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. That morning, she didn’t show up. I waited, hours turning into an endless stretch of silence. No messages, no calls, just me standing there feeling like an idiot. By the time the afternoon melted into the evening, I couldn’t take it anymore. I wandered into the woods after the fire, where we used to play. Confused. Hurt. And that’s when it happened. The bite. The pain as the werewolf’s teeth sank into my flesh. Everything changed that day, in more ways than one. And that was just the beginning. A few days later, the werewolf hunters came. They were after me, after the monster I had become, though I wasn't even aware then. My parents… my real parents… they tried to protect me. I could still hear their screams, the blood painting the ground. They were killed right in front of me, and I ran. I didn’t stop until I collapsed at the edge of the woods. That’s when they took me in, Alpha Darius and Luna Mara, my new parents. They gave me a home and tried to heal the wounds I thought would never close. But even that didn’t stop the suffering from following me. Every girl I ever cared about, everyone I ever loved since that day… they died. I had buried those memories deep, locked them away behind walls I thought were strong. But seeing her again stirred it all up. “That girl we ran into… she’s Hazel, isn’t it?” Katrina said, glancing at me. The car swerved slightly. I corrected quickly, but not before Katrina's hand shot out to brace herself against the dashboard. "How did you—" "Oh please, don't play dumb." She rolled her eyes as she tossed her hair. "I saw how you looked at that girl. Golden hair, big doe eyes... Like she was some long lost puppy, the most precious thing in the world." My jaw clenched. "Drop it, Kat." "Why? Afraid I'll point out how pathetic you looked?" She laughed. "The big bad future Alpha, reduced to a stammering mess by some human who abandoned him years ago." "I said drop it," I growled already feeling my control slip. She scoffed."Or you'll do what? Please. We both know you need me, Darryl. Who else understands you like I do?" I gritted my teeth, hating how right she was. Katrina had been there through it all - the nightmares, the transformations, the losses. She had earned her place by my side, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else there except for her. “Come on, forget about that bitch Hazel. You have more important things to focus on like the meeting tonight.” Right, the meeting. Our pack, Moonhaven pack had called for it and I had to be there. As the next Alpha, I had to show them I was ready. My adoptive parents were retiring soon, and I would take the lead. I was a true alpha, something rare. Most wolves who were bitten never got the alpha title, but I was different. The bite had awakened something in me, something powerful. And in few days time, once I turned eighteen and found my mate, I’d unlock even more. That bond would make me stronger, unstoppable. I had to focus on that. On my future, not on a girl from my past who had already shattered me once before. *********** “The recent attacks have been more brutal than anything we’ve seen in years. Bodies torn apart, as if whoever is responsible is making a statement. We need to consider every possibility.” I sat at the head of the table with Katrina by my side, listening intently as Mr. Danton, our beta, addressed the council. We'd been discussing the possible identity of the attacker who had been targeting humans since the fire a week ago. "It has to be the Black Alder pack," Theo snarled, slamming his fist on the table. "They've been eyeing our territory for months." Luna Mara, my adoptive mother shook her head firmly. “No, it can’t be them. The Black Alder wouldn’t risk open war, especially not with the Treaty of the Crescent still in effect.” "What about rogues?" someone called out from the back. "We've had trouble with them before." I watched as my packmates debated, their theories growing wilder by the second. They were scared, and I couldn’t blame them. The thought of rogue wolves was terrifying, but something didn’t sit right with the explanations. “What do you think, Darryl?” I looked up to see Alpha Darius staring right at me. Taking a deep breath, I pushed my chair back and got to my feet. The council stopped talking instantly, all attention on me. "It's not rogues," I said. "Think about it. Rogues are outcasts, lone wolves. They know better than to draw attention to themselves. These attacks? They're too organized, too frequent. A rogue wouldn't risk bringing werewolf hunters down on all of us." I