Chapter 23 – Vanessa's POV
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the howling. Not outside—but inside my chest. My wolf was awake. Restless. She wasn't whimpering anymore. She was growling, like she wanted to rip something apart.
The second thing I noticed was the necklace. It had gone completely cold against my skin. Dead cold, like touching metal left in snow. When I tried to lift it, my fingers moved this time. Not enough to take it off, but enough to feel the chain shift.
Something had changed overnight. Something big.
I sat up slowly, testing myself. Every part of my body felt different. Stronger. Like I'd been training for months, not locked away in this room. My hearing had sharpened—I could pick up heartbeats from the rooms below. My sense of smell had exploded. I could tell every scent apart, feel the emotions tied to each one.
Fear. Anger. Excitement. And something else that made my wolf snarl.
Lust. Raw and hungry, drifting up from somewhere downstairs.
