DARRYL “No, you're lying," I said, but my voice shook. "It can't be him."Katrina's smile grew wider. "Oh, but I saw him clearly. A massive wolf, bigger than any I've ever seen. His red fur almost looked black in the moonlight."I flinched at her description, my hands starting to shake."The way he moved was... different," she continued, clearly enjoying my reaction. "Like a predator playing with his prey. But you already know how he hunts, don't you, Darryl?"Stop it," I growled, but the sound came out weak and strangled. My chest felt too tight like each breath a struggle."I'm dead serious," Katrina's voice hardened. "I watched him hunt her down. The way he played with her, letting her think she could escape. That signature move when he struck..." She made a slashing motion with her hand. "Quick, brutal, efficient.”I shook my head violently, trying to clear it. Nothing made sense. My mind raced through every encounter I'd witnessed between Malachi and Hazel. All those times I'd c
HAZELI stood in a chamber that seemed to be made of pure light. Silver mist swirled around my feet, and stars danced in the air like fireflies. At the center of the chamber stood a woman whose beauty was almost painful to look at, her hair rippled like moonbeams, and her eyes held galaxies."My child," she said, her voice was echoing with ancient power. "You've slept for so long.""I don't understand," I tried to say, but no sound came out.She smiled, and the chamber filled with even more light. "You will. The bite has awakened what was always inside you." She reached out as if to touch my face, but stopped just short. "But be careful. There are those who would destroy what they don't understand.""What am I?" I managed to whisper.Her expression turned sad. "You are what they've feared and hunted for centuries. You are—"The golden grass beneath my feet began to crystallize, turning to glass that reflected my image. But the reflection wasn't me or it was, but different. My eyes in
HAZELI devoured another plate of food, barely tasting it as I shoveled it into my mouth. My hunger felt endless, like I hadn't eaten in weeks. Darryl watched me from across the room, his eyes filled with worry like I might collapse at any moment."I'm not going to die, you know," I said between bites, trying to lighten the mood. "You can stop looking at me like that.""Like what?" he asked, but his expression didn't change."Like I'm made of glass." I set down my fork, meeting his gaze. "I can feel you hiding something from me, Darryl. What aren't you telling me?"He shook his head quickly. "I'm not hiding anything. You've been through a lot, and we're still trying to understand what's happening to you."I wanted to push further, but the strange dream from earlier floated through my mind. The woman with starlight hair, the chamber of light, the whispers... It felt important, connected to everything happening to me somehow. But looking at Darryl's worried face, I decided to keep it to
HAZELI stared at my reflection, watching golden light pulse beneath my skin. The words "Golden Wolf" echoed in my head, but they felt wrong and impossible. Then I thought about my parents and froze.My dad was human. My mom had been human before she died. How could I be a Golden Wolf?The markings under my skin rippled like they were trying to break free. I pressed my hand against the mirror, watching the strange patterns shift and flow. Everything I thought I knew about myself was crumbling.Then memories started flooding back. Dad's strange behavior over the years. All the rules and restrictions. Never letting me stay out after dark. The silver bullets I'd found hidden in his study. His hatred of Darryl."Dad knew," I whispered, turning to face Elena and Darryl. "He must have known what I am. That's why he was so protective. Why he sent me away to the city." My head spun with questions. "He said he was protecting me from something. But what? And how did my mom..." I couldn't finish
DARRYLI held Hazel close, not wanting to let go. Her scent calmed my wolf, making me want to stay. But I couldn't."I'll be back soon," I whispered, forcing myself to pull away. Her golden eyes watched me, full of questions I couldn't answer yet.Outside the room, I found Elena checking some test results. I grabbed her arm gently."Elena, I need you to stay with her," I said. My voice was serious. "Don't let anyone in. Not even pack members. We can't trust anyone right now."Elena nodded. "Of course. But where are you going?"Before I could answer, my father's mind link hit me hard. His anger burned through our connection, making me flinch.GET HERE NOW."I have to go," I told Elena. "My father wants to see me about what happened at the party."Elena's face showed worry. "Be careful. The Alpha will genuinely be annoyed."His anger burned through our connection. I could feel Shadow, my wolf, wanting to resist the Alpha command, but I knew I had to go. Looking one last time at Hazel th