looked around, watching faces change as my words sank in. A few pack members nodded, their eyes widening showing they supported me. Others scrunched their brows, clearly not buying it. "Then what could it be, Darryl?" Alpha Darius leaned forward in his seat. I took a deep breath as I chose my words carefully. "I think we're dealing with something... different. The attacks are too savage for a normal wolf, too calculated for a rogue. Whatever this is, it's intelligent and dangerous. And it wants us to know it's here." Nobody spoke again. The only sound was the creaking of chairs as people shifted uncomfortably. "Could it be... him?" a young wolf spoke from the back. "Him?" someone echoed, but I knew exactly who the young wolf was referring to. From the sudden stillness in the room, so did everyone else. "The brutality..." one of the warriors muttered, shaking his head like he was trying to dismiss the thought. "It matches his style." Another added, "The pattern too... he attacked after the first fire, and now, after this one." My heart sank as the pieces started to come together in my mind. They were talking about a monster who monsters feared. Eyes started darting from face to face like everyone were so scared to say it. Finally, someone whispered the name that had haunted my nightmares for years. "The Rogue Alpha... Malachi." The name sent a shudder through the pack, but for me, it was like the ground had opened below me. Malachi. The same one who bit me. The same one who took away every girl I ever loved. The same one who destroyed my life in one night. The same one who... who would stop at nothing to finish what he started. And now, he was back.HAZEL "You don't need to walk me in, Dad. I'm not eight anymore." I stood in the school parking lot, shifting my backpack on my shoulders while he gave me that worried look I'd seen a thousand times since coming back to Ravenville. Dad's hand went to the silver pendant around my neck, adjusting it for the tenth time this morning. "Just... promise me you'll keep this on. No matter what." "Yeah, yeah, your magic necklace. Got it." I rolled my eyes but touched the pendant anyway. It felt weirdly warm against my skin, like it always did. "Are you ever going to tell me why it's so important?" His face did that thing where it shut down completely. "Just keep it on. And Hazel? “ "What?" "Remember - two weeks. Two weeks is all you get. If thing's don't work out—-" "You'll ship me back to Aunt Jenna. Yeah, I got it." I didn't look back as I walked away, afraid he'd see how much that thought terrified me. Two weeks. Fourteen days to prove I belonged here, to make Darryl remember me
HAZELI stood there, my feet refusing to move even as my mind screamed at me to just get the hell out of there. Darryl's words kept echoing in my head. "You disgust me." Three words shouldn't have the power to destroy someone, but these did. My hands wouldn't stop shaking no matter how hard I tried to steady them, and the worst part was knowing I probably deserved every bit of this pain. After all, I was the one who had abandoned him all those years ago. I was the one who had broken our promise of an unforgettable birthday. My gaze drifted to the deep scratches in the wall where his hand had struck, and I tried to convince myself that they had been there before. There was no way a normal teenager could have left marks that deep in a solid wall. Not unless they had some kind of unnatural strength. As I stared at the marks, my feet finally started to cooperate, slowly carrying me away from this hallway. But the further I got, the more I realized just how silent everything was. I co
HAZEL"Your secret is safe with me." I turned around so fast I nearly lost my balance. "What secret?" I managed to get that out, while my mind raced through everything that had just happened in that hallway. Did he see what really happened? Did the memory wipe or whatever it was not work on him?Lucian smiled. "About how you stood Darryl up on his birthday. He told me everything."The relief that flooded through me was so intense I almost laughed. Of course that's what he meant. What else could he have been talking about? Maybe I really had imagined everything in that hallway. "Oh. Right. That.""Were you expecting something else?" He raised an eyebrow.I shook my head quickly. "No, just... it's been a weird day. Look you're Darryl's friend, which means we probably shouldn't be having this conversation.""Actually, that's exactly why we should be talking." He stepped beside me, and I noticed he had to slow down his long strides to match my pace. "I want to help you fix things with h
