Chapter 2 When wolves meet

Lyra landed on the cold grass and started running. It felt like the right thing to do, even though it was a little weird. Her body moved by itself, like it already knew what was happening. She didn't stop, she just kept going.

She ran through the empty streets of Wolfrest, everything around her quiet and dark. The town was still, covered in shadows. Every sound and smell hit her at once she heard an owl flying overhead, caught the strong smell of car oil nearby, and even felt the soft buzz of a fridge behind a wall. The night felt full of energy, like the whole world had suddenly woken up.

Her body moved on its own, taking her to the edge of town. The forest was quiet and still, like it had been waiting for her. She stopped at the trees and sniffed the air. It smelled like pine and wet dirt but there was something else too. Something alive. Something watching.

She walked into the forest.

The trees stood tall around her, thick and rough, their bark marked with deep lines like old wounds. The forest didn't feel quiet it felt like it was watching. Shadows and branches seemed to press in close. Moonlight slipped through the leaves in thin strips, lighting the ground in silver. Her paws moved softly over the dirt, but her heart was pounding hard.

Then she heard it a deep, rough growl nearby.

Lyra froze. Her ears stood up, and she held her breath.

The forest wasn't still anymore.

She walked into the clearing, where the moonlight lit the grass like a soft layer of frost. Five wolves stood in a big circle, their glowing eyes fixed on her. Their fur came in different colors white, gray, brown, and red. They didn't growl or move. They just stood there quietly, like they have been waiting for her to show up.

One of the wolves came closer. He was the biggest one. His fur was silver with black lines, and his light blue eyes shone in the dark. He walked slowly around her and lowered his head, like he was saying hello.

Welcome.

The word filled her mind. He didn't say anything out loud, but she heard it clearly in her head.

Lyra stood still. The voice felt strong and old, like it carried something powerful.

You have awakened. You have heard the call.

She didn't say a word. She just nodded. Her body understood before her mind could.

The wolf stepped back. Then, its body started to change. Bones moved, fur went away, arms and legs got longer. In a few seconds, the wolf turned into a man.

He was tall and strong. His hair was dark with some silver in it, shining in the moonlight. His eyes were still the same light blue and wild. A long scar was on his jaw. He looked young, maybe about twenty-five, but he seemed like he had lived a long time.

He walked toward her slowly. He had no shirt or shoes, but he didn't seem cold.

"My name is Alexander," he said. His voice was quiet and calm, like the wind in the trees.

Lyra took a step back without thinking.

He lifted his hand to show he wouldn't hurt her.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said. "We have been waiting for you."

Lyra looked at him, her heart beating fast. "What are you?"

He gave her a small smile. "I'm the same as you."

Lyra stared at him, confused. Her body seemed to understand what had happened, but her mind was still trying to catch up. "Why now? Why me?"

Alexander looked up at the moon. "Your blood knows when it's time. It always does."

She looked down at her hands. They were human again. The change had happened so quickly, like a wave that rushed in and pulled back. Her skin still felt strange.

He watched her closely. "You're not the first this has happened to. And you won't be the last. But you... you're different."

She looked at him. "Different how?"

He paused for a moment. "You come from two families. One that was hunted. One that stayed hidden. That almost never happens. And when it does, the forest takes notice. It chooses someone."

Lyra's breath caught. "Choose me for what?"

He stepped closer, his voice softer. "There's a war coming, Lyra. You might've felt it in your dreams, or just deep inside without knowing why. It's real. And you're not just a part of it, you are important. More than you know."

Her knees felt weak. This wasn't what she wanted. She hadn't asked for any of it.

Before she could speak again, the forest shifted around them, as if it had been listening the whole time.

Leaves moved above them. A branch snapped. The wolves turned toward the sound, ears up, eyes glowing.

Alexander went still. Then, in one quick motion, he changed. One second he was a man, the next he was a wolf again, fur standing up.

They have found us.

The wolves spread out, forming a half-circle around Lyra. Alexander stood in front of her, growling low.

Lyra looked toward the trees. Shadows moved between them quick and quiet. She couldn't see their faces, but something about them felt wrong. Cold.

They were wolves too, but different.

Their bodies didn't look right. They were twisted, like something had gone wrong when they changed.

One stepped out. Its fur was dirty and messy. Its eyes glowed red. It didn't say anything, it just growled.

Alexander's voice came into her mind. Stay behind me. Don't shift unless you have to.

Lyra's breathing sped up. Her skin felt tight, her bones buzzing like they were ready to shift. But she held it back. She kept her eyes on Alexander the silver wolf standing between her and the danger.

Then the shadow-wolves attacked.

They came fast, wild and angry. Alexander ran straight at them, teeth bared. The other wolves followed, growling and snapping. The sounds of the fight filled the clearing howls, snarls, and the crack of branches.

Lyra backed away, shaking. She didn't want to look but couldn't look away either.

Then one of the shadow-wolves slipped through and came right at her.

She screamed and stumbled, and before she could think, her body started to change. Her bones cracked, muscles stretched and in seconds, she was on all fours, growling.

The wolf jumped and she met it in mid-air.

They hit the ground hard, biting and clawing. She didn't think. Her instincts took over. She bit down, tasted blood. The creature howled and tried to get away, but she was faster.

She pinned it down and growled deep in its face. The sound didn't even feel like it came from her it felt ancient, like something else was inside her.

The creature whimpered and ran off, limping into the trees.

Everything went quiet.

The clearing was a mess torn-up ground, broken branches, blood in the dirt. Two of the shadow-wolves had escaped. One lay still. The others were gone.

Alexander shifted back into human form. He was breathing hard but calm. Blood dripped from a cut on his shoulder, but he didn't seem to care.

Lyra shifted too. Her whole body was shaking. Her heart pounded in her chest.

Alexander looked at her. He looked surprised but proud. "You fought well."

"I didn't think," she said, out of breath. "I just moved."

"That's the wolf in you," he said. "It knows what to do."

The other wolves slowly returned. One limped, helped by a pale she-wolf. The danger had passed, but no one relaxed.

Alexander stepped closer. "This was just a test."

Lyra blinked. "A test?"

He nodded, voice low. "They're hunting you. They know who you are. And they're not going to stop."

She looked down at her hands, still shaking. "What am I?"

Alexander looked at her for a long moment. Then he said, "The last time someone like you was born, the whole forest caught fire."

Lyra looked at him, shocked.

Before she could say anything, a howl echoed in the night. It was loud, sharp, and didn't sound right.

Alexander turned to the north, tense.

"What is it?" Lyra asked.

He didn't answer. His jaw clenched tightly.

The pale-furred she-wolf stepped up. Her voice was quiet. "The mountain. They have broken into the mountain."

Lyra looked between them. "What's at the mountain?"

Alexander's face went hard. It was something that should have stayed hidden.

He looked at her, his eyes glowing again.

"You have to come with me,

Right now.