Chapter 3 3

ELEVEN DAYS TO CHRISTMAS

The curtains in Eve room are open when she wakes. Morning light spills across the sheets, too bright, and her head aches.

Eve pushes herself up, blinking at the clock on the dresser. It's nearly ten. Someone's already set out clothes for her, a cream blouse, tailored pants and a pair of flat shoes. Not her usual style.

She dresses quickly, still half lost in the memories of the night before the dance, the snow, the look in Lucian's eyes, the strange sound from the gardens. None of it makes any sense.

When she steps into the hall, two guards nod and lead her toward a smaller dining room off the main hall. Her parents are already there. The table is set with untouched breakfast.

Her mother rises immediately. "Eve. Sit."

She does, wary. "What's going on? Why are there guards?"

Her father clears his throat. "There's something we need to tell you. It should have been said years ago."

Eve looks between them. "You're scaring me."

Her mother exhales slowly. "Last night, you felt something, didn't you? Something strange."

Eve nods, uncertain. "When I went outside, I thought I heard an animal. But it wasn't... I don't know. It felt like it was inside me."

Her father's eyes drop to his coffee. "That's because it was."

Her mother cuts in softly. "You were born different, Eve. Both of us are, though you've never seen it. We kept it from you so you could have something close to a normal life."

"Kept what from me?"

Her mother meets her eyes. "We're werewolves. All of us. Every family in the syndicate is bound by that bloodline."

Eve laughs once, quiet and disbelieving. "That's not funny."

"We're not joking," her father says. "The Vasilievs are the oldest of the packs, werewolf royalty. The syndicate formed around them generations ago. They control more than business, they control balance."

Eve shakes her head. "You can't expect me to believe that. I would know if I was-"

"You're starting to change," her mother interrupts gently. "It's why your eyes burned last night, it is why you heard that animalistic sound Principessa."

Eve stares at her. "And you're saying Lucian knew?"

Her father's jaw tightens. "He was told. The Alpha of the Vasiliev pack was meant to guide your transition when the time came."

"So I'm some kind of project between families?"

"That's not what this is," her mother says quickly. "We wanted to protect you."

Eve stands up, the chair scraping back. "By lying to me?"

Her father doesn't look away. "You were a child. We thought if we waited long enough, you might never change. We were wrong."

Before she can answer, the door opens. Lucian walks in. No guards announce him. He doesn't ask permission. He just enters, calm and certain, like it's his house.

"Good morning," he says, voice even. "I hope they've started explaining."

Eve crosses her arms. "Started ruining my life? Yes, they have."

He studies her face for a moment, then looks to her parents. "You should let me handle it from here."

Her father hesitates. "She's our daughter."

"And she's becoming something you can't control," Lucian replies. "You know what happens if the shift begins without guidance."

Her mother nods reluctantly. "Be careful with her."

Lucian's eyes soften just slightly. "Always."

When they're gone, Eve sits again, still tense. "So what now? You lecture me about destiny?"

Lucian takes the seat across from her. "No lectures. Only facts. Your body is changing. Your senses will start to sharpen. You'll hear things you shouldn't, smell things too strong to stand. If you resist it, you'll hurt yourself."

She folds her arms tighter. "And if I don't?"

"Then you'll change," he says simply. "And you'll understand everything."

Eve looks down at her hands. They tremble slightly. "You really believe this."

"I don't need to believe it. I live it."

She lifts her gaze to his. "Show me then. Prove it."

Lucian's mouth tilts in the faintest smile. "That's exactly what I was planning to do."

Lucian leads her out through a side hall that opens onto the back gardens. The morning air is sharp and clean. The snow from the night before has hardened into a thin crust, crunching under their shoes.

Eve keeps her distance, following a few paces behind. "So this is what you do all day? Run a business and play pack leader?"

He glances over his shoulder. "The syndicate runs itself. The pack doesn't."

They pass a line of tall hedges and step into an open yard surrounded by stone walls. The place looks like a cross between a military compound and a private estate. Men train in pairs, moving with controlled precision. Some shift into wolves mid-strike, their movements fast, brutal, and eerily silent.

Eve stops short. "You weren't exaggerating."

"No. And these are just the inner guard. The rest stay closer to the borders."

One of the men calls out, "Alpha!" and lowers his head slightly. The others follow suit. Lucian gives a brief nod, then gestures toward Eve. "This is Eve Moretti...." his voice fades "She's under my protection."

Every head lifts at once. No one says a word.

Lucian looks at her. "You'll have to get used to that."

"I'd rather they didn't all stare."

"They're wolves," he says. "They sense what's happening to you. They can smell it."

Eve wraps her arms around herself. "That's... comforting."

Lucian's mouth twitches, amused. "It should be. They'll defend you because of it."

He leads her toward the edge of the forest, away from the others. The snow here is untouched, the ground rising gently toward a line of tall fir trees.

"This is where you'll start," he says.

"Start what?"

"Letting it happen."

Eve shakes her head. "No. Whatever this is, it can wait. I need to think."

