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,
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 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
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
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
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.
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