DARRYL I found Katrina there, leaning against a large boulder, chatting casually with a couple of other she-wolves. Her relaxed posture and easy laughter were like a slap in the face. How could she be so carefree after what she’d done? My anger was barely contained as I approached her.The other she-wolves noticed my approach and exchanged nervous glances before quickly excusing themselves. Katrina turned to me, a touch of surprise crossing her face before it settled into a cool expression.“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.Katrina tilted her head. “What’s that, Darryl?” she asked. “Is it the part where I’m enjoying the evening or the part where I ordered someone's death that you’re referring to?”“Don’t play coy with me, Katrina,” I growled. “How fucking dare you? Do you have any idea what you've done? Ordering an assassination.”Katrina’s smile widened. “Ooh, that. It’s such a strong word, don't you think? I simply asked some of our pack members to ensure her… safety. F
HAZEL“You guys were pretty close before I left for the city,” I said, looking at Darryl. “You and my dad. But now… he hates you. It’s like something changed. What happened, Darryl? Why does he suddenly hate you so much?”Darryl shifted his weight as he avoided my gaze. He looked genuinely confused too. “I honestly don’t know, Hazel,” he said, his voice low. “Things just… changed after my parents died. I wasn’t exactly making the best choices. I caused a lot of trouble around here. Maybe that’s it.”His words echoed in my mind. That was the story my father had told me, the explanation he’d given for the sudden rift between them. Darryl had become a “nuisance,” a “troublemaker,” after losing his parents. But I’d never fully believed it.. My father’s dislike for Darryl wasn’t just disapproval; it was something deeper, something darker. It felt like… hate.I was intentionally asking Darryl to see if his version of events matched my father's.My thoughts drifted back to my father’s words.
DARRYLMy vision was filled with red rage. The image of those wolves, their rough voices threatening Hazel played on repeat in my mind. They wanted her head. My wolf, Shadow snarled within me, his rage was building and he was demanding release. I knew I couldn’t let this go. I had to make them understand.I tracked their scents, the trail leading me to a cluster of rough-hewn huts on the edge of the pack territory. They were inside one, I could hear their muffled voices and the clinking of bottles. They even had the nerve to be drinking after what they’d done. The sight of it sent a fresh wave of fury through me.I kicked the door open, the sudden crash echoing through the small hut. They turned instantly and their faces became pale, the bruises I’d given them earlier still visible but it wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t ever be enough if they dared to even think about touching Hazel again. They needed to understand the gravity of their actions.Their eyes widened and they scrambled back, k
DARRYL My head throbbed. Katrina’s words echoed in my mind: “Choose me as your mate, and Hazel will be spared.” the thought of Hazel in danger, surrounded by those resentful wolves… it made my blood run cold.Finding Amy wasn’t easy. I checked all her usual haunts – the library, the art room, even the empty classrooms where she sometimes went to escape the noise. But she was nowhere to be found. Finally, I picked up her scent, leading me to a quiet corner of the courtyard. She was sitting on a bench, her shoulders slumped, her gaze fixed on the ground.As soon as she raised her head and saw me, her eyes widened with fear. She scrambled to her feet, her body tense like she was ready to run. I understood. After what I’d done yesterday, the display of raw power and aggression, she had every right to be scared.“Amy,” I said softly, holding up my hands in a gesture of peace. “It’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you. You’re safe.”She still looked terrified, her eyes darting nervously around
HAZELI sat cross-legged on Amy's bed, watching her rummage through her closet without any real enthusiasm. Something was off. Usually, when we had plans to go anywhere, Amy would spend hours picking out the perfect outfit - not just for herself, but for me too. She'd always tease me about my oversized sweaters and baggy jeans, trying to convince me to wear something more "fashion-forward."But today? Nothing."What about this?" I held up a sparkly top that Amy had tried to make me wear at least a dozen times before.She barely glanced at it. "Wear whatever you want, Hazel. It doesn't really matter."I let the top fall back onto the bed, studying my best friend carefully. "Okay, what's going on with you?""What do you mean?" She wouldn't meet my eyes."Since when do you not care about what I wear? And don't think I didn't notice you talking to Darryl earlier." The memory of seeing them in the courtyard flashed through my mind. They'd both looked so serious, and Amy had seemed almost s
HAZELI paced around the room, examining every possible exit. The windows were securely boarded up, and the door was solid metal. But there had to be a way out. I refused to just sit here while everyone else was keeping secrets from me.My eyes landed on the ventilation shaft near the ceiling. It was old and rusty, but it looked big enough for me to squeeze through. I dragged one of the chairs over, testing its stability. The metal creaked under my weight as I climbed up.The vent cover was secured with four screws. I dug through my pockets, finding a bobby pin that might work as a screwdriver. As I worked on the first screw, I noticed something strange – it felt like the metal was bending under my fingers far more easily than it should. I'd always been strong, sure, but this felt different. The screws practically crumbled away at my touch.I chose not to dwell on it. One more mystery to add to the growing pile.The vent cover came loose with a satisfying clang. I pulled myself up, su
