Sienna barely slept.
She had spent most of the night curled up on the creaky cot, staring at the wooden ceiling, willing her mind to shut down. But it didn't. Every time she closed her eyes, flashes of the night before slammed into her, glowing eyes in the darkness, the scent of blood thick in the air, the terrifying certainty that she was being hunted.
The worst part wasn't even the fear. It was the truth that had been creeping up on her for years, the whispers she had ignored, the way her father used to watch her like he was carrying a secret too heavy for his shoulders.
Now, there was no more hiding.
A sharp knock at the door jolted her. Her pulse jumped before she forced herself to breathe.
"Sienna," Kael's voice came, firm, impatient. "It's time."
She swallowed hard and pushed herself up, her body protesting every movement. The room was dim, the first hints of sunlight slipping through the slats of the window, casting soft lines of gold across the floor. She ran a hand through her tangled hair and exhaled before making her way to the door.
Kael stood there, arms crossed, his golden eyes unreadable. Behind him, Aldric, the older man from last night watched her with his usual solemn expression.
"Come," Aldric said. "We begin now."
There was no point in asking what "now" meant. The answer was in the weight of their gazes, in the unspoken urgency hanging between them.
Sienna stepped outside. The morning air was crisp, thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. The cold bit at her skin, but she didn't complain. Compared to the storm raging inside her, the chill was nothing.
Kael led her to a small clearing behind the cabin. Dew clung to the grass, and mist curled around the trees, making the world feel quieter, almost fragile. But Sienna knew better.
She had expected him to throw her into a fight, to test her strength the way most wolves did. Instead, he turned to face her, expression serious.
"Before we start, you need to understand something," he said.
Sienna crossed her arms, trying to ignore the knot in her stomach. "I already understand plenty."
Kael held her gaze. "No, you don't."
She clenched her jaw.
"You've survived this long," he continued, "but survival isn't enough anymore."
Her fingers dug into her arms. "Then what is?"
Kael stepped closer, the space between them vanishing in an instant. He didn't loom over her, didn't try to intimidate—but his presence was like a force all its own.
"Control."
The word sent a shiver down her spine.
Kael's eyes darkened slightly. "Your wolf isn't like the others."
Aldric finally spoke, voice calm but carrying the weight of warning. "You need to harness it before it consumes you."
Sienna forced herself to meet his gaze. "And if I can't?"
Kael didn't hesitate. "Then you won't have to worry about rogues hunting you down." His voice was quiet, almost too calm. "You'll destroy yourself first."
The air between them grew thick, heavy with something unspoken.
Then, Kael took a step back and motioned to the clearing.
"Shift."
Sienna blinked. "What?"
"You need to connect with your wolf," Kael said simply. "So shift."
She stared at him. "You expect me to just do it? Like that?"
Kael arched a brow. "Is that a problem?"
Frustration bubbled inside her. "Shifting isn't that easy for me."
Kael's gaze sharpened. "Then it's time to figure out why."
Aldric motioned toward the trees. "Go to the edge of the clearing. Breathe. Let your wolf rise without forcing it."
Sienna exhaled sharply but obeyed, moving a few steps away. The moment she closed her eyes, she felt it—the pull beneath her skin, restless, hungry.
She tried to let go.
Pain exploded through her.
A strangled gasp ripped from her throat as she staggered forward, her body rejecting the shift. Her claws half-formed, her vision sharpened for a split second, and then everything collapsed in on itself.
Kael was suddenly there, catching her before she hit the ground.
"Breathe through it," he said, voice low, steady. "You're fighting yourself."
She gritted her teeth. I'm trying.
The shift flickered inside her, but it wasn't smooth. It was chaos. A battle she was losing.
Then, something else surged forward.
A burning heat crashed over her, hotter than anything she had ever felt. Her body trembled, her pulse roaring in her ears. It wasn't just her wolf—it was something more. Something ancient.
"Sienna!"
Kael's voice broke through the haze, but she couldn't focus on it. Her vision went black for a heartbeat, and then—
A force slammed into her chest like a tidal wave, dragging her under.
She gasped, collapsing to her knees, her body shaking violently.
Aldric was beside her in an instant, gripping her shoulder. "That wasn't just a shift."
Sienna's breaths came fast, uneven. Her fingers dug into the dirt as if grounding herself could stop the tremors running through her. "Then what the hell was it?"
Kael and Aldric exchanged a look.
"That," Kael said slowly, his voice laced with something she couldn't quite name, "was proof that you are more than just a wolf."
Sienna's stomach dropped. "What?"
Aldric's jaw tightened. "The prophecy spoke of a wolf who could either save or destroy our kind." His gaze settled on her, something close to fear flickering in his expression.
"If what we just saw is any indication…" He hesitated, then finished the thought.
"You might be capable of both."
Sienna's heart pounded.
Her skin still buzzed with the power that had just tried to break free. Her pulse was erratic, her mind racing.
She had spent years feeling different, out of place—like she didn't quite belong. Now she knew why.
But knowing didn't bring relief.
It only brought one terrifying question.
What the hell am I?