Tolu followed the dirt path until the trees opened up into a wide clearing. The old party spot was exactly as he'd heard—spacious, with faint traces of music and laughter lingering like ghosts in the cracked firepits and broken bottles scattered at the edges.
Only now, it wasn't empty.
Clusters of people were already gathered across the clearing, some standing in small groups, others sitting alone. Their voices carried low, tense, like no one wanted to speak too loudly. He slowed his steps, checking his phone.
8:37. Training was supposed to start at nine. A little more than twenty minutes to spare.
He exhaled and decided not to hover at the edge like a stranger. Instead, he stepped fully into the clearing, blending with the quiet stir of bodies. His phone buzzed, and he checked it again—Ore.
You're there already?
He typed quickly. Yeah. Just got here.
Her reply came almost instantly. Good. But I won't be there. This part's only for newborns. I can't interfere.
His thumb hovered over the screen a moment before he typed back. Alright. I'll wait it out then.
Sliding the phone back into his pocket, Tolu found a spot near the edge of the clearing. He leaned against a tree, eyes scanning the other faces—newborns, just like him.
A sharp whistle cut through the murmurs of the clearing. Heads turned as a tall guy stepped forward, his presence immediately demanding attention.
"Alright, you ten—" he said, his voice steady but firm, "—come together."
Tolu pushed off the tree and joined the small crowd forming in the center of the clearing. There were nine others, all looking just as uncertain, some shifting nervously, others trying too hard to look calm.
Behind the guy stood three more figures—two boys and a girl. They weren't tense. They weren't nervous. They looked… in control.
The first guy gestured toward them. "These three are here to babysit you until you can walk without falling over."
As if on cue, all four of them let their eyes glow. A ripple passed through the group—half awe, half fear. The leader's eyes burned a bright blue, steady and intimidating. The girl's glow matched his. The second boy's too.
But the third—his glow wasn't blue. It was green.
The air felt heavier around him, sharper, like even standing still he carried a weight none of them could touch. Tolu swallowed hard, realizing the difference.
The leader nodded once, satisfied. "Good. Now that introductions are out of the way…" His lips curved into the faintest smirk. "Let's get started."
The last wolf standing, fur bristling and eyes glowing hotter than before, was Tolu. His massive chest rose and fell with each ragged breath, a low, guttural growl vibrating from deep in his throat.
The girl frowned, quickly reaching for her pouch again. "He's not calming down. Should I throw more?"
"Do it," the leader ordered, his tone clipped.
She tossed another cloud of shimmering blue powder into the air, the fine mist settling over Tolu's fur. The other newborns had folded under the same haze, their wolves dissolving into trembling human shapes. But this time… nothing.
The glow in his eyes didn't waver. His claws flexed into the dirt, tearing furrows in the ground. His growl deepened, vibrating like thunder.
The leader's brows knit, confusion flickering in his expression. "That shouldn't be happening… Belladonna and calming dust should have floored him. Every newborn buckles under it."
The others exchanged uneasy looks.
But then the leader's sharp gaze narrowed on Tolu. He noticed something strange—the wolf wasn't straining in pain anymore. No trembling, no signs of losing control. Just pure, simmering anger focused entirely on them.
"Wait…" he muttered under his breath. "He's not fighting the shift anymore. He's… embracing it."
Before anyone could react, he stripped off his shirt in one smooth motion, muscles tightening as his own blue-lit eyes flickered. He was ready to transform if he had to.
But the moment the cloth hit the ground—BOOM.
Tolu lunged.
The sheer force of his leap ripped through the clearing like a storm. His claws gleamed in the moonlight, his fangs bared, all that bottled-up fury finally exploding as he hurled himself straight at them.
The leader didn't move fast enough. By the time he realized Tolu was on him, it was already too late—fangs bared, claws raised.
But then a blur cut across his vision. The green-eyed wolf slammed into Tolu with bone-crunching force, knocking him clean off his path. The leader stumbled back, chest heaving, realizing just how close he had been to being ripped apart.
The two wolves hit the dirt hard, rolling in a mess of fur, claws, and teeth. Tolu snarled savagely, purple eyes glowing with untamed rage. The green-eyed wolf, bigger and steadier, growled back, muscles straining as he wrestled Tolu down.
They crashed into the ground, rolled, then smashed against a tree with a sickening crack that sent bark flying. Neither yielded. Tolu's claws raked deep, the green-eyed wolf retaliating with a vicious bite that forced him back—but only for a breath.
Tolu came again. Wild. Relentless. His strikes weren't calculated, they weren't trained—they were feral. And yet, somehow, each one carried a weight that nearly matched the veteran's.
The newborns cowered where they stood, too stunned to move.
The leader, regaining his breath, barked out, "Hold him down! Don't let him loose!"
But even as the green-eyed wolf tried to pin him, Tolu twisted with unnatural strength, shoving him off balance, the fight spiraling into a brutal stalemate neither side seemed able to break.
The clash dragged on, teeth snapping and claws ripping through the soil. But after a while, something shifted in Tolu's gaze.
For all his rage, some sliver of instinct whispered to him—he couldn't win this fight. Not yet.
With a guttural snarl, he shoved the green-eyed wolf back just long enough to break free. Then, instead of lunging again, he spun on his paws and bolted into the shadows of the trees.
"Damn it!" the leader barked, sprinting after him, but within seconds it was clear.
Tolu was too fast. Far too fast for a newborn. His violet glow flickered between the trees like a phantom, and then—gone.
The green-eyed wolf shifted back, panting heavily, sweat gleaming on his brow as his human form returned. "That… wasn't normal," he muttered, clutching his ribs. "No newborn moves like that."
The leader cursed under his breath, pulling out a phone. "We're calling backup. He's loose in the woods. If he keeps running wild, he'll draw hunters straight to us."
The girl glanced toward the dark treeline, worry etched on her face. "Who do you want me to call? The Beta? Or…"
The leader's jaw tightened. "No. Call her. She marked him. If anyone can reel that boy in, it's Ore."