thought about it, the more obvious it became. Her reactions, her evasive answers—it all made sense now.

Dylan nodded, his jaw tight. “If Talia is Sabina’s mother, and Talia’s the one who bound the other werewolves, then Sabina also lied about not knowing there were others out there.”

I felt my rage bubble over, hot and uncontrollable. I stood up abruptly, pacing the room. “Oh, I’m so going to kill her when I find her,” I spat, my wolf agreeing wholeheartedly.

“Katrina,” Dylan said, standing to block my path. He placed his hands gently on my shoulders, forcing me to stop and look at him. “I get it. I’m angry too, but we need to be smart about this. Charging in headfirst won’t help anyone.”

“She’s been playing us, Dylan,” I growled, shrugging off his hands. “Lying to us, manipulating us—while we’ve been trying to figure this out, she’s been withholding everything. How can we trust anything she’s said?”

“I know,” he replied, his voice steady despite the frustration in his eyes. “But we need answers more than we need revenge right now. We have to stay focused.”

I exhaled sharply, trying to calm the fire burning in my chest. He was right, as usual, but that didn’t make it any easier to swallow. “Fine,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “But when we do find her, she better have some damn good answers.”