HAZELAmy's eyes widened as she realized what she'd just said. "I mean... I don't really know much about Maria Chen or her sister. It was before my time at school. I just remember hearing whispers about it, you know how people talk..."I leaned forward, my heart racing. "Amy, please. Anything you remember could help."She twisted her hands in her lap, looking uncomfortable. "It's all just rumors, really. They say Gracia was really popular, kind of like Katrina is now. She dated Darryl briefly when they were freshmen, and then..." She trailed off, shrugging helplessly. "She disappeared. They found her body in the woods a few weeks later.""And Maria? What happened to her?""She was only in elementary school when it happened. Their parents... they couldn't handle it. Sent Maria to live with relatives for a while. She just started here this year." Amy glanced around the cafeteria nervously. "That's all I know, I swear."I sat back, my mind spinning. Maria – she must know something. The w
HAZEL POVI looked at each of them one by one, taking in their predatory stances and expressions. Five massive werewolves plus Katrina - not great odds, but I wasn't about to show fear."You want me to reject Darryl?" I asked, keeping my voice light. "Why didn't you just say so? I'm totally ready to do that."Katrina's smile made my stomach turn. "Really? Just like that?""Just like that." I gave her my best innocent look. "How exactly do I do it? Is there like a special werewolf ceremony or something?""It's simple," Katrina said, clearly enjoying herself. "You just say 'I' followed by your full name, then 'reject Darryl Hale as my future alpha and mate.'""Oh, that's easy enough!" I took a deep breath as I made a show of preparing myself. "I, Hazel... um, wait." I furrowed my brow in fake confusion. "What's my surname again? All this stress has made me so forgetful."One of Katrina's goons growled. "Are you playing with us?""No, no!" I held up my hands. "I genuinely forgot. Help me
HAZELI stiffened in surprise as Lucian's arms wrapped around me in an unexpected hug. The gesture felt oddly intimate, and I had to force myself not to pull away too abruptly. "Okay, okay," I laughed awkwardly, gently pulling away. "What was that for?"Lucian ran a hand through his hair, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry, I just... I'm really glad you're letting me help. I know things have been... weird lately.""Weird is an understatement," I muttered, gesturing for him to follow me up the path. As we walked, I noticed how his eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in every detail of the heavily wooded area. He moved with an odd familiarity, like he knew exactly where to step to avoid the muddy patches."Have you been here before?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual."What? No," he answered quickly. "Just good at reading terrain, I guess. All those camping trips with my dad."I raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you go camping?""There's a lot you don't know about me, Hazel,"
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
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 "Third complaint this month, Hazel. Third!" Bob slammed his hands on his desk. "And this time you actually hit a customer?" I sank into the chair opposite him and smiled as I recalled the satisfying moment of slapping that creep who wouldn’t keep his hands to himself. It felt good to fight back, even if I knew it only added to my troubles. But I should have known better by now. Standing up for myself never ended well - it just gave everyone another excuse to remind me how different I was, how I didn't fit in. These reminders came daily. In the stares of strangers, in the whispered conversations they thought I couldn't hear, in the way people either avoided me entirely or got too close for comfort. My crime? Being born with hair and eyes of pure Gold. Not the fake bottle blonde or amber that you might assume, but actual metallic gold. The doctors called it a genetic anomaly. The kids at school called me a freak. I just called it my curse. And tonight, that curse had cos
HAZELThe "Welcome to Ravenville" sign emerged from the darkness, it's faded letters shone by the taxi's headlights. Eight years of running and here I was, crawling back to the one place my dad swore I never to return to.The cab driver hadn't said a word since I boarded, and I was grateful for the silence. No awkward questions about why a teenager was traveling alone at night, No suspicious glances at my strange golden eyes in his rearview mirror. Just the quiet sound of the engine and my thoughts for company.Until my phone buzzed, again.I sighed and glanced at the screen. Aunt Jenna's name flashed for what felt like the hundredth time."Hazel, this is insane! Answer me!""Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?""What about your father? Did you even tell him you're coming?"I switched the phone to silent and dropped it into my bag. She wasn't wrong about Dad – I hadn't told him I was coming. The plan was simple. find a motel, get settled, then figure out how to break the news
DARRYL "Darryl, you're gonna snap the steering wheel in half if you grip it any tighter." Katrina’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I blinked and eased my hands off the wheel slightly realizing how tightly I’d been holding it. I muttered, “Sorry,” but didn’t look at her. My mind was somewhere else—no, on someone else. The girl we just ran into. I didn’t want to think about her, I didn’t want to drag up memories I’d buried years ago. But the past always had a way of creeping up when you least expected it. Especially when the past stares you in the face. Hazel. The girl who left everything in ruins on a day that should’ve been perfect. My tenth birthday—one that turned my entire life upside down. It was supposed to be a day filled with laughter, plans, and promises. Hazel and I had spent weeks planning it. We were going to spend the whole day together, just like we used to. She had promised it would be unforgettable. And it was… just not in the way I expected.
