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 I sat in the dark room, my heart pounding against my ribs. They'd thrown me in here what felt like hours ago. No windows, just thick concrete walls and a heavy metal door. All I could think about was Darryl lying unconscious on the cabin floor, that purple poison running through his veins.I stood up, determined to find a way out. I had to get to him. Just as I reached for the door, it burst open, slamming against the wall. Two guards rushed in, pushing me back into the room. Katrina sauntered in after them, dragging Amy with her. My stomach dropped when I saw Amy's state – fresh bruises bloomed across her face, and blood trickled from her split lip."Look who I found trying to run away from the pack," Katrina said, shoving Amy to the ground."Amy!" I tried to run to her, but the guards held me back.Amy looked up at me, her eyes full of tears. "I'm sorry, Hazel. I tried to help, but—" She broke off with a cry as Katrina kicked her."Stop it!" I shouted, struggling against the
HAZELI stood in the darkness, my mind still reeling from Katrina's revelations. My feet started moving toward Darryl's hideout, but I stopped abruptly. If what she'd shown me was true, if Darryl really was that violent beast in the videos... I couldn't risk being anywhere near him.The thought of those missing girlfriends made my stomach churn. How many had there been? What had really happened to them? The Darryl I knew seemed so different from the monster in those videos, but maybe that's exactly what those other girls had thought too, right before they disappeared.Home. It was the only place left, but even that felt impossible. Dad had been calling non-stop for five days, probably had the entire police force looking for me. What would I even say to him? Sorry I disappeared, by the way, I'm some kind of supernatural creature called a Golden Wolf? Yeah, that would go well. But then again, maybe he already knew. Those silver bullets in his study weren't there by accident. He'd been
Hazel I opened my mouth, trying to find the right words to explain Darryl's absence without revealing anything supernatural. My mind raced through possible excuses, each sounding more ridiculous than the last. Just as I was about to sputter some nonsense, Lucian's phone pinged."Hold that thought," he said, reaching for his phone. "Let me check this real quick."I waited, grateful for the interruption. My heart was still pounding from nearly having to explain everything about Darryl, the wolves, and why I was really here."Who is it?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible."Actually, it's Darryl," Lucian replied, his eyes scanning the screen."What?" I nearly choked on my coffee. "Darryl?"Lucian nodded, still reading the message. "Yeah, he's asking about football practice. Says 'How far, man? Are you coming for practice today at school? I've been practicing.'"He turned to me, his eyebrows raised. "Is this what you've been hiding? That he's been having private practice sess
HAZELI woke up to sunlight streaming through the curtains of Lucian's guest room. Two days I'd been here, hiding from everything - from Darryl, from Katrina, from my dad and from what I'd become. The soft mattress had become my sanctuary, but even that couldn't keep the world at bay forever.A car engine rumbled in the driveway and the sound got louder as it approached. My heart jumped - were Lucian's parents back early? I swung my legs out of bed and walked out of the room, ready to call out to him."Lucian, I think your parents are-" The words died in my throat as the engine's distinctive sound registered in my brain. That wasn't just any car. That was a police cruiser. My father's cruiser."No," I whispered, scrambling to the window. Sure enough, there was my dad's patrol car, and there he was, stepping out in his crisp uniform like he was every inch the authoritative mayor and police chief he was."Lucian!" I screamed, panic making my voice crack. "LUCIAN!"He appeared in the doo
