The wind howled like a whispering ghost through the towering pines, their silhouettes stretching like fingers across the forest floor. Amy stumbled through the underbrush, heart thundering in her chest, lungs burning with every breath. The moon—a perfect, silver disc—hung high above, casting long shadows and bathing the woods in an eerie, spectral glow. Her hoodie was torn, her jeans scraped at the knees, and blood trickled down her shin from a careless trip over a root. But she didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Not now.
Something was chasing her.
She didn't know what it was, not exactly, but her instincts screamed louder than her thoughts. It wasn't human. Whatever it was, it moved like a predator—fast, silent, deadly. And she'd seen it. Just a glimpse. A silhouette between the trees, eyes glowing yellow like embers, and something primal in its shape. She'd caught only a flash before her body turned traitor and sent her running.
Amy didn't believe in monsters. At least, she hadn't.
But that was before tonight. Before the match. Before Jeremy.
Earlier that evening…
The roar of the crowd was deafening. The pitch was soaked in floodlight brilliance as the final seconds ticked down on the scoreboard. 2-2. One more chance. One more kick. Jeremy sprinted down the right flank, a blur in his maroon and black jersey, the number 11 plastered across his back like a brand. Amy watched from the stands, her breath held captive in her lungs.
He wasn't even her boyfriend.
That was Anna's territory—Anna, whose boyfriend was the team captain and currently wrestling a defender for position in the box. But Amy… Amy had watched Jeremy since the first day of the season. There was something about him. His focus. His strength. The quiet way he carried himself, like someone hiding something heavy beneath the surface.
And now, he had the ball.
With a burst of speed, Jeremy danced past one, then two defenders, cut in on his left foot, and fired. The ball arced beautifully into the top corner.
GOAL.
The stadium exploded.
Players flooded the field. Fans screamed. Amy stood frozen in place, eyes still locked on him. Jeremy, now buried beneath teammates and jubilation. But even in the chaos, she saw it. The moment he looked up, eyes darting to the shadows beyond the bleachers. He looked… afraid.
Minutes later, as the celebration spilled into the parking lot, Jeremy was gone.
"I'll be right back!" Amy told Anna, not waiting for a reply. Her feet moved on their own.
She found him slipping into the woods behind the stadium, head down, hands trembling. She followed.
And now, here she was—lost, terrified, running.
A snarl sliced through the night.
Amy gasped, ducked behind a tree, and crouched low. Her fingers dug into the dirt. She could hear it—twigs snapping, heavy breaths. It was close. Too close.
"Jeremy?" she whispered.
A shape darted past her peripheral vision. Massive. Covered in fur. Limbs too long. Back arched. Claws catching moonlight. Her heart stopped.
Then silence.
Nothing moved.
Amy stood slowly, her body trembling. She turned, and all she saw was darkness. She knew it was there, but couldn't see it. That was until she them. Two glowing eyes
Yellow eyes that stared right back at her.
The thing—no, the beast—emerged from the trees. It stood at least seven feet tall, its muscular frame rippling with power beneath thick, pitch-black fur. Its snout curled into a snarl, revealing rows of razor teeth. Its claws flexed. And those eyes… they weren't just yellow. They were alive. Intelligent. Pained.
"Jeremy…?"
The creature hesitated.
Something flickered in those eyes.
Then, it vanished into the trees.
Amy collapsed to her knees, gasping. It hadn't attacked. Why hadn't it attacked?
The forest went silent again.
And that's when she heard the second growl.
Deeper.
More savage.
And coming from behind her.
Elsewhere – Moments Earlier – Jeremy's POV
Jeremy's body screamed with pain. Not from injury, but from change. It was happening again.
He barely made it out of the stadium before his nails started to extend into claws. His skin itched, burned, stretched. Hair sprouted from every pore. His muscles ballooned with unnatural strength. He stumbled through the fence at the back of the stadium and into the trees, falling to all fours.
The transformation never got easier.
His vision blurred, then sharpened—colors dulling but details becoming crystal clear. He could hear insects crawling beneath the bark of trees. Smell the adrenaline of fans leaving the parking lot. Taste the sweat in the air.
But most of all, he could feel it.
The beast inside.
He'd kept it in check all day. Knew the moon would be full tonight. That the game would be dangerous. He thought he had time.
He didn't.
Jeremy let go.
In an explosion of power, he stood tall—now a wolf-like titan cloaked in darkness. His fur was so black it seemed to absorb the moonlight. His claws gleamed like obsidian. His tail flicked with irritation.
He was no longer Jeremy.
He was the wolf.
The hunger took over. A deer's scent filled his nose and in moments he was upon it, tearing flesh with feral satisfaction. But just as he began to feast, another scent crashed into his senses.
Amy.
He looked up from the kill, blood staining his muzzle. There she was. Lost. Frightened. Beautiful. Human.
The beast inside him roared with desire—for the hunt. But Jeremy, buried somewhere deep within, screamed louder.
Not her.
Never her.
And the beast… listened.
Then the forest trembled.
Another presence entered the glade. A shape twice Jeremy's size. Grey-furred. Hulking. Its eyes blazed blue like ice. It growled—a sound of dominance, of threat.
Jeremy didn't wait.
Instinct drove him. He ran.
The chase began.