Chronicles of Rohan: The Birth of the True Alpha

Chapter 3: The Change Begins

"Lucas, move. It found us."

Dylan’s voice cracked, breath caught in his throat as his eyes locked onto the creature down the street.

"What the hell is that?" Lucas whispered, his voice trembling.

The thing didn’t move, but it didn’t have to. Its burning red eyes cut through the dark like twin torches, searing into Lucas’s spine, freezing him in place. The air around them grew heavy, charged, like the calm before a storm.

"Dylan," Lucas reached for him without looking away. "Tell me that thing is not here for me."

"Come on," Dylan said grimly, his grip tightening on Lucas’s arm. "We’re not sticking around to find out."

He yanked Lucas toward him, urgency in his voice.

"Run!"

The command hit Lucas like a slap to the face, and before he could think, they were off. Their feet slapped against the pavement as they tore down the street, heartbeats pounding in sync with their frantic footfalls. The neighborhood seemed hollow, lifeless. Not a single light on. Nothing.

"Where are we going?" Lucas yelled, the wind howling in his ears.

"Somewhere it can’t reach!"

Behind them, the growl rumbled, deep and inhuman, vibrating in their bones. It sent a shiver through Lucas, making his legs feel like jelly.

"It’s following us!"

"Don’t look back!"

Dylan’s voice broke through the panic, sharp and commanding. They cut through a narrow alley, trash bins scattered like forgotten memories, but Lucas tripped, stumbling over one. His knee scraped against the rough concrete, but Dylan’s hand was already yanking him back up. They had no time.

A broken fence appeared ahead. No time to think.

"Jump!" Dylan shouted, and without hesitation, they leaped over the rotting wood.

Lucas landed hard, his knee protesting, but he barely registered the pain. He scrambled to his feet, barely keeping his balance as the growl grew louder. It wasn’t behind them anymore; it was right there, close.

The backstreet opened up to reveal an old, forgotten auto shop. The place looked deserted, as though it hadn’t seen life in years. Rusted metal, cracked asphalt, weeds growing up through the gaps. The place had an eerie calmness to it.

"In here!" Dylan shouted as he darted for the rusted metal door at the back.

He yanked it open with surprising strength, pulling Lucas inside before slamming the door shut. The heavy thud echoed in the stillness, sealing them off from whatever hunted them.

They were breathing hard, their chests heaving. Silence surrounded them now, suffocating, thick, like the air before a storm breaks.

A single lightbulb overhead flickered, casting long, eerie shadows on the walls. Dust hung in the air, so thick it almost felt like smoke.

"What was that thing?!" Lucas gasped, his voice still shaky as he looked around, hoping to find something—anything—normal. "What even was that?!"

Dylan’s fingers curled around the handle of the door, his knuckles white from the tension. His jaw was tight, his eyes scanning the space like he was waiting for something to jump out of the shadows.

"It’s called a pack hunter."

Lucas blinked. "A what now?"

"Doesn’t matter right now," Dylan snapped, cutting him off. "It’s gone for now, but we’ve got bigger problems. Human problems."

Lucas turned, confusion and panic bubbling up again. "Human problems?"

Dylan’s eyes shifted, serious now, almost as if he regretted saying anything at all. "Hunters. Of people like us."

Lucas blinked. "People like us?" His heart thudded harder in his chest. "What are you even talking about?!"

Dylan moved closer, and for the first time, Lucas saw the real fear in his eyes. "You’ve been bitten, Lucas. There’s no changing back."

Lucas froze, his blood running cold. "What?"

Dylan’s voice was quiet but firm. "Your body’s changing. Fast. That thing outside smelled it on you. It knows. And now so do we."

Lucas stepped back, his pulse hammering in his ears. "Smelled what exactly?"

"The turn." Dylan’s tone was grave, heavy. "Once it completes, you’ll be stronger than them. Faster. You’ll be—"

"I don’t want to be anything!" Lucas shouted, the words spilling out, raw and panicked. "I didn’t sign up for this!"

He looked down at his hands, expecting to see claws or blood, or something monstrous. But they were still his. Still... human. For now.

"You don’t get to choose." Dylan’s voice was barely a whisper, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

Silence settled between them. The night outside seemed to hold its breath, as if waiting. In the distance, a siren wailed, its sound faint but relentless. A dog barked once, but the silence quickly swallowed it whole.

Lucas’s knees buckled, and he leaned against the wall, trembling. His skin felt like it was on fire, as if something inside him was fighting to break free. Every breath was a struggle. His bones ached with a deep, gnawing pain.

"Dylan..." he whispered, his voice barely a breath. "What if I hurt someone?"

Dylan didn’t answer. His eyes were distant, focused on something only he could see.

Then it hit.

A violent, blinding pain exploded inside Lucas’s chest.

"AHHHH!" Lucas screamed as it tore through him, searing like molten steel. His body bowed, his knees giving out, and he dropped to the floor, clutching his ribs.

"Make it stop!" he cried, voice raw, pleading. "It feels like I’m being ripped apart!"

Dylan moved closer, his eyes narrowing, but he didn’t touch him. He simply watched, his face tight with something between worry and acceptance.

"It’s starting," Dylan said, his jaw clenched. "You need to ride through it."

"Ride through it?!" Lucas howled, his voice breaking. "I’m dying!"

"You’re not." Dylan’s voice softened just a little, but there was no warmth in it, only truth. "But everything you were... is."

Lucas’s back arched in agony, his fingers digging into the floor, nails scraping against the concrete. His heartbeat thudded in his ears, a roaring pulse that drowned out everything else. His vision swam, his body bucking beneath the weight of the transformation. He could feel his bones shifting, snapping, stretching.

"I can’t!" he gasped, his voice hoarse. "Make it stop!"