The howl cut through me like a blade.
Every instinct I had screamed the same command—run.
I didn't wait to see if he understood the danger. I grabbed his wrist and pulled, hard, dragging him down the narrow alley beside the street before logic or fear could slow me down. My boots hit wet concrete, my lungs burning as I forced my body faster than any human sprint should allow.
"Hey—!" he started.
"Quiet," I snapped. "Unless you want to die today."
That shut him up.
The city blurred past us—dumpsters, fire escapes, the sour smell of garbage and rain. My wolf surged closer to the surface, desperate, furious. She knew that howl. She knew the voice behind it.
Scout.
Pack.
Close.
I skidded around a corner and shoved him into the shadow of a service stairwell, pressing myself in front of him like my body alone could hide what he was. My heart pounded so hard it hurt. I tilted my head, listening.
Footsteps.
Too light to be human.
Too many to be coincidence.
He leaned close, voice low. "You're shaking again."
"Because you're breathing," I whispered back.
A figure moved at the mouth of the alley.
Then another.
Then three more.
They didn't look like wolves. They never did at first glance. Human faces, human clothes—but their eyes glowed faintly, silver catching the weak light. Hunters. My father's kind.
My pack.
One of them lifted his head and sniffed the air. "She's here."
My spine went cold.
The Alpha among them stepped forward—a tall man with dark hair streaked in premature silver. His gaze sliced through the shadows until it landed on me.
"Daughter," he said.
The word hit harder than any blow.
I stepped out before I could stop myself, positioning my body so they couldn't see who stood behind me. "You don't get to call me that."
His lips curled. "You ran far. I'll give you that."
"Why are you here?" My voice didn't shake. I was proud of that.
His eyes flicked briefly to the stairwell. Too briefly.
Damn it.
"We felt the disturbance," he said. "A curse rejected. A bond resisted. You know what that means."
My stomach twisted.
"No," I said. "You think you know."
He smiled slowly. "You were never meant to touch anyone. Never meant to tempt fate. And yet…" His gaze sharpened. "You reek of him."
Behind me, the man shifted. Protective. Instinctive.
Wrong move.
Every head snapped toward the stairwell.
Silence fell.
Then the Alpha laughed. Low. Disbelieving. "You brought a man into this?"
"He's human," I said quickly.
The lie tasted bitter.
The Alpha took one step closer—and stopped.
His smile vanished.
He inhaled again, slower this time. Confusion creased his brow. "That's impossible."
My heart slammed.
"What?" I demanded.
"He should be dead."
The words echoed in the alley like a verdict.
The man behind me finally spoke. Calm. Too calm. "I'm right here."
The pack Alpha's eyes locked onto him—and widened.
For the first time, fear flickered across his face.
I felt it then.
The pull.
Not the curse.
The claim.
The air thickened, vibrating with a power that did not belong to me—but responded to me all the same. The man stepped forward, placing himself beside me instead of behind me, his shoulder brushing mine.
"Stay back," he warned them.
My breath caught.
That wasn't human authority in his voice.
That was Alpha command.
The alley lights flickered.
Someone in the pack whimpered.
The Alpha growled, low and furious. "You don't know what you are."
"Maybe not," he replied evenly. "But I know what I won't let you do."
My wolf bowed.
Inside me.
Without my permission.
I stared at him, terror and awe tangling in my chest. "You need to stop," I hissed. "You're calling to them."
"To what?"
"To the Moon," I whispered.
Too late.
The clouds above us split.
Moonlight poured down the alley like judgment.
The Alpha staggered back. "It's awakening," he breathed. "After all these years…"
I grabbed the man's hand. "Run. Now."
He didn't argue this time.
We broke into motion as the first wolf shifted behind us, bones cracking, fur tearing through skin. The sound chased us—howls rising, multiplying, echoing through the city.
We burst onto the main road, horns blaring as cars swerved. I dragged him across traffic, my strength no longer subtle, my control unraveling.
"Tell me the truth!" he shouted over the noise. "What am I?"
I didn't answer.
Because if I said it out loud, it would become real.
We ducked into an abandoned warehouse near the docks, slamming the door shut behind us. I threw my weight against it just as something heavy crashed into the metal from the other side.
The door buckled.
He grabbed my shoulders. "They're coming for me."
"Yes," I said hoarsely.
"And for you?"
I met his eyes.
"For us."
Another impact shook the door.
Above us, the Moon burned bright—watching.
Waiting.
And deep in my blood, the curse screamed—not in warning…
But in fear.