Everything in my head was just a high-pitched ringing, echoing persistently in the back of my mind. I started struggling to breathe and desperately searched for music. Lisa had abandoned me, and now Preciosa was destroyed. I was falling apart.By the time I started to get even a glimpse of what was happening around me, it was already dark.“How long have I been like this?” My head was spinning. I leaned against the bed and focused on listening for any sounds. The silence told me there was no one home. I pulled my phone out of my jeans pocket. The screen was cracked, but it still seemed to work. There was only one person who could make sense of everything that had happened.After trying over and over, I finally heard a familiar voice on the other end, and it made me want to break down and cry."Mom, it's me!" I said. "Mom, please help me!""Sweetheart, what happened?""I told Grandma about Dad, and she freaked out. I don’t know what to do. Mom..." I started crying again. The pain was j
I sat on the bed, completely lost. I tried calling my aunt to find out how my grandma was doing, but her phone was ringing in the room next door. In the rush to help Grandma, she’d left it behind.Next thing I knew, it was almost midnight. My mom got back to me with a message. It was short but straight to the point:Mom: My friend will be there soon. Grab your stuff and go with her!Sure enough, not even five minutes later, a blue van pulled up in front of the house. A medium-built woman with long, curly black hair and dark skin stepped out. She was wearing pajamas."You’re Eliza?" she asked. I nodded slightly."Girl, what kind of mess did you get yourself into? Don’t worry, it’s gonna be okay. I’m Verônica, your mom’s friend."She held out her hand, but I couldn’t bring myself to shake it. Instead, I clutched the bag that held my Preciosa even tighter."Poor thing! I’ll help you carry your stuff, okay? Luckily, I had the perfect place lined up for you. Your mom already paid three mont
Gray... That was the color that would perfectly describe my mood today. From the doorway, I found myself unable to take more than two steps, as if the center of the room could turn my gray into black."Hi, my name is Eliza Singer, I'm 16 years old, and I'm from Heington. It's a pleasure to be part of such a prestigious school as Siram High School." That was my formal introduction in front of a bunch of unfamiliar gazes from teenagers with wolf blood.Some looked at me with such curiosity that I felt like a rare museum piece, while others seemed to roll their eyes with disdain at the sight of a newcomer who was born and raised among ordinary humans. Among them, a red-haired girl sitting in the back completely ignored my short introduction, fully engrossed in what seemed to be the work of a lifetime. Her fingers moved silently and gracefully over a piece of paper, and her eyes sparkled at what could be a masterpiece—or just random scribbles...In my head, all I wanted was to get out of
I got up a few minutes after the alarm went off. I put on my loose, dull uniform, all gray, with a full moon printed on the shirt and the school's name written inside the moon in Gothic letters. I put on my big glasses, tied my long hair into a messy bun, and left my room for breakfast, once again skipping makeup or any other cosmetics. That was quite an advantage...“Good morning, Grandma!” I greeted my grandmother, Nilza, as she placed freshly baked rolls on the table. The aroma was simply irresistible, making my mouth water. I grabbed one and started nibbling on it.“Good morning, dear!” She smiled tenderly and sat beside me.I remember the day my mother called my grandmother, asking if I could stay with her. Without questioning the reasons why I had decided to come here instead of staying with my parents, she welcomed me with open arms. She used to call me almost every day, asking when I would come.“Such negligence! You won’t get a boyfriend that way!” my aunt Angelina complained
Someone like me? Those words echoed in my head for the rest of the week. What did he mean by that? The worst part was that I still hadn’t realized I had crossed paths with one of the most popular groups of boys at school. How popular was the band for people to start paying attention to me? And in a negative way, no less…During classes, paper balls flew in my direction from time to time over the following days. I had to skip my first meeting at the archery club when I noticed some of the band's fans crowding at the entrance.The following week, things got "better." At least they replaced the silly pranks with more elaborate hazing. Just a few steps from the classroom, I caught a distinct scent of paint in the air, thanks to Lisa's keen sense of smell.As if such childish tricks would have any effect on you! my wolf chuckled internally.I gave a faint smile as I noticed the paint bucket above the slightly open door. I glanced at a group in the hallway, chatting casually as if they had
The night was covered in dense clouds. The sun had yet to rise when I got out of bed and went for a run with my she-wolf, knowing that most of the other clan members would still be asleep at this hour. It was very dark, which forced me to sharpen all my senses—a great training exercise before another boring day of classes with repetitive subjects.I ran swiftly, releasing all my adrenaline while trying to memorize the spots where there were no recent scents of other wolves. It was my first time going out in wolf form since I arrived, and I needed to map out the forested area near my grandmother’s house to know my way around. Now, I would have to resume my solo training to stay in good shape.Alright, Lisa! Time to head back.She was happy, and so was I. Starting tomorrow, we will train together again every day, just like we used to before we got here. We had a deep bond, but above all, I had earned Lisa’s deep respect by showing her that I wouldn’t be a burden but the dominant force.
