Sera's Pov
The shift came easily.
Bones cracked, sinew twisted, and the heat of the transformation pulsed through every nerve ending. My body lengthened, reshaped itself, until fur replaced skin and my senses stretched outward like the sudden bloom of spring. There was no pain—not anymore. Shifting had become muscle memory, instinctual, as fluid as breathing.
All around me, the others transformed too. The clearing filled with the low symphony of rumbling growls, the wet snaps of morphing bone, and the thick, primal silence that followed once the change was complete. The forest itself felt like it was holding its breath with us, waiting.
Kael's wolf was already moving, trotting around the perimeter like he owned the damn place. Typical Kael. His dark blue fur caught the filtered sunlight and shimmered like a night river. His green eyes glinted with amusement as he passed me, his tail giving a lazy flick. He wasn't even trying to hide it.
He was laughing at me. Again.
