Melissa’s POV

I told myself it was just the heat, nothing more; it was nothing I couldn’t control. But deep down, my wolf stirred with unease; it wasn’t supposed to be like this. I had survived worse: fever, training injuries, betrayals. But this… this was something different.

By the third night of the full moon, my body felt like it was tearing itself apart. My skin prickled as though fire danced beneath it. My pulse refused to settle, racing so fast it made my head spin. The air in the barracks felt heavier, thicker, until even breathing felt like dragging smoke into my lungs.

I tried to hide it, goddess,...