I woke the next morning groggy and restless. Everything had seemed different after the talk with Hadzen last night. Despite my best effort, I'd had no sleep, and my mind had stayed locked on Hadzen's words, his cold demeanor, and the pain that seemed hidden beneath the silence. I wished to understand him, to try to cross this divide that was between us, but instead, I left in even greater confusion.As I went down the stairs, the fragrance of breakfast soaked all my senses with the warmth of laughter and voices. Walking into the dining room, I found my dad, Trevor, and Aunt Coreen sitting around the table quietly chatting amongst each other. Although Dylan's mom, Aunt Coreen was technically married to my mom, so we were only relatives by marriage. She was always a little confusing, but there was something warm that made her seem almost family despite the snarled web of relations.Mom stood by the counter, her face softened by a gentle smile as she prepared plates for everyone. She loo
Elisse leaned forward, her eyes glinting with excitement as she peered at me over her tea. "You look stressed," she declared, her fork twirling lazily as she picked at her food.I forced a smile, brushing it off. "I'm fine, Elisse. Really."Her eyes narrowed, as though she didn't believe me for a second. Then, out of the blue, her face lit up with an idea. "Gotcha! We need a night out—a party!"A… what?" I blinked, surprised.She snatched my hand before I could protest, and practically dragged me upstairs. "Come on, let's get you into something fabulous. Tonight, we're getting you out of this rut!" She flung open my closet and began rummaging through my clothes."It's perfect," she exclaimed, pulling out a silver silk dress that I barely recognized. She held it against me, her grin widening. Exceptional—too exceptional. It shone as light shined on it, material like silk, soft and expensive-looking, showing more than I was used to its high slit and delicate neckline.I mumbled, my chee
Hadzen walked down the hallway in silence with Hannah clinging to him, her head resting against his shoulder like she didn't care about anything in this world. She mumbled softly slurred and almost incomprehensible. Her breath stank of alcohol, and he let out a sigh of frustration as he could only imagine she had more than one drink at this party.Damn it, Hannah," he muttered to himself, shifting her weight a little as he proceeded down the hallway toward her room. "Of all nights to get yourself plastered.".By the time he finally arrived at her door, he tried to open it only to realize that the door was locked. Under his breath, he cursed at not wanting to raise a rumpus through the middle of the night to find the spare key. His patience was thin, and now he didn't want to deal with a lock."Fine, plans changed," he muttered, turning on his heel to head towards his room. "I guess you're staying in my room tonight." Far from ideal, but not his choice. Inside his room now, he eased h
Hadzen walked down the hallway in silence, Hannah holding onto him with her head resting against his shoulder, seemingly oblivious to the world around her. She mumbled softly, slurring the words and near unrecognizable. Her breath reeked of alcohol, and he let out a sigh of frustration, imagining she'd had more than one drink at the party."Damn it, Hannah," he muttered to himself, shifting her weight just a little as he continued down the hallway toward her room. "Of all nights to get yourself plastered."It was then he finally rang on the door, tried the handle, and found it was locked. He cursed under his breath. He did not want to raise a scene, even at such a late hour of the night while he looked for another spare key. Patience is thin, and the idea of dealing with the lock only delayed matters further."Fine, plans changed," he muttered, turning on his heel and heading toward his own room. "Looks like you're staying in my room tonight." Far from ideal, but he didn't have a choi
Hadzen glared at his locker, hands clenched into fists, this frustration welling inside of him. He tried everything - pushed himself in the game, avoided Hannah's gaze, even went on pretending he was fine. However, the memory of last night kept coming and would not let him be. It was like a fog which bothered his mind, and he felt as if he were trapped within it, unable to get out of it."Damn it," he muttered to himself, punching the locker one final time, the loud clanging echoing in the locker room."Whoa, easy there, man!" Neil, his teammate and one of his best friends, looked at him in shock, raising his hands in surrender. "I know we lost earlier, but that doesn't mean you need to take it out on the lockers."Hadzen's frown deepened. "Just… drop it, Neil."Neil laughed, a clear tease. "Okay, okay but seriously, what's gotten into you man? You've been off all day.""Like I said, drop it." Hadzen growled, stuffing his gear into his gym bag, a bit stiff and uncoordinated in his mov
The hallway was silent, except for the quiet thrum of voices carried on the breeze, whispering past the dorm stairs. Hannah stands there, her feet constantly shifting forward, backward, the words weighing heavy on her chest as she utters them. Hadzen sits with her, all cold intensity, arms crossed, eyes hard, unreadable.She struggled for a moment, "I. I don't remember much from last night." Her fingers fretted the hem of her shirt as she speaks barely above a whisper. "It's all kind of… foggy. But I do remember feeling safe, as though you'd protect me. After that… everything's unclear."The words seemed to sink down around them like lead. Hadzen's face did not change, but the barest flicker crossed his eyes, a glint of something he quickly covered up. He was not about to let her see that her words moved him."You were out of it," he said, brutally flat and cold. "I just didn't want you ending up doing something you'd regret."Hannah looked up, a flicker of anxiety tightening her expr
