Chapter 198: Don’t fight the shift

Nina was the first to recoil, her face pale with shock. She pressed a hand over her heart, her eyes wide and her lips parted in disbelief.

As Alyssa’s transformation forced its way forward, Nina dropped the pot of herbs she was holding. It shattered against the floor, and she slammed her palm over her mouth.

"What... what is happening to her?" she whispered.

Jake looked horrified. As Alyssa’s body began to contort into a strange, terrifying silhouette, he took a defensive step backward. Only Dorian remained where he stood.

He stayed right beside the bed, his intense gaze locked onto Alyssa. Even when Jake called out for him to step away, he didn’t move an inch. He was watching her, waiting for the shift he knew was bound to happen.

Suddenly, Alyssa’s eyes snapped open. They were no longer blood-red. Her pupils had burned into a brilliant, striking gold–the true eyes of her Lycan.

She doubled over as her bones crunched sickeningly, and a sharp, agonizing howl burst from her throat. That was the sign Dorian had been waiting for.

He snapped his head up, looking between Nina and Jake. "She’s shifting."

Jake’s eyes widened. "A full transformation? Her Lycan is coming out?"

Dorian gave a tight nod. "Yes. I need to take her into the forest."

Without waiting for either of them to answer, he shed his jacket and draped it over Alyssa’s contorting frame. Then he scooped her into his arms and bolted out of the underground basement.

He sprinted past Nina’s parked car, taking the narrow trail behind the cottage that cut straight into the forest. As he pushed deeper into the trees, Alyssa grew heavier in his arms. She twitched and shuddered, a ragged sound tearing from her chest–part sob, part whimper.

"Hold on, baby," Dorian murmured, leaping smoothly over thick tree roots that blocked his path. "Just hold on a little longer."

He ran until he reached a wide, quiet clearing surrounded by towering pines.

Stopping in the center, he lowered Alyssa gently onto the grass. He couldn’t explain why her full transformation was forcing its way out now, but he wasn’t going to leave her side until her first shift was complete.

The pain shooting through Alyssa’s body was getting unbearable. Dorian’s soothing voice sounded distant, almost lost in the haze surrounding her mind. The agony running through her body had dulled her senses and blurred her thoughts.

Another sharp crack echoed through the clearing as her arm twisted and reformed, ripping a shrill scream from her lungs.

"You have to stop fighting it, Alyssa," Dorian’s deep voice came through, filled with worry. "Don’t fight the shift. It’s only going to hurt worse."

She wanted to cry back that she couldn’t take the pain any more, but all that escaped her lips was a long, mournful howl; and Dorian instantly understood her.

"I know it hurts, baby," he whispered, crouching to cradle her face in his hands. "I know it’s too much. But your Lycan is trying to come through. If you keep holding back, it’s only going to tear you apart."

Alyssa squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her jaw. She stopped fighting the shift. She let her human mind recede, and in the next instant, a much sharper, wilder consciousness crashed into her.

Her frame contorted violently, bones popping and locking into place. Right there in the middle of the clearing, she shifted fully.

Dorian took a step back, tears glistening in his eyes.

"You did it," he breathed. A look of pure awe swept across his face as he stared up at Alyssa’s Lycan form.

She was magnificent. Her fur was a striking mix of midnight black and deep crimson, her claws gleaming like polished silver in the sunlight. When she finally raised her head to look at him, her eyes held a mesmerizing blend of bright gold and dark blood-red.

She was extraordinary–the most breathtaking female Lycan he had ever seen.

Rising to her full height, she shook out her fur as though waking from a slumber that had lasted years. Instantly, her senses expanded. She could smell the scent of wild lilies miles away.

She could see tiny ants crawling between the grass stems at the far edge of the clearing. She could hear the soft, distant rush of the river through the trees. Her skin tingled as the cool breeze swept through her fur.

Then she turned her focus back to Dorian. She parted her jaw to speak, but no sound came out.

Dorian noticed her frustration immediately and opened his mind link to see if she could hear him.

[Alyssa?]

He held his breath and waited. Seconds later, her voice resonated softly in his mind.

[Dorian? Can you hear me?]

His eyes lit up with emotion. [I hear you, my love. I can.]

She stepped closer, moving with quiet grace. Dorian reached out and smoothed his palm down her snout. An excited smile broke across his face, a sudden memory pulling him back to the day he had first shown her Shadow in Ashgard.

[The feeling is... remarkable,] she said, her tone filled with awe and excitement. [I shifted... I actually shifted.]

[You really did, baby,] Dorian replied gently. [But don’t get too excited just yet. We still don’t know if it’s stable. Remember it’s your first shift.]

[Raven,] she said suddenly.

Dorian lifted an eyebrow, confusion furrowing his brows. [What do you mean?]

[That’s her name. My Lycan. Her name is Raven.]

"Raven," Dorian murmured aloud, warmth flooding his chest. He had never truly dared to hope he would see her take this form. He was so overwhelmed.

The sound of approaching footsteps snapped him back to reality. He turned to see Nina and Jake emerging from the treeline into the clearing.

The moment Nina caught sight of Alyssa in her complete Lycan form, she let out a loud gasp. Her eyes rolled back as she fainted limply onto the grass. Jake simply froze, stunned into silence.

Dorian knew standing out there in the open was a risky move. Alyssa’s Lycan looked far too distinct and unusual; anyone passing nearby would panic if they spotted her.

He turned back to her, running his hand down her thick fur. "Can you shift back, my love? I need to get you out of here before anyone else sees you. Just hold your human form in your mind and let it take over."

She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as the bone-deep agony returned. Within seconds, her Lycan receded, and she collapsed back into her human form, her clothes ripped in several places.

Dorian swept her into his arms without hesitation and turned toward the path leading back to the cottage.

"Bring Nina," he ordered Jake over his shoulder. "And hurry, before someone sees her in that state."

...

Hours later, as the sun began to slip beneath the horizon, Dorian and Alyssa stepped out of Nina’s cottage.

"Now remember," Nina said, following them onto the porch. "No school for the next few days, at least until the Solstice passes. You’re too vulnerable right now. Any sudden shock could trigger another forced shift."

"Is there no way I can control it?" Alyssa asked softly.

"If you were only a Lycan, you would have been able to," Nina answered. "But you are a Hybrid. We still don’t know what your other half is, and that is the part that concerns me most. Your dormant power is what forced your shift today, so you must avoid anything that might stir those powers up again, whatever they turn out to be."

Alyssa nodded obediently. "I understand. Thank you, Nina."

"You are welcome, sweet child," Nina offered a warm smile. "I will be done with your talisman soon. And please, don’t feel distant around me because of what you are. Regardless of what happened in the past, you are my Luna. And you have my respect."

A faint smile touched Alyssa’s face. "Thank you, Nina. That means a lot to me."

Dorian squeezed her hand gently, pulling her closer against his side. When he turned back to Nina, his expression was firm and authoritative. "Everything that took place today stays strictly between us."

"As always, Alpha. My lips are sealed."

Dorian gave a sharp nod and led Alyssa toward the waiting car, where Jake was already behind the wheel. Dusk had started to creep across the sky when they finally pulled out of Nina’s cottage to head back home.

As they drove back, Alyssa couldn’t keep her thoughts buried any longer.

"There’s something I need to tell you," she murmured in a low voice.

Dorian had already sensed something was on her mind. He took her hands, lacing his fingers through hers, and waited for her to continue.

"First, we need to cancel the Winter Solstice," she whispered, her eyes staring blankly out the window. "Something horrific is going to happen that night, and a lot of people may die. Including me."