==Lila==
Remy's words hung between us like thick swamp fog.
I never stopped wanting you. But if I claim you now, the traitor wins.
His grip on my wrist stayed tight. His eyes burned with truth and fear at the same time. I felt every beat of his heart under my palm.
I pulled my hand away slowly. My soft curves shifted as I stood. The room felt too small. Too full of things we could not say yet.
"You need rest," I whispered. My voice cracked.
He tried to sit up. Pain flashed across his face. The poison had left him weak. But his eyes followed me as I backed toward the door. "Lila. Don't go far."
I left anyway. My thick thighs carried me down the hall. The amulet burned against my chest. The vision of dying in his arms would not leave my head.
Night fell again. Remy was still too weak for normal duties. He found me anyway. "Training. Now. Before the pack wakes."
We slipped into the bayou. The air hung heavy with rot and night flowers. Mud sucked at my bare feet. My body still ached from the trial but the amulet gave me strength.
Remy moved slower than usual. His chest bare. Sweat already shining on his skin. "Shift. Control it this time."
I closed my eyes. The change came easier now. Bones cracked. Fur pushed out silver gray. My curves expanded into powerful muscle. My belly rounded fuller. My flanks broad and heavy. My wolf felt massive. Unapologetic.
Remy shifted too. His black wolf circled me. Testing.
We fought slow at first. Every touch through fur sent the partial bond singing. His shoulder brushed my side. Electric. My heavier body absorbed the impact. Pushed back harder.
Then it happened.
Something deep inside me unlocked. The second howl rose without warning.
It ripped from my throat. Louder than anything before. Ancient. It vibrated through the trees. Through the mud. Through the water. It carried power that felt centuries old.
The sound rolled out across the bayou. Calling. Commanding.
Wolves answered.
Howls rose in the distance. First one. Then ten. Then more. Every wolf within miles felt it. The pack stirred. Lights flickered on in the house.
I could not stop. The howl kept pouring out of me. My massive chest expanded. My silver fur stood on end. Power surged through every soft inch turned strong.
Remy shifted back to human. His eyes wide. "Lila. Stop."
But I could not. The second howl had taken control.
Pack members poured into the clearing. Elders. Warriors. Thin she-wolves. Mira stood at the front. Her scarred face lifted in awe.
They gathered in fear and wonder. Lanterns lit their faces. Whispers spread like fire.
"What is that sound?"
"It's her."
"The fat girl is calling us all."
The rival alpha stepped out from the trees. Darius. Sleek and smiling. He carried papers in his hand. Proof.
He raised his voice over the fading echo of my howl. "This is what your father feared. He started the curse himself. Documents. Spells. He bound plus-size wolves to keep them weak. To keep control. Your new Luna breaks it."
The pack gasped. Eyes turned to Remy. Then to me.
My howl finally died. I shifted back. Naked. Breathing hard. My curves gleamed with sweat under the moonlight. Heavy breasts. Soft belly. Thick thighs planted firm in the mud.
The amulet glowed bright on my chest.
Darius kept talking. "She is the key. Join with my pack and we end the old hatred. Or stay here and watch her die from the inside."
Remy stepped forward. His body tense. Protective. "She belongs here."
But the pack murmured. Some nodded at Darius. Others looked at me with new eyes. Fear. Respect. Hunger.
I stood taller. My soft body felt powerful now. Not something to hide.
Darius smiled at me. "Choose wisely, Lila."
Before Remy could answer my wolf surged again.
I shifted right there in front of everyone. Faster than ever. My body grew even larger. Silver fur thick and shining. I stood taller than any wolf in the clearing. Broader. Stronger. My massive form cast a long shadow.
Gasps rose. Awe mixed with terror.
Darius shifted too. His wolf sleek and fast. But smaller than mine.
He threw his head back and howled a challenge.
Then he spoke through the link so every wolf heard.
"I challenge Remy Laurent to a death match. Winner claims Lila as mate and Luna."
The pack went silent.
Remy's eyes met mine. Gold. Furious. Ready.
My heart slammed against my ribs. My huge wolf body trembled with the weight of what was coming.
The rival had thrown down the gauntlet.
And the whole pack waited for blood.