I avoided the cafeteria for a few days, and to my relief, the girls who had been chasing me stopped bothering me. On top of that, I hadn’t seen my so-called partner again, which forced Lisa to back off, allowing me to focus more on my classes.It was PE class, and after warming up, I took a deep breath, looked up at the cloudy sky, and sat down on the bench. Once again, I was left on the sidelines, not getting into the game. After that, I headed to the archery club for the first time in three weeks, mentally preparing myself to face my classmates.I was disappointed to see that there were more people in the club than I had expected. At Heington, it was one of the least popular clubs, but here, at least a dozen people were gearing up and getting ready to train. I took my time putting on my equipment, letting the others go ahead. No one welcomed me or even acknowledged my presence. Well, maybe that was for the best..."Oh, what a shame! Looks like we’re out of bows!" sneered a skinny bl
For as long as I can remember, my parents signed me up for all sorts of kids' courses—maybe just to keep me busy since they didn’t have much time for me. From an early age, I showed a strong connection to music. By the time I was six, I could play the piano and sing so sweetly that they pulled me out of language classes to have me focus solely on music.A little before that, when I was five, they told me about the clans and my magical heritage. At first, I found it fascinating, but the more I learned about what it meant to be a wolf, the harder reality hit me. By the time I was eight, I had already decided that I wouldn’t let this whole wolf thing define my story. I knew my wolf would be stronger than me and could take over my decisions, so I swore to myself that I would become stronger than her—to have complete control when she finally emerged.I remember relentlessly begging my parents to let me take fighting and self-defense classes until they finally gave in—even though I was just
I sat on the bed, completely lost. I tried calling my aunt to find out how my grandma was doing, but her phone was ringing in the room next door. In the rush to help Grandma, she’d left it behind.Next thing I knew, it was almost midnight. My mom got back to me with a message. It was short but straight to the point:Mom: My friend will be there soon. Grab your stuff and go with her!Sure enough, not even five minutes later, a blue van pulled up in front of the house. A medium-built woman with long, curly black hair and dark skin stepped out. She was wearing pajamas."You’re Eliza?" she asked. I nodded slightly."Girl, what kind of mess did you get yourself into? Don’t worry, it’s gonna be okay. I’m Verônica, your mom’s friend."She held out her hand, but I couldn’t bring myself to shake it. Instead, I clutched the bag that held my Preciosa even tighter."Poor thing! I’ll help you carry your stuff, okay? Luckily, I had the perfect place lined up for you. Your mom already paid three mont
Everything in my head was just a high-pitched ringing, echoing persistently in the back of my mind. I started struggling to breathe and desperately searched for music. Lisa had abandoned me, and now Preciosa was destroyed. I was falling apart.By the time I started to get even a glimpse of what was happening around me, it was already dark.“How long have I been like this?” My head was spinning. I leaned against the bed and focused on listening for any sounds. The silence told me there was no one home. I pulled my phone out of my jeans pocket. The screen was cracked, but it still seemed to work. There was only one person who could make sense of everything that had happened.After trying over and over, I finally heard a familiar voice on the other end, and it made me want to break down and cry."Mom, it's me!" I said. "Mom, please help me!""Sweetheart, what happened?""I told Grandma about Dad, and she freaked out. I don’t know what to do. Mom..." I started crying again. The pain was j
William had dislocated Nicolas’s arm, and I couldn’t do anything about it because I couldn’t bring myself to fight against my mate. I felt awful. When I tried to help Nicolas, William grabbed my arm and dragged me along with him."William, he needs help. Please!" I begged again, but it was no use."Shut the hell up!" he shouted at me. He dragged me to his car, and as soon as he started the engine, he floored it, tires screeching."William, let me explain, please!""You bitch! Explain? What the fuck is there to explain that I didn’t see with my own eyes? You spend a week with him, and now you’re meeting up with him alone? You think you’re fooling me? You’re fucking worthless!""That’s not how it is, I—""I told you to shut the fuck up!"I couldn’t hold back the anguish and sadness in my chest. Even staying silent, I couldn’t stop myself from sobbing. William pulled over on a narrow street, out on the outskirts of the village. He was breathing heavily."William, your nose is bleeding. A
The day started off cloudy, with rain in the forecast for the weekend. I wondered if I’d still be able to watch the eclipse with Mr. Ghost. It had been over a week since I last saw him. After a full day of rest, it was time to get back to work. I grabbed Precious and started playing my songs, fine-tuning the arrangements. During my lunch break, I ended up thinking about Nicolas and sent him a short audio clip of a song’s chorus along with a message:Eliza: Congrats on your graduation, brother! Consider this audio a sneak peek of your gift!Nicolas: A sneak peek? Are you finally gonna show me the new songs? I should’ve graduated sooner!He replied just a few moments later. As I was typing out a response, my phone started ringing. It was him!“Lisa, we need to meet up,” he said as soon as I answered. I could hear the anxiety in his voice.“What’s going on?”“There’s no one home right now. Can you come over? I really need to tell you something. And while you’re here, you can show me the
