The creature stepped slowly into the moonlight.
Lena's breath caught in her throat.
It was a wolf—but far larger than any she had ever seen. Its dark fur shimmered beneath the pale glow of the moon and its silver eyes studied her with unsettling intelligence.
Every instinct told her to run.
Yet she couldn't move.
The wolf tilted its head slightly as if curious about her presence in the forest.
Then something impossible happened.
The animal's body began to shift.
Fur disappeared. Bones reshaped. Within seconds the massive wolf had become a man.
He was tall, broad‑shouldered, and strangely calm considering what had just happened.
"You shouldn't be here," he said quietly.
Lena stared at him.
"You were a wolf."
"Yes."
"That's impossible."
Before the man could answer, branches snapped behind them.
Three figures stepped from the shadows.
They wore dark cloaks and their eyes glowed faintly with purple light.
The man instantly moved in front of Lena.
"Stay behind me," he said.
One of the cloaked women smiled coldly.
"Well," she said, "it seems we finally found her."
Lena frowned.
"Found who?"
The witch raised her hand and dark magic flickered across her fingers.
"You."