"Are you okay? Are there men bothering you?" Ella's voice emerged with an unexpected edge, one she didn’t recognize. It sounded alluring and powerful—unnaturally so—but her focus stayed fixed on the three rogue werewolves closing in around her. Their glowing, predatory eyes locked onto her as her eyes, whatever color they had shifted to, marked her as a threat.

The little girl huddled beneath a nearby tree, whimpered, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. Her eyes flickered, glowing a deep, eerie black—the color of an eclipse. Alpha blood. Ella’s heart sank. Not only did she need to be a helping hand, but a protecting one too. The child was in danger, and she was the only one standing between her and the wolves.

Taking a deep breath, Ella braced herself, planting her feet firmly in the slick mud. She locked her gaze onto the three werewolves. The leader, standing in the middle, smiled—a slow, cruel grin. "What can you do, girl?" he sneered, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. He stepped forward, but as he did, Ella saw something flicker in his gaze, a crack in his confidence. Fear. Doubt.

They were afraid of her.

Good.

The steady rhythm of the song still played in her ears, like a second pulse, climbing toward the beat drop. Ella’s pulse synced with the music, her body vibrating with the tempo, cold forgotten as warmth surged through her veins. The puddles around her rippled as if the music made them move, the vibrations pulling her deeper into the rhythm. As the song escalated, her heartbeat quickened, matching the rising intensity of the tune. The world around her dulled, every sound except the music fading into the background.

She could feel it coming—the drop. And when it hit, she couldn’t stop the fire that lit behind her eyes, nor the defiant, daring grin that spread across her face.

The bass dropped, and Ella moved.

Her body launched forward like a bullet. In a blink, she was in front of the middle werewolf, her clenched fist driving into his jaw with enough force to send him crashing backward. He hit the ground hard, unconscious before he even had the chance to react. The second werewolf barely had time to gasp before her foot connected with his chest. The impact sent him flying into a tree, the crack of his bones echoing through the forest.

But the third werewolf, the one on her left, was quicker. He shifted mid-motion, bones snapping and rearranging as fur exploded from his skin. In an instant, the man was gone, and in his place stood a hulking, snarling beast. His claws slashed toward her, but Ella ducked just in time, his massive paw slicing through the air where her head had been only a moment ago.

She spun under his arm, the music in her ears roaring, the beat fueling her movements like a puppeteer pulling her strings. Each punch, each kick, was perfectly timed with the rhythm. The water at her feet splashed upward as she twisted, delivering a sharp elbow into the werewolf’s side. He growled, spinning to face her, but Ella was already moving again, fluid and unstoppable.

The wolf lunged, jaws snapping at her throat. But Ella’s body danced with the music, her instincts sharper, faster than ever. She sidestepped the attack with inhuman grace, her fist colliding with the wolf’s ribs in a move that felt almost rehearsed—like she had done it a thousand times before. Her body was no longer hers; it was the music’s.

The song picked up pace, the drums pounding in her ears. Each beat was a command, propelling her forward. She blocked, ducked, dodged—her movements a blur. The rogue wolf’s claws raked through the air, trying to catch her, but she was too fast. The creature snarled in frustration, its jaws snapping again as it lunged, but Ella twisted, catching its hind leg with a sweeping kick. The wolf howled in pain as it toppled over, crashing into the ground.

Ella didn’t give it time to recover. With a snarl, she leaped forward, her fist slamming into the creature’s snout with all the strength she could muster. Blood sprayed from the wolf’s nose, and it whimpered, staggering back. For a brief moment, the werewolf met her gaze, its golden eyes wide with shock, with fear.

Then it collapsed, unconscious.

Panting, Ella spun, her fists still raised, ready for the next attack. But the clearing was silent. The third werewolf had fled into the shadows of the forest. She glanced down at the two rogues lying motionless in the mud, her knuckles throbbing from the fight. Slowly, the music in her ears began to fade, the world around her settling back into reality.

The sizzling behind her eyes dulled, and she knew without looking that they had returned to their usual blue.

The adrenaline drained from her system as she realized what had just happened. She had fought—truly fought—like an experienced warrior, like someone who had trained for this moment. But she hadn’t. She had no training, no real knowledge of her powers. How had she done that?

Her hands shook as she turned toward the little girl. The child was still huddled beneath the tree, her eyes glowing black once again. She stared at Ella, trembling, her small body soaked and shivering from the cold rain.

Ella pulled out her earphones, the silence that followed almost deafening after the fight. Slowly, she approached Alyssa, raising her palms in a gesture of peace.

 “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice soft and gentle.

The small child whimpered, shrinking back toward the tree. Her eyes flashed black before fading to a tearful brown. She was freezing, her thin frame trembling uncontrollably, likely nearing hypothermia. Ella could feel the cold creeping back into her bones, now that the heat of battle had faded.

Squatting down to her level, Ella offered a warm smile. “My name’s Ella. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise,” she said softly. “What’s your name?”

The little girl sniffled, wiping a tear from her cheek. Her lips trembled as she spoke, “A-Alyssa.”

"Hi, Alyssa," Ella smiled again, carefully shrugging off her waterproof jacket. “Here,” she gently draped it over Alyssa's small form. “It’s going to keep you warm.”

Alyssa huddled into the jacket, her small frame still trembling, but she seemed to calm a little, her fear giving way to exhaustion. Tears welled in her deep brown eyes, spilling over her cheeks as she began to cry in earnest. Ella’s heart ached for her.

"Let’s get you home, okay? Do you know the way back?" Ella asked softly, extending a hand to help Alyssa stand.

Alyssa hesitated, then slowly reached for Ella’s hand. "It’s... it's this way," she whispered, her voice weak from the cold. "My daddy will be looking for me."

“I’m sure he’s worried about you,” Ella said, squeezing her hand gently. As they began to walk, Ella noticed the tremble in Alyssa’s steps. The child was too cold—Ella could feel it through her hand. The rain poured harder now, and Ella could feel her own body beginning to stiffen from the cold. They couldn’t walk the whole way.

“You’re going to freeze out here. We’ll have to run,” Ella muttered, more to herself than to Alyssa. She knelt and scooped the girl into her arms. Alyssa stiffened, but Ella smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay. Just tell me where to go.”

Alyssa nodded, her eyes still flickering black. Clutching Alyssa close, Ella broke into a run, her shoes squelching in the mud as she pushed through the trees. The forest blurred around them, but Ella’s focus remained sharp, her senses on high alert for the rogue wolf that had fled.

As they neared another clearing, Alyssa’s excitement grew. The child began to wriggle in her arms, her eyes brightening. Ella slowed as the trees parted, revealing a large, battered red-brick house—the Blue Moon pack house. Alyssa’s eyes lit up, and she let out a small howl as they approached.

A boy, no older than Ella, rushed out of the house, his black eyes locking onto them. "Alyssa!" he shouted, sprinting toward them.

Alyssa squirmed out of Ella’s arms and ran to him, leaping into his embrace. He held her close, his eyes flickering black with the same alpha power as Alyssa’s.

Ella, freezing and exhausted, took a few stumbling steps back. The boy’s gaze shifted to her, his black eyes softening into a brilliant blue. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ella had already turned, sprinting back into the woods. Alyssa’s cries echoed behind her, calling her name, but she didn’t stop.

Tears blurred her vision, mixing with the rain as they fell. She didn’t know why she was running—only that she needed to get away.

She had fought off two rogue werewolves. She had saved an alpha. Her eyes had finally glowed with the strange power that had always been dormant within her.

But her tears weren’t of victory—they were of horror.

Because Ella had fought like a warrior. Like a killer.

And she had no idea what she was.