The Wolf Within

w the atmosphere was even more ominous. Maya shuddered as she made her way through the dense woodland that ringed the settlement, drawing her coat closely around her. Beneath the

ight of the B

at was unusual and steeped in history. While some whispered of the unusual abilities it aroused in those connected to the moon, others labeled it a b

eone was observing her as she made her way back to the village down the well-traveled trail. Her nerves tingled at the sound of every leaf rustling and t

ay

t and almost undetectable. With a gasp lodged in her throat, she halted in her tracks and turned to face

ed smaller than she expe

old sweat. Her heartbeat was too loud in the unsettling silence, and she could feel it in her ears. Her feet were fixed in place, yet her legs ache

made c

, causing her to gasp and seize her heart with her hand. Her muscles started to tremble wildly, and she had sw

ith me?" Between panicke

ugh her blood was boiling as a scorching fire shot through her veins. Her nails, once short and rounded, elongated into razor-sharp claws. Her hands-no, paws-dug into the dirt beneath her, anchoring he

as suddenly as it began, the pain ebbed, leaving behind a strange, unsettling calm. She

The earthy scent of the moist woodland floor was overwhelming, as was the smell of the pine needles beneath her paw

d angles, strong and muscular, and her whole body was coated with thick fur. Watching the cloud develop in the chilly night air, she let out a nervous

hipping through her fur, the night rushing past her in a blur. Trees became nothing but streaks of shadow as she sprinted, faster than she had ever moved as a human. The sensation was both exhilarating an

. But the wolf inside her was relentless, pushin

mething dangerous, she

ust beyond the tree line, tall and cloaked in darkness. Maya's heart leaped into her throat as she crouched low, tryi

hing her from

oat. Whoever it was, they had been following her. Her new instincts told her to run

en, without warning, they melted back into the

gone, but the u

ce again, the forest blurred around her, but this time, she maintained her attention on the dim lights emanating from her grandmother's cabin in the distance.

to hurt, the terror that had kept her going so strongly started to pass as her grandmother's cottage became familiar. She staggered onto the po

d as they rearranged themselves, fur receding, claws retracting. She clenched her j

. Her limbs felt weak, her muscles sore and spent. She was human again-or at least, she look

, Maya pushed open the door a

er hands still shaking, she took a blanket from the chair next to her and folded it around he

idn't appear shocked to see Maya in that condition, nor did she act quickly to save her. Rather, s

. She rose slowly from her chair and moved toward Maya, offering her a

d reeling. "True nature?" she echoed, he

ome, Maya. You are not like the others. Our bloodline is ancient, b

rring inside her. "How... how is this possible?

hings I could not tell you, not until now. You were not ready to hear them. But