Chapter 76: Pack in the Night.
Bella froze in the cave. Her breathing came in short, sharp bursts as the rustling at the entrance grew louder. Every muscle in her body was tense, ready to run or fight, though she wasn’t sure which would be better right now.
"They’re here," her wolf’s voice snapped in her head, cutting through her panic.
Bella peered out from her hiding spot, her heart hammering against her ribs. In the darkness beyond the mouth of the cave, she could see multiple sets of glowing eyes. They reflected what little moonlight filtered through the trees, creating an eerie display that made her stomach drop.
A deep growl echoed through the night air, hungry and way too close. She pressed herself further back against the wall and started counting. One pair of eyes. Two. Three. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Three?" she whispered, her voice shaky and barely audible. Her shoulder was still sore from the last fight, a constant reminder that she barely survived that encounter.
"Another pack," her wolf confirmed grimly.
The three wolves had dark, matted fur that made them blend into the shadows. They were circling the cave’s mouth like predators who knew their prey had nowhere to go. Their movements were coordinated, practiced. These weren’t random rogues.
"How am I supposed to defeat three when I barely held off one wolf?" Bella asked desperately, her hands starting to tremble. The memory of her last fight was still fresh, the pain and fear of nearly dying.
"I’m with you, Bella. You keep forgetting that," her wolf said, trying to sound reassuring. "These are all Maren’s wolves. You can’t fight them as a human. You have to shift now or we die."
Bella’s stomach twisted into knots. Her hands were shaking openly now as she backed deeper into the cave, trying to put more distance between herself and the entrance.
"I don’t know if I can," she said, the words coming out choked with fear. She had never shifted before. What if she couldn’t do it now?
Before she could dwell on that, the lead wolf lunged forward. Its massive jaws snapped shut just inches from where her head had been a second before. Bella threw herself to the side, her arm scraping painfully against the jagged rock wall.
"Now!" her wolf shouted in her mind, the urgency cutting through everything else.
Bella closed her eyes tight and tried to let go of the fear threatening to paralyze her. She could feel heat starting to build in her veins, like fire flowing through her bloodstream. Her bones began to ache, a deep, grinding pain that felt like they were breaking apart from the inside.
"Oh god," she gasped, falling to her knees. Her hands clawed at the dirt floor of the cave as waves of pain rolled through her body.
"Don’t fight it," her wolf said, trying to guide her through the process. "Push through it. You’re almost there."
The pain was getting worse. It tore through her entire body, making her spine arch in ways that felt completely wrong. Her arms and legs were bending at angles that shouldn’t be possible. She couldn’t hold back the scream that ripped from her throat.
Her skin started to prickle all over, and she could feel fur sprouting across her body. It was silver and thick, catching what little moonlight managed to reach into the cave. Her face felt like it was stretching, elongating into something that definitely wasn’t human anymore.
Her teeth were getting sharper, cutting into her own tongue. Her vision suddenly snapped into perfect clarity, showing her details in the darkness that she never could have seen before. The scream that had been coming from her throat transformed into a howl that was loud and fierce, shaking the very walls of the cave.
When the transformation was done, she was standing on four legs. A magnificent silver wolf, her body lean but packed with powerful muscles. Every movement felt natural and graceful, but she could sense the deadly strength coiled in her new form. Her fur was shimmering in the darkness like moonlight on water.
The lead wolf snarled at her, showing teeth that were stained with blood. "Moonblood," it said, its voice a low rumble. "You’re awake, but you’re still prey."
Without warning, it charged straight at her. Its claws raked across her side, cutting deep enough to draw blood. The pain flared bright and sharp, making her yelp.
"Move fast," her wolf said urgently. "Use your claws. You’re stronger now than you’ve ever been."
Bella dodged the next attack, her new legs carrying her with a speed that surprised her. She slashed out with her claws, catching the attacking wolf across its flank and tearing deep gouges in its fur and flesh. It howled and stumbled back, dark blood flowing from the wounds.
But the other two wolves were already moving, circling closer with their lips pulled back to show their fangs. "Maren wants your bloodline gone," one of them growled. "You won’t survive this forest."
Bella’s heart was racing, but her wolf form felt steady despite the burning pain in her side where the first wolf had gotten her. "Why does she want me dead?" she growled back, surprised by how deep and sure her voice sounded now.
The second wolf answered while continuing to circle. "Your power challenges hers. She’ll kill every Moonblood to stay queen."
As soon as it finished talking, it lunged at her. But Bella was ready this time. She leaped up to meet it, her jaws clamping down hard on its shoulder. The impact sent them both crashing to the ground with a heavy thud that echoed through the cave.
The third wolf saw its chance and attacked while she was dealing with the second one. Its teeth caught her leg, biting down hard enough to make her snarl in pain. She kicked out with her free leg, her claws slicing across its ear and sending it stumbling backward.
"Finish the leader," her wolf told her. "It’s the strongest. Break it and the others will scatter."
Bella focused all her attention on the lead wolf. It was limping now from the wounds she had given it, but it was still coming at her with determination. She met it head-on this time, and their bodies collided in a tangle of claws and teeth.
She managed to get her jaws around its throat and bit down hard. The taste of blood filled her mouth, metallic and warm. The wolf choked and gasped beneath her, its struggles getting weaker.
"More will come," it managed to wheeze out as its eyes started to dim. "You won’t win. You can’t."
Then it collapsed completely, its breathing stopping altogether.
The other two wolves looked at their fallen leader, then at Bella standing over the body with blood on her muzzle. They hesitated for just a moment before turning and fleeing into the trees. Their growls faded quickly as they put distance between themselves and the cave.
Bella stood there panting heavily, blood dripping from her side and leg. Her silver fur was stained with red now, but her body still felt strong and capable. "I did it," she said, her voice still that low growl. "I shifted. I actually won."
"You’re awake," her wolf said, and she could hear the warmth and pride in its voice. "You fought alone and survived. But you’re hurt. Rest now, because they’ll be back."
Bella limped over to the edge of the cave, her wolf form moving steadily despite the aching wounds. She could see out into the forest now, watching for any sign of more threats.
"How bad is it?" she asked, twisting her head to lick at her side where the blood was matting her fur together.
"Not fatal," her wolf assured her. "You’ll heal fast now that you’ve shifted properly. But stay alert. Maren’s not done with you."
Bella’s chest was heaving with each breath, and the pain in her side was sharp every time her lungs expanded. But she could already feel something working in her body, like heat flowing through her veins to help knit the wounds back together.
"That was way too close," she said, still scanning the entrance for any movement. "They knew about my bloodline. They came here specifically for me."
"Yes," her wolf confirmed. "Maren wants to erase you completely. But you’re stronger now. The shift changed everything. Rest and let your body recover."
Bella settled down against the cave wall, her silver fur brushing against the rough rock. She tried to focus on breathing steadily, but every little sound from the forest made her ears twitch and her muscles tense.
"What if they come back before I’m healed?" she asked, never taking her eyes off the cave entrance.
"Then we fight again," her wolf said simply. "But you’re not the same wolf you were an hour ago. I can fight through you now. They won’t expect that."
Bella nodded, her wolf head dipping once. The grief for her mom was still there, a constant ache in her chest, but it was pushed back now by the immediate need to survive. "I miss her," she said quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"You will always miss her," her wolf said gently. "But she’d want you to fight. She’d want you to live. Now rest and save your strength."