The full moon hung high and bright over the Avila mansion, casting a silvery glow through the windows of the east wing. It was a night the pack always felt more strongly — the pull of the moon stirring the wolf inside every member. For five-year-old Alex Jr., it was the night his first partial shift began.
It started with restlessness. Alex Jr. had been fidgety all evening, unable to sit still during dinner. His emerald-green eyes were brighter than usual, his small body warm to the touch. Claire noticed immediately, exchanging a worried glance with Xander across the table.
After dinner, the boy’s discomfort grew. He whimpered in his room, clutching his stomach. “Mummy, it hurts,” he cried, tears in his eyes. “My bones feel funny.”
Xander and Claire rushed to him. Xander knelt beside th
