Ava
The past few days had been perfect. More than perfect, actually. They had been everything I needed, everything I hadn't realized I was missing. Caleb and I had spent our days exploring, adventuring, eating amazing food, and losing ourselves in the breathtaking beauty of Hawaii. The tension that had simmered between us when we first arrived had morphed into something… better. Something more.
At night, it was just the two of us. The physical attraction that had been pulling at us for so long finally had space to breathe, and we gave in—kissing, touching, feeling each other up. Every night, it was like we were testing the waters, pushing boundaries without diving too deep. And every morning, we woke up tangled in each other's arms, the connection between us growing stronger, more real.
I was happy. Happier than I'd been in a long time.
The urge to bite Caleb, to mark him as mine, was still there, buried deep beneath everything else. But I managed it. Somehow. I pushed the sensation down, convinced myself I could control it.
Just another day of adventure. We'd signed up for a guided tour with a local, excited to learn more about the island and its history. The guide, an older Hawaiian man with a weathered face and a kind smile, led us along the edge of the island's cliffs, pointing out different landmarks and sharing stories of ancient times.
"There are legends," the guide said as we followed him along the trail, "of shapeshifters who roamed these lands long before humans settled here. Not werewolves, but creatures who could shift into any form they desired. Some say they still exist, hiding in plain sight."
I froze, my heart skipping a beat. Caleb, walking just ahead of me, didn't seem to react to the guide's words, but I felt the blood drain from my face. Shapeshifters. The guide was talking about creatures like me—about werhyenas.
I swallowed hard, trying to push the rising panic back down. Stay calm, Ava, I told myself. It's just a story. He's just telling a story. But my mind was racing. I glanced over at Caleb, hoping he hadn't noticed anything off about me, but he was listening intently to the guide, his expression thoughtful.
The guide continued, oblivious to the turmoil building inside me.
"Some say these shapeshifters were hunted by the early settlers, driven to near extinction. Others believe they were simply misunderstood, forced into hiding to survive."
My heart pounded in my chest, each word striking a little too close to home. I forced myself to keep walking, my hands trembling slightly as I tried to focus on anything else. I couldn't let this get to me. Not here. Not now.
The tour continued, the guide sharing more stories about the island, but I could barely focus on what he was saying. My mind was spinning, my hyena stirring restlessly inside me. I hadn't felt her this agitated in days, but now she was clawing at the surface, reminding me of the truth I'd been trying to suppress. I wasn't just a werewolf. I wasn't just any ordinary shifter.
I was a werhyena.
And Caleb didn't know. He didn't know what I was, or how hard I was trying to keep control. But the more the guide talked about shapeshifters, the more I realized I was running out of time. My hyena was getting stronger, and the longer I tried to suppress her, the harder it became to keep her hidden.
"Are you okay?" Caleb's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts, and I blinked, startled by how close he was. He was standing just a step behind me, his brow furrowed in concern.
I forced a smile, even though my heart was racing.
"Yeah. Just… taking it all in."
He didn't look convinced, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he gave me a small smile, his hand grabbed mine. The touch was simple, but it grounded me. For the first time since the tour started, I felt like I could breathe again.
We continued walking, but the unease in my chest didn't fade completely. Every word the guide said seemed to remind me of the secret I was carrying, of the truth I hadn't told Caleb. And with every step, the weight of that secret grew heavier.
Later that evening, after we'd returned from the tour, Caleb and I sat on the balcony of our hotel suite, the soft glow of the setting sun casting a golden hue over everything. The day had been quiet, peaceful even, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was changing. Something was coming.
"You were quiet today," Caleb said, his voice low as he leaned back in his chair, watching me closely. "Everything okay?"
I hesitated, unsure how to respond. I wanted to tell him everything—to finally come clean about what I was, about the hyena inside me that was growing harder and harder to control. But the words stuck in my throat.
"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile. "Just… thinking."
Caleb nodded, but I could tell he didn't understand. He'd been watching me closely for days, ever since we'd arrived, and I knew he sensed something was off. But for now, he let it slide, his hand finding mine as he gave me a reassuring squeeze.
The warmth of his touch eased some of the tension in my chest, but it didn't make it go away. The truth was still there, lurking just beneath the surface, waiting to tear everything apart.
As the night settled in, I stood in front of the mirror, fixing my edges, retouching my makeup and trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me. My reflection stared back at me, but something felt off. My skin prickled with unease, my heart beating faster than it should have been.
