The Blackwood estate had never felt quieter.

After Lexi’s partial transformation, the night moved with an eerie calm. A predator’s calm—silent, waiting, charged with the kind of stillness that came just before the kill.

Lexi stood on the balcony of her room, staring out over the dense woods beyond the manor. The moon hovered just above the tree line, veiled by clouds, but its pull was undeniable. Inside her chest, the beast stirred—less violently now, but with intent. Her senses had sharpened since the shift: sounds, scents, even her emotions. Everything was louder.

She could feel Julian in the corridor before he even knocked.

The door creaked open, and he stepped inside, wearing all black. His eyes were grim, and his body tense like a bowstring.

“You felt it, didn’t you?” he asked.

Lexi nodded. “He’s close.”

Julian crossed to her, looking out at the forest. “He’s testing the perimeter. He’s smart. Too smart for a wild animal. He knows exactly where the wards are weakest.”

“Can he get in?”

“Not yet. But he will.”

Lexi turned to face him. “Then why are we waiting?”

Julian exhaled. “Because if we hunt him now, he’ll lead us away from the estate—into a trap. We have to draw him in. On our ground. With our rules.”

“Bait,” Lexi said flatly.

Julian’s silence confirmed it.

“You want to use me.”

“No,” he said quickly. “I want to protect you. But if he’s here for you, he’s coming no matter what. We can either run, or we prepare to end this.”

Lexi didn’t hesitate. “Then we end it.”

Julian nodded. “We’ll lock the estate down tonight. No one in or out. The inner wards will hold long enough for us to corner him. We take him down in the east courtyard. It's open, no cover for him to hide.”

“What about the others?” Lexi asked. “The staff?”

“I sent them away this morning,” he said. “No one else dies because of me.”

Lexi looked at him for a long moment. “You always carry it alone, don’t you?”

Julian shrugged. “It’s safer that way.”

“Well,” she said, walking past him toward the door, “not anymore.”

---

By midnight, the estate was dark.

Only candlelight flickered through the high windows. The main hall was silent except for the faint creak of wooden beams and the low groan of wind pressing against the old glass panes.

Lexi waited in the east courtyard, cloaked in shadow behind one of the ivy-covered pillars. Her skin itched, her breath shallow. Every part of her screamed that something was wrong—but she couldn’t place it.

Until she heard the scream.

It came from inside the house.

Lexi bolted.

She met Julian halfway through the corridor. “He’s inside!”

Julian’s eyes burned silver. “That’s impossible. The wards—”

“Someone let him in.”

Before they could speak again, the temperature dropped. A sudden rush of wind slammed through the corridor, snuffing out the lanterns. Then came the growl—deep, guttural, and close.

“Back!” Julian barked, pushing Lexi behind him.

From the shadows, a shape lunged.

Julian caught it mid-air, both of them crashing into a wall. Claws slashed through his shirt, drawing blood. Lexi screamed, grabbing the silver-tipped spear from the wall mount. She spun and struck—jamming it into the creature’s shoulder.

The beast howled in agony, stumbling back. Lexi got her first real look at it.

It was massive—nearly seven feet tall, covered in mottled black and gray fur. Its eyes glowed red, its fangs dripping with saliva and something darker. But it wasn’t fully wolf. Its form shifted, warping between man and monster, like it couldn’t hold shape.

“Get to the ward chamber!” Julian shouted, wrestling with the creature. “Reinforce the seals!”

Lexi ran, heart pounding, the spear still clutched in her hand.

---

The ward chamber was buried beneath the west wing. As she reached the final turn in the corridor, she heard a soft click behind her.

Lexi froze.

Slowly, she turned—only to find Alden Blackwood, Julian’s uncle, standing there, holding a small ornate dagger. His eyes glinted unnaturally in the dim light.

“Alden?” she whispered. “What are you doing down here?”

He smiled, but it was all teeth and no warmth. “What Julian doesn’t understand is that this curse—our bloodline—was never meant to be controlled. It’s a gift. One we’ve denied for far too long.”

Lexi took a step back. “You let the rogue in.”

“I called him,” Alden said. “Fed him. Trained him. He’s my creation. My legacy.”

“You’re insane.”

“No,” Alden said, eyes wild. “I’m free. And so will you be… once the old blood is purged.”

He lunged.

Lexi dodged, the spear slicing through the air and striking his side. He snarled—not human at all anymore—and slashed at her with clawed fingers. She stumbled back into the ward room, slamming the door behind her.

“Julian!” she screamed through the bond, praying he would hear.

She turned and thrust her hand into the glowing seal at the center of the ward altar. The marks on her palm ignited, flaring bright gold. The runes around the room lit up.

The rogue howled from somewhere above.

Julian’s voice echoed down the corridor: “Lexi, hold it! I’m coming!”

Alden pounded on the door. “You can’t stop this, girl! The blood remembers. The beast will rise.”

Lexi pressed harder into the altar. “Then let it rise.”

And this time, she didn’t fight the change.

Her bones shifted. Her muscles coiled. Her senses exploded. And as the beast took hold—not completely, but enough—she turned, kicked the door wide open, and faced Alden with eyes glowing bright gold.

He froze, eyes widening.

“Impossible,” he whispered.

Lexi smiled through the fangs. “Not anymore.”

She lunged.

A blur of motion, claws flashing, and within seconds, Alden was on the ground, blood pooling beneath him.

Behind her, Julian arrived just in time to see her standing over the dying man, trembling but in control. His eyes widened—not in fear, but awe.

“You did it,” he said softly.

Lexi turned to him, chest heaving. “This isn’t over.”

Julian nodded. “No. But now… you’re ready.”

Outside, the rogue howled again—louder than before.

Next time, he wouldn’t send a warning.

Next time, he would come for war.