The world felt different after meeting Caleb. Nothing was normal anymore, not after what he'd told me. I was marked. That bite—the one that should've killed me—had made me into something *else*, and now I had no choice but to face it. Caleb had left me more questions than answers, but at least now I had one truth: I wasn't imagining this. I was changing, and if I didn't figure out how to control it, it could destroy me.
Still, I couldn't just stop being me. I had to go back to pretending, at least for a little while. For Noah. For my mom. The plan was simple: get through the day, meet Caleb after school, and figure out the rest later. But when your body is wired for a fight you don't fully understand, nothing feels simple.
I stood in front of the mirror again, tugging at the collar of my hoodie. The scar on my shoulder—a jagged reminder of what had happened—was barely visible now. Caleb said the changes would keep coming, but they'd come fast. It wasn't just healing; it was like my body was being rebuilt from the inside out.
I looked down at my hands, flexing them. I could feel it under my skin, a kind of power humming through my veins. But it wasn't just physical. My senses had been dialed up to an almost unbearable level. It was like someone had removed a filter from the world, and now everything was too much.
Noah had texted me early that morning, asking if I was alright, but I couldn't tell him the truth—not yet. Maybe not ever. He was my best friend, but how do you explain that you're turning into something… *inhuman*?
I shoved my phone into my pocket, grabbed my backpack, and left the house. The walk to school felt different now. The trees lining the road seemed sharper, the colors more vivid, and I could hear conversations from across the street as if they were happening right next to me. It was like being tuned into a station you hadn't even known existed, and I wasn't sure how long I could handle the static.
---
By the time I reached school, I was wound tighter than a spring. People moved around me in a blur—laughing, talking, acting like today was just any other day. But nothing was normal. Not for me. I caught Noah's eye near the lockers, his face lighting up as he waved me over.
"Hey, man," he said, grinning. "You good? You've been MIA since, like, forever."
"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, pulling my hood further down over my face. "Just... had a rough night."
He squinted at me, his grin fading a little. "You sure? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."
*If only it were that simple*, I thought, but instead I just shrugged. "Just tired, I guess."
Before he could press me any further, the first bell rang. It was a lifeline, pulling me away from the conversation I wasn't ready to have. "I'll catch you later," I muttered, heading toward my first class without waiting for a response.
---
The rest of the day dragged on painfully slow. My mind wasn't on anything the teachers were saying, and it didn't help that I could hear every single person shifting in their seat, tapping their pens, or whispering to their neighbors. The sounds crowded my head, making it impossible to focus. I felt on edge, like I was ready to snap at any moment.
By the time the last bell rang, I was exhausted, mentally and physically. My entire body felt tense, coiled tight with the energy I didn't know how to control. But the worst part was the hunger. Not the normal kind, though. This was deeper, more primal, like a gnawing need in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't satisfy.
I texted Noah an excuse about needing to run errands for my mom and bolted from school before he could catch up with me. I didn't need him involved in whatever this was. Not yet.
---
I found Caleb waiting for me in the woods just past the bike trail, leaning against a tree like he'd been there for hours. He looked exactly as he had the night before—broad, confident, and calm in a way that made me wonder just how many times he'd dealt with people like me. People who were… changing.
"You made it," he said, his voice low and steady. "Good. You're going to need to move faster, though. The next full moon isn't far off."
I frowned, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "What happens on the full moon?"
Caleb pushed off the tree, his piercing blue eyes locking onto mine. "That's when everything becomes real. The first change. When the wolf inside you takes over."
The wolf inside me. Those words hung heavy in the air, and for a moment, all I could hear was the pounding of my own heart.
"So, what?" I asked, swallowing hard. "I'm just going to turn into some mindless beast, hunting people down?"
Caleb shook his head. "Not if you learn to control it. It's not about becoming the wolf—it's about keeping the balance between the human and the beast. If you don't learn that balance, yeah, you could lose control. Hurt people."
My stomach twisted. I wasn't sure which idea was worse—becoming some feral monster, or the fact that I could actually hurt someone. The memory of the rogue wolf flashed in my mind, the way it had stared me down, the way it had let me live. Why?
"Why didn't it kill me?" I blurted, the question burning a hole in my chest. "The rogue wolf. It could've torn me apart, but it didn't. Why?"
Caleb's jaw tightened, and for a second, I thought he wouldn't answer. But then he sighed. "That's the question, isn't it? The rogue wolf bit you for a reason. It's been hunting this area for months, but it's never left anyone alive before. There's something different about you, Jason."
