Ella stood alone in the clearing, moonlight bathing the forest in an ethereal glow. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, heart pounding with each movement. Sweat clung to her skin as she pushed her body beyond its limits — again. It had been weeks, months even, of relentless training. Still, no transformation. Still… no wolf.
Every peer around her had already embraced their inner beasts — shifting with ease, their senses heightened, strength blossoming. But Ella remained the same. Human. Powerless. Forgotten.
She ran harder, breath ragged, legs screaming with pain — but she refused to stop. Her desire to belong burned hotter than ever. Somewhere inside her, she believed a wolf waited. Trapped. Silent. Hidden.
And yet, her packmates saw only failure.
From the distance, laughter floated through the trees. Familiar voices. Cruel voices. Mira's voice.
"She'll never be one of us," Mira sneered. The words were low, but clear. Sharp like claws. Mira — once her closest friend — now her loudest tormentor.
Ella flinched but kept moving, pushing the ache down. They didn't understand. They didn't know what it meant to long for what they took for granted. To ache for transformation.
Tonight, though, something felt different. The usual teasing was colder, meaner. She caught whispers in the wind — Mira and others, huddled together, their laughter laced with something darker.
Malice.
Determined to end it, Ella stormed toward them, fists clenched.
"Why are you treating me like this, Mira?" she demanded. "What did I ever do to deserve this?"
Mira's eyes turned to steel, lips curling with disdain. "You're not one of us, Ella," she spat. "Stop pretending. You'll never be part of this pack."
The words hit like a physical blow.
Ella stood frozen, the pain raw in her chest — but something stirred within. A flicker of fury. A spark.
She turned away, fighting tears, but she made herself a silent vow: she would prove them wrong.
Deeper into the woods she walked, letting the silence drown out their cruelty. But something shifted — the wind, the energy. A strange sensation crept over her, like unseen eyes watching her from the shadows.
A rustle. A low growl. A flash of glowing eyes.
Something — or someone — was out there.
And it was watching her.