This thought nearly blurred my vision. 

Sebastian also walked over, but in a different way. He didn’t make any passionate speeches, but simply stood beside me, his presence itself being a 

statement. 

Then came Iris and Sophia, laxon and Wyatt, followed by more people–those who had witnessed my foundation work or seen my character firsthand. It was as if a massive army had assembled behind me, the initial murmurs of dissent drowned out by a chorus of support. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but the dizziness was getting worse. I pressed my forehead, trying to clear my head, but only felt myself beginning to sway on my feet. 

“Thea?” Mom noticed my condition, her voice sharp with concern. “Are you okay?” 

I tried to answer, but only managed some meaningless syllables, and my voice sounded strange, very hoarse. 

“Something’s wrong…” Diana’s voice suddenly became alert, carrying a tension I’d never heard before. ‘You’ve been… we’ve been drugged with something… 

Her voice carried a kind of agitation, as if she too was affected by something but still struggling to stay conscious. This feeling made me even more uneasy. 

My skin began to heat up–not the heat of fever, but a burning sensation from inside out. My vision seemed to expand threefold in an instant, surrounding sounds became clearer, and I could even hear people’s heartbeats in the distance. 

This definitely wasn’t a sign of fainting. This was… what was this? 

Suddenly, I felt an intense pulling sensation I’d never experienced before. My body began trembling uncontrollably. I could feel my canines beginning to elongate, becoming sharp and piercing. My nails started growing longer, something writhing under my skin like tiny hairs beginning to sprout. 

I’d never felt it before, but in that instant, I knew. 

These were signs of shifting. 

What the hell? I gasped, panic instantly washing over me. 

The crowd around me began to notice something was wrong. They started gathering around me, but I only felt suffocated. 

My bones were crackling, pain instantly overwhelming me. I knew the first shift wasn’t meant to be pleasant–but this didn’t just hurt. It felt wrong, forced, and unnatural. 

“Everyone step back!” Dad’s command exploded across the clearing. “Give her space!” 

“Hold on, Thea!” Diana’s voice urgently battered my consciousness. 

can’t… I can’t control it,” I said through gritted teeth, barely recognizing my own voice. 

I could feel Diana fighting against it, trying to maintain control. But it was too late. 

I 

Before the world completely changed, the last thing I saw was Sebastian’s concerned face gradually shrinking in front of me, his green eyes filled with what I could even call ‘fear.” Then, what came from my mouth was a beast’s howl, and my body finally succumbed to the forced shift, right there in front of hundreds of witnesses. 

The grand announcement had just become something else entirely. 

Author’s Note 

Hey my lovely readers, 

1/2 

Chapter 309 

Thank you so much for sticking around and being so patient. The past couple of weeks have been heetle on my end -1 had a lot going on and that conte find the time to update. But I’m back now! 

I want to reassure you that I’m not abandoning this story. I’ve got everything mapped out, and things are going to start coming together, We’re heading tas- 

the final stretch, with probably around twenty–something chapters left until the end. 

I know some of you are anxious for the finale (and I love you for caring that much!), but just a reminder that I also juggle a full–time job. That means updates might not always be super frequent–but I promise you this story will be finished. 

Thanks again for all the love and support. You guys truly keep me going