34_ Came to pass

Dylan paced back and forth, his phone pressed to his ear. “Come on, Sabina. Pick up,” he muttered, his tone laced with frustration.

I sat on the couch, my legs pulled to my chest, trying to focus on my breathing. The anger bubbling inside me hadn’t subsided since we learned the truth about Sabina. Dylan’s attempts to reach her were only making it worse.

After several failed calls, Dylan cursed under his breath and dialed his friend again. “Hey, I need a favor,” he said, keeping his tone casual. “Can you help me track down Sabina’s current location? It’s important.”

His friend on the other end of the line asked if everythingwas okay, and Dylan hesitated before replying, “It’s nothing serious. Just some unfinished business. I’ll explain later.”

I could hear every word with my wolf-enhanced hearing, and it made my blood boil. Unfinished business? That was putting it lightly.

“She’s ignoring us because she knows we’ve figured her out,” I snapped, unable to hold back. “She’s a liar, Dylan! A manipulative liar! And now we know she’s connected to Talia. How could we have trusted her for even a second?”

Dylan held up a hand to silence me, ending the call with his friend before he turned to face me. “I get it, Katrina. I do. But losing our heads won’t solve anything.”

I scoffed, standing abruptly. “We’ve been wasting time trying to work with her, trying to make sense of this mess, and all the while, she’s been lying to us. To me!”

Before Dylan could respond, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my chest. I gasped, clutching at the spot as the world tilted around me.

“Katrina?” Dylan’s voice was filled with alarm as he rushed to my side.

I screamed as the pain intensified, spreading like wildfire through my veins. My wolf surged forward, clawing its way to the surface. My hands began to tremble, my nails elongating into claws.

“No,” I rasped, shaking my head as panic set in. “Not again.”

“Katrina, talk to me!” Dylan pleaded, his hands hovering near my shoulders, unsure if he should touch me.

“Stay back,” I growled, my voice deeper and rougher than usual. “Something’s wrong. I—I can’t control it.”

“You’re not going to hurt me,” he said, his voice steady despite the fear in his eyes.

But I could feel it—the aggression, the primal urge to attack. “I will, Dylan!” I shouted, stepping away from him. “Get out of here! Now!”

He didn’t move. Instead, he reached out, his expression filled with worry. “I’m not leaving you.”

The sound of his calm voice only enraged my wolf further. I growled, my teeth sharpening, and for a brief moment, I lost myself.

Dylan flinched but didn’t back down. “Katrina, fight it. You can do this.”

I couldn’t stay. If I stayed, I would hurt him, and I couldn’t live with myself if that happened. With a guttural growl, I bolted to my room, slamming the door behind me. My claws fumbled with the lock, and I slid to the floor, my chest heaving.

Dylan’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Katrina, talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”

“I don’t know!” I shouted, tears streaming down my face. The pain was unbearable, and the shift was happening slowly. It wasn’t even the full moon yet. Why was this happening now?

The heat in my body became suffocating, my wolf clawing to break free. I couldn’t hold it back any longer. Desperation took over, and I staggered to my feet, throwing open the window. Without a second thought, I leaped out and ran toward the woods.

The cool air hit my face as I sprinted, but it did little to ease the burning in my chest. My bones cracked and shifted as my wolf took over completely. I collapsed to the ground, letting the change consume me.

When I finally stood again, I was on four legs, my senses heightened and my mind clouded with aggression. The pain was gone, replaced by an uncontrollable urge to hunt.

A rustling sound caught my attention, and I turned toward it, my ears twitching. The scent of something—or someone—filled my nose, and my wolf took over entirely.

I moved silently through the underbrush, my eyes locked on a figure in the distance. Without thinking, I lunged.

A scream pierced the air, but it didn’t register. My teeth sank into flesh, and the taste of blood filled my mouth. The figure struggled beneath me, but my wolf was relentless.

It wasn’t until the struggle stopped that I regained a shred of control. I pulled back, panting, and looked down.

My heart dropped.

It was Claudia.

Her lifeless eyes stared back at me, her body limp and bloodied. My wolf recoiled, the aggression draining away in an instant.

“No, no, no,” I stepped back in horror. My claws retracted, and my human form returned as I fell to my knees.

“Claudia?” I whispered, my voice trembling.

I reached out hesitantly, my hands shaking. “What have I done?”

Tears streamed down my face as I stared at Claudia’s body. I hadn’t even known she was in the woods. Why was she here? How could I have let this happen?

The guilt hit me like a tidal wave, and I let out a choked sob. I had been so afraid of hurting Dylan, so determined to protect him, and now I had hurt someone else.

I stood frozen, my entire body trembling as I stared down at Claudia’s lifeless body. My mind reeled, trying to make sense of what I’d just done. The blood on my hands felt like it was seeping into my skin, a stain I’d never be able to wash away.

I couldn’t breathe.

Suddenly, the prophecy flashed before my eyes. It was as vivid as if I were living it all over again—the forest, the blood, the lifeless body beneath me. It was this moment.

“Oh, no,” I whispered, my voice breaking. Tears blurred my vision as I crumbled to my knees.

The realization was crushing. The prophecy hadn’t just been a warning; it had been a guarantee. I had let it happen. I had become the monster Sabina’s words had hinted I would be.

Sobs tore through me, raw and unrelenting. I didn’t know what to do. My wolf had betrayed me, or maybe I had betrayed myself. My instincts had taken over, and now an innocent person was dead because of me.

I looked around the clearing, desperate for some kind of solution, but there was none. Claudia’s blood was on my hands, and there was no undoing that. I glanced down at myself and realized with a jolt that I was completely naked, my clothes torn to shreds during the shift.

I’d left the house without my phone in my panic to escape. There was no way to call Dylan for help, and even if I could, what would I say? How could I explain this?

I sank down beside Claudia, wrapping my arms around my knees. The guilt was unbearable, suffocating me with every breath. I couldn’t stop the tears streaming down my face, each one carrying a piece of my broken spirit.

“Claudia,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “I’m so sorry. I—I didn’t mean to—”

The words felt hollow, meaningless. What did it matter if I didn’t mean to? She was gone, and it was my fault.

Then I heard it—Dylan’s voice, calling my name.

“Katrina!”

My head snapped up, my ears straining. He was close, his voice cutting through the stillness of the forest. I wiped at my face, but it was useless; the tears wouldn’t stop.

“No,” I murmured, panic setting in again. He couldn’t see this. He couldn’t see me like this.

“Katrina, where are you?”

His voice grew louder, closer, until I saw him step through the trees. He stopped abruptly when his eyes landed on me and the scene in front of him.

The shock on his face was unmistakable, and for a moment, neither of us said a word. His gaze flickered between me, Claudia’s body, and the blood smeared across my skin.

“Katrina,” he finally said, his voice low and filled with disbelief. “What have you done?”