Chapter 2 Kaela's Fear & Defiance

Kaela crouched in the tall grass, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The screams had stopped. The night had gone eerily silent, save for the distant howls of the pack. She didn’t dare move. Not yet. From her hiding place, she could still see the clearing where it had happened. The scent of blood clung to the air, thick and suffocating. Another girl was gone. The elders had declared her unworthy, a disgrace to the pack. The moment she had begun to shift—when the telltale shimmer of fur had spread across her trembling body—her own father had dragged her forward. A single slash of the Alpha’s claws. That was all it had taken. Kaela wanted to scream. She wanted to fight. But she couldn’t. Not here. Not now. She could only watch as the men carried the girl’s lifeless body away. A Law Written in Blood Kaela stayed hidden until the last warrior had disappeared into the trees, then forced herself to move. Her muscles ached from being still so long, but the pain was nothing compared to the weight in her chest. This was the third girl in two months. How much longer until it was her? She slipped through the trees, silent as a shadow, until she reached the back of her family’s hut. The door creaked as she stepped inside, and a rush of warmth from the fire washed over her chilled skin. Her mother, Mayan, stood by the hearth, her eyes dark with exhaustion. “You shouldn’t have gone,” she said without turning. Kaela swallowed hard. “I had to.” Mayan finally faced her. Her once-beautiful face was lined with worry, her silver hair pulled tightly away from her face. “Watching won’t change anything.” Kaela’s fists clenched at her sides. “So we just accept it?” A shadow passed over her mother’s face. She lowered her voice, barely a whisper. “We survive.” Kaela hated that word. Survive. It was the word of the weak. The word of the broken. She didn’t want to survive. She wanted to live. A Dangerous Secret That night, sleep did not come easily. Kaela tossed and turned, flashes of the execution replaying in her mind. The terror in the girl’s eyes. The sound of flesh tearing. The silence that followed. When she finally drifted into unconsciousness, the dreams came. She was running—not as a girl, but as a wolf. Her paws pounded against the earth, her fur catching the wind as she raced beneath the moonlit sky. She felt free, powerful—unstoppable. And then, fire. A ring of flames surrounded her, growing taller and hotter. The figures of men appeared beyond it—watching. Waiting. She tried to escape, but the fire burned higher. There was no way out. Kaela awoke with a gasp, her body drenched in sweat. Her hands trembled as she pressed them to her face. A dream. But the tingling beneath her skin—the heat in her blood—told her it was more than that. She threw off her blanket and stumbled outside. The moon hung high above, bathing the village in silver light. She could still feel it—the pull, the hunger. Her body was changing. Panic seized her. She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t supposed to shift yet. Not so soon. If anyone found out—if her father even suspected—she would be next. A Mother’s Warning “Kaela.” She spun around to see Mayan standing in the doorway, her expression unreadable. Kaela opened her mouth, but no words came. Had her mother seen? Did she know? Mira walked toward her slowly. “It’s happening, isn’t it?” Kaela couldn’t lie. Not to her. Tears burned her eyes as she nodded. Mayan closed the distance between them and gripped her shoulders. “Listen to me,” she said fiercely. “You must hide it. No matter what.” Kaela’s throat tightened. “But—” “No.” Her mother’s hands trembled. “You will do as I say. You will not shift. You will not let them see.” Kaela’s chest ached. “What if I can’t stop it?” Mira took a sharp breath. “Then I will find a way to keep you safe.” Kaela wanted to believe her. She wanted to trust that her mother could protect her. But deep down, she knew the truth. No one could save her from what she was. The Spark of Rebellion Sleep never returned that night. When the first light of dawn touched the village, Kaela made her decision. She would not wait for death. She would not beg for mercy. She would fight. But she couldn’t do it alone. She needed to find others like her—women who had survived. Because if she was going to change the law… She would need an army.