Page 74 of Fated for Dawn

Rafe knelt beside me, his eyes filled with worry. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. This is all new to you.”

I shook my head, feeling pathetic. Here I was, descended from powerful lineages, chosen by Hecate herself, and I was having a meltdown.

Real intimidating.

Chad plopped down on my other side, his usual boundless energy tempered by concern. “Hey, even us seasoned shifters have bad days. I once accidentally shifted during a big meeting at the academy and ended up with my tail sticking out of my pants?”

Despite everything, I let out a choked laugh. “That’s not exactly reassuring.”

“What I think Chad means,” Rafe said, “is that it’s okay to struggle sometimes. You’re still learning.”

I took a shaky breath, feeling my heart rate slowly return to normal. “I just feel so…weak.”

Chad bumped my shoulder with his. “Nah, you’re tough as nails. You just need a break. And food. Food always helps.”

“That’s…actually not a bad idea,” I admitted, my panic fading into exhaustion.

Rafe nodded, standing and offering me a hand. “Let’s get some lunch and try again later.

I let them pull me to my feet, grateful for their support. Food sounded good. And maybe by then, I’d find my courage again.

* * *

After lunch, we got back to it.

A few failed attempts later, my panic had finally subsided—by some miracle—and I was determined to get this right.

“Focus on your breathing,” Rafe reminded me. “In, out. In, out.”

I did as he said, and slowly, the noise in my head quieted.

At first, all I felt was the sun’s warmth on my skin and the soft whisper of the breeze.

Then…something else. A flicker of power deep in my core.

“I think I feel it,” I rasped, afraid to break my concentration.

“Good,” Chad’s voice seemed far away. “Now, don’t fight it. Let it come.”

The power grew, spreading through my body like wildfire. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. Part of me wanted to pull back, to slam the door shut on this strange, new sensation.

But I couldn’t. Not if I wanted to beat Eris.

You got this!

I took another deep breath. The power was immense, like a tidal wave threatening to crush me. I had to let it wash over me, surrender to it completely. My fear and doubt were weights pulling me under. I had to let them go.

The first spark of pain made me flinch. It was like a hot needle in my skin, sharp and immediate. Then it spread, a burning ache that set my bones on fire. I gritted my teeth. I’d been burnt alive, had a sword driven through my heart, and had been electrocuted a few hundred times. This was nothing in comparison, but it was still enough to make me want to scream.

I opened my eyes and looked at my hand. The skin was stretching, tearing, morphing into something else.

Claws.

I was growing claws. My whole body expanded, my muscles and bones twisting into new shapes. The world around me shrank as I grew taller and larger. Colors blurred, then sharpened into painful clarity.

I let out a cry, half human, half something else, and it echoed around us. I looked down at Rafe and Chad. They were small, and their faces were mixed with fear and awe.

The pain receded, replaced by a rush of raw, unfiltered power. I stretched my new limbs, massive wings that unfurled with a crackle of energy. My skin—no, my feathers—glowed with an inner fire. I was a living flame, a creature of pure light and heat.

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