Page 2

The sun hung high in the sky, casting golden streaks across the restless waves. The rhythmic crash of the ocean against the shore should have been calming—it usually was. But today, something felt... off.

Mom and I had set up a small spot on the sand—two chairs, an umbrella, and a cooler packed with snacks. The air smelled of salt and sunscreen, and the laughter of playing children carried on the breeze.

"This was a great idea," I admitted, stretching my arms. "The beach always makes me feel... free."

Mom smiled, passing me a cold bottle of water. "I know, sweetheart. That's why I suggested it. You should enjoy yourself before college swallows you whole."

I twisted the cap open, taking a sip. College. Freedom. A fresh start. That was all I had been thinking about for months. But today—right now—something felt different.

Like I was being watched.

I swallowed, forcing myself to casually scan the beach. Tourists. Surfers. A family struggling to build a sandcastle before the tide washed it away. Normal. Nothing out of place.

And yet...

My skin tingled, an uneasy pressure settling at the nape of my neck. The sensation crawled over my spine, urging me to move. To leave. To run.

I shook off the ridiculous thought. Get it together, Tasha.

"I'm going for a walk," I told Mom, already rising to my feet.

She eyed me with a hint of suspicion. "Stay where I can see you."

I waved her off, my steps already leading me down the shoreline.

**Something is Watching**

The sand was cool beneath my feet, the tide rushing in to kiss my ankles before retreating. The salty breeze tugged at my hair, but the unease in my chest refused to fade.

Then I saw it.

A symbol.

Etched into the wet sand a few feet ahead, its intricate swirls and sharp edges were too deliberate—too perfect—to be drawn by accident. The design pulsed, as if breathing, the lines impossibly dark against the pale shore.

I stopped, my pulse hammering.

It looked ancient. Familiar.

I swallowed and crouched down, hesitant fingers reaching out—

The moment my fingertips grazed the pattern, a sharp shock surged up my arm.

I gasped, jerking back, my skin prickling with invisible electricity.

The sand beneath the symbol darkened, as if something beneath the surface was stirring.

And then—

Eyes.

Golden. Luminous. Watching me from within the grains.

A deep, guttural growl rolled through the air.

I spun around, my breath hitching in my throat.

The beach was exactly the same. Families played, vendors called out their sales, the waves rolled in and out. No one else reacted. No one else heard it.

But I did.

My fingers curled into trembling fists. I wasn't imagining this. I couldn't be.

Something was here.

Something saw me.

I forced myself to step away from the symbol, retreating toward Mom's direction as casually as I could manage. But with every step, I felt it—

The weight of an unseen presence pressing against my back.

**The Dream**

That night, I tossed and turned, my mind a storm of restless thoughts.

The symbol. The eyes. The growl.

By the time exhaustion pulled me under, my dreams were waiting.

I stood in a forest, the towering trees stretching endlessly into the night sky. Shadows curled around the trunks like living things, and the wind carried a voice that made my blood run cold.

"Tasha..."

I turned. Nothing but darkness.

"Come to me..."

The voice was deep, commanding. It sent a shiver through my bones—not from fear, but something else.

Something dangerously close to recognition.

Then—

Golden eyes.

They burned through the darkness like twin embers, locked onto me.

I tried to move, to run, but my body was frozen in place. The shadows shifted, taking form.

A figure emerged. Tall. Powerful. A presence that felt like thunder rolling through the air.

A Lycan.

His energy crackled around him, making my skin buzz, my breath hitch. He stepped closer, the sheer force of his gaze pinning me in place.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

No answer.

His lips parted, but the words I heard didn't come from his mouth. They slithered through my mind, wrapping around me like a whispered promise.

"You are mine."

**The Awakening**

I woke up with a violent gasp, my body burning.

Heat rolled through my veins, too intense, too unnatural. My breath came fast, shallow, as I struggled to shake off the remnants of the dream.

But something wasn't right.

Stumbling to the mirror, I stared at my reflection, my heart pounding.

My wide eyes stared back at me.

And for the briefest moment—

A flicker of gold bled into my irises.

I blinked.

Gone.

My fingers gripped the edge of the dresser, my knuckles white. My entire body thrummed with something unexplainable, something unseen but undoubtedly there.

Something was changing inside me.

And whatever it was...

It had already begun.