Luna Silvermane's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Luna Silvermane pressed her palms against the rough bark of the oak tree and focused on her breathing. She needed to control the transformation this time. Her family depended on it. The full moon would rise in three days, and she still couldn't stop the change from taking over completely. She pulled her hands away from the tree and wiped the bark dust on her jeans. Training here in the open forest wasn't working anymore. She needed somewhere private, somewhere she could transform without risking anyone getting hurt. Luna had spent the last week searching through the woods until she found it—a massive mechanical tower half-hidden by thick vines and moss. The old structure looked like it had grown out of the swamp itself, all rusted gears and metal platforms stacked high above the water. Nobody came out this far. It would be her training ground. Luna climbed the metal stairs to the main platform and dropped her bag. She pulled out the circular tracker device she'd bought in town and mounted it on the wall. The metallic sphere showed the moon's current phase, a thin crescent that would soon grow full. Next to it, she hung the heavy punching bag from a reinforced beam. She wrapped her hands and threw a punch. The bag barely moved. She hit it again, harder this time, feeling the impact travel up her arm. Her knuckles throbbed, but she kept going. Each strike helped her focus on the feeling in her muscles, the heat building in her chest. She had to learn the difference between her strength as a human and her strength as a wolf. Only then could she find the middle ground, the place where she could control which one took over. Luna checked the moon tracker again and counted the days. Three chances left before the full moon. Three chances to get this right before she had to face her family and prove she could keep them safe.