Chapter 3 The Wolf Within

• I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw silver eyes staring back at me through the mist — Lucien’s eyes. The bond pulsed under my skin like a heartbeat that wasn’t mine.
• By morning, I could still feel him. Not physically, but inside. His emotions flickered through me like whispers — frustration, anger… and something that felt dangerously close to fear.
• When I looked at my reflection, my pupils glowed faintly gold before fading back to brown. I blinked hard. No way. That wasn’t possible.
• But deep inside, my wolf stirred.
• The halls of Crescent High felt heavier that day. Everyone moved in careful patterns, whispering things they thought I couldn’t hear.
• Rumors about the “fight” near the forest spread fast — some said it was a rogue wolf, others claimed a rival pack tried to invade. Either way, the Stone brothers were right in the middle of it.
• When I reached my locker, Vanessa was already there, smiling like a predator.
• “Morning, Ridge Girl,” she said sweetly. “Sleep well? Must be hard living in the same dorm wing as them.”
• I ignored her and shoved my books into the locker. She leaned closer, lowering her voice.
• “You know, Liam’s been distracted lately. Some of us think it’s your fault.”
• I looked at her. “Then some of you are delusional.”
• Her smirk didn’t waver. “Maybe. Or maybe you’re playing with something you don’t understand.”
• Something in her tone made my stomach twist. Before I could respond, Liam appeared at the end of the hall. For a moment, our eyes met — his filled with guilt, confusion, and something else I couldn’t name.
• Vanessa noticed too. Her smile faltered, just for a heartbeat, then came back sharper. “See you around, little wolf,” she whispered.
• I froze. Little wolf.
• Did she know?
• At lunch, I couldn’t find peace anywhere. The cafeteria buzzed with tension. Lucien was nowhere in sight, but I could feel him — distant, restless.
• The lights flickered suddenly, and a few students gasped. I pressed my hand against my chest; my pulse was racing, but it didn’t feel like mine.
• I stood up so quickly my chair screeched. “I need air,” I muttered and hurried outside.
• The moment I stepped into the courtyard, a cold wind hit me. My vision blurred for a second, and then I saw it — flashes of something that wasn’t real. A forest. Blood on leaves. And Lucien, standing in the center of it, eyes blazing silver, surrounded by shadows.
• Scarlet.
• The voice wasn’t out loud — it echoed inside me.
• You have to stay away from them.
• My breath caught. “Lucien?”
• But just as quickly, the vision vanished. I was back in the courtyard, trembling. My hands glowed faintly — silver veins tracing my skin before fading.
• “What’s happening to me?” I whispered.
• That evening, the pack council held an emergency meeting. Word spread that “the balance” was shifting. I didn’t know what that meant, but I felt it in the air — an invisible current running through every heartbeat on campus.
• I hid behind the old library, listening.
• “The girl doesn’t belong here,” a male voice said — deep, authoritative. “She carries a bond that was never meant to exist.”
• Another voice, calmer, older. “If Lucien’s wolf has chosen… we cannot interfere. The Moon decides.”
• “She’s human,” the first voice snapped. “That bond could destroy him.”
• I gasped quietly, hand flying to my mouth. They were talking about me.
• And Lucien.
• A twig snapped behind me. I spun around—
• Lucien was there.
• “You shouldn’t eavesdrop on pack business,” he said, stepping into the dim light. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes… his eyes burned.
• “I had to know,” I said. “They think I’m—what? A threat?”
• His silence was answer enough.
• “Then tell me the truth, Lucien,” I demanded. “What am I?”
• He took a step closer, shadows wrapping around him like smoke. “You’re the mistake the Moon didn’t mean to make,” he said quietly. “You were never supposed to be in our world.”
• The words hit like ice. “Then why do I feel you inside my head? Why can I feel your emotions, your pain?”
• Lucien’s jaw tightened. “Because the bond chose wrong.”
• For a moment, we just stared at each other — breathing, breaking, burning.
• Then he whispered, almost to himself, “But I can’t stay away.”
• My pulse jumped. “Then don’t.”
• Something flickered in his eyes — longing, fear, hunger. But he stepped back. “If I stay near you, you’ll get hurt.”
• “I already am,” I said softly.
• He turned, fists clenched. “You don’t understand what’s happening to you. The more your wolf awakens, the more danger you’re in.”
• “My wolf?” I echoed.
• Lucien looked at me, and for the first time, I saw real fear on his face. “You think you’re human, Scarlet, but you’re not. Not anymore.”
• That night, the moon hung low and red. My skin burned like fire under it. I could hear things I shouldn’t — the rustle of wolves in the woods, the heartbeat of people across the courtyard.
• And somewhere far away, Lucien’s voice again:
• Scarlet… run.
• The window shattered.
• A shadow burst through — black fur, glowing eyes, a snarl that made the air crack. A rogue wolf.
• I stumbled back, heart hammering. The creature lunged—
• —and something inside me snapped.
• Heat surged through my veins, blinding light spilling from my palms. I screamed, but the sound twisted, deepened — a growl tearing from my throat. The wolf slammed into the wall, yelping, as my vision turned silver.
• My reflection in the broken glass showed eyes that weren’t mine. Wolf eyes.
• Footsteps thundered down the hall. Lucien appeared in the doorway, breathless, eyes blazing.
• He froze when he saw me.
• “Scarlet…” he whispered. “Your wolf—she’s awake.”
• The rogue stirred behind him, snarling, but before he could move, Lucien’s gaze snapped to me.
• “Stay back!” he shouted.
• But it was too late. The rogue lunged again — and instinct took over. I moved faster than I thought possible, the world blurring into motion.
• And just as my claws met its throat, I heard Lucien’s voice in my head — desperate, breaking.
• If you kill it, they’ll know what you are. The words froze me mid-strike. The rogue twisted, its fangs flashing—Lucien leapt between us. Blood sprayed across the moonlit floor.