DARRYL Five Days Earlier"She's dangerous, Darryl. You didn't see what I saw." Katrina paced in front of me. We were in my room at the pack house, and I was trying really hard not to lose my shit over everything she was telling me about Hazel.I ran my hands through my hair for the hundredth time and fought the urge to punch something. According to Katrina, Hazel had gone full psycho in the hallway, picking fights and threatening people. My childhood friend, the girl who used to cry over dead butterflies, suddenly turning into some kind of violent maniac? It didn't add up."She's not the same person you knew," Katrina pressed on. "She came after me for no reason, started spewing all this stuff about you only belonged to her alone. When I tried to calm her down, she just... snapped."I forced myself to breathe slowly. "And You're also telling me everyone who saw this suddenly forgot? That's convenient.""That's exactly my point! She must have done something to their memories. And that
HAZEL Mate. What the hell did that even mean? Darryl had said it like it was the most important word in existence.I'd heard Amy talking in the background, her voice very distant, but all I could focus on was that word and the way my body was responding to it. My heart was racing, my hands were shaking, and something deep inside me was screaming YES while my brain was desperately trying to make sense of what just happened. And worst is I could still smell him everywhere. Not just a regular smell but this was something else entirely. Something that made me want to track him down, to follow that invisible trail he'd left behind. I knew I had a good sense of smell, but this was different. This was like my entire body was a bloodhound, and Darryl was the only thing that existed."Hazel? Are you listening to me?" Amy's hand grabbed my arm and her touch jerked me back to reality. "What's going on? You just took off from the cafeteria like you were possessed.""I'm fine," I managed to g
HAZELThe moment I got home, everything went to hell.Shadow wasn't just angry. Shadow was a nuclear bomb ready to detonate inside my skull. Every piece of furniture in my room became a potential weapon, and I could feel my control slipping faster.I couldn't think about anything except the fact that I'd just walked away from my fucking mate.From Hazel."YOU WALKED AWAY!" Shadow screamed inside my head. "WE FOUND HER. AND YOU WALKED AWAY!""Shut up!" I roared, grabbing the nearest chair and sending it across the room. It shattered against the wall like my entire world was shattering right along with it. Luna Mara was the first to reach my room. Her eyes went wide taking in the absolute destruction I'd created. The desk lay broken to pieces, books were scattered on the floor, a lamp broke into a thousand fragments. And me, in the center of it all, breathing like I'd just run a marathon."Darryl," she said softly. "Breathe."But Shadow wasn't interested in breathing. Shadow wanted ON
HAZEL The morning air bit into my cheeks as I walked to school, but I barely noticed it because my mind was stuck on replay from Dad's revelations about Darryl last night. "He came looking for you every day for months," Dad had said. "I'd find him sitting on our porch in the rain, refusing to leave until he knew you were safe. Sometimes he'd just stand there, staring at your window like you might suddenly appear."I held my bag tighter, remembering how Dad's face had crumpled when he described those days. "I couldn't tell him about your mother, about what really happened. It wasn't my secret to share. But watching that boy break apart..." He'd trailed off, lost in the memory.I kicked a stone along the sidewalk, watching it roll across the concrete like my scattered thoughts. All these years, I'd carried my own guilt about leaving, but I hadn't known how badly it had broken him."Two months after you left, his parents were attacked," Dad's words haunted me. "Official report said it
DARRYL I watched Lucian adjust his football gear for the hundredth time, trying to ignore the way Shadow was pacing restlessly in my head. Practice wasn't for another hour, but we always came early - had been since freshman year when we both made varsity and needed the extra time to prove ourselves worthy of those spots. "Coach wants to switch up the defensive line," Lucian said, tossing the ball between his hands. "Says we're getting predictable." "We could try that counter formation we worked on last season," I suggested, focusing on the conversation instead of the way Shadow kept pulling my attention across the field. "Mix it up with some new plays." "That could work," Lucian nodded, and I couldn't help but smile. This was why we clicked from the start - he didn't know about mates or pack dynamics or any of that supernatural crap. To him, I was just Darryl, his best friend and brother. We understood each other in a way most people couldn't, both of us having lost everything