"You don't have time," he says quietly. "It's already begun. Your wolf is awake, and the longer you fight her, the more pain you'll be in."

She takes a step back. "You make it sound like a disease."

"It isn't. It's who you are."

Eve looks away, staring at the frost-covered trees. "And if I don't want it?"

Lucian moves closer, his voice lower now. "Then it will come for you anyway."

He reaches out, not to grab her, but to tilt her chin toward him. "You need to listen. This isn't a punishment. It's instinct. You can hate it later. Right now, you need to survive it."

Her pulse pounds under his fingers. "How do I even start?"

"Close your eyes," he says. "Breathe in through your nose. Slow. Focus on the ground under you. The sound of your heartbeat. The way the air feels on your skin."

She does. Her body tenses as warmth rushes through her chest. The sound of the forest grows louder , birds, wind, even the faint hum of power lines in the distance.

Lucian's voice stays calm. "You're hearing it now. That's your wolf waking up."

"I don't feel in control."

"You're not supposed to. You let her come through."

Her knees shake. She grips her arms. "Lucian, I can't-"

"You can," he says firmly. "I'm here."

Eve opens her eyes. The world looks sharper, brighter. Her pulse races so fast she can hear it in her ears. She steps back, frightened. "Something's wrong."

Lucian catches her by the shoulders. "It's starting. Don't fight it."

The pain hits before she can answer.

It's not sharp, not stabbing, just everywhere at once, heat, pressure, bones stretching. She gasps, stumbling forward. He holds her steady, murmuring quietly, "Breathe through it. Don't fight."

Her vision blurs and the forest tilts and then everything burns white.

The ground feels like it's moving under her. Her hands press into the snow, but she can barely feel it. Her breath comes in short bursts.

Lucian kneels beside her. "Stay with me. You're almost through the hard part."

"It hurts," she manages, voice shaking.

"I know." He keeps his tone calm, unhurried. "Let it happen. Don't fight it."

Her heartbeat pounds in her ears. Something inside her chest cracks, not from pain, but from pressure, like something breaking free. The sound of her bones shifting fills her own hearing.

She gasps once and the air turns sharp. Her body moves before she can think. The pain changes, less human, more alive. When she blinks again, she isn't seeing the world the same way. The snow glows brighter. The colors of the trees have edges she's never seen before.

Lucian is no longer kneeling in front of her. He's beside her in his wolf form, a massive creature with gray fur streaked in darker shades, eyes the same cold silver she saw last night.

Eve stares at him, startled, but there's no fear. Her new instincts know him. He circles her slowly, brushing against her side with deliberate care.

For a long moment, they don't move. He bows his head slightly, a silent invitation.

Eve steps closer, testing her balance, then presses her head lightly against his neck. A low sound rumbles from his chest in response, not quite a growl, more like a command mixed with approval.

Something inside her settles. The strange heat that had filled her all morning eases. For the first time, she feels right.

Lucian nudges her shoulder and breaks into a run. She follows, unsure why, only knowing that she needs to. The cold air rushes through her fur. The snow crunches beneath her paws. It isn't frightening anymore, now it feels natural.

They move together across the open field, weaving between trees. He's faster, but not by much. He glances back once, as if checking she's keeping pace.

Eve answers by leaping ahead. For a few seconds, she feels weightless, every sense alive.

When they stop, it's deep in the woods where the sunlight falls in thin lines through the branches. Lucian shifts first, standing human again, his breath visible in the cold air.

Eve hesitates, then follows his lead. The shift back is quicker, smoother. She sinks to her knees in the snow, exhausted but calm.

Lucian takes off his coat and drapes it over her shoulders before she can reach for it herself. "That's it," he says quietly. "It's done."

Eve looks up at him, still dazed. "I thought I was going to die."

"You almost did."

She exhales, a shaky laugh escaping before she can stop it. "Then why do I feel like I could run a mile now?"

"Because you could." He studies her face for a moment. "How do you feel?"

"Different."

"In a good way?"

"I'm not sure yet."

Lucian's expression softens. "You did well. Most people take longer to trust it."

"I didn't really have a choice."

He smiles slightly. "You did. You chose to let it happen."

She looks down at the snow still melting around her. "It doesn't feel real."

"It will. Give it time."

Lucian straightens, offering her his hand. "Come on. You need to meet the pack."

Eve takes his hand, still catching her breath. "Do I have to?"

"They'll expect it. You're one of us now."

She doesn't argue, though she isn't sure she's ready.

Lucian leads her back through the snow toward the mansion. Her steps feel lighter, but her mind races. The shift, the power, the strange calm that followed, it's too much to process.

The moment they step inside, several wolves in human form bow their heads slightly. The gesture is subtle but unified. One of them, a tall man with close-cropped hair, steps forward. "Alpha."

Lucian nods. "This is Marco, my second. He keeps order when I'm gone."

Marco's eyes flick to Eve. "And this?"

Lucian's tone leaves no room for question. "My mate."