The next day, wolf training got real. After getting sidelined with serious injuries from dueling with me, Nicolas and Arthur had to train with each other until John was finally satisfied. Meanwhile, I took a dip in the lake and sunbathed with Kate during two full days off.When they finally called me back to training, they looked confident. Arthur had that revenge spark in his eyes as he teamed up with Nicolas to take me on. It wasn’t a fair fight. Unable to intimidate me, the beta joined in, turning it into a three-against-one brawl. They snarled around me, circling, looking for any opening to strike. No matter how strong you are, when you're outnumbered, it takes more than skill to win. I started dodging defensively, avoiding hits while my mind raced to come up with a strategy. A few times, I had to shift into semi-human form to fully dodge the attacks and hit back. Eventually, I decided to cut down the numbers—starting with the weakest link.I aimed for Arthur, but mid-air I change
The real training was about to begin. A fight between two wolves was way more intense—and brutal. I felt awkward as I undressed and slipped on the robe they gave me.“No need to be shy, sweetheart. I’ll help you through it, okay?” said Kate, who was in the room with me, trying to reassure me.I walked barefoot out onto the backyard patio, with Kate right behind me. John and his sons were already there, standing at attention. The way they all stared as I approached made my face burn with embarrassment, and I ended up lowering my gaze.“Well, well… doesn’t look so tough now,” Arthur took the opportunity to tease me.“Since we know you’re a shy little wolf, we figured this was more appropriate,” John said, referring to the fact that his sons weren’t naked—they were wearing men’s robes.Wolves were used to running in packs, so nudity wasn’t a big deal for them. But for a lone wolf like me, it was a bit much. I was genuinely touched that they had considered how I’d feel.John went over a b
I took care of my hygiene before heading to my room and setting my alarm for the next morning. When I woke up, I felt completely refreshed and even helped Kate set the table for breakfast. When Nicolas and Arthur showed up, they looked like a pair of zombies."I'm dead. Do I really have to train today, Dad?" Arthur groaned."More than anyone," John replied. I could feel Arthur shooting daggers at me with his eyes, but I pretended not to notice. "Today and tomorrow, you’ll be doing hand-to-hand combat in human form. Eliza will be your opponent, and I’ll be supervising the whole thing."“I get to fight Eliza? Can’t wait,” Arthur said with a sly grin.“Should I tell him or do you want to?” Nicolas whispered, barely holding back a laugh.“Let the kid enjoy the moment,” I whispered back.“Just go easy on me, okay?” Arthur asked. I gave him a nod as I finished my breakfast.I stopped by my room to grab the training outfit they’d given me, then headed out to the garden. I started warming up
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t gone back to talk to the Phantom Guy. Weeks had passed, and my routine of visiting the waterfall had become solid. Senior graduation was right around the corner—in fact, it was happening next week. Because of that, Beta John decided to run an intensive training program with his sons to get Nicolas ready for the alpha oath.“Phantom Guy, school’s officially over, and I passed with flying colors. I got the highest scores in the whole school, so I’m top of the class. Smart, huh? I even gave myself a little break from the piano lessons I teach Caroline. Some people aren’t on vacation yet, so they’re still going to school for tutoring or makeup classes. Anyone who doesn’t pass the retakes is gonna fail the year—but thankfully, that’s not my problem.” I laughed softly, swinging my feet in the water.“Anyway, I’ve got some news you might not like. Next Thursday is senior graduation, when students take the alpha oath. Then Saturday is the end-of-year dance. I’m
What felt like a long run for the wolves following me—clearly exhausted—had already become routine for me. I hardly noticed time passing anymore when I came here. I stopped in front of the waterfall and let out a howl. This was our final stop. Catching Annie’s attention, I motioned for her to follow me, and we stepped into the tent to change."You okay?" I asked. Her breathing was way too fast."Just a little tired. Try to go easier next time," she said with a gentle smile."Sure!" I was already finishing getting dressed while she was still sprawled out on the ground, catching her breath. "Don’t forget to put your swimsuit on underneath."She nodded slightly, and I stepped out of the tent, zipping it closed behind me. I didn’t see the boys, but I could smell they were nearby. I walked up to the waterfall and stood there for a while, staring at the water."Your wolf is beautiful," Nicolas said, coming up beside me."Thanks," I replied with a smile, then turned my gaze back to the water