The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, but beneath it, Lyra sensed something more—something raw, electric, and dangerous. It pulsed inside her, coiling beneath her skin like an untamed beast waiting to break free. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her pulse hammering as she stumbled back against a tree. Every sound—the rustling leaves, the distant hoot of an owl, the shifting of Kaidën's boots on the forest floor—was too loud, too sharp, like her senses had been cranked to full volume. "Kaidën," she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper. "What's happening to me?" He was already there, his hands gripping her shoulders. The heat of his touch sent a shudder through her. His dark eyes burned with intensity as they scanned her face, searching for something—fear? Control? "It's starting," he murmured. His voice was low, rough, almost reverent. "Your body is responding to the change." The change. The words felt too big, too impossible. This wasn't just a fever or a nightmare she could wake up from. Something inside her—something ancient, wild—was awakening. A sudden pain lanced through her chest, knocking the breath from her lungs. She doubled over, gasping. Her nails—no, claws—dug into the earth as a raw, guttural sound tore from her throat. Kaidën's grip tightened. "You have to fight it, Lyra." "I—can't—" She trembled, the heat in her veins threatening to consume her. "It's—too much." A new presence entered the clearing. A deep voice, smooth yet edged with something dangerous. "You're pushing her too hard." Kaidën stiffened. Lyra barely managed to lift her gaze before Elijah emerged from the shadows. Tall, lean, with piercing storm-gray eyes that locked onto hers. There was something unreadable in his gaze, something dark and knowing. The air between them seemed to shift, an invisible pull tightening around them. "She needs to let it happen," Elijah said, stepping closer. "Not fight it." Kaidën's jaw clenched. "Stay out of this." Lyra barely heard them. Her body was burning, her muscles spasming. Her skin itched like it was too tight, as though something inside her was trying to claw its way out. Then Elijah did something unexpected. He reached out—slow, deliberate—and let his fingers brush against her wrist. And just like that… the fire in her veins cooled. A sharp gasp left her lips as she sagged forward, nearly collapsing. Elijah caught her with effortless ease, his grip firm yet careful. "What—" Her head was spinning, her breath unsteady. "What did you just do?" Elijah's lips curved into something between a smirk and a secret. "Calming presence," he murmured. "It seems you respond to me." A low, possessive growl ripped from Kaidën's throat. "Let her go." Elijah's hold lingered a moment longer before he released her. "Interesting," he mused, ignoring Kaidën's fury. "You're different from the others." Lyra barely registered their exchange. She was caught between fire and ice, between the heat Kaidën ignited in her and the calm control Elijah seemed to bring. "I don't understand what's happening to me," she admitted, voice trembling. Elijah tilted his head. "That's because no one has told you the truth yet." Kaidën moved swiftly, placing himself between them. "She's not ready." Elijah arched a brow. "She's experiencing her first shift. She's more than ready." First shift. The words sent a shiver through her. Kaidën's voice dropped into something almost pleading. "If you push her too far, she could lose herself." Elijah held his gaze for a long moment before sighing. "Fine." He looked back at Lyra, his expression softer—almost reluctant. "But you can't keep the truth from her forever." A heavy silence settled between them. Lyra's body still hummed with residual energy, but the worst of the pain had subsided. Still, she wasn't the same. She could feel it—something within her had changed, something she could never undo. And Kaidën and Elijah both knew it.
