Luna had never liked the full moon.
She did not know why. There was no clear reason. It was just a feeling she had carried for as long as she could remember. Whenever the moon was full, her chest felt tight, her skin prickled, and sleep refused to come.
Tonight was no different.
Luna walked quickly across the university campus, her backpack hanging heavy on one shoulder. The air was cold, and a thin fog hovered low over the ground, curling around her ankles like it was alive. The old stone buildings of Silverpine University loomed around her, their windows glowing softly in the night.
It was too quiet.
Usually, even late at night, there were sounds. Laughter. Music. Footsteps. Tonight, there was nothing. No voices. No wind. Not even insects.
Luna rubbed her arms and told herself she was being silly.
"Get it together," she whispered.
She had stayed late at the library studying for a biology test. Now it was past eleven, and she just wanted to get back to her apartment, take a shower, and sleep.
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
Michelle: Are you still on campus?
Michelle: Please tell me you didn't walk alone.
Michelle: Luna???
Luna sighed and typed quickly.
Luna: I'm fine. I'm almost home.
Luna: Stop worrying.
She slipped her phone back into her pocket and picked up her pace.
The recent murders had everyone on edge. Three students had been found dead over the last month. All during the full moon. All near the forest that bordered the campus.
The police said it was animal attacks.
No one believed that.
Luna reached the edge of the parking lot when a sudden pain hit her chest.
She gasped and stopped walking.
It felt like someone had punched her from the inside. The pain spread fast, sharp and burning, stealing the air from her lungs. Luna bent forward, hands braced on her knees as she struggled to breathe.
"What is happening?" she whispered.
Her heart raced wildly. Heat rushed through her body, crawling up her spine and down her arms. Her hands began to shake.
Fear surged through her.
She tried to take a step forward and nearly fell.
The world spun. Her vision blurred. Strange images flashed through her mind.
A forest covered in snow. Blood staining the ground. A woman crying her name.
Luna cried out and dropped to her knees.
This was not normal. This was not stress or panic. Something was very wrong.
Her chest burned hotter, right over her heart. She pressed her palm there and felt something pulse beneath her skin.
A pull tugged at her.
It was not physical, yet it was stronger than anything she had ever felt. It dragged at her very being, calling her toward the dark forest beyond the campus fence.
"No," Luna said aloud, panic rising. "I'm not going in there."
Her body did not listen.
She stood abruptly and ran.
Her feet carried her off the paved path and onto the narrow dirt trail leading into the woods. Branches scraped her arms as she pushed through, breath coming fast and uneven.
The deeper she ran, the stronger the pain became.
Her bones ached. Her muscles twisted painfully beneath her skin. Luna cried out, stumbling over roots and rocks.
"I want to go home," she sobbed.
She tripped and fell hard to the ground. The impact knocked the air from her lungs. She tried to push herself up, but her arms trembled violently.
Her fingers stretched.
Luna stared in horror as her nails lengthened before her eyes, turning sharp and silver. Her hands shimmered strangely, skin rippling like water.
"No. No. No," she whispered.
Pain exploded through her back. Her spine arched as something shifted inside her with sickening force. She screamed, the sound raw and broken.
Fur burst through her skin, pale silver and glowing faintly under the moonlight. Her clothes tore apart as her body changed, bones cracking and reforming.
The pain was unbearable.
Her scream broke into a long, haunting howl.
The sound echoed through the forest, carrying far into the night.
Then, suddenly, the pain stopped.
Luna gasped and sucked in a deep breath.
The world snapped into focus.
She could hear everything. The rustle of leaves. The heartbeat of a rabbit hiding nearby. The distant flow of a stream.
She looked down.
Four large silver paws rested on the forest floor.
Her heart raced as understanding crashed into her.
This was real.
She had turned into a wolf.
Panic surged again, but something inside her held it back. A calm instinct rose to the surface, steady and powerful.
She stood up.
Her body moved easily, naturally, like it had always known how. She took a cautious step, then another.
Then she ran.
She raced through the forest faster than she ever thought possible. The ground blurred beneath her. The wind tore through her fur.
The moon guided her, bright and commanding.
Images filled her mind. A pack running together. A promise made long ago. A throne beneath the stars.
And a word echoed through her thoughts.
Mine.
She skidded to a stop in a moonlit clearing.
The air shifted.
Luna growled low in her throat, instincts screaming a warning.
She was not alone.
A man stepped out from between the trees.
He was tall and broad, his presence heavy with power. His dark hair fell messily around sharp features. His golden eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight as they locked onto her.
He did not look surprised.
He looked relieved.
"So you finally awakened," he said quietly.
Luna snarled, baring her teeth.
The man lifted his hands slowly. "Easy. I'm not here to hurt you."
Something in his voice made her pause. Authority. Control.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice coming out rough and unfamiliar.
"My name is Kael Blackthorn," he said. "I am the Alpha of the Silverclaw Pack."
She backed away, heart pounding.
"I don't belong to any pack," she snapped.
Kael's gaze softened. "You do now."
Heat flared suddenly on her chest. Luna cried out as a glowing silver mark burned into her fur, right over her heart.
Kael inhaled sharply.
"There it is," he murmured.
"What did you do to me?" Luna demanded.
"I did nothing," he said firmly. "The Moon chose you."
She shook her head wildly. "I didn't choose this."
"I know," Kael replied. "None of us do."
Before she could speak again, a cold presence slid into her mind.
So this is her.
Luna froze.
The voice was smooth and calm, very different from her own thoughts.
Interesting, it continued. The Moon really is reckless.
"Get out of my head!" Luna shouted.
Kael stiffened. "You hear him."
"Hear who?" she asked, fear gripping her.
Kael's jaw tightened. "A vampire."
The voice chuckled softly.
Adrian, it said. Remember my name.
Luna's heart raced as dread filled her chest.
Kael stared at her, realization darkening his expression.
"A second bond," he said quietly.
Luna looked between the glowing mark on her chest and the dark forest beyond.
Her life had ended tonight.
And something far more dangerous had just begun.