HAZELI stared at the photo of Darryl and me running through the woods. My dad was waiting for an answer, but my mind went blank."I... I can't explain," I finally said."Can't or won't?" Dad's voice was sharp."Both." I crossed my arms, anger suddenly rising in my chest. "Maybe if you'd told me the truth about everything, I wouldn't have been running at all!"Dad's face went pale. "What are you talking about?""Oh, I don't know," I said, my voice getting louder. "Maybe the silver bullets in your study? The weird rules? All the secrets you've been keeping from me my whole life?""Hazel-" he started, but I was on a roll now."No! You don't get to act worried now. Not when you've been lying to me forever!" I grabbed one of the photos and waved it in his face. "You want to know what happened that night? Fine! I was-"The sharp blast of Dad's police radio cut me off. "All units, we've found something. Any available officers respond immediately."Dad's face changed instantly from concerned
HAZELMy hands trembled as I opened Mom's journal. The pages were worn and yellowed, filled with her familiar handwriting. What I read next made my world spin."My dearest Hazel," the first entry began, "There's so much I need to tell you about who you really are, about your true father, about everything. I pray you never have to read this, that I can tell you myself when you're old enough. But if you're reading this now, it means I'm gone, and you deserve to know the truth."I sank to the floor, clutching the journal as I read on. Mom wrote about how she used to be a werewolf hunter, from a long line of hunters. Then she met him - a rogue alpha werewolf named Marcus. Despite everything she'd been taught about werewolves being monsters, she fell in love with him."It was forbidden," she wrote. "A hunter and a werewolf. But we couldn't help ourselves. We became mates, and soon after, I was pregnant with you."Tears blurred my vision as I read about how terrified she'd been. Marcus had
HAZELWhy would Malachi save me? The notorious rogue alpha who had terrorized our pack for years, who had ruthlessly killed all of Darryl's previous girlfriends—why would he suddenly intervene?Our eyes locked, and something strange happened. A pull so powerful—tugged at my core. Before I could make sense of it, Lucian staggered to his feet, his face filled with rage."You!" he snarled at Malachi. "You dare interfere?"Malachi's massive black wolf form didn't flinch. He stood his ground, baring teeth that gleamed like ivory daggers in the moonlight. A low growl rumbled from his chest, and without warning, he lunged.The two wolves collided in a violent clash of fangs and claws. I watched in horror as they tore at each other, rolling across the forest floor in a blur of fur and blood. The air filled with snarls and the sound of flesh being ripped.Weakness washed over me, my legs trembling beneath me. I slumped against a nearby tree, unable to tear my eyes away from the brutal fight. L
HAZEL"You're a werewolf," Amy and I whispered in unison, the realization dawning on us simultaneously.Lucian's mouth curved into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Very good, Hazel. I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out."My mind raced through every conversation, every moment we'd spent together. The orphanage records, his comments about feeling abandoned, the Garrett family name in that book with the pack symbol. All the clues had been there, scattered like breadcrumbs, but I'd been too blind to see them."How?" I asked, finding my voice. "How could you be a werewolf and we never sensed it?"Amy moved closer to me, her fingers already extending into claws, ready to shift if necessary. I could feel her body tensing beside mine."I've had years to perfect hiding what I am," Lucian said, stepping further into the room. "Special herbs, certain techniques... you'd be surprised what you can learn when you're desperate enough."He moved toward the photographs on th
HAZEL POVI stood in front of the entire pack, my heart hammering against my ribs. Though Darryl had asked me to show them who I was, my powers felt frozen inside me, locked away by fear and uncertainty. The judgmental stares of the pack members only made it worse."I... I can't," I whispered, my voice shaking.Darryl moved behind me, his warm hand resting on my back. "You can," he murmured. "I'm right here." His touch sent warmth through my body, and suddenly I felt my power stirring.It started slowly at first – a gentle golden glow emanating from my skin. Then it grew stronger, brighter, until my entire body was illuminated. My blonde hair shimmered like spun gold, and I knew my eyes were glowing with an otherworldly light. Gasps echoed through the room as pack members leaned forward in their seats, their faces filled with awe.An elderly woman pushed through the crowd, her wizened face full of wonder. "By the moon goddess," she breathed. "A Golden Wolf. After all these centuries..
