Chapter 28 · The Blood Moon Comes Early

The shift hit me in the middle of the clearing, six days too soon.

One second I was standing there watching Cain's pack stare at him like he'd just told them the sky was green. The next my bones were cracking and my skin was on fire and I couldn't breathe through the red haze flooding my vision. I tried to say his name. All that came out was a sound that made half the wolves around us drop into defensive stances.

Cain's hand was on my shoulder. "Lila—"

I shoved him back. Hard. He stumbled and someone shouted and I was already running for the treeline because if I shifted here, in front of everyone, with Ivy's blood magic still burning in the air—

My wolf ripped free before I made it ten feet.

The forest exploded into focus. Every leaf, every heartbeat, every drop of sweat rolling down the necks of the pack members behind me. I could smell their fear.