CHAPTER 9

The chaos that broke out when the wolf transformed was more than anything I've witnessed before. Xander's strong leadership prevented the pack from becoming overly anxious as we tried to control the situation. With Zara's expertise, we managed to sedate the wolf, his unnaturally red eyes finally closing as the sedative took effect.

“Take him to the dungeon,” Xander ordered, his voice grim. “We'll question him when he wakes.”

As the unconscious wolf was carried away, Xander turned to me, his eyes filled with concern. “Aurora, are you alright?”

I nodded, though my heart was still racing. “I'm fine. But Xander, what was that? I've never seen a transformation like that before.”

He shook his head, looking worried. “I haven't either. But we'll figure this out.” His expression became gentle as he held my face. “For now, get some rest. We'll handle this tomorrow.”

I couldn't sleep that night because my mind kept thinking about the scary change over and over. When morning finally came, I was tired but happy to begin a new day.

Xander came to my room, his face showing determination. “Aurora, after what happened last night, I believe it's time you start training. I need to know you can protect yourself if anything happens.”

I was happy and anxious. “Are you sure I am ready?”

He smiled, giving my hand a squeeze. “More than ready. Beta Jaxon will meet you at the training grounds in an hour.”

An hour later, I was at the training grounds, my palms sweaty as I watched Beta Jaxon demonstrate a series of warm-up exercises. Other pack members were scattered around, some training, others watching curiously.

“Alright, Luna,” Beta Jaxon said, turning to me with a serious expression. “Let's start.”

We started with learning how to break free from someone's hold, and he showed me the most effective areas to strike and disable an attacker. At first, I struggled, my movements were uncertain. However, as we kept going, something unusual occurred. It felt like my body was recalling skills that my mind wasn't aware of.

Beta Jaxon nodded approvingly. “Good. You've got instincts. Now, let's try some sparring.”

As we circled each other, I felt an unusual tingling feeling that spread throughout my body, and it continued to intensify, becoming nearly unbearable.

All at once, I felt sharp pain inside me. I bent over, shouting in agony as my bones started to break. Panic flooded me—what was happening?

“She's shifting!” I heard Beta Jaxon shout, but his voice sounded far away, covered by the loud noise in my ears.

The pain was terrible, worse than anything I've ever experienced. But under that pain, there was something else – a rush of energy, fierce and uncontrolled. I embraced it, allowing it to flow through me.

After the pain finally went away, everything around me seemed changed. Smells assaulted my nose, sounds I'd never noticed before filled my ears. I blinked, confused, then looked down. Instead of hands, I saw paws—pure white and larger than I expected.

I'd shifted. I was in my wolf form.

Murmurs rippled through the gathered pack members. I caught snippets of their conversations, marveling at how clear they sounded.

“Look at her fur…"

“Pure white…"

“Bigger than most males…"

Before I could process it all, a large black wolf approached. Even in this form, I recognized Xander immediately. Our bond hummed strongly as he circled me, his scent wrapping around me like a comforting blanket.

“You look beautiful,” his voice echoed in my mind. “How do you feel?”

I tried to respond, but only managed a whine. How did I feel? Overwhelmed. Powerful. Alive.

“It's okay,” Xander reassured me. “Take it slow. Try to walk.”

I lifted a paw, surprised by how natural it felt. My first steps were wobbly, but I quickly found my balance. Soon, I was walking around the training ground, enjoying my new form.

Beta Jaxon, now also in his wolf form—a sturdy brown wolf — approached. “Ready to try some exercises, Luna?”

 We ran really fast through the woods, and my feet hardly even touched the ground as I zoomed by many trees. I was surprised because I was faster than not just Beta Jaxon, but also some of the strongest members of our group who came with us.

When we returned to the training grounds, Beta Jaxon set up a mock fight. As another wolf lunged at me, my body reacted instinctively. I dodged and countered with moves I'd never learned, my white form a blur of motion.

“Incredible,” Beta Jaxon said, his tone a mixture of awe and confusion. “Where did you learn those techniques?”

Before I could ponder this, something strange happened. The world around me seemed to fade, replaced by flashing images I couldn't quite grasp. A silver moon. An ancient tree. A pair of glowing eyes.

“Luna Aurora?” Beta Jaxon's voice snapped me back to reality. I blinked, disoriented.

“What happened?” Xander asked, concern evident in his voice.

I shook my head, unable to explain the strange vision.

As we ended the training session, I could feel the pack's eyes on me. Their whispers followed us back to the pack house.

“Did you see how fast she was?”

“And those fighting moves…”

“There's something special about her…”

I noticed Lyra watching from a distance, her eyes narrowed with barely concealed jealousy. I tried to ignore her, focusing instead on the warmth of Xander's presence beside me.

Later, as Xander and I walked through the pack grounds, I overheard him talking quietly with Beta Jaxon.

“Her abilities are unprecedented,” Beta Jaxon was saying. “The speed, the instinctive fighting skills, not to mention her unique coloring. What do you think it means?”

Xander's response was too low for me to catch, but the serious tone of their conversation unsettled me.

As we passed groups of pack members, more whispers reached my ears.

“...just like the prophecy said…”

“...a white wolf, faster than the wind…”

“...could she be the chosen one?”

Prophecy? Chosen one? What were they talking about? The discomfort that had been increasing throughout the day became more intense.

That evening, while getting ready for sleep, I noticed my reflection in the mirror. For an instant, I believed I saw my eyes briefly turn a bright silver color. I blinked, and they returned to their usual appearance. Was it just my imagination?

As I got into bed, my thoughts were filled with questions. What was going on with me? Why was I so different from other wolves? And what did it all mean for my future in the pack?

As I fell asleep, I felt strongly in my heart that this was just the start of something important.

In my dreams, I saw myself running through a forest, with the moonlight showing me the way. A voice, old and strong, spoke softly in my ear:

“Prepare yourself, Aurora. Your destiny awaits.”

I suddenly woke up, and the words were still playing in my head. As the first light of dawn entered my room, I made up my mind that regardless of what was happening to me or what this supposed destiny was, I would be ready.