DARRYL POVThe morning sun felt different on my skin after weeks in that cell. Standing outside the prison with Hazel in my arms, I could barely process that I was finally free. But the weight of what I needed to tell her pressed against my chest like a stone."Hazel," I started, pulling back slightly to look into her eyes. "There's something you need to know about Lucian—""DARRYL!" The familiar voice cut through the moment. Lucian came bounding across the parking lot, his grin plastered across his face. Before I could react, he pulled me into a crushing hug that felt genuine—too genuine for someone who had orchestrated my imprisonment."Man, it's so good to see you out!" Lucian exclaimed, stepping back but keeping his hands on my shoulders. "We've been working non-stop to prove your innocence.""We sure have," Hazel agreed warmly. "Lucian was instrumental in helping us find the security footage."I fought to keep my expression neutral as my mind raced. The security footage that pro
HAZELI stood in my father's office at the police station. Amy squeezed my hand, a silent show of support as Officer Sarah reviewed our statement about finding the security footage.Jared paced behind his desk, his jaw clenched tight. "This footage is eight years old," he said, his voice clipped. "Even if it shows what you claim, it might not be admissible in court.""But it proves Darryl's innocence!" I shot back, my hands balling into fists. "You can't just ignore that!""Hazel," Sarah interjected gently, "your father is just trying to—""He's not my father." The words escaped before I could stop them. The room went deadly silent. Jared's face turned pale, then red with anger. Sarah looked between us in confusion."Hazel," Jared warned, his voice low and dangerous. "Now is not the time.""When is the time?" I demanded, taking a step forward. "When you're not busy trying to keep an innocent man in prison? When you're not injecting me with—" I caught myself just in time, aware of Sara
HAZELMy hands trembled as I connected the hard drive to Amy's laptop. We sat in her car, parked in a quiet corner of the mall parking lot, hearts racing with anticipation."Are you sure you want to watch this?" Amy asked softly. "We know it's going to be..." She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't have to.I nodded, double-clicking on the first video file. "We need to know exactly what it shows before we take it to the police."The footage was grainy, typical of security cameras from eight years ago. At first, there was nothing – just an empty park path lit by scattered lampposts. Then movement caught our attention. Two figures walked into frame, and my heart clenched. Gracia and Darryl, so young, so unaware of what was about to happen."There," Amy pointed at the screen. "Something's moving in the shadows."I leaned closer, squinting at the dark shape that seemed to come from nowhere. The attack happened so fast – one moment Darryl and Gracia were walking, the next Darryl was fly
HAZELI banged my head against Amy's car dashboard for what felt like the hundredth time. The park meeting had gone exactly as we'd feared – complete disaster. My ears were still ringing with their mocking laughter."Well, that was humiliating," Amy muttered from the driver's seat, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. "Did you see the security guard face when we mentioned eight-year-old security footage?""Don't remind me." I groaned, remembering his patronizing smile. "'Oh, you sweet, naive girls,'" I mimicked his tone. "'Security footage from that long ago? Even if it existed, it would have been destroyed years ago.'""And the lady!" Amy hit her hand against the wheel. "She looked so annoyed. Like we were children playing detective."We sat in silence for a moment, parked outside the park where we'd just been thoroughly dismissed."We're idiots," I finally said, staring at the ceiling of Amy's car. "What were we thinking? Eight years. Eight years! Of course no one would keep se
HAZELI paced nervously in Art room later that day, trying to figure out how to explain everything to Lucian without revealing the supernatural truth. He sat on a desk chair, arms crossed, clearly frustrated at being left out earlier."So," he said, his voice carefully neutral, "are you finally going to tell me what Maria said after you sent me away?"I exchanged a quick glance with Amy, who was perched on her bed. We had carefully rehearsed our edited version of events."Maria witnessed what happened the night Gracia died," I began slowly. "She followed her sister to the park because she was upset about a broken promise."Lucian leaned forward, his eyes intense. "And?""She saw Gracia and Darryl together," Amy continued. "They were attacked by someone... someone who seemed to know them. A man – large, incredibly strong. He….He attacked Darryl first, knocked him unconscious.""Then he killed Gracia while Darryl was out?" Lucian's voice was gentle, understanding how difficult this was
HAZEL POVMy heart was pounding as I watched Maria struggle with her words. I knew what was coming - a truth about werewolves that we couldn't let Lucian hear. But how could we send him away without making Maria even more suspicious?Amy caught my eye, and I could see the same worry reflected there. We needed to act fast."Before you continue," I said gently to Maria, "maybe we should move somewhere more private? This hallway isn't exactly comfortable."Maria wrapped her arms around herself, looking smaller than ever. "I don't want to move. If I move, I might lose my courage."Lucian shifted closer, his presence both comforting and concerning. "We could at least find somewhere to sit properly. These floors are pretty hard."That's when Amy surprised me with her quick thinking. "Actually, Lucian, could you do us a huge favor? Maria's going to need some water, and probably something to eat. She's shaking."Lucian frowned, clearly reluctant to leave. "Can't one of you go?""You know wher