DARRYLI stared at my phone, reading Lucian's text for the hundredth time: "Don't worry, I've got this handled. Trust me."Trust. Such a simple word, yet everything hinged on it tonight. My fingers hovered over another message, this one from Amy: "I'll help keep her away. I promise." Her sudden change of heart puzzled me – just yesterday she'd been too terrified to even consider defying Katrina. What had changed?Running a hand through my hair, I dialed the pack guards. They needed to be in position before the party started. The phone rang twice before someone picked up."Alpha heir," a gruff voice answered."I need guards stationed at every entrance," I ordered. "No one gets in without thorough checking."There was a pause, then an awkward clearing of throat. "Sir... Katrina has already arranged security. Her father's personal guards will be handling the guest list."My grip tightened on the phone. "I don't care what Katrina arranged. I'm your future Alpha—""Marcus and Will are alre
HAZELThe mansion was incredible, all sweeping marble staircases and crystal chandeliers, like something out of a fairy tale. Music pulsed through the air as I slipped inside, trying to look like I belonged. The foyer was packed with people, all of them dressed far more elegantly than me in my simple sweater and jeans.I barely made it ten steps before a familiar voice cut through the noise."Hazel! You actually came!"Katrina came in front of me, looking gorgeous in a deep silver dress that seemed to catch every bit of light in the room. Her smile was dazzling, but something about it made my skin crawl."I wouldn't miss your invitation," I said, keeping my voice steady. "After all, you made such a point of giving it to me.""I was beginning to think you wouldn't show." Katrina stepped closer, her perfume overwhelming. "The party was getting so boring without you."Before I could react, she pulled me into a hug. I stiffened, caught off guard by the unexpected display of affection. Her
HAZELNo wonder it looked familiar, I thought, staring at the symbol on the book. It was the pack’s symbol—the same one I’d seen countless times without realizing its significance. But why was it here, on a book from an orphanage?I turned to Amy, still trying to process everything. “Okay, I get that it’s the pack’s symbol, but why are you so shocked? It’s just a book.”Amy gave me a look like I was missing something obvious. “Hazel, you said you saw records there, right? Among other records of children?”“Yeah,” I said slowly. “So?”“So,” Amy said, her voice rising, “that means someone from our pack dumped a kid in that orphanage. Don’t you see how weird that is?”I shrugged, still not understanding why she was making such a big deal out of it. “I mean, it’s not that shocking. Anyone could’ve placed their child in an orphanage. Maybe they couldn’t take care of them or something.”Amy shook her head, her expression serious. “No, Hazel, you don’t get it. Only high-ranking officials in
HAZELThe book looked old, the edges worn and covered in dust, but it was the symbol on the cover that caught my attention. Something about it felt familiar, like I had seen it before—but where? My fingers hovered over the rough leather, tracing the faint lines of the design. The more I looked, the more I felt like I had to take it with me.“Lucian,” I said, holding the book up. “Do you know what this symbol means?”He frowned, stepping closer to examine it. “No idea. Never seen it before. Why?”“It looks familiar,” I muttered, running my fingers over the design. “Like I’ve seen it somewhere, but I can’t remember where.”Lucian shrugged. “Probably just one of those random symbols people use for decoration. It’s an old book, Hazel. Probably doesn’t mean anything.”I wasn’t so sure. Something about it felt… important. Like it was connected to everything that had been happening lately. I clutched the book tighter. “Can I take this? I want to look into it more.”He raised an eyebrow. “You
HAZEL POVI stared at the next page of Lucian's diary. The drawing was incredibly detailed - far more sophisticated than the earlier ones. It showed a couple standing in front of a house, a baby cradled in their arms. But what made my skin crawl was how Lucian had drawn dark lines crossing out the baby's face, the strokes so angry they'd torn through the paper."Lucian..." I whispered, touching the page gently. "What is this?"He let out a bitter laugh. "That's them. My biological parents. And their replacement child.""Replacement?" The word felt heavy in my mouth."Ten years ago, I found them." His voice was eerily calm. "They had this perfect little life in the suburbs. Nice house, good jobs... and a new baby. They adopted a baby. One they actually wanted to keep."I closed the diary, turning to face him. "How did you find them?""It wasn't hard. They kept their same names, same jobs. They didn't even try to hide." His hands clenched into fists. "They abandoned me the day I was bor
