/-Mia-/

“Okay, everyone! Well spell ‘Mia,’ and then cut the cake!” Liv announced excitedly.

I tried to smile and play along but this party hadn’t been my idea. If it had been up to me, I would have spent a quiet night at home watching a movie.

But my best friend Liv was the exact opposite. She loved parties, dressing up, and surprises of all kinds. Being a good friend, I didn’t want to disappoint her.

“M… I…A… MIA! “ Pressing the knife into the cake, I waited for the expected clapping and cheering.

“What the hell, Mia! You cut me with the knife while I held it with you, cutting the cake.” Liv frowned.

“No, I didn't,” I protested, looking down at the blood welling from Liv’s hand. And then I saw my hand. It hadn’t been the knife that cut my friend.

“Arggggggghhhhhh OMG! MIAAAAA Your fingers!” Liv screamed. This was followed by screams from my other friends and guests. I too screamed out of bewilderment. I dropped my glass and ran out of the house — Out of the entire scene.

“What the hell is happening to me?”

Suddenly, I was burning up despite the chill in the air. My skin was stretched too tight across my bones. My lungs strained to find oxygen in my panic.

“Oh no! What's happening? Argh!” I screamed at the top of my voice. Whether it was due to my bewilderment about what was happening to me, or it was the pain that went along, I couldn't tell.

My bones cracked, my skin shook, fur popped out everywhere and my fingers grew wide and wild. I looked up and it was a full moon.

What could be happening?

I screamed into the night but my voice simply echoed across the dark empty woods — My eyes searched my surroundings suddenly afraid my cries would bring people to me…People who would see this monstrous thing that was happening to me. How would I explain? What if they were afraid and hurt me? I clenched my teeth willing myself to be quiet. To try to figure out what the hell was happening to me.

This had to be some kind of nightmare. It was something out of a movie — Teen Wolf or Vampire Diaries. Wait. This couldn’t be real!

“ARGGGGHHH!” I screamed again as my backbones bent and cracked sharply. The sounds I was producing were no longer even human. My eyes danced around my body and widened in horror. I was half human and animal.

This was it! I couldn’t take anymore. Just when I thought I would pass out from the pain, my sharpened eyesight caught the outline of someone in the shadows. I blinked and the outline turned into a young man looking unconcerned, watching me from a distance.

I wondered how long he had been watching me. Has he seen my shift? Horror at the thought filled me.

I felt the need to protect myself. He seems like a threat — His confidence, his stern looks, and his weird smirk. Okay, this was not enough to make him a threat but anyone who must have watched me shift should be. Something feral clicked into place in my half-transformed mind and I attacked.

With every move I made, he slipped out of reach, never touching me, never striking back. The frustration boiled over, turning my vision red.

I snarled, baring my fangs. This time, I wouldn’t miss it. My muscles bunched, coiling for one last leap. I was ready to rip him apart, my teeth aimed for his throat. But just as I launched myself at him, his scent hit me—wild, earthy, raw. It slammed into me so hard, that I lost focus. My body froze mid-air.

His eyes—those strange, glowing eyes—locked onto mine. I felt connected with him. I felt like I knew him all my life. He must know something about what was going on with me. He is too strong and unusual to be human. And he's been watching me transform? I guess he must have been prepared to witness this day.

But who was he?

“Who the hell are you?” I spat, my voice a low growl.

He didn’t even flinch. “Kael. The one keeping you alive.”

“You should be rather concerned about who you are.” He responded gently, but still with a smirk.

“Well, I can no longer recognize myself as the 25-year-old law graduate.”

“I’ll help you out.” He smirked again. “I’m like you—You are a werewolf.” He paused as if he knew I would be shocked, then continued.

“Not just any type of werewolf, but your bloodline… it’s special. I know it’s a lot to process right now. But we don’t have time for a lot of details right now. You have to know that you are a target!”

A target?

/-Mia-/

I was numb. I didn't know what to think. Truly I couldn't process all of what he said. I didn't even understand him. Me? Werewolf? Target? What's he even saying?

Can I even trust him? I pondered quietly.

He continued as if trying to explain further.

“There's an ancient curse involving your ancestors… you know what, you'll understand this later.”

I kept mute trying to pinch myself and probably wake up if it were a dream — a nightmare. But it wasn't.

“You are mate! — My Fated Mate.” He held my hands gently as he said this, while he looked into my eyes.

“Let go of me!” I retreated. How many shocks for one night? I don't know how he is cool about believing I am fit to be his spouse when he doesn't even know me personally.

This is barbaric! I thought. I had always kicked against something as mystical and controlling as fated mates.

“Whether you like it or not, IT'S FATE! — There are no choices!” His voice was higher than usual.

“So how do you expect me to process that I am a werewolf, and now I'm being told I'm bound to someone I just met? Does it make any sense?” I retorted.

As the last tremors of the transformation faded, I struggled to catch my breath. My bones had stopped breaking, my claws retreating, but everything felt off. My skin tingled, and a strange heat simmered beneath the surface, like I wasn’t done changing yet.

Kael watched me with those strange, glowing eyes, his stance calm but alert. Too calm.

“What the hell did you do to me?” I growled, half expecting another surge of rage to take over. My body felt like it was ready to shift again at any moment, and I had no control over it.

