The morning of the sixteenth birthday is the most sacred, monumental milestone in a werewolf’s entire existence. It is the day a pup officially leaves their childhood behind and meets the ancient, primal spirit resting deep within their soul. It is the day of the First Shift.
When Leo turned sixteen two years ago, the entire Blackwood Estate had been buzzing with explosive, aggressive Alpha energy. He had been pacing the floors since dawn, his body running a severe fever, his golden eyes flashing uncontrollably as his massive wolf fought to break the surface.
But as the sun rose over the snow-covered pine trees on the morning of Hazel’s sixteenth birthday, the manor was completely, unsettlingly quiet.
I stood in the massive, warm kitchen of the estate, tying my apron strings. Mar
