Alex woke to the dull buzz of his alarm, but he didn't need it. His body had already been moving before he opened his eyes, muscles coiled, senses screaming.
The city sounded… different.
Cars didn't just make noise—they shouted. The subway rattled like a distant heartbeat beneath the streets. Even the hum of electricity from streetlights and neon signs had a rhythm he could feel in his bones.
And the smells… oh, the smells.
Fresh bread from the bakery downstairs, the exhaust from a delivery truck two blocks away, the faint tang of blood from somewhere in the alley behind his building. Every scent had its place, its priority. His stomach clenched involuntarily. Hunger. But not normal hunger. Something deeper. Animal.
Alex stumbled out of bed and into the streets, ignoring the city's normal traffic and chaos. He didn't care if people saw him. For the first time, he felt… alive.
He started small.
A dumpster lid rattled two blocks away. He sprinted toward it—and was there in a heartbeat. Faster than any human, smoother, lighter. His legs carried him like they weren't even attached to his body. He landed silently, crouching as a rat scurried past, unaware he was even there.
Alex's heartbeat slowed. He grinned. Fear mixed with exhilaration. This power—this curse—was real.
Then came the shadows.
He turned, and across the alley, another figure stood. Tall, lean, and watching him with eyes that glinted in the sunlight like polished metal.
"Testing already?" The figure's voice was low, amused. "Good. Most take longer."
Alex froze. "Who… what are you?"
The figure stepped forward, revealing another werewolf—but fully transformed. Ears pointed, claws sharp, muscles taut beneath dark fur.
"I'm Mara," the wolf said, voice echoing strangely, almost inside his head. "And you're not alone. Not in this city."
Alex's chest tightened. Excitement and fear tangled in his mind. "I—I don't even know how to control this."
Mara smirked. "Control comes with practice. With understanding. The city… it's a jungle. And we? We're predators. Learn your place, or you'll die."
Alex followed Mara through the alleys, each step a silent flight over concrete and trash. He could feel the pulse of the city beneath his feet—vibrations from cars, trains, and footsteps all mixing into a rhythm he could understand now.
By the time the sun dipped behind the skyscrapers, Alex had run farther than he had ever gone in his human body. He had climbed walls, leapt across rooftops, and smelled the city in ways he never imagined.
And somewhere in the distance, he heard the warning howl again.
Hunters.
Alex froze. His instincts screamed. He was faster than ever, but now he understood the stakes. The city was alive, and it was watching him. Waiting for mistakes.
Mara's eyes glinted. "They're close. You'll learn soon enough what it means to survive."
Alex swallowed. He had never felt more alive—and more terrified—at the same time.
The city, with all its streets, alleys, and neon lights, had become a hunting ground.
And he was now part of it.