The city lights flickered over rain-slicked streets, casting distorted reflections on puddles and glass windows. Aria Morgan walked briskly, her leather jacket clinging to her shoulders, earbuds blaring some human pop song she barely listened to. She had always felt… different, though she couldn't name why.
It wasn't just the dreams of running through forests at impossible speed, or the strange urge to howl at the moon, even when no one was around. Humans didn't have instincts like hers… right?
She shook her head, dismissing the thought. It was late, she was tired, and tomorrow was another long day at the coffee shop. But tonight, the air felt electric, like something was watching. Something predatory.
Her senses started to tingle. Not just her eyes, but her ears—every distant hum, every rustle of leaves, every footstep echoing from the alley seemed amplified. And then she smelled it… something musky, strong, alien. A wolf? Impossible. There were no wolves in the city.
And yet… the hairs on her arms stood on end. Her heart slammed against her ribcage, faster than fear should allow.
"Aria?" a voice called softly from the shadows.
She turned sharply. A man emerged. Tall, broad-shouldered, eyes golden and piercing in the darkness. His presence made her chest tighten—not with fear, exactly, but with an unfamiliar pull she couldn't explain.
"You're… you're like me," he said, almost a whisper. "You just don't know it yet."
Aria laughed nervously. "Like… a wolf? I'm human. I think."
"No. Not think. You are," he said, stepping closer. "And you're not safe here. Not alone."
Her instincts screamed at her to run, yet part of her—something deep inside—wanted to lean into him, follow him, trust him. The pull was magnetic, impossible to resist. Her body betrayed her; her nails dug into her palms, and her senses… exploded. She saw him move before he did, faster than sight should allow. Her heart wasn't just pounding—it was syncing with him.
Then a strange, low growl escaped her throat. Aria froze. She had never growled before… at least, not consciously. Her ears twitched, longer than they should have, picking up a faint rustle in a dumpster across the street. A rat? No… bigger. Something human-sized. Dangerous.
"See?" the man said, his voice calm but commanding. "It's waking up. Your wolf. Aria, you're not just human. You've been living a lie your whole life. And now, the world you know is about to change."
Before she could ask anything, a shadow lunged from the alley behind her. Faster than thought, she reacted—moving like water, faster than any normal human could. She dodged instinctively, landing lightly on her feet, feeling an unfamiliar power surge through her muscles. Her heart roared… and she smiled, terrified and exhilarated at the same time.
"You're ready," the man said. "But you don't know it yet. You're about to be claimed. By me… and by fate itself."
Aria's chest heaved. Her wolf howled inside her, echoing a voice she didn't yet recognize as her own. Somewhere in the city, danger waited—and so did destiny.
Her life as she knew it was over.