HAZELThe library would be my sanctuary today. It was quiet, and felt far away from the chaos swirling around me. I needed to distract myself. Badly. Darryl wasn’t answering my calls. It made my stomach twist into knots. Then there was my dad. I was so angry with him. He was keeping secrets, controlling me, and now… now he was going after Darryl. It felt like my world was crumbling.I wandered through the tall bookshelves, pulling out random books. Nothing seemed to hold my attention. Finally, I found myself in the paranormal section. I picked out a thick book with a dark cover. It was about werewolves. I settled into a quiet corner, hoping to lose myself in the story.The book started like any other werewolf novel, talking about full moons and shifting. But then, I turned the page and my breath caught. There was a picture. Not the usual handsome man turning into a wolf, this was different. This wolf was massive with glowing red eyes and thick, dark fur. The caption underneath read, “
DARRYLI leaned back against my bedroom door and smiled. Hazel’s scent was still here, and the memory of our shared embrace, the feeling of her tears against my shoulder, warmed me from the inside out. It wasn’t much, but it was something. I felt hope for the first time in what felt like forever, a feeling I'd almost forgotten.I ran a hand through my hair, replaying our conversation in my mind and chuckled softly. I’d even managed to keep Shadow relatively calm during our close moments. It felt like we had finally turned a corner.“She believes me,” I murmured.My smile faded as the image of Alpha Darius’s face flashed through my mind. The Alpha’s words echoed in my ears: “A human mate? It’s impossible, Darryl. Dangerous.” Luna’s disappointed gaze followed. They’d already chosen Katrina for me. The thought sent a surge of anger through me. I balled my fist, the joy of the past hour dissolving into a bitter anger.I slammed my fist into the wall and growled. The impact sent pain throu
HAZELMy heart sank as I heard my father’s voice. I barely had time to process the shock of seeing my broken bicycle in front of the house, let alone figure out how it had ended up here. I turned slowly to face him, the storm in his eyes was unmistakable. His face was tense as if he were holding back a fury that could snap at any moment. "Why did you disobey me?" “Dad... I—” I stuttered, not knowing how to explain myself, not knowing what he wanted to hear. I wanted to tell him everything, to say that I hadn’t meant to disobey him, that I had only gone out to clear my head, to escape the storm that was raging inside me. But the words wouldn’t come. He was looking at me like he expected me to have a solid reason. “I wasn’t planning to meet him or anything.,” I finally managed to say. “I just… I just needed some space, that’s all. I went out to clear my head and I happened to meet him in the woods.”He shook his head slowly, as if the answer was too obvious for me to see. “I know eve
HAZELThe silence around the table was almost suffocating, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was being scrutinized, even though no one was speaking. They had been unusually quiet after the question about the silver necklace. I could tell they were waiting for an answer, but I was struggling to put together the right words. Why did he ask about the necklace? What did it mean to him? What was going on in their minds?I looked at Darryl for a moment, but he was staring at his plate, not acknowledging me. I felt a tight knot form in my stomach, unsure of how to answer and I couldn’t shake off the discomfort that was settling in me. “It’s from someone who meant a lot to me,” I finally managed to say. I wasn’t sure if that was enough of an explanation, but it was all I could offer.Darryl’s father gave me a nod, as if my answer was sufficient. But before the conversation could continue, Darryl cut in firmly. “Enough, father. Enough, mother.”His parents fell silent. “Hazel ju
