SERAPHINA’S POV
The change was so subtle and gradual, my mind resisted accepting it as real.
The moon’s bright silver surface dimmed along one edge, as if a shadow were sliding across it, devouring its light inch by inch.
But that was impossible. There should not have been a lunar eclipse tonight.
My mind struggled to grasp the contradiction even as my body reacted.
The half-shift Alina and I had been maintaining dissolved. Silver fur receded. The claws that had begun to form along my fingers retracted painfully as bone and muscle settled into human form.
The change happened so suddenly that I staggered a half-step before catching my balance.
The loss of the shift felt like someone had slammed a door inside my body.
A low rumble vibrated through the clearing.
Ashar’s massive shoulders stiffened in front of me as the same pressure descended on him.
