The days dragged by, the weight of the triplets' ultimatum pressing on Jade's every thought. No matter how hard she trained, no matter how desperately she focused, her wolf remained dormant, leaving her in a limbo of failure and fear. Each day brought her closer to their birthday, and each day, she grew more terrified of what would happen if she couldn’t shift.
One night, unable to sleep, Jade found herself kneeling by her bed, her heart heavy with despair. She hadn’t prayed in years, not since her mother died, but now, with nowhere else to turn, she clasped her hands and whispered into the dark.
“Moon Goddess, if you’re listening, I need help. I’ve done everything I can think of, but nothing works. I’m not ready to be cast out. I’m not ready to fail.” Her voice cracked, and she squeezed her eyes shut, tears slipping down her cheeks. “Please… just help me find my wolf. I need her.”
The silence that followed was suffocating. No sign, no comfort came. Just the same empty darkness she had felt for so long.
The next evening, with her nerves fraying and frustration mounting, Jade left the academy grounds and wandered deep into the forest. The cool night air bit at her skin, but she welcomed the sting. It kept her grounded, distracted from the overwhelming sense of defeat creeping into her mind. She found herself in a clearing, the moon casting an eerie glow through the trees.
"Why can’t I shift?" she muttered, staring up at the pale orb in the sky. “What’s wrong with me?”
The words had barely left her mouth when a sudden, searing pain shot through her body. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, a fire ripping through her muscles, bones cracking and reforming, stretching and reshaping her. Jade gasped, dropping to her knees as her entire world shifted around her—literally.
Her wolf had awoken.
The pain was unbearable, but with it came a surge of power, raw and wild. Her senses exploded, everything becoming sharper, clearer. Her hearing picked up the faintest rustle of leaves, her nose caught every scent in the air, and her sight sharpened to pick out the smallest details in the moonlit forest.
She had shifted.
Jade rose shakily to her feet, her body now that of a sleek, gray wolf. It was overwhelming, exhilarating—and terrifying. She threw her head back and howled, a primal sound of both triumph and release that echoed through the trees. For the first time in her life, she felt whole, felt truly connected to the wild part of herself that had been missing for so long.
But before she could fully savor the moment, a rustling sound came from the edge of the clearing. Her senses immediately picked up on the presence of others, and when she turned, she saw them—Eric, Liam, and Cole. The triplets stood there, their eyes glowing in the dim light, expressions unreadable.
“You did it,” Liam murmured, taking a step forward. His gaze lingered on her, full of something raw, something hungry.
Eric’s eyes darkened with something deeper—something that sent a shiver down her spine. “Your wolf,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “She’s stronger than we thought.”