It was close to midnight, with the moonlight casting an eerie glow over your path as you trudged through the dense forest. The night’s chill bit through the air, forcing you and John to bundle up beneath your gear. The plan was simple: put as much distance between yourselves and the enemy base under the cover of darkness, then find shelter to camp until sunrise, when evacuation would finally be within reach.

But plans were the least of your worries. The moon was nearing its full phase, and the weight of the mission had frayed your nerves to the point of snapping. You could feel your wolf within stirring, restless and agitated, clawing at the edges of your control. It wanted out—wanted to protect you from the ever-present dangers lurking in the shadows. The real problem? No one on your team knew the truth about what you were hiding.

The mission had dragged on far longer than expected, thanks to a misleading tip from what everyone believed was a reliable source. A few days had stretched into a full week, leaving you stranded deep in enemy territory with your anxiety gnawing at your insides. Your pulse thudded loudly in your ears, and an uneasy knot twisted tighter in your gut with every step. As the miles wore on, you fell into a tense silence, your movements becoming more erratic.

With a quiet excuse to take a piss, you slipped away from the group and into the woods. Your breathing grew ragged, the weight of impending change pressing down on you. Glancing back toward your teammate, you ducked behind a tree, teeth clenched, trying in vain to hold on. But it was too late. Your wolf had already taken over.

Your mind blurred and sharpened in equal measure, your senses shifting as paws dug into the soil. Razor-sharp claws scraped the ground, and your nose twitched, picking up John’s scent through the trees. Within moments, you found yourself face-to-face with him—his wide, startled eyes locked onto your own in stunned disbelief.

“Holy shit,” he muttered, stumbling backward, his gaze locked on your stare.