Different. The word echoed in my mind, leaving a hollow feeling in its wake.
"And now?" I asked, my voice low. "What happens now?"
"Now," Caleb said, stepping closer, "you learn to fight. To control it before the full moon comes. You're strong, but raw. You've got instincts now—heightened senses, strength—but none of it matters if you can't keep yourself in check."
He gestured for me to follow him deeper into the woods. The trees closed in around us, the shadows growing thicker as we moved further away from town. I didn't ask where we were going. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. My senses buzzed with every step, the smells of damp earth and old pine needles filling my nose. I could hear the distant rustle of animals moving through the underbrush, the creak of tree branches swaying in the wind.
It should have been peaceful, but it wasn't. There was a tension in the air, a sense of something lurking just out of sight.
We came to a clearing, and Caleb stopped, turning to face me. "First lesson: control your senses. Right now, everything feels too sharp, too loud, right?"
I nodded, my jaw clenched. He wasn't wrong. Every sound, every smell, every sight was amplified, and it was driving me to the edge.
"You need to filter it," Caleb said. "Focus. Block out what doesn't matter, and only let in what you need. It's like tuning a radio. Find your frequency."
He took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched me. "Close your eyes."
I hesitated, then slowly did as he said, shutting out the world around me. At first, everything seemed to get louder—the rustling of leaves, the wind, the distant hum of insects—but I forced myself to breathe. In, then out. Slowly.
"Now," Caleb's voice came through the noise, steady and calm, "focus on one thing. Your breathing. Everything else fades."
I did as he said, concentrating on the rhythm of my breath. The sounds around me started to blur together, becoming a distant hum in the background. The world seemed to settle, the chaos fading into something quieter, more manageable.
"Good," Caleb said. "Now open your eyes."
I did, and the forest looked... different. Still sharp, still vivid, but less overwhelming. More controlled.
"This is just the beginning," Caleb said, his expression serious. "The real test is coming."
"The full moon," I muttered.
Caleb nodded. "You won't be alone when it happens, but you need to be ready. The rogue wolf—he's not done with you yet. He'll come back. And when he does, he's going to try to finish what he started."
A chill ran down my spine. I knew he was right. I could feel it in my bones. That wolf wasn't just hunting me for sport. There was something more—something darker—at play.
Caleb started to say something else, but his words were cut off by a distant howl.
It wasn't the rogue wolf. It was something else. A different sound—low, mournful, and far too close.
Caleb's face darkened. "We're not alone."
I turned toward the direction of the howl, my senses immediately kicking into high gear. There was movement in the trees, shadows shifting just out of sight. I could hear the soft crunch of leaves underfoot, the faint sound of something—or someone—moving toward us. My pulse quickened, the primal part of me already reacting to the approaching threat, my senses sharpening with each passing second. Caleb was right. We weren't alone.
"Stay behind me," Caleb said, his voice low and steady, though I could see the tension in his stance. He was already preparing for whatever was coming, his muscles coiled and ready to spring into action.
Another howl split the air, closer this time, sending a shiver down my spine. It wasn't just one wolf. I could hear more—multiple creatures moving through the woods, their footsteps syncopating with each other like they were part of a hunting pack.
"What are they?" I whispered, not sure I wanted to hear the answer.
"Other wolves," Caleb muttered, eyes scanning the treeline. "But not like the rogue. These are from a pack."
"A pack?" My heart thudded in my chest, the word sinking in with a heavy weight. "Are they like... us?"
"They're like us," Caleb confirmed, his eyes narrowing. "But they're not friendly. They won't care about you being new to this. They'll see you as a threat."
A flash of movement caught my eye. I turned my head just in time to see a large, shadowy figure dart between the trees. It was fast—too fast for me to get a good look, but I could feel its presence, hear the growl low in its throat. Another figure appeared to the left, just as shadowy, just as dangerous.
They were circling us.
My breath quickened as fear gripped my chest. The pack was closing in, their glowing eyes flashing through the underbrush. My entire body felt like it was vibrating, like something inside me was waking up in response to their presence. I wasn't ready for this. I had barely scratched the surface of what I was becoming, and now I was being hunted by creatures that had likely been wolves for years.
"What do we do?" I asked, my voice tight with panic.
"We fight," Caleb growled, his voice dropping into a tone that was more animal than human. "Or we die."
Before I could even process his words, the first wolf lunged.
It was a blur of fur and claws, crashing through the underbrush with terrifying speed. Caleb moved faster than I thought possible, meeting the creature mid-leap and slamming it to the ground. The impact shook the earth, and the wolf yelped as Caleb drove his fist into its side, forcing it back. But there was no time to celebrate. Two more wolves appeared, their growls filling the air as they closed in on Caleb from both sides.