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
HAZELI stiffened in surprise as Lucian's arms wrapped around me in an unexpected hug. The gesture felt oddly intimate, and I had to force myself not to pull away too abruptly. "Okay, okay," I laughed awkwardly, gently pulling away. "What was that for?"Lucian ran a hand through his hair, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry, I just... I'm really glad you're letting me help. I know things have been... weird lately.""Weird is an understatement," I muttered, gesturing for him to follow me up the path. As we walked, I noticed how his eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in every detail of the heavily wooded area. He moved with an odd familiarity, like he knew exactly where to step to avoid the muddy patches."Have you been here before?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual."What? No," he answered quickly. "Just good at reading terrain, I guess. All those camping trips with my dad."I raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you go camping?""There's a lot you don't know about me, Hazel,"
HAZEL POVI looked at each of them one by one, taking in their predatory stances and expressions. Five massive werewolves plus Katrina - not great odds, but I wasn't about to show fear."You want me to reject Darryl?" I asked, keeping my voice light. "Why didn't you just say so? I'm totally ready to do that."Katrina's smile made my stomach turn. "Really? Just like that?""Just like that." I gave her my best innocent look. "How exactly do I do it? Is there like a special werewolf ceremony or something?""It's simple," Katrina said, clearly enjoying herself. "You just say 'I' followed by your full name, then 'reject Darryl Hale as my future alpha and mate.'""Oh, that's easy enough!" I took a deep breath as I made a show of preparing myself. "I, Hazel... um, wait." I furrowed my brow in fake confusion. "What's my surname again? All this stress has made me so forgetful."One of Katrina's goons growled. "Are you playing with us?""No, no!" I held up my hands. "I genuinely forgot. Help me
HAZELAmy's eyes widened as she realized what she'd just said. "I mean... I don't really know much about Maria Chen or her sister. It was before my time at school. I just remember hearing whispers about it, you know how people talk..."I leaned forward, my heart racing. "Amy, please. Anything you remember could help."She twisted her hands in her lap, looking uncomfortable. "It's all just rumors, really. They say Gracia was really popular, kind of like Katrina is now. She dated Darryl briefly when they were freshmen, and then..." She trailed off, shrugging helplessly. "She disappeared. They found her body in the woods a few weeks later.""And Maria? What happened to her?""She was only in elementary school when it happened. Their parents... they couldn't handle it. Sent Maria to live with relatives for a while. She just started here this year." Amy glanced around the cafeteria nervously. "That's all I know, I swear."I sat back, my mind spinning. Maria – she must know something. The w
HAZEL POVI burst into the classroom, already forming an apology to Mr. Thompson in my head, only to stop dead in my tracks. Instead of his familiar face, Mrs. Parker stood at the front of the room, her steel-rimmed glasses perched precariously on her nose."Miss LièRén," she said, drawing out each syllable. "How late of you again."My cheeks burned as every head in the class turned toward me. I'd rushed to Mr. Thompson's office first thing this morning, those damning photographs burning a hole in my bag, only to find his office dark and empty."I'm sorry, Mrs. Parker. I thought we had—""History?" She arched an eyebrow. "Mr. Thompson called in sick today. Though I must say, your attendance record lately has been... concerning." She consulted a sheet on her desk. "Three absences last week, and late twice this week already."I shifted uncomfortably, aware of the weight of those photographs in my bag. How could I explain that I was trying to prove my werewolf mate wasn't a serial killer
HAZELThe streetlights were just beginning to fade when I pulled into the police station parking lot at 6:45 AM. The morning air was crisp, and wisps of fog curled around the few cars scattered across the lot. Most of them I recognized – my father's cruiser wasn't among them, thank goodness.My footsteps echoed through the empty corridor as I made my way to my father's office. Officer Sarah had texted that she'd meet me there, but for now, the station felt eerily quiet. Most officers wouldn't arrive for another hour, giving us the privacy we needed to review the case.I was about to sit on one of the hard plastic chairs outside my father's office when voices drifted through the partially open door. I froze, recognizing my father's voice among them."The evidence you brought us was crucial," he was saying. "Without those photographs, we might never have built a strong enough case.""I just did what needed to be done," a familiar voice responded, though I couldn't quite place it. "He ha
HAZELAmy and I burst through the hospital doors, slightly out of breath from running. The lights over everything, made the white walls seem even more sterile and uninviting."Are you sure about this?" I asked Amy as we hurried down the corridor. "Even if Jake says Darryl didn't attack him, how does that prove anything about the other girls?"Amy grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop. "Don't you see? If Jake confirms Darryl didn't hurt him, it shows there's reasonable doubt. The police built their whole case on the pattern of violence, starting with Jake's attack."I shook my head. "That's a pretty big maybe, Amy.""It's better than nothing," she insisted. "And right now, nothing is all Darryl has."We reached Jake's room - Room 342. I remembered it clearly from my last visit, when he'd been lying there unconscious, machines beeping steadily around him. But now...The room was empty. The bed was stripped bare and the machines were silent."This can't be right," I muttered, double-checkin
HAZEL POV"Amy?" I whispered, still trying to catch my breath. "What are you doing here? How did you—" I stopped mid-sentence, taking in her appearance. The bruises I remembered were gone, and there was a newfound strength in her stance. She didn't look like the broken omega I'd left behind."Shh," she pressed her finger to her lips again, glancing nervously toward the stairwell where Lucian and Katrina's voices still drifted up. "Not here. We need to be careful."I grabbed her arm, needing to know she was real. "But... you were chained up. I saw you. How did you escape?"A small smile played across her lips. "I didn't escape," she whispered. "Darryl freed me.""What?" The word came out louder than I intended, and Amy quickly shushed me again. "That's impossible," I continued in a lower voice. "Darryl was... he was..." I thought of him lying on the cabin floor, convulsing from Katrina's wolfsbane."He came for you," Amy said softly. "Hazel, he was barely alive when he found me. Whatev