Chapter 3 BOUND BY FAITH

The silence stretched between them, thick and oppressive. Selene gripped the blanket tighter, as if it could shield her from the truth settling deep in her bones.

"I don't understand," she said finally. "What do you mean, 'survive the change'?"

Rowan sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Werewolf bites aren't always fatal, but they're never harmless. If your body accepts the change, you'll become one of us."

"And if it doesn't?"

Rowan's jaw tightened. "Then you'll die."

Selene's stomach churned. "There has to be another way."

"There isn't."

She searched his face for any sign of deception but found none. Fear clawed at her chest. "So what do I do now?"

Rowan leaned back, crossing his arms. "You wait."

"For what?"

"For the full moon."

Selene shook her head. "But that's weeks away."

Rowan's gaze darkened. "Not for you. Your first shift will happen soon-maybe days, maybe hours. It's different for everyone."

Panic flared in her chest. She couldn't stay here, waiting for her body to betray her. She had a life, a family. "I have to go home."

"You can't."

Selene glared at him. "You can't keep me here."

Rowan exhaled sharply. "You don't understand. If you leave, you're putting everyone you love at risk."

A chill ran through her. "What do you mean?"

Rowan's expression was grim. "If you turn, and you can't control it, you could kill them."

Selene's breath hitched. She hadn't considered that. The thought of harming her grandmother, her friends-it was too much.

"What am I supposed to do?" she whispered.

Rowan studied her for a moment before saying, "You train. You learn to control it. And you pray that when the time comes, you're strong enough to survive."

The air inside the cabin felt thick, heavy with the weight of unspoken fears. Selene sat in silence, her fingers digging into the rough fabric of the blanket draped over her shoulders. The throbbing in her wound hadn't faded-it had worsened. Heat pulsed through her veins, each wave of warmth more intense than the last.

She was changing.

And she didn't know if she could stop it.

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selene clutched her shoulder as another surge of heat pulsed through her veins. Her skin was on fire, every nerve screaming in protest. She gritted her teeth, trying to control the tremors wracking her body.

Rowan watched from across the room, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "It's starting," he said simply.

Selene gasped as her muscles tensed painfully, a deep ache settling into her bones. "Make it stop," she begged, sweat beading on her forehead.

"You have to ride it out," Rowan said. "Fighting it will only make it worse."

But Selene wasn't sure she could. The burning was unbearable, and deep inside, something primal stirred, threatening to break free.

Her skin was feverish, burning from the inside out. The wound on her shoulder throbbed, but the pain was nothing compared to the new urges creeping into her mind. Scents overwhelmed her-the smoky wood of the fire, the herbal tang of the tea Rowan had brewed, and beneath it all, the unmistakable, intoxicating scent of blood.

She swallowed hard, shaking her head. No. I'm not an animal. But her body betrayed her, her muscles twitching as if itching to move, to hunt.

Rowan sat across from her, watching her closely. His gaze was unreadable, but there was a knowing look in his silver eyes.

"You feel it, don't you?" he said, voice low and even.

Selene clenched her jaw. She didn't want to admit it. Didn't want to say the words out loud. But she nodded, gripping the edge of the wooden bench she sat on as another wave of heat pulsed through her body.

"I don't understand," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "I was never... like this before."

"That's because you weren't turned before." Rowan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "The hunger is part of the change. It will only grow stronger."

Selene's breathing quickened. The idea terrified her. The thought of losing control, of becoming something else-it was too much.

Rowan must have seen the panic in her eyes because he sighed and shook his head. "You have to learn to control it, Selene. If you don't, the hunger will take over, and you won't recognize yourself anymore."

She swallowed hard, the words settling deep in her gut like stones. "How?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "How do I stop it?"

He studied her for a moment before answering. "You don't stop it. You learn to live with it."

Selene's nails dug into the wood of the bench. The idea of coexisting with this monstrous hunger, of feeling it claw at her insides day after day, sent a shiver through her. She wasn't sure she could do it.

A sudden noise outside made her jolt-a rustling, followed by the distant snap of a branch. Her head whipped toward the door, her pulse hammering. But it wasn't fear that sent adrenaline surging through her veins.

It was anticipation.

The scent of something alive, something warm, drifted in through the open window. Selene's breath hitched. It smelled delicious.

Her stomach twisted. No. No, no, no. She shoved herself up from the bench, staggering back.

Rowan stood quickly, watching her carefully. "Selene." His voice was steady but firm.

"I-" She shook her head violently. "I need air."

She didn't wait for his response. She turned and bolted out the door, into the cool night air. The moment she stepped outside, the scents overwhelmed her-the fresh earth, the damp moss, the distant, tantalizing aroma of prey.

Her vision sharpened, her hearing heightened. She could hear the faint heartbeat of something small-probably a rabbit-hiding in the underbrush nearby. Her mouth watered.

She clutched her head, pressing her palms against her temples. No. I'm not an animal. I'm not an animal.

But deep down, a darker voice whispered, Yes, you are.

Rowan stepped outside, his presence a grounding force in the chaos of her mind. "You're fighting it," he said.

"Of course I'm fighting it!" she snapped, spinning to face him. "I don't want to be a monster."

He studied her for a long moment before saying, "You don't have a choice."

Selene trembled, her breath coming in short gasps. She could feel the beast inside her, clawing to get free. She didn't know how much longer she could hold it back.

And she was terrified of what would happen when she couldn't.

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Selene's transformation is intensifying, and her battle with her growing hunger is just beginning. Will she fight it, or will the beast inside her take over?

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