The woods whispered secrets. And tonight, Caleb could hear all of them.
Ronan's warning still echoed in his head as he trudged through the underbrush behind him, heart pounding in rhythm with the low hum in his veins. The change wasn't just creeping anymore—it was surging beneath his skin, like a tide that refused to be held back.
"You sure this is a good idea?" Caleb asked.
"No," Ronan said. "But if you want to survive what's coming, you need to face it. Tonight, you'll meet the part of yourself you've been running from."
They reached a clearing hidden deep in the Pines, where the moonlight hit the earth like a blade of silver.
"Stand there," Ronan said. "Don't move."
Caleb did as he was told. The silence thickened. The wind dropped.
Then Ronan whistled.
The ground trembled.
From the trees came three figures—wolves, but not like any Caleb had seen. They moved like men but crawled on clawed limbs. Their eyes burned yellow, intelligent, and hungry.
"Red Howl?" Caleb asked, backing up instinctively.
"No," Ronan said calmly. "These are mine. Exiles. Tamed. Barely. And they're going to help you unlock your true form."
"What if I lose control?"
"You will," Ronan said. "That's the point."
The wolves growled, circling.
Caleb's heartbeat roared. His vision blurred. The change snapped into place—muscle shifting, bones cracking, skin stretching over something ancient and feral.
He didn't remember falling to his knees. He didn't remember the scream.
But he remembered the pain.
And the power.
Then the wolves attacked.
They didn't hold back.
Neither did he.
After what felt like hours—after blood, claw, roar, and instinct—Caleb collapsed, panting, smoke rising from his skin as his body struggled to return to human form.
Ronan approached, impressed but stern.
"You're faster than I thought," he said. "Stronger, too. But sloppy. Emotional."
"I'm not a killer," Caleb rasped.
Ronan knelt beside him. "That's what the Red Howl is counting on."
Caleb's fists clenched in the dirt. "Then they don't know me."
Ronan's gaze darkened. "They know your blood. That's all they need."
And in the trees, someone else was watching.
A fourth wolf. Uninvited.
Eyes gleaming like fire.
Waiting for the perfect moment to strike.