The climb out of the ruins left Kate and Brison breathless, their legs trembling from the effort. As they emerged into the pale light of the afternoon, the oppressive chill of the clearing seemed to lift slightly. But something unspoken hung between them—a tension Kate couldn't quite place.
Brison glanced at her as they packed up to continue their journey. "You've been quiet," he said, his tone softer than usual.
Kate hesitated, tucking the shard of the Tear safely into her pouch. "Just… thinking about what happened down there. About what's coming."
He studied her for a moment, his sharp blue eyes searching hers. "It's not just that, is it?"
She sighed, her breath clouding in the cold air. "No, it's not. There's something I haven't told you. Something I've been afraid to say."
Brison straightened, his expression cautious. "What is it?"
Kate looked away, her fingers tightening around the Tear. "I'm not… normal, Brison. I've never been. The Tear isn't the first thing that's made me feel different. There's something else—something I've hidden my whole life."
Brison's brows furrowed. "Kate, whatever it is, you can tell me. After everything we've faced, I think I can handle it."
She met his gaze, her gray eyes glinting with a strange intensity. "I'm a werewolf, Brison. My eighteenth birthday is in two weeks, and when the next full moon rises, I'll transform completely for the first time."
For a moment, the only sound was the wind whistling through the trees. Brison's face was unreadable, and Kate's heart sank.
"I thought you'd be scared," she said quietly, turning away. "That you'd hate me if you knew."
Brison reached out, gently gripping her arm. "Kate, stop."
She froze, her breath hitching.
"You're not the only one with secrets," he said, his voice low. "I'm a werewolf too."
Kate's eyes widened, and she turned to face him. "You're—?"
"My family was part of a pack," Brison said, his voice tinged with sadness. "When the shadows attacked years ago, they weren't just hunting humans. They were hunting us. I've been hiding what I am ever since."
Kate's heart raced as she processed his words. "You've known this whole time?"
"I suspected," he admitted, his tone softer. "I saw the signs in you—the way you react to the cold, the strength you don't realize you have. But I didn't want to say anything unless you were ready."
A mixture of relief and confusion washed over her. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Because I was afraid too," Brison said, his gaze steady. "Afraid you'd think I was a monster. Afraid of what it would mean for both of us."
Kate's lips parted, but no words came. For the first time, she didn't feel alone in her secret.
"So… what does this mean for us?" she asked hesitantly.
"It means we're stronger together," Brison said firmly. "If we survive this—if we stop the shadows—then we'll figure out the rest. But right now, we have to focus."
Kate nodded, her resolve hardening. "We can do this. We have to."
Brison gave her a faint smile. "You're not just fighting for the village anymore, Kate. You're fighting for a future—for both of us."
As they continued their journey, the bond between them deepened. They shared stories of their childhoods, of the moments when they first realized they were different.
"I always knew there was something strange about me," Kate said as they trudged through the snow. "I'd hear things others couldn't, smell things that no one else noticed. But it wasn't until last year that I realized what I was. My parents told me on my seventeenth birthday."
"My family didn't have much of a chance to explain," Brison said, his tone heavy with regret. "When the shadows came, I was too young to fully understand. All I knew was that we were being hunted."
Kate reached out, brushing her fingers against his arm. "You've survived so much on your own. You're stronger than you think, Brison."
He glanced at her, a flicker of emotion in his eyes. "So are you."
By nightfall, they reached a narrow canyon that marked the entrance to the higher peaks. The air grew colder, the wind howling through the jagged rocks like the mournful cry of a wolf.
As they set up camp, Kate stared at the crescent moon hanging low in the sky. "It's strange," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Knowing that the moon will soon have so much control over us."
Brison sat beside her, his knife resting on his lap. "The moon doesn't control us, Kate. It empowers us. We just have to learn how to use that power."
She glanced at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You make it sound so simple."
"It's not," he admitted. "But we'll figure it out. Together."
As the fire crackled between them, Kate felt a sense of peace she hadn't known in years. For the first time, she didn't feel like a burden or an outcast. She felt understood.
And as she looked at Brison, his sharp features softened by the firelight, she realized something else. She wasn't just fighting for the village or even for herself.
She was fighting for him too.