“Not me. This was always going to happen,” he said, his tone too steady, too knowing.

His voice grated on my nerves, but before I could snap back, a sharp pain shot across my side. I winced and pressed my hand to my ribs, my fingers brushing something raised and warm. A scar. A fresh scar that shouldn't exist. I jerked my hand away, gazing at it in shock.

"What the hell is this?" I demanded.

Kael's gaze was drawn to the scar, and his face tightened for a brief moment before he swiftly concealed it. "We don't have time for that right now."

"We don't have time for what?" I snapped, stepping toward him, my anger rising again. “You dragged me into this nightmare, I’m half an animal, and now I have some kind of brand on me?”

He stepped closer, his voice low. “You’re more than just a werewolf, Mia. That mark means they’ll come for you soon. And not everyone who finds you will want to help.”

My stomach dropped, but before I could ask what the hell that meant, a distant howl cut through the air. My head snapped toward the sound. It wasn’t like Kael’s voice, deep and commanding—it was cold, chilling, and far too close.

Kael’s eyes sharpened. “We need to move. Now.”

I opened my mouth to retort, but then I noticed it—a shadow moving in the distance, creeping through the woods, too swift and silent to be human. My pulse raced, my body stiffened, and every instinct screamed danger.

“What’s that?” I whispered, suddenly aware of just how exposed we were.

“They found us faster than I thought.” Kael grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not painful. “We need to run. Or they’ll kill you.”

“Who will?”

“Others. Not like me. Worse.”

I yanked my arm free, panic setting in, but before I could question him again, the shadow moved closer. A pair of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, watching us. No, watching me.

/-Mia-/

Kael pulled me through the trees like something was on our heels. My legs burned, lungs on fire, but I refused to slow down.

“Keep moving,” he snapped.

I bit back a retort, too angry to waste my breath. We crashed through the forest, branches tearing at my skin. My wolf side howled, urging me to fight, to run faster, but my human mind was still grappling with reality—I was a werewolf.

We broke into a clearing. Shadows moved around us—wolves, watching from the trees. Cold eyes. I tensed.

"Shadowclaw territory," Kael said, barely slowing down. He glanced over his shoulder at me. “Stay close. It’s not safe yet.”

Not safe?I was surrounded by wolves and didn’t know what to do. Sometimes I feel it's a nightmare, and no one wakes me up from it. But I kept running because the alternative was stopping, and whatever was behind us was worse.

We reached a clearing, massive stone structures built into the cliffs ahead. Wolves moved in the shadows, eyes tracking us. I jerked my arm free.

““I’m not your prisoner,” I snapped, stepping back. “IDK what the f is going on, but I’m done running.”

Kael didn’t answer. He was scanning the treeline, his body rigid. I followed his gaze. The air shifted—something was coming.

Suddenly, a woman appeared—tall, muscular, deadly. Her gaze flicked to me, eyes narrowing. “This the girl causing the commotion?”

“Elara,” Kael said. “My Beta.”

She didn’t look impressed. “Kael, bringing her here won’t help your situation. Talon’s been stirring trouble.”

“Who the hell is Talon?” I demanded.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Elara said. “But right now, he’s a problem.”

A growl rumbled through the trees. My heart flew into my mouth.

"Too late," Kael muttered.

A figure stepped out from the shadows—bigger than Kael, with a cocky grin plastered on his face. Talon. His eyes locked onto mine, a gleam of dark satisfaction in them.

“So, you’re the new toy Kael’s dragged in.” He sneered, stepping closer. “Don’t look like much.”

“Back off, Talon,” Kael warned.

Talon’s grin widened. “What? Afraid I’ll break her? She doesn’t belong here.”

I clenched my fists. “I can handle myself.”

Talon’s smirk didn’t falter. He lunged.

Everything happened in a blur. I instinctively ducked, but he was quick, much too quick. Long, sharp claws swiped across my arm, pain racing through me. I landed hard, panting for breath.

“Not so tough now, are we?” Talon growled, looming over me.

Rage bubbled up inside me, my wolf pushing to the surface. My vision blurred. My side burned—the scar. It felt like it was on fire.

Before I could think, I moved. My body reacted on pure instinct, legs kicking out. Talon staggered back, surprise flashing across his face. I was on my feet before he could recover.

The pain in my side twisted into raw power. I launched myself at him, striking him with all my force, sending him to the ground. He growled, but I was on top of him that second, fangs bared ready to tear his throat out.

Talon flashed his teeth, but did not move.

Then his scent hit me—musky, sharp, wrong.

I froze.

Talon’s eyes widened, but before he could react, Kael was there, shoving me aside. He slammed Talon into the dirt, pinning him with ease.

“Enough,” Kael growled, his voice cold.

Talon just bared his teeth but didn't otherwise move. His gaze flickered to mine and something dark flashed within.

“She’s marked,” he spat. “You know what that means.”

Kael’s grip tightened, his expression unreadable. “It’s none of your concern.”

Talon laughed, the sound harsh and cruel. “It will be. When the others find out, they’ll come for her.”

A howl split the air, sharp and distant. My heart skipped. Kael shoved Talon away, turning to me.

“They’re coming,” he said, his voice tense.

“Who?” I asked, dread pooling in my stomach.

Kael’s eyes locked with mine. “The ones who want you dead.”