And then I saw it.
My eyes glowed faintly, the soft yellow hue of my hyena's eyes shining back at me through the mirror. My breath hitched, panic flooding my chest. My fangs itched, the familiar burning sensation creeping into my gums.
"No…" I whispered, taking a step back from the mirror. "Not now. Please, not now."
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the change to stop, but the itching in my teeth only grew stronger, my hyena stirring restlessly inside me. I was losing control. I wasn't going to be able to hide this much longer. And once Caleb found out… everything would change. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my heart pounding as the faint glow in my eyes slowly began to fade. The itching in my fangs dulled, the burning sensation receding as I forced myself to breathe, to focus.
You can control this, Ava. Just breathe.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my hyena back down, and after what felt like an eternity, the tension in my chest eased. My eyes returned to their normal brown, and the sharp edge of my panic dulled, leaving me feeling exhausted but in control again. Barely.
I leaned against the sink, gripping the edge tightly as I exhaled. Not today, I told myself. I wasn't going to lose control today. Not with Caleb so close, not with everything hanging in the balance.
I could do this.
After a few moments, I pushed myself away from the sink and looked at myself again. My reflection seemed normal now—no glowing eyes, no fangs. Just me. Just Ava. But the weight of my secret still hung over me, a constant reminder that it wouldn't stay hidden forever. For now, though, I had control. And that would have to be enough.
Caleb and I decided to head out to a local bar we'd heard about from the hotel staff. We were both craving something low-key, and I was eager for a distraction—something to take my mind off the events of the day and the secret still gnawing at the back of my mind.
The bar was warm and inviting, with a cozy, laid-back atmosphere that felt worlds away from the tension I'd been carrying all day. The sound of laughter and music filled the space, the scent of grilled food and cold beer lingering in the air. It was exactly what I needed—a break from everything.
Caleb ordered for both of us, and we settled into a booth near the back, the dim lighting providing a sense of privacy. He was relaxed, smiling in that easy, comfortable way he had, and seeing him like that made me feel lighter, too. It was like, for just a little while, we could forget everything else and just *be*.
"So, you finally seem relaxed," Caleb said, handing me a cold beer as he leaned back in his seat. "Was it the hike? Or the fresh air?" I smirked, taking a sip of my drink.
"Maybe it was you." He raised an eyebrow, a slow grin spreading across his face.
"I'll take that. Can you repeat that into this microphone please?" he pretended to hold out a mic to me.
I laughed, the tension in my chest easing a little more as i playfully nudged him. This was what I needed—just being here with him, no expectations, no pressure. It was easy, natural, the way it always felt when we weren't tiptoeing around the heavy stuff.
"Do you think you'd ever live somewhere like this?" I asked, gesturing toward the open windows of the bar, where the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore drifted in.
Caleb glanced outside, his expression thoughtful.
"Maybe. It's peaceful, quiet. But I think I'd miss the pack. The noise, the craziness. There's something about it, you know?"
I nodded.
"Yeah, I get that. It's hard to imagine being away from them for too long."
There was a pause, the comfortable silence settling between us as we ate, sipping our drinks and enjoying the simplicity of the moment. I could almost forget everything else—the secret I was hiding, the tension building inside me, the fear of losing control. Almost. But then Caleb leaned forward, his eyes serious, and I knew something was coming.
"You've seemed… distant today," he said quietly, his voice gentle but probing. "Is everything okay? I mean, really okay?"
I looked at him, my heart skipping a beat. He knew me too well, saw through the mask I'd been wearing all day. I swallowed hard, trying to find the right words, trying to push down the panic that was threatening to rise again.
"I'm fine," I said, though the words felt thin, hollow. "Just… a lot on my mind." He nodded, but his eyes stayed locked on mine, searching for something more. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here. You know that, right?"
I nodded quickly, feeling the weight of his words settle over me. I wanted to tell him. I wanted to finally come clean about what I was, about what I was fighting every day to keep hidden. But the words stuck in my throat, fear and uncertainty holding me back.
Instead, I forced a smile and took another sip of my drink.
"I know. Thank you."
Caleb watched me for another moment, his gaze lingering, but eventually, he let it go, leaning back and changing the subject to something lighter. And just like that, the tension eased again, the weight lifting, if only for a little while.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of laughter and conversation, and by the time we left the bar, I felt better. Lighter. More in control.
But deep down, I knew that the storm I was holding at bay was far from over.