I stood frozen, my mind screaming at me to move, but my body refusing to obey. Caleb was strong—stronger than I ever thought possible—but he was outnumbered. If I didn't do something, he wouldn't last long.
The second wolf charged Caleb, its jaws snapping at his side. He spun, landing a brutal kick to its ribs, but the third wolf lunged from the opposite direction, slamming into him and knocking him to the ground. Caleb growled, his hands shifting into claws as he slashed at the wolf's face, sending it stumbling back.
But they weren't backing off. The pack was relentless, circling Caleb like sharks scenting blood.
*Do something.*
The thought burned through my mind, and before I knew what was happening, I felt it—the shift. My muscles tensed, my senses sharpening even further, and the power inside me roared to life. It was like flipping a switch, the fear evaporating and something else—something more primal—taking its place.
I let out a snarl, low and guttural, and the nearest wolf turned its attention to me, its glowing eyes narrowing in recognition.
*I'm one of them,* I realized, the thought strange but somehow natural. The pack could sense it, too. I wasn't just prey. I was competition.
The wolf lunged at me, its teeth bared, but this time I was ready. I sidestepped the attack, my reflexes faster than they should have been. My hand shot out instinctively, catching the wolf by the scruff of its neck and hurling it to the side. The wolf hit the ground hard, letting out a sharp yelp before scrambling to its feet.
I stared down at my hands, my breath coming in quick bursts. My fingers were tipped with claws—black, sharp, lethal—and the strength surging through me was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It was raw, untamed, but it was mine.
Another wolf charged, but this time, I didn't hesitate. I met it head-on, slamming my shoulder into its chest and sending it crashing into a tree. The power flowed through me like a river, carrying me along with it, and for the first time since the bite, I wasn't afraid.
I was angry.
The third wolf backed off, its eyes flicking between me and Caleb, who had already gotten to his feet, his own claws extended and dripping with blood. The pack seemed to hesitate, as if they were reassessing the situation.
"Jason!" Caleb barked, his voice snapping me out of the fog. "Don't let them pull you in."
I blinked, my heart still racing as I looked at the wolf lying at my feet, whimpering. For a moment, I didn't understand what he meant. And then it hit me. The rage—the violence—it was all-consuming. If I let it take over, I'd lose control. I'd become like them.
I stumbled back, the anger still thrumming through my veins but dimming enough for me to think. The pack had regrouped, but they weren't charging anymore. They were watching. Waiting.
"We need to move," Caleb growled, keeping his eyes on the wolves. "They'll call for reinforcements. This was just a test."
"A test?" I panted, still trying to catch my breath.
"They wanted to see if you were a threat." Caleb wiped the blood from his face, his eyes flashing with something I hadn't seen before. "Now they know."
The pack seemed to melt back into the shadows, disappearing into the trees just as quickly as they had appeared. I could still feel their presence, lurking on the edges of the forest, but for now, they were retreating.
"They'll be back," Caleb said, his voice low and tense. "They'll come with more numbers next time. And they won't stop until they've put you down."
"Why?" I asked, still feeling the pulse of the beast inside me. "Why are they hunting me?"
Caleb turned to me, his face grim. "Because you're not just some random kid who got bitten. You're something more. The rogue wolf—he didn't bite you by accident. He marked you for a reason."
"What reason?" I demanded, my voice sharp with frustration. "Why me?"
Caleb's eyes darkened, his expression unreadable. "I don't know yet. But I intend to find out."
Before I could ask anything else, another howl echoed through the forest. This one was different, more powerful, more commanding. It sent a chill down my spine, and I could see the same tension in Caleb's posture.
"That's not the pack," he muttered, his voice tight with unease.
"Then who—"
My question was cut off as something massive moved through the trees ahead of us. I couldn't see it clearly, but I felt it. The weight of its presence was suffocating, like the air itself had thickened around us. Whatever was out there was bigger than the wolves. Bigger than anything I'd ever seen.
Caleb's eyes widened, and for the first time, I saw something close to fear in his expression.
"The rogue wolf," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "He's here."
I barely had time to react before a massive figure stepped into the clearing, its amber eyes burning with a cold, terrifying intensity.
The rogue wolf stood before us, larger and more menacing than I remembered, its gaze locked onto mine.
And then it spoke—its voice a low, rumbling growl that seemed to shake the very ground beneath my feet.
"You're mine, Jason."