Hannah sat at the cafeteria table, gazing blankly at her plate. The bustle going on around her slowly receded into a sort of general hum that was muted and vague. The events of last night clung to her like a fog she could neither clear nor rub away. She wasn't really conscious of the cafeteria filling with students, nor did she pay much attention to the countless glances people threw her as they passed. Her brain was gone, spinning in a mad circle of one image: the man standing over her bed, the cold eyes boring into her, the soft-voiced words that iced her blood.She vaguely realized she was still twirling her fork around her pasta, mashing the noodles into a mangled, disgusting mess. But her stomach roiled, so any notion of eating seemed impossible, and yet she couldn't tear herself out of her trance.Dylan sat across from her, studying her with a growing frown creasing his face, and scanning all her features for any hint of what was wrong. Beside him, Sonia was showing animated ene
The sunset settled gently around them as Dylan and Hannah walked hand in hand, the only noises being the sound of their feet kicking gravel leading home. The last rays of sun painted the sky in pastel shades of orange and pink, bathing with warmth the large gate of the mansion in front of them. Dylan felt at ease within her presence and was settling into his routine. This daily routine, stopping by and making sure she got home safely, became something he looked forward to every day.Just reaching the gate, Hannah turned to him with a very faint smile playing about her lips. "Dylan, thank you for always making sure I get home safely." Her eyes were so warm that his heart skipped a beat. "I really appreciate that.She caught him off guard, stepping forward and putting her arms around him. The hug was tender, warm, and filled with a gratitude he could feel radiating from her. Dylan froze, stunned for a moment before relaxing into the hug, letting himself savor it. It wasn't often that Ha
She closed her eyes tight, felt the stab running through her chest by his claws and the warm spreading blood from her across to his ground below. In reality, Winter's line was blurring, though gritted she would let Leo go nowhere. Hadzen's heart stopped. He saw the whole scene. His mind screamed at him to get up and stop Leo. He could not do that, however. He was stuck in his place by the view of Winter's blood seeping from his body to the floor. In him, anger began to well but panic superseded it. "No!" Winter's faint voice barely reached his ears as he snapped out of his paralysis. She coughed, the breath shallow. "Hadzen… get out of here… run…" Hadzen's legs began moving at a force that he couldn't control. He moved forward with a mind screaming desperately, "Winter!" Leo looked up, his cold stare meeting Hadzen's. For a moment, they locked gazes, a silent challenge between them. But Leo didn't back down. His hand remained deep in Winter's chest, drawing out the power of the
The blood moon deepened, casting an eerie glow across the window of Winter. It bathed her room in crimson light. Hadzen stood by the window, his sharp gaze fixed to the sky, his golden eyes reflecting the ominous red hue that the moon was assuming. Something was wrong. This air felt heavy, charged with unease, and his instincts screamed of danger. It felt unnatural to see how the light spread across the land, like a warning he alone could hear. He had felt this sort of dread before—a feeling of knowing tragedy was about to hit. His jaw clenched up as his fists closed up by his sides. He told himself, This isn't right. This is a sign. He could not resist it; the pull was too great, and he needed to return to the only place that held all the answers-the heart of Hampton. Now, he realized that the chaos he dreaded was no longer an eventuality but rather something that was already in process. Hadzen turned his face from the window; he relaxed his eyes because of what he saw-lies on t
As they stood in front of the modest suburban home, which had a calm appeal due to the fading blue paint on the shutters, Winter’s pulse raced. After exchanging anxious looks, one of her two pals, Crisa and Maris, reached out and pressed the doorbell. Winter’s chest constricted as the bell reverberated throughout the home. She had no idea what to anticipate. She could hardly recall her time here, much less the individuals she may encounter. The woman in her late thirties emerged as the door swung open. Her tired eyes grew wide as they met Winter’s, and her dark hair was pulled back in a loose bun. Her palm gripped the doorframe as though to steady herself, and her lips parted in a wordless gasp. “Winter.” With tears in her eyes, the woman’s voice broke. Unsure of what to say or do, Winter stood motionless. It was hard to ignore the intensity emanating from the woman, even though her face was unfamiliar. “Mom?” Winter hesitated, the word unfamiliar to her. The woman sprang for