HAZELThe shower’s warmth still lingered on my skin as I stepped out of Darryl’s bathroom, wrapped in a towel. My hair hung in wet strands as it clung to my shoulders. After dressing quickly, I stared at my reflection. The girl in the mirror looked tired, her eyes dull despite the rest she’d gotten. Pull it together, Hazel, I told myself. Today was Saturday, and while I should feel relieved not to rush home for school, a pit formed in my stomach.Dad.Last night, he'd bombarded me with calls, the incessant ringing drilling into my mind. But this morning? Nothing. No texts. No calls. The silence was too loud. It felt wrong—off, even. It was all suspicious, but I pushed it away. There was no time to dwell on it now.I stepped out of the room and the door clicked softly behind me. The house was quiet. For the first time, I noticed how large it was. The ceilings stretched high above me, and the halls seemed to go on forever. I remembered being on Darryl’s back last night, clinging to him
HazelThe room felt colder than it should have been. My fingers trembled as I clutched Darryl’s shirt, the scent of blood still thick in my nose. The silence between us was deafening and stretching longer than I could bear. Darryl didn’t say a word but his eyes was still locked onto mine. Finally, he spoke in a very low and calm voice.“Why do you think it’s me?”I swallowed hard, before raising his shirt up. “This shirt,” I whispered, holding up the evidence between us. “It smells like blood.” My voice faltered, and I looked away. “And also…” I couldn’t finish that.Darryl’s gaze didn’t even move from mine. “Also what?” he pressed. I bit my lips and let the shirt fall beside me. “I saw you, Darryl. I saw you running away from the scene… when Jake was lying on the floor.” My eyes met his, searching for something or anything that could make this feel less like betrayal. “You were shirtless, Darryl. I saw you running away.” I wanted to take them back, to erase the doubt they plant
HAZELThe room was silent, but my heart wasn’t. It was loud like it wanted to burst out and chase after him. The way he had looked at me… I couldn’t stop thinking about it.When he carried me into his room, I thought I’d feel awkward or embarrassed. Instead, I felt safe. But when he placed me on the bed and leaned in, everything changed.His eyes had locked onto mine, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t fear at all. It was something else entirely. The kind of intensity that made me feel seen, like every thought and emotion I had was written across my face and he was reading it.And then there was the way he leaned in. I thought he was going to kiss me. His gaze fell to my lips and I felt a jolt in my stomach.But he didn’t.Instead, he stepped back and then he left.Now I was alone, sitting on his bed like some forgotten thing, replaying everything that had just happened.I touched my lips, my fingertips grazing them softly. Did he want to kiss me? Or was it all in my hea
Darryl’s POV I was still leaning over her, my arms on either side of her, trapping her in place. Her eyes were wide anf her lips was slightly parted. My gaze dropped to those lips, soft and inviting. A dangerous heat surged through me, and all I wanted to do was close the distance, to press my mouth to hers and kiss her deeply. The urge was so strong that my heart raced, my hands almost shaking as I fought the need to touch her.But I couldn’t. I quickly stepped back, shaking my head, muttering under my breath, “Fuck.” What was wrong with me?I clenched my teeth and forced myself to pull back. My hands shook as I stepped away.The silence between us was thick and awkward. Hazel looked down at her hands, her cheeks flushed. I didn’t know where to look. My thoughts were a tangled mess. The room felt too small, the air too hot. I cleared my throat, trying to sound normal. “I—I’ll sleep outside.” She looked up quickly. “You’re not sleeping here?” Her voice was small. I shook my h
DARRYLThe woods were quiet tonight. I liked coming here when I needed space. It was my place to think and to breathe. Tonight was no different. I walked through the trees and inhaled the air which was filled with the faint scent of ashes left behind by the fire. The moon was high and casted light on the branches.Everything was quiet, except for the whisper of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl. My wolf and I shared this calm, this sense of being home. I took a deep breath and let it settle in my lungs. This was normal. This was right.Then, I heard it.Footsteps.These footsteps were light and hesitant. Definitely Human. What would a human be doing out here? This place had been off-limits since the fire. No one from town dared to come here anymore. It was too dangerous and too haunted by memories. Only we, the werewolves came here now, to hunt or during full moons. I crept forward and took every step cautiously. The scent of ashes was still there, but there was something else