HAZEL I was going crazy sitting in that room. Elena kept checking on me every few minutes like I might explode or something, and the antiseptic smell was making my new enhanced senses go haywire. Darryl had been gone for what felt like forever, and I couldn't take it anymore.When Elena stepped out to get more supplies, I saw my chance. I know Darryl told her to watch me, but he wasn't my boss. Besides, I felt fine – better than fine, actually. The golden light under my skin had faded to a soft glow, and my head finally felt clear.Getting out was easier than I expected. I just waited until Elena went to check on another patient, then slipped through the back door. The cool night air felt amazing on my skin, and and I took a deep breath, finally able to smell something besides hospital chemicals.The area around the healer's facility was quiet – too quiet. No pack members anywhere, which seemed weird. I started walking, testing out my new senses. Every smell told a story – here's whe
HAZELI couldn't help but smile as I left Darryl far behind me. Running like this felt amazing - like I was flying through the forest. The wind whipped through my hair, and everything around me was just a blur of colors.Finally, I stopped and waited for him to catch up. While waiting, I touched one of the trees near me. It was strange - I could feel life pulsing through it, like a heartbeat under my fingers. Everything in the forest felt alive and connected somehow.Just as I was exploring these new sensations, Darryl rushed past me, probably thinking he was taking the lead again. I laughed and shot forward, easily passing him once more. This new power flowing through me was incredible. I never wanted it to stop."Hazel!" Darryl called out behind me. "We've passed where I want us to hide. Stop running!"I skidded to a halt, my feet barely leaving marks on the ground. Darryl finally caught up to me, bending over and panting hard. I realized I wasn't even breathing heavily."That was..
HAZELJust as the moment between us got intense, that stupid rat bit my leg! I screamed and jumped up so fast I nearly hit my head on the ceiling. Darryl jumped up too, looking ready to fight."Ouch! That little monster bit me!" I yelled, rubbing my leg."I'm going to kill that rat," Darryl said, his eyes scanning the room. He looked so serious about it that I couldn't help but laugh.What happened next was like something out of a comedy. Darryl was crawling around on his hands and knees, looking under furniture for a tiny rat. I stood on the bed, not wanting to get bitten again."There it is!" I pointed at a shadow moving behind some boxes. Darryl lunged, but the rat was faster. He ended up face-first in a pile of old blankets."For a mighty Alpha werewolf, you're not very good at catching rats," I laughed. He shot me a playful glare."Oh yeah? Let's see you do better!" He stood up, crossing his arms.I tried to use my new super-senses to track the rat. I closed my eyes and focused r
HAZEL POVI stared at the photo in my hands, my fingers trembling. The tiny teddy bear in the corner of the image seemed to mock me now. All this time, we'd been missing such an important detail."Maria was there?" I whispered, looking up at Officer Sarah. "She actually witnessed her sister's..." I couldn't finish the sentence.Sarah nodded grimly. "We think so. The bear matches one Maria carried everywhere when she was younger. Her parents confirmed it went missing the night Gracia died."My mind raced with possibilities. "But if she saw what happened, why didn't she come forward? Why didn't she tell anyone?""Fear, maybe," Sarah suggested, leaning back in her chair. "Or trauma. She was just a child, Hazel. Witnessing something like that..." She shook her head. "It changes people."I closed my eyes, remembering how quiet Maria always was, how she flinched at sudden movements. Everything about her made more sense now. "Does she know we found this?" I asked."No," Sarah replied. "And I