The air in Hampton was heavy, the weight of decisions and revelations pressing down on Winter as she stood by the edge of the forest. The towering trees, their roots steeped in ancient magic, seemed to whisper warnings. Leaving the wolf’s sanctuary meant venturing into a world she had only glimpsed through distant memories—a world that neither embraced nor understood the Eclipse essence she now unknowingly carried. Hadzen stood beside her, his presence grounding her. His sharp gaze scanned the horizon, his usual stoic demeanor softened as he glanced her way. “Are you sure about this?” he asked, his voice low, laced with both worry and resolve. Winter tightened her grip on the straps of the bag slung over her shoulder. “I have to be. I need answers, Hadzen. About who I am… about what happened that night.” He nodded, his jaw tightening. “Then I’m coming with you. Whatever we face out there, we face it together.” Winter’s heart fluttered at his words, but she kept her emotions in
The only sound in the room was the gentle rustle of the curtains as a refreshing breeze entered through the open window. The mellow brightness of the candles strewn across the room blended with the moonlight, which created delicate silver streaks over the wooden floor. Curled up against Hadzen’s chest, Winter’s fingers traced languid lines across his exposed flesh. Her movements had a sensitivity that made his heart constrict, even though her touch was light and almost timid. At first, neither of them said anything. The silence was thick and heavy with feelings they weren’t yet ready to express, yet it wasn’t uncomfortable. You wanted to enjoy the moment since you knew it might not happen again, and it was the kind of silence. With his fingers stroking in calming circles, Hadzen’s hand lay gently on Winter’s back. For a minute he closed his eyes and breathed her in, the warmth of her body against his, the subtle lavender perfume in her hair. For as long as possible, he wanted to clin
The Hampton estate was oppressively quiet. Winter was standing by her room’s window, staring off into the huge forest beyond. She was struggling to breathe as the weight of the disclosures from the last few days slammed against her chest. She wasn’t Hannah. She wasn’t the ideal, compassionate, and predestined girl that everyone believed her to be. The delicate strands of her identity had been ripped by that fact, and she felt as though she was coming apart. The door behind her squeaked open. Winter did not arrive. She was not required to. The only person who could break through the jumble of her thoughts was someone she knew. Her voice was firm but scratchy as she replied, “I thought I locked the door.” Hadzen entered, his presence reverberating throughout the space. His golden eyes stared at her silhouetted figure against the faint moonlight for a moment before he spoke. At last, he murmured in a low, gravelly voice, “You did.” “I’m not interested.” The sight of him made Winter’
As they strolled in quiet, the group was bathed in dappled light from the morning sun that filtered through the thick forest canopy. Winter followed Hadzen, her mind still jumbled from the night they’d spent together. She couldn’t deny the throbbing warmth in her heart, which was a maelstrom of perplexity and shame. It was difficult to control the feelings that threatened to overtake her because of the constant cadence of Hadzen’s steps in front of her, which was both consoling and agonizing. “Winter.” Her reverie was interrupted by Hadzen’s forceful yet gentle voice. His keen eyes scanned her face as he paused to walk next to her. “You haven’t said anything.” She shrugged, avoiding his eyes. “I have a lot on my mind.” A slight smile twisted Hadzen’s lips. “You’ve never been adept at controlling your feelings.” His sly gaze caused Winter’s cheeks to heat up. “And your ability to read them is obnoxious.” He answered in a firm yet light tone, “I’d call it a skill.” As the
The silence of the Hampton estate was suffocating. Winter stood by the window of her room, her gaze lost in the vast expanse of the forest beyond. The weight of the revelations from the past few days pressed on her chest, leaving her gasping for air. She wasn’t Hannah. She wasn’t the girl everyone thought she was—perfect, kind, destined. That truth had severed the thin threads of her identity, and she felt like she was unraveling. Behind her, the door creaked open softly. Winter didn’t turn. She didn’t have to. She knew who it was—the only person who could cut through the chaos of her thoughts. “I thought I locked the door,” she said, her voice hoarse but steady. Hadzen stepped inside, his presence filling the room like a storm. He didn’t reply at first, his golden eyes locked on her figure silhouetted against the pale moonlight. “You did,” he finally said, his voice low, gravelly. “I don’t care.” Winter turned to face him, her chest tightening at the sight of him. His hair w
As Winter, Hadzen, Sonia, and Ericka stood close to Hampton’s gates, prepared to go, the early morning air hung thick. With a worried expression on her face, Maxine had observed them from the stairs. She had vehemently opposed Winter’s departure, but it had been hard to deny her resolve. As she pulled Winter into an embrace, Maxine’s voice was tight as she whispered, “Promise me you’ll come back.” Winter held her close and said, “I will, Mom.” The group now stepped into the tree shadows, the forest stretching on forever in front of them. Even though they had no idea where they were going, Hadzen guided them with unwavering assurance and his keen intuition. Winter strolled next to him, the dim light filtering through the thick canopy, almost illuminating her pale complexion. As they moved further, Sonia said, her keen eyes darting about, “This place feels… different.” From the back, Ericka murmured quietly and grimly, “It’s because we’re getting close to the Veil. This i