Stella McCall never considered herself the adventurous type, but here she was, trudging through the dense woods at night with her older brother Scott. The flashlight in her hand barely pierced the darkened forest, the shadows stretching and shifting ominously around them.
"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Stella muttered, stepping over a fallen branch.
"Because Stiles has a theory," Scott replied, holding his phone up to check for bars. "Something about half a body being found near here."
Stiles Stilinski, Scott's best friend and Stella's longtime crush, had roped them into this ridiculous plan. It was supposed to be a quick trip to find evidence or, more likely, nothing at all. But the deeper they went, the more Stella regretted letting herself be talked into it.
"I can't believe I let you two drag me into this," she grumbled.
"Hey, you're the one who said you needed more excitement in your life," Scott teased, flashing her a grin.
"Not this kind of excitement," she shot back, her voice laced with sarcasm.
As they ventured deeper into the woods, the air grew colder, the trees thicker, and the silence more oppressive. Stiles had disappeared somewhere ahead, leaving the siblings to their own devices.
"Stiles!" Scott called out, his voice echoing.
A distant crash of branches was the only reply.
"Great. He's probably already found the body and left us behind," Stella muttered.
Scott chuckled nervously, but his smile faded as a chilling howl cut through the night. Stella froze.
"Was that—?"
Before Scott could answer, the underbrush rustled violently, and a massive shadow darted between the trees. Stella barely had time to register the glowing yellow eyes before something barreled into her, knocking her to the ground.
Pain shot through her shoulder as claws raked across her skin. She screamed, kicking and clawing at the creature, but it was relentless.
"Stella!" Scott shouted, rushing to her side.
The creature turned on him, its fangs bared. Stella watched in horror as it lunged at her brother, sinking its teeth into his side.
"No!" she screamed, adrenaline surging. With a burst of strength, she grabbed a fallen branch and swung it at the beast. It yelped and retreated into the shadows, leaving the two siblings panting and bloodied on the forest floor.
Scott clutched his side, his face pale. "Are you okay?"
Stella pressed a trembling hand to her shoulder, feeling the warmth of her blood seeping through her jacket. "I don't think so."
Scott's gaze darted to her wound, and for the first time, she saw fear in his eyes.
"We need to get out of here," he said, his voice shaking.
Stumbling to their feet, they half-ran, half-staggered back toward the edge of the woods, their wounds burning with an intensity that made Stella's head spin.
Whatever had attacked them wasn't normal. And as the full moon rose higher in the sky, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.
Stella woke with a start, her body drenched in sweat and her heart pounding. Morning sunlight streamed through her bedroom window, but it did little to chase away the unease settling in her chest. Her shoulder throbbed, though the pain was oddly dulled compared to the night before.
She sat up slowly, her blankets tangled around her legs. Pulling her shirt off her shoulder, she examined the spot where the creature's claws had raked across her skin. Her breath caught in her throat.
The wound was almost gone.
Her fingertips brushed the faint pink scars. She could have sworn they'd been deeper—bleeding profusely when she stumbled home the night before.
A knock on her bedroom door jolted her out of her thoughts.
"Stella, you up?" Scott's voice called.
"Yeah, come in," she said, hastily pulling her shirt back into place.
Scott stepped inside, looking pale and anxious. He rubbed his side absentmindedly, and Stella noticed a dark patch on his shirt where the creature had bitten him.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Fine. Sort of," she replied hesitantly. "My shoulder… it's almost healed."
Scott froze. "What?"
She lifted her shirt enough to show him the faint scars. His eyes widened, and he pulled up his own shirt to reveal his side. Stella's stomach flipped.
His wound was almost completely gone too.
"What the hell is happening to us?" Scott whispered.
Stella shook her head, her mind racing. "I don't know, but whatever attacked us… it wasn't normal."
Before they could say more, their mom's voice called up the stairs. "Scott! Stella! You're going to be late!"
Scott glanced at the clock and groaned. "Crap. We'll talk about this later, okay?"
Stella nodded, though the pit in her stomach told her they couldn't wait too long to figure this out.
School passed in a blur. Stella couldn't concentrate in any of her classes. Her senses felt heightened—every sound sharper, every smell more vivid. She could hear conversations happening across the room, smell the faint tang of metal from the lockers.
By the time lunch rolled around, she felt like her head might explode.
"Hey, you okay?" Stiles's voice pulled her back to reality.
She looked up to find him standing next to her in the cafeteria, his tray in hand.
"Yeah, fine," she lied, trying to sound casual.
Stiles narrowed his eyes. "You don't look fine."
"I'm just tired," she said quickly.
Stiles didn't look convinced, but before he could press further, Scott appeared. His face was pale, and he looked like he'd just run a marathon.
"Can we talk?" he asked, his eyes darting between Stella and Stiles.
Stiles raised an eyebrow. "Uh, sure?"
"Not here," Scott said, his voice low. He glanced around the crowded cafeteria.
Stiles frowned. "What's going on? You're both acting weird."
Scott ignored him, grabbing Stella's arm and pulling her out of her seat. "We'll explain later."
"Or now," Stiles said, following close behind. "What happened last night? Did you guys see something?"
Scott didn't answer until they were outside in the empty courtyard. He turned to Stiles, his expression grave.
"Something attacked us," he said. "And… I think it changed us."
Stiles blinked. "Changed you how?"
Stella stepped forward, her voice low. "Our wounds… they healed overnight. And we're… different. I can hear things I shouldn't be able to hear. Smell things I shouldn't be able to smell."
Stiles's mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally spoke. "Wait. Are you saying you're werewolves?"
Scott winced at the word, but Stella couldn't deny how it made her stomach churn.
"That's ridiculous," Scott said quickly, though his voice lacked conviction.
Stiles, however, was grinning now, his mind already racing. "Ridiculous? You were bitten by something in the woods, you're healing freakishly fast, and you're suddenly superhuman? It's not ridiculous—it's awesome!"
"Awesome?" Stella echoed, glaring at him. "I don't think turning into some kind of monster qualifies as awesome, Stiles."
"Not a monster," Stiles corrected. "A werewolf. And if this is real, we need to figure out what kind of werewolf rules you're dealing with."
Scott groaned, running a hand through his hair. "This isn't a joke, Stiles."
"I know it's not," Stiles said, his grin fading. "But we need to understand what's happening to you. Otherwise, how are we going to stop it if it gets worse?"
Stella exchanged a worried glance with Scott. As much as she hated to admit it, Stiles had a point.
"Okay," she said finally. "Where do we start?"
Stiles smirked. "The library, of course. We've got some research to do."
As he led the way, Stella couldn't shake the feeling that her life had just taken a turn she could never come back from.