It lunged for me, jaws snapping. I tried to dodge, but my new center of gravity threw me off balance. I fell, crying out as sharp teeth grazed my arm.
Phoebe! I called out mentally, terror lending strength to my plea. Help me!
And suddenly, I felt a surge of power coursing through my veins. My bones began to crack and reform, fur sprouting across my skin. In a matter of seconds, the transformation was complete, and I found myself on four paws, facing down the rogue wolf.
The change had happened so quickly, so instinctively, that it took me a moment to realize what had occurred. This was my first full transformation, and it had come at the moment I needed it most. I could feel Phoebe's presence more strongly than ever, our minds and bodies fully merged into one powerful entity.
I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a nearby puddle and was stunned by what I saw. My wolf form was breathtaking – fur of pure silver that shimmered in the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. My eyes were a brilliant gold, and a tuft of golden fur on my forehead looked almost like a crown.
What surprised me even more was that lone stray wolf. After seeing me transform, a look of terror appeared on its face, and it quickly turned and fled.
As the adrenaline faded, I felt the transformation reverse, my body shifting back to its human form. I stood there, panting and in awe of what had just happened. The speed and ease of the change, the power I had felt – it was unlike anything I had ever experienced or heard described by other werewolves.
We did it, Freya, Phoebe's voice echoed in my mind, filled with pride and excitement. We truly are one now.
"Well, well," a gravelly voice spoke from behind us. "It seems the young Moon Whisperer has finally awakened her true potential."
I whirled around to find an ancient wolf watching us from the shadow of a gnarled oak. As I watched, it shifted into the form of an elderly woman, her silver hair wild and adorned with feathers and bones.
"Who are you?" I asked.
The old woman smiled, revealing surprisingly sharp teeth. "I am many things, child. Guardian of this forest, keeper of old magics. But you may call me Sage."
She approached slowly, her eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made me want to squirm. "You carry great power within you, Freya Moonwhisper. Power passed down through your mother's line, long dormant but now awakening."
"What do you mean?" I asked, my mind reeling. "What power?"
Sage reached out, placing a gnarled hand on my abdomen. I felt a warm tingle spread through me at her touch. "The power to communicate with nature itself. To bend the very elements to your will. And now, combined with the strength of the Shadowfang line..." She trailed off, her eyes distant. "Your children will be extraordinary."
My hand joined hers on my stomach, a fierce protectiveness welling up inside me. "How do I control this power? How do I keep my babies safe?"
The old wolf's eyes refocused on me, sharp and knowing. "I can teach you, child. But the path will not be easy. Are you prepared for what lies ahead?"
I thought of the recent misfortune, and of the sleeping children's father, Fenris.
"Yes," I said, my voice stronger than I felt. "Teach me everything."
Sage nodded, a glimmer of approval in her ancient eyes. "Then let us begin. Time is short, and there is much to learn."
-------------One month later--------------
The full moon hung heavy in the night sky, its silvery light filtering through the stained-glass windows of the Shadowfang Pack's great hall. I stood at the center of a complex runic circle, surrounded by chanting elders. The air thrummed with magic, making my skin tingle and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Luna Fanny's voice rose above the others, her words sharp and commanding. "With this ritual, we bind the Alpha's heir to the pack, ensuring the stability of our future!"
I tried to focus on her words, to understand the implications of what was happening, but my mind kept drifting to the still form of Fenris lying on the altar beside me. He hadn't stirred since our fateful encounter in the forest, but, think about that dream, think about the real twins in my belly,and I couldn't help but wonder if he was truly as unaware as he seemed.
The chanting reached a fever pitch, and I felt a surge of energy course through my body. It was overwhelming, like being caught in a riptide of pure magic. I gasped, my hands instinctively moving to my abdomen where our pups grew.
And then, everything changed.
Fenris's eyes snapped open, blazing with an intensity that made my breath catch in my throat. In one fluid motion, he was on his feet, power radiating from him in palpable waves. The elders' chanting faltered, then died away completely, leaving the hall in stunned silence.
"Enough!" Fenris's voice boomed, shaking the very foundations of the building. His gaze swept the room before landing on me, his eyes narrowing with a mixture of anger and betrayal that made my heart clench.
"You," he snarled, taking a step towards me. "You dare to manipulate me? To use me for your own gain?"
I shook my head, struggling to find my voice. "No, I—"
"Silence!" Fenris roared, his Alpha power lashing out and forcing me to my knees. "I was aware, all this time. Trapped in my own body, but conscious. I heard your whispered plans, felt your touch as you played your part in this farce."
Tears stung my eyes as I looked up at him, seeing not the man I had glimpsed in those shared memories during our bonding, but a stranger consumed by rage and suspicion. "Please," I managed to choke out. "It wasn't like that. I didn't know—"
Fenris's laugh was cold and bitter. "Oh, spare me your lies, little Moon Whisperer. Did you think I wouldn't see through your act? That I would be so grateful for your 'help' that I'd overlook your complicity in my imprisonment?"
I wanted to scream, to tell him everything I had learned about the pack's betrayal, about the wolfsbane poison and the elders' schemes. But his Alpha command held me firmly in place, my tongue leaden in my mouth.
The pack watched in horrified fascination as their Alpha tore into me with words sharper than any claw. I could feel their judgment, their suspicion. In the span of a few moments, I had gone from being their future Luna to a pariah, a schemer who had taken advantage of their vulnerable leader.
"I should sever our bond right now," Fenris growled, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Cast you out and be done with this whole sordid affair."