HAZEL POV"Welcome to my childhood home," Lucian said as he pushed open the heavy wooden door. It creaked ominously, sending a shower of dust into the air.I stepped inside, immediately getting tangled in cobwebs. "Ugh!" I brushed the sticky strands from my hair and face while trying not to think about the spiders that might have come with them."Sorry about that," Lucian chuckled, helping me remove a particularly stubborn strand from my shoulder. "Housekeeping's been a bit lacking since, well, everyone left."The entrance hall was huge, with a grand staircase sweeping up to the second floor. Moonlight came in through dirty windows. I noticed Lucian's shoulders tensing as he looked around and without thinking, I reached for his hand.He glanced down at our joined hands, surprise written across his face before it melted into a warm smile. I smiled back and gave his hand a gentle squeeze."Come on," he said, pulling me toward one of the walls. "I want to show you something."He pointed
HAZEL POVI waited at the edge of the woods, my overstuffed backpack digging into my shoulders. After that intense confrontation with Darryl's parents, I desperately needed to clear my head. Maybe this camping trip with Lucian wasn't such a bad idea after all.The sun was starting to set when I finally spotted him walking toward me, but something seemed off. He wasn't carrying any gear – no tent, no sleeping bag, nothing."Sorry I'm late," Lucian said, flashing that easy smile of his. "Ready for an adventure?"I gestured at his empty hands. "Um, where's all your stuff? Please tell me you're not planning to rough it in those designer jeans."He laughed. "Don't worry about my gear. I've got everything we need at the spot.""The spot?" I shifted my heavy backpack. "You mean you've already set up camp somewhere?""Something like that." He started walking into the woods, clearly expecting me to follow. "I told you I come here a lot, remember? I've got a pretty sweet setup – tent, supplies,
HAZELI stood frozen behind the pillar, watching Lucian chat casually with the officers. Something about the scene felt wrong - the easy familiarity, the friendly shoulder claps, the way he seemed to know exactly where everything was in the station. This wasn't how most high school students interacted with police.Taking a deep breath, I stepped out from my hiding spot. "Lucian?"He spun around, surprise flickering across his face before being replaced with his usual easy smile. "Hazel! What are you doing here?""I could ask you the same thing," I said, crossing my arms. "Since when are you buddies with the police department?"Officer Martinez waved goodbye to Lucian as he passed. "See you tomorrow, kid! Tell your dad I said hi!"I raised an eyebrow at Lucian. "Tomorrow?"He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture I was starting to recognize as nervousness. "I've been coming here pretty regularly since they arrested Darryl. Trying to understand what happened, you know?""And that's why
HAZEL“What did I do?" I demanded again. "Tell me!"Jared leaned against the wall, suddenly looking older than I'd ever seen him. "It was your fourth birthday party. The backyard was full of kids from the neighborhood, parents chatting, everything normal. Until..." He closed his eyes, like the memory physically hurt. "Until Tommy Martinez took your stuffed wolf. Such a small thing, really. But you... you just...""Tell me," I said, even as part of me wanted to run from whatever came next."The witnesses said it was like a miniature sun had appeared in our backyard. Golden light poured out of you in waves. Three children ended up in the intensive care unit with third-degree burns. And you—" His voice cracked. "You just stood there in the center of it all, completely unharmed, still clutching that singed stuffed animal."The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as I tried to process this. "But I don't remember any of this. How could I not remember?""Because we made sure you wouldn't," Ja
HAZEL POVI held my breath as Jared and Mr. Thompson stared each other down. The rest of the class had gone completely silent – you could have heard a pin drop.My classmates shifted uncomfortably in their seats, picking up on the hostility between the two men."Mr. Thompson," Jared finally broke the silence, his voice carefully controlled. "May I have a word?"Mr. Thompson's hand went to his neck, touching the bandage there. "Of course, Chief LièRén. Class, please read pages 45-50 while I step out."I pretended to open my textbook, but my eyes followed them as they left the room. The moment the door closed, whispers erupted around me."Did you see that?" Madison Peters leaned across her desk, practically vibrating with excitement. "Why is the mayor here?""It has to be about Darryl," Chase Wilson chimed in from behind me. "First Thompson disappears for a day, now this?""My mom works at city hall," Emma Rodriguez whispered. "She says the mayor's been making all these weird private ca
HAZEL POVI watched Lucian carefully as he studied the photo of the claw marks, his brow furrowed in concentration. The late afternoon light filtering through Amy's cabin windows cast shadows across his face, making his expression hard to read.Finally, he looked up, shaking his head. "No," he said firmly. "This isn't Darryl's style.""What do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep the hope from creeping into my voice."Look, I've seen Darryl lose control during practice," Lucian explained, running a hand through his hair. "He gets... intense. Aggressive, even. There was this one time he nearly put Jake in the hospital during a particularly rough scrimmage." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "But this?" He gestured to the photos. "This is too too precise. When Darryl loses it, it's raw, uncontrolled. He doesn't plan things out like this."Relief flooded through me, making my knees weak. I sank onto Amy's worn couch, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "So you believ