Chapter 3 The First Shift

Lya's POV

The ceremony dragged on as the Moon Priest's voice echoed through the outdoor amphitheater of the Moon Temple. I sat beside my mother, painfully aware of how visible we were in our front-row seats. As night fell, my body grew increasingly uncomfortable. Sweat beaded on my forehead despite the cool evening air, dampening the collar of my black dress that Victoria had forced me to wear this morning.

Of all nights for my first shift to come, it had to be during Airina's funeral.

The Moon Priest continued his droning about Airina's virtues and her tragically shortened life. Around me, over a thousand pack members sat in somber silence, their collective grief hanging in the air like a physical presence. Representatives from neighboring packs filled the back rows, their unfamiliar scents making my already sensitive nose twitch.

I glanced at my parents, their faces etched with grief as they clung to each other. Dad's normally stoic expression had crumbled, tears streaming freely down his face. Mom's body shook with silent sobs, her golden hair—so like Airina's—falling forward to hide her face. My heart ached for them. I loved them deeply, despite everything, and wished I could somehow absorb their pain.

I watched them embrace and weep together, feeling like my heart was being torn apart.

Another wave of heat surged through my body, making me bite my lip to keep from crying out. My vision blurred momentarily, the rows of mourners becoming indistinct shapes in black attire. I knew I needed to leave before I lost control. I regretted not choosing a seat farther back, closer to an exit.

Shifting for the first time was supposed to be a celebrated event, guided by family members who would help ease the transition. Instead, I would face it alone, without instruction or support. The irony wasn't lost on me – while the pack gathered to mourn my sister, I would be experiencing what should have been one of the most significant moments in a young werewolf's life, completely alone.

As I stood to leave, I caught Damian's gaze from across the aisle. His eyes, normally warm amber, now bored into me with such hatred and accusation that I nearly stumbled. The raw emotion in his stare made my chest tighten. I understood his pain—everyone believed Airina was his destined mate. This must be his way of expressing grief.

I hurried past the rows of mourners, accidentally knocking over several flower arrangements. The white lilies – Airina's favorites – scattered across the stone floor, their sweet scent suddenly overwhelming to my heightening senses. Disapproving glares followed me, but I couldn't stop. My skin felt like it was stretching, bones beginning to ache in preparation for breaking and reforming.

Once past the temple grounds, I rushed toward the forest, my destination initially the clearing where Airina and I were supposed to meet last night. But a sharp stab of pain made me reconsider. I couldn't bear to return there, not after what happened. Instead, I turned in the opposite direction, toward Crystal Falls.

The memories of Airina flooded back as I stumbled through the trees. She had insisted on showing me something "special" in the forest at midnight, despite my exhaustion and reluctance. I couldn't refuse her—I never could. She was my beautiful, perfect sister whom everyone adored, while I was just a lowly half-breed, despised by the entire pack since I first showed vampire traits when my eyes turned blood-red during a full moon celebration when I was seven. The pack children had screamed and run away, calling me "bloodsucker" for weeks afterward.

"I have something amazing to show you, Lya," she had said with that bright smile that could charm anyone. "Meet me at our old spot at midnight. Don't tell anyone." Her golden hair had shimmered in the afternoon sun as she'd made me promise.

Another spasm of pain knocked me to the ground. I fell hard, my palms scraping against the forest floor. I felt my mixed blood characteristics beginning to emerge – my eyes shifting colors, my pale skin taking on an unnatural glow in the moonlight. The sensations were terrifying – like my body was being torn apart from the inside.

Keep going, Lya. Keep going. Get to Crystal Falls.

A voice—unfamiliar yet somehow comforting—echoed in my mind. I wasn't sure if I was hallucinating from the pain, but I felt compelled to listen. It was feminine, strong, and oddly familiar, as if from a forgotten dream.

I struggled to my feet, only to collapse again as another wave of agony washed over me. My bones felt like they were imploding, my skin both burning and freezing simultaneously. I curled into a ball, trying to contain the pain.

"Lya, I'll help you through this, but I need you to move. Please. Even if you have to crawl, you must get to Crystal Falls. The moonlight will help you complete the shift."

I didn't understand how or why, but I trusted this voice. On hands and knees, I began crawling toward Crystal Falls, my dress tearing at the knees, my skin scraping against rocks and twigs. Blood dripped from cuts that healed almost instantly—a sign of my mixed heritage. The pain of transformation far outweighed these minor injuries.

For what felt like hours but was probably only ten minutes, I dragged myself forward, my body fighting against itself. My vampire blood seemed to be battling my werewolf nature, causing my eyes to flicker between werewolf gold and vampire red. Each time they changed, my vision shifted – sometimes seeing heat signatures, other times picking up movement with supernatural clarity.

Finally, I reached Crystal Falls and collapsed at its edge. The moonlight reflected off the water, bathing me in its silvery glow. Pain crashed over me in waves, and I felt like I might stop breathing. My lungs burned as if filled with fire.

"Hold on, Lya. You're going to be okay. I need you to clear your mind and let go. Let your wolf take control."

I closed my eyes, following the instructions. The moonlight seemed to seep into my skin, helping balance my dual bloodlines. I heard and felt my bones breaking – snap, crack, pop – a horrifying symphony of destruction and recreation. There was a burning sensation too—my vampire blood reacting to the werewolf transformation, creating what felt like internal flames licking at my veins.

Minutes passed that felt like eternities. I lost all sense of self, becoming nothing but raw sensation and pain. Then suddenly, like a storm breaking, the pain stopped. The forest around me seemed to come into sharper focus – scents, sounds, and sights more vivid than I'd ever experienced.

"Well done, Lya. You did very well."

The voice sounded clearer now, almost as if someone was sitting beside me. I turned my head, expecting to see another person, but instead saw only the moonlit clearing.

"Who are you?" I asked, surprised to find I could form coherent thoughts despite what my body had just endured.