The precarious peace we had achieved after the battle was abruptly shattered when my father pulled me aside that night, his expression filled with concern and something darker that I couldn't identify at first."Eva, we need to talk," he said, his voice low but firm. He led me to a secluded corner of the cave, away from the fire and the rest of the group."Dad, what's wrong?" I asked, feeling a knot forming in my stomach.He sighed, his face lined with worry. "Eva, I've been thinking a lot about everything that's happened. This world of wolves and amulets, it's... it's too much. And Kessler... I'm not sure he's someone we can trust."A cold shiver ran down my spine. "What do you mean? Kessler has been by our side, protecting us. He's part of this just as much as I am."My father shook his head, his gaze intense. "Eva, Kessler is a wolf. He might have good intentions, but he's still a dangerous creature. I can't allow you to get closer to him. I can't allow you to be his girlfriend."T
The silence that followed his words was palpable, as if the world itself had stopped. My father blinked, his face a mask of disbelief and confusion. "What are you saying, Lucas?"Lucas closed his eyes for a moment, as if searching for the courage within himself. Then, before our father's astonished eyes, his body began to change. His human form faded away, replaced by the majestic shape of a wolf.The transformation was quick, but each second felt eternal. Our father's eyes widened, his face paling. "This... this can't be. It's not possible," he murmured, stepping back, unable to process what he was seeing.Lucas, now in his wolf form, approached slowly, his eyes filled with deep sadness. With a fluid motion, he shifted back to his human form, his expression pleading. "Dad, it's true. It always has been. I've hidden this out of fear of your reaction, but I can't continue like this. You need to understand that I'm part of this, part of the pack."Our father staggered, seeking support f
**POV Lucas:**Kessler hesitated for a moment but nodded, knowing he couldn't stop me. We headed towards the source of the howl, our steps quick but cautious. The forest was eerily silent, broken only by the crunch of our footsteps on the fallen leaves.As we ventured deeper, the air seemed thicker, charged with a disturbing energy. My senses were heightened, my heart pounding in my chest. Kessler and I advanced in silence, exchanging glances now and then, alert for any movement.Suddenly, a flash of movement between the trees caught our attention. We stopped, watching intently. What I saw froze my blood: Riley, Kessler's ex-girlfriend, emerged from the shadows, her gaze fixed on us. But she wasn't alone. She held Eva, my younger sister, with a firm arm around her neck, a look of madness and determination on her face."Riley, let her go," Kessler ordered, his voice low but authoritative. I could see the tension in his body, ready to attack at any moment.Riley smiled, a twisted and da
*Eva's POV:*The sun reflected off the tranquil waters of the lake, casting a golden glow that bathed the lakeside house in warm and welcoming light. Laughter filled the air, mingling with the sizzling of the grill and the delicious aroma of cooking food. It was a perfect day, a moment of celebration and peace, the kind of day that seemed to come straight out of a dream.The threat of Riley had vanished, and with it, the shadows that had clouded our lives. I felt a deep sense of relief seeing everyone gathered, relaxed and happy, enjoying each other's company without the weight of secrets and fears.Kessler stood by the grill, joking with Lucas as they tended to the meat. Lucas, with his girlfriend Lottie by his side, couldn't stop smiling. Lottie, a girl with a contagious laugh and vibrant energy, had integrated perfectly into our family and the pack. Seeing my brother so happy filled me with joy.My father was conversing with Kessler's mother, Clara, a woman with a kind demeanor and
"Cristine!"I turn to see who is calling me from the other side of the road. It's Maia, my best friend. I smile like crazy and run to her, hugging her tightly."It's been so long!" we jump with joy.We hadn't seen each other for two months, and now we were together again. Maia and I had been best friends since childhood because my mom and my Aunt Anne were also best friends. So Maia and I grew up like sisters."Yes, I have so much to tell you," she pulls back, "we went to many places in Canada; I hadn't been there in so long. My dad and mom spoiled me a lot on this trip."We walk toward the entrance of the high school. Everyone was arriving, greeting each other, and catching up on things they had missed. It had been a long vacation. Here in Lewiston, the year was just beginning, and another school cycle was starting. It was my second-to-last year of school."I'm glad to hear that, Maia; at least you spent more time with them," I tell her."I know. And you tell me, where did you go wit
"¿What do you want, Amanda?" I pulled away from her grasp. I wasn't a little girl anymore to be intimidated by her."Don't play dumb. With what right do you get so close to my boyfriend and try to defend him as if you were his girlfriend? Get a grip.""I just..." In reality, she was partly right; Kaleb wasn't anything to me, and I had rushed over as if I had some claim over him. I had just been worried about him and acted on instinct. "I just wanted to be kind," I crossed my arms.She laughed."Well, this is the last time you get close to him, or next time you'll deal with me, little Cristine, and I don't care if your father is the..." she fell silent."My father what?""I don't care if your father or mother come to complain to me later. You've been warned," she gave me a shove and walked past me, back to the cafeteria.I followed them. Inside, there was a commotion."Cris!" Maia came over to me, carrying my bag. "What happened?""Nothing. What happened to Kaleb?"I looked past her,
"What's wrong with you? I'm not yours!" I pushed him away, heading for the door. "Now please leave, my parents will be home any minute.""Kayler and Carolina? They're too busy romancing on some nearby hill. Don't worry about them.""What are you talking about?" I opened the door for him.And then he seemed to understand something."What?" I wanted to know."Never mind. I'm hungry, so I think I'll go find something to eat." He walked to the door but stopped in front of me first. "You smell so good," he said, "it's a pleasant scent. See you tomorrow, Cristine."And he left my house.I watched him walk away, not understanding anything that had just happened. Why does Liam act so weird? I couldn't figure it out. I saw him head into the woods, which seemed even stranger, but I didn't give it much thought. However, just as I was about to close the door, I heard a howl that struck me right in the heart.Wolves?As far as I knew, there were no wolves in Lewiston.If that's the case, I'm in tr
"Cristine... here you are," Mom sighed with relief. I smiled to hide my nervousness; I didn't want her to notice. Mom is an expert at detecting any change in my mood. "Your father and I picked up some pizza for dinner. Do you want some?" She approached and stroked my blonde hair."Sure... I'm really hungry. Where's Damian?" I asked since I hadn't seen him for a while. According to Mom, he was supposed to be on a trip with some friends, but sometimes I doubted certain things. Sometimes I felt like my acquaintances, even my parents, were hiding things from me. I didn't like that."Damian will be back tomorrow, honey. I know you miss him.""A lot."Damian is my older brother, but Gabriel is the eldest. He doesn't live with us; he's studying far away, and we don't know when he'll return."Come on, let's go." We went down to the kitchen where Dad was serving pizza slices on plates. "When are we going to visit Grandma?" I wanted to know, sitting down and starting to eat. "This weekend, how