Chapter 8

I woke to a strange sensation, like my body was vibrating with energy. My skin tingled, and my muscles burned. I was a werewolf, so heightened senses and reflexes were normal, but today… Today felt different. It was like my energy reserve was overflowing, and I needed to release it.

In the Mooncrest Pack, I was only allowed to shift four times a year, and I had learned to live with it. It wasn’t April yet, which meant I wasn’t due for another shift. But this urge—this uncontrollable need to run—was impossible to ignore.

I jumped out of bed, throwing on whatever clothes I could grab because I knew I’d be taking them off in a few minutes anyway. Without hesitation, I bolted outside.

The cool morning air hit my skin as I sprinted toward the Blackwood Forest, a massive stretch of land behind the packhouse. It was so vast that even running at full speed, it would take hours to circle it. Once I reached a large tree deep in the forest, I hid behind it and began to strip.