Chapter Three: Awakening the Beast
Evelyn stood frozen, the weight of Alaric's words pressing down on her like an invisible hand. The world felt distorted, as though she were caught in a dream she couldn't wake up from. She was supposed to be getting married. She was supposed to be playing her part in the life her adoptive parents had meticulously planned for her. But instead, here she was in the heart of an unfamiliar forest, standing face-to-face with a man who claimed to be her fated mate—a man who was part wolf, part mystery.
His presence was all-encompassing, as though he were not just standing beside her, but pulling her into a world she had never known. His golden eyes never wavered, watching her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.
"I don't understand," Evelyn whispered, her voice trembling. "A werewolf? A mate? This… this can't be real."
Alaric's gaze softened, and he took a step closer, not threatening but grounding, like an anchor in the whirlwind of confusion that threatened to consume her. "It's real, Evelyn.
Every word of it."
She shook her head, trying to clear the fog clouding her mind. "But I've never—"
"You've never known who you really are," he interrupted gently, his voice a soothing rumble. "They kept it from you. Your parents. They raised you in a world of lies. But your bloodline is as old as this land, Evelyn. You're no ordinary woman."
The revelation hit her like a tidal wave, each wave crashing against her fragile understanding of herself. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "Why didn't they tell me? Why didn't they ever tell me about any of this?"
Alaric stepped closer, his presence radiating warmth despite the cool night air. "They didn't want you to know. Your adoptive parents had their reasons—selfish ones. But I'm here now, and I can help you understand. I can help you unlock what's inside you."
Evelyn's heart hammered in her chest.
Unlock what's inside me? She didn't know whether to feel terrified or curious. What was this power he spoke of? What was this life she'd been living, if not her own?
"Unlock?" She repeated, her voice shaking. "What do you mean by that?"
Alaric's gaze turned distant for a moment, and Evelyn noticed the deep pain in his eyes. But it was only a flash—quick, like a shadow passing over the sun. "You're more than just a woman, Evelyn. You're part of something greater. You're an Alpha, born to lead. Your true nature is waiting to be awakened, but it can't happen unless you trust yourself—and me."
The wind rustled through the trees, and Evelyn's gaze flitted nervously between the moonlit forest and Alaric's steady presence.
She wanted to run—run back to the life she knew, back to the safety of her adoptive home, even if it was a prison. But something inside her—something wild—pushed against that fear. A feeling that had been buried deep within her for years, clawing to be let out.
She took a shaky breath. "What… what happens now?"
Alaric's lips curved into a small, reassuring smile. "Now, we begin. The awakening. You'll come to understand what it means to be a werewolf, to be an Alpha. And together, we'll make sure you never have to run again."
Evelyn felt a strange pull toward him, an undeniable connection that seemed to grow stronger the closer he got. It was as if her very being was responding to him, to this world she had never known but was somehow meant to be a part of.
She opened her mouth to speak, but a sharp pain suddenly erupted in her chest. She gasped, her hands flying to her ribs as if trying to hold the pain inside her body. It was a deep, searing ache that seemed to reach through her bones, through her soul.
"Evelyn!" Alaric's voice was filled with alarm as he reached out to steady her. His touch was like fire against her skin, both comforting and startling.
The pain intensified, and she cried out, her knees buckling beneath her. The ground beneath her feet seemed to shift, like the earth was rising up to meet her.
"Hold on, Evelyn," Alaric urged, his grip tightening around her arm. "This is the change. It's happening."
She looked up at him, her vision blurry, but his face was a picture of calm determination. "What do you mean? Change?" she managed to choke out.
"The shift," he explained gently. "You've never experienced it before, but it's happening now. Your body is recognizing its true nature. You're going to shift for the first time, and it's going to hurt. But I'm here. I won't let you go through it alone."
A loud, guttural growl erupted from deep within her chest. The sound was foreign, alien, but it felt right. The air around her seemed to hum with energy as her body trembled, convulsed.
Her skin burned. Her bones ached as though they were being rearranged from the inside out. She gasped for air, her breath coming in desperate bursts as her body fought against the transformation.
She couldn't control it. She didn't know how.
Alaric's voice cut through the pain like a lifeline. "Breathe, Evelyn. Just breathe. You can do this. Focus on me. Focus on the change. Let it happen."
She clenched her teeth, trying to focus, trying to push through the agonizing transformation. The pain was unbearable, but Alaric's words anchored her, giving her something to hold on to. Something she hadn't realized she needed until this moment.
The agony continued to build until, with a final, desperate scream, something inside Evelyn snapped. Her body shifted in an instant, like a thousand pieces falling into place. Her bones elongated, her muscles tightened, her skin tore. The transformation felt like dying—and being reborn.
When the world stopped spinning and her vision cleared, she found herself on all fours. She looked down, her breath still ragged, and saw the fur covering her hands—her paws. Her senses exploded as the forest around her came alive with sound and scent. The sharp smell of pine, the rustling of leaves, the distant movement of animals—all of it hit her at once. She could hear every whisper of the wind, feel the pulse of the earth beneath her.
A howl rose in her throat, but she barely recognized it as her own. She felt wild—untamed.
She shook her head, trying to make sense of what had just happened. She was a wolf. A werewolf.
But there was no time for disbelief. The world around her had changed in an instant, and she had changed with it.
Alaric was beside her in an instant, his massive wolf form standing tall and proud. He nuzzled her gently with his snout, as if reassuring her. "You did it, Evelyn. You're one of us now."
Evelyn's breath was coming in quick gasps. She was still reeling from the transformation, from the sheer magnitude of what had just happened. She wasn't sure how to feel, what to think.
But one thing was clear. She wasn't alone anymore.
And the world she'd been running from? It was about to come for her with a vengeance.