The mirror broke into a thousand pieces.
Elara stared at the broken glass on her bedroom floor, her hand still raised where she had touched the mirror's surface. She hadn't hit it hard. She had barely touched it at all. But the moment her fingers made contact, cracks spread like lightning across the glass.
"What's happening to me?" she whispered, backing away from the mess.
This was the third thing she had broken today without trying. First, it was her favorite coffee mug at breakfast. It cracked right down the middle when she picked it up. Then the doorknob to her room came loose in her hand when she tried to open it. Now this.
Today was her eighteenth birthday. The day every omega in the pack waited for. The day when her true scent would grow and announce to the world what kind of wolf she really was. But Elara didn't feel ready. She felt scared and confused and like something was crawling under her skin.
"Elara! Are you okay up there?" Her best friend Lira's voice called from downstairs.
"I'm fine!" Elara lied, kicking the broken mirror pieces under her bed. She would deal with them later.
She looked at herself in the small mirror above her desk. Her red hair was a mess, and her hazel eyes looked wide with fear. Dark circles sat under her eyes because she hadn't slept all night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw strange dreams filled with silver light and howling dogs.
The dreams had been getting stronger for weeks now. But last night was different. Last night, she dreamed of a man with dark hair and cold blue eyes who looked at her like she was the most important thing in the world. When she woke up, her heart was beating so fast she thought it might burst.
"Elara Marie Whitefang, get down here right now!" Lira's voice was closer now, probably at the bottom of the stairs.
Elara groaned. She loved Lira like a sister, but her friend was way too excited about this whole eighteenth birthday thing. Lira kept talking about how amazing it would be when Elara's wolf finally showed itself and how all the unmated men would notice her. That was exactly what Elara was afraid of.
She grabbed a brush and tried to make her hair look normal, but her hands were shaking. Everything felt wrong today. The air seemed too thick. Sounds were too loud. Even the sunshine coming through her window felt too bright against her skin.
"I'm coming!" she called, giving up on her hair.
She walked downstairs, trying to step carefully. The last thing she needed was to break something else. Her father was already suspicious about the weird things that had been happening around her lately.
Lira was waiting in the kitchen, practically bouncing with joy. Her dark brown hair was beautiful as always, and her brown eyes sparkled with joy.
"Happy birthday!" Lira squealed, throwing her arms around Elara.
The moment Lira touched her, Elara felt a strange shock run through her body. It wasn't painful, but it was strong enough to make both girls step back.
"Whoa," Lira said, rubbing her arms. "That was weird. Did you feel that?"
"Feel what?" Elara lied again. She was getting really good at lying today.
Lira looked at her carefully. "You look terrible. Did you sleep at all last night?"
"I'm fine," Elara said for the third time today. "Just nervous about tonight."
Tonight was the pack party. Every month when someone turned eighteen, the whole pack met to welcome the new adult wolf. There would be food and music and dance. All the unmated wolves would be looking to see what kind of omega Elara was and if she might be their mate. The thought made Elara's stomach hurt.
"You're going to be amazing," Lira said, grabbing Elara's hands. "I can feel it. There's something special about you, El. There always has been."
Another shock ran between them, stronger this time. Lira dropped Elara's hands with a gasp.
"Okay, that's definitely not normal," Lira said. "When did this start happening?"
Before Elara could answer, her father walked into the kitchen. Alpha Zane Whitefang was a big man with gray hair and serious amber eyes. He looked at his daughter and frowned.
"You look pale," he said. "Are you feeling sick?"
"I'm fine, Dad." The lie was getting easier to say.
But she wasn't fine. Something was very wrong. The air in the room felt heavy, like right before a big storm. Her skin felt too tight, like she was wearing clothes that didn't fit. And underneath it all was a strange pulling feeling, like something was calling to her from far away.
"The celebration starts at sunset," her father said. "The whole pack will be there. Including some visiting alphas from other areas."
Elara's head snapped up. "Visiting alphas?"
"Alpha Kian from the Shadowmoon Pack," her father said, not meeting her eyes. "And Alpha Alaric from the Moonstone Pack."
The name hit Elara like fire. Alaric. The man from her dreams had a name, and it was Alaric.
"I've never heard of him," she said, trying to sound normal.
"He's young but powerful," her father said. "Very powerful. Some say he's the strongest alpha in the area."
The pulling feeling in Elara's chest got stronger. It felt like someone was tugging on an unseen rope tied around her heart.
"Why are they coming to my birthday?" she asked.
Her father and Lira shared a look that made Elara's blood run cold.
"Dad?" she said. "Why are they really here?"
Before anyone could answer, a howl echoed across the pack lands. It was deep and powerful and full of force. The sound went straight through Elara like an arrow. Every window in the house shook. Every dish in the kitchen shook. And deep inside Elara's chest, something that had been sleeping her whole life suddenly woke up and howled back.
The kitchen went completely silent. Lira stared at Elara with her mouth open. Her father's face had gone white. And somewhere in the distance, that strong howl came again, closer this time.
He was coming.