"What about her?" I whispered again, clutching the hem of my shirt tightly, hoping he would say more.He turned away, shaking his head slightly. "Hazel," he said softly, almost like a sigh, "some truths are best left uncovered." "What do you mean?" I asked, taking a step forward. "You can't just drop something like that and walk away."But he didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked out toward the empty field. "Your mother was... special," he began slowly. "She saw things others couldn’t. She knew secrets no one should have known." He paused, glancing back at me briefly before looking away again. "And because of that, she paid a price."My breath caught in my throat. "What kind of price?" I demanded, stepping closer. "What happened to her? Why won’t anyone talk about her?"Mr. Thompson sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "It’s not my place to tell you these things," he said finally. "Some stories are better left untold. They only bring nothing but pain.""Pain or not,
HAZEL POVThe idea that Maria Chen might have anything to do with framing Darryl felt absurd. She was the quiet girl who spent hours practicing piano and buried herself in calculus homework. How could someone so seemingly harmless orchestrate such a sinister plan?Amy echoed my skepticism, pacing back and forth across her room. “There’s no way it’s Maria,” she insisted, stopping to face me. “She barely talks to anyone. She’s too… well, nice.”I nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. “Exactly. Why would she even want to frame Darryl? Her sister disappeared years ago—it doesn’t make sense.” My chest tightened at the thought of Gracia’s tragic death and how it had haunted Maria ever since. It just didn’t fit.But then Lucian spoke up from where he leaned against the wall. “Maybe that’s exactly why we’re not seeing it,” he said slowly. “What if it’s not about malice or hatred? What if it’s about grief?”Both Amy and I turned to him, surprised by his words. “Grief?” I repeated, frowning. “How do
HAZEL POV"GET. YOUR. HANDS. OFF. HER."The voice belonged to Lucian, and its effect was immediate. Taylor's fingers loosened instantly, and I gasped for air, my lungs burning as I sucked in deep breaths. Taylor stumbled backward, his face draining of color. Lucian's presence filled the space between us, and I barely recognized him - his usually kind expression had been replaced by something dangerous."I said," Lucian repeated. "get your hands off her."Taylor tried to put on a brave face, but I could see him trembling. "Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?" he spat, gesturing wildly in my direction. "This freak was following me around, watching me like some psycho stalker!"Lucian took a step forward, and despite being shorter than Taylor, he somehow seemed to tower over him. "Call her a freak one more time," he said. "I dare you.""What, are you her bodyguard now?" Taylor sneered but his voice cracked. "You're both just a bunch of—"He never finished that sentence. Lucian mo
HAZELI positioned myself strategically near the back of the classroom, my eyes never leaving Taylor Matthews. After our careful strategy session with Lucian and Amy, I knew he was one of our top suspects.The yearbook research had revealed multiple confrontations between him and Darryl—competitive sports rivalries, academic tensions, and some mysterious incidents that never made it to official records. Matthews sat two rows ahead, seemingly relaxed, chatting with his friend Jake about some weekend plans."Dude, you should have seen how wasted Thompson got at the party," Jake laughed, leaning closer to Taylor. "I'm telling you, he was completely out of it."Taylor smirked, his fingers drumming against his notebook. "Thompson's always been weird. Something's off about that guy."My ears perked up. A casual comment about Mr. Thompson? Interesting. I pretended to be engrossed in my biology textbook, but every muscle in my body was focused on their conversation."Speaking of weird," Jake
HAZEL POVI sat in the cold prison cell, staring at the gray walls that had become my home. The metal chair scraped against the floor as Chief Jared walked in, a smirk on his face that made my wolf want to snarl. But I stayed quiet, watching him through narrowed eyes."Enjoying your stay?" Jared asked, dropping a thick folder on the table. "Must be lonely in here, with no one to save you."I let out a dry laugh. "You mean with all those evidences Lucian gave you? Yeah, I know it was him."The smile dropped from his face. He hadn't expected me to know that. But then he grinned, and it was worse than his anger."Hurts, doesn't it?" he said. "When someone you trust betrays you. Lucian's been very helpful. Years of photos, documentation. He did a thorough job.""What I want to know," I said, leaning forward, "is why you hate us so much. What did werewolves ever do to you, Jared?"His fist came out of nowhere, catching me in the jaw. "You don't get to ask the questions, monster."I spat bl
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