Pain throbbed in Evelyn’s arm, a relentless reminder of the impossible truth. The nurse’s words echoed in her mind.
"They are, Detective. And if you don’t start believing that, you’re already dead."
She wasn’t crazy. She wasn’t seeing things. The blood seeping through the hospital bandages proved that. The creature in the Red Hollow Club was real—impossibly fast, impossibly strong. A werewolf.
And Damian Voss knew about it.
The sterile hospital room felt suffocating. The fluorescent lights buzzed, and the scent of antiseptic burned her nose. She needed answers. She needed to move.
Ignoring the nurse’s protests, Evelyn ripped off her IV and stumbled toward the exit. Her head swam, but she pushed through it. She couldn’t afford to rest.
The moment she stepped outside, the night felt different—thick with something unseen, something watching.
A shiver ran down her spine.
She wasn’t alone.
Her fingers hovered over her holster as she scanned the parking lot. Empty. Quiet. Too quiet.
Then—movement.
A shadow flickered across the far end of the lot, barely a blur, but she saw it.
She wasn’t imagining things.
Evelyn’s grip tightened on her gun. "Come out."
Silence.
Her pulse hammered.
Then—behind her.
A rush of air. A presence.
She spun just in time.
A figure loomed in the darkness, tall and eerily still. Not the werewolf. Something else. A man.
No—not a man.
His eyes gleamed unnaturally, silver catching the dim light. He took a slow step forward, head tilting slightly.
"You’re in over your head, Detective."
Evelyn raised her gun. "Who the hell are you?"
The figure didn’t answer. He moved—so fast she barely saw it.
A hand clamped around her wrist, twisting her gun away before she could fire. She gasped, but she didn’t freeze. She drove her knee up, aiming for his ribs.
But he caught her leg mid-air.
Impossible.
He was inhumanly strong.
"You’re wasting time," he said calmly as if her struggle didn’t matter. "You think you’re hunting the truth, but the truth is hunting you."
Evelyn grits her teeth, using her free hand to go for the knife strapped to her waist.
The man-creature—sighed. "Enough."
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent her flying backward.
Her body crashed against the pavement. Pain jolted through her spine, knocking the breath from her lungs.
She coughed, forcing herself up, the gun shaking in her grip. "You work for Voss?"
The man’s expression didn’t change. "I don’t work for him."
Evelyn’s heart pounded. "Then who the hell are you?"
For the first time, his lips twitched into something resembling a smirk. "A warning."
Then he was gone.
Not walking. Not running. Just… gone.
Like he had melted into the night.
Evelyn’s breath came in sharp bursts. Her arm throbbed, her ribs ached, but nothing hurt worse than the realization settling in her gut.
This was bigger than Voss. Bigger than her father’s case.
And she had just made herself a target.
Breaking the Chain
Back at the precinct, Evelyn paced her office, piecing it together. Decker was gone, locked up, but that didn’t solve anything.
The werewolves. The stranger in the parking lot. Voss.
How deep did this go?
She pulled out the files, cross-referencing everything her father had worked on. There had to be a link. A pattern.
Then—she found it.
A series of missing persons cases. All men. All officers.
All are linked to Voss Enterprises.
Her father wasn’t the first cop who went after Voss.
And he wouldn’t be the last.
A chill spread through her.
She was next.
Morning came too soon. Evelyn didn’t sleep. She barely moved from her desk, pouring over files, trying to make sense of it.
A knock at her door made her jump.
Ramirez stood there, holding two coffee cups. "You look like hell."
Evelyn took the coffee without a word, sipping it mechanically.
Ramirez frowned. "Talk to me."
Evelyn hesitated. If she told him the truth, he’d think she lost her mind. But if she didn’t—
"You ever hear of werewolves, Ramirez?"
He snorted. "Is that a joke?"
She didn’t smile.
Ramirez’s face fell. "Wait. You’re serious?"
Evelyn set down her coffee, rolling up her sleeve. The bandages on her arm were fresh, but the marks underneath weren’t normal.
Ramirez’s jaw tightened. "Damn, Cross…"
She met his gaze. "I saw one."
Silence stretched between them. Then, Ramirez exhaled slowly. "And Voss?"
"He knows something." She leaned forward. "I think he controls them."
Ramirez ran a hand through his hair. "Jesus."
Evelyn nodded. "Yeah."
A long pause. Then Ramirez straightened. "So what’s the plan?"
Evelyn stared at her files, at the names of the missing officers.
"We end this," she said.
"Before they end us."
Somewhere deep in the city, hidden beneath layers of wealth and power, Damian Voss sat in the dim glow of his private chamber. The walls were lined with ancient books, relics of a past few understood. Shadows flickered against the polished mahogany desk where he rested his hands.
Across from him, three figures stood, their faces unreadable, their postures rigid. The air was thick with unspoken tension.
Voss exhaled, swirling the whiskey in his glass before taking a slow sip. His sharp gaze flickered toward them.
"Evelyn Cross is moving too fast." His voice was smooth, but there was an edge to it—a quiet, dangerous finality. "She knows too much already. The only thing stopping her is evidence."
One of the men shifted slightly. "She doesn’t have proof yet."
"She will," Voss said, setting his glass down with a soft clink. "And when she does, it’s over."
A long silence followed. Then Voss leaned forward, his silver eyes gleaming in the low light.
"We have to take care of her. Fast."
The figures nodded.
The hunt had begun.
Evelyn sat in her office, her injured wrist wrapped tightly in fresh bandages. The pain was a dull throb, a constant reminder that everything she thought she knew about the world had just shattered. Werewolves were real.
And so was the danger she was in.
She leaned back in her chair, staring at the case files spread across her desk. None of it mattered now. The murders, the cover-ups, the missing pieces—they were all tied to something far bigger than she had ever imagined.
A knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts.
Before she could answer, Ramirez pushed his way in, his face tight with urgency. In his hands was a thick manila envelope.
“You’re gonna want to see this,” he said, dropping it onto her desk.
Evelyn sat up. “What is it?”
Ramirez hesitated. “Anonymous drop-off. No fingerprints. No cameras caught who left it. But, Cross… if this is real, Voss is screwed.”
Her pulse quickened as she ripped the envelope open, spilling its contents onto the desk.
Photos. Documents. Records that shouldn’t exist.
The first picture made her stomach twist—a crime scene photo from thirty years ago. A body ripped apart under the light of a full moon. The name on the report made her breath hitch.
Detective Samuel Cross. Her father.
Her hands trembled as she flipped through the papers. There were reports of similar attacks, all marked as “unsolved” or “wild animal incidents.” But the truth was right in front of her.
These weren’t animal attacks.
They were werewolf attacks.
And then she saw it—a grainy surveillance still, taken from inside Voss Enterprises. The image was old, but the man in the frame was unmistakable.
Damian Voss.
Standing over her father’s dead body.
Evelyn’s blood turned ice-cold.
“Holy shit,” Ramirez muttered, staring at the photo. “He was there.”
Evelyn’s fingers clenched the paper, her jaw tightening. “He didn’t just know my father. He killed him.”
Her mind raced. This was the missing piece. The thing that tied everything together.
This was proof.
But who sent it? And why now?
As if reading her mind, Ramirez frowned. “Who else knows you’re this close?”
Evelyn exhaled sharply. “Not enough people.” She grabbed her gun and her badge. “But I’m about to change that.”
She had spent her whole life searching for the truth.
Now, she had it.
And she was going to bring Damian Voss down.
Evelyn’s heartbeat thundered in her ears as she clutched the evidence in her trembling hands. The photograph of Damian Voss standing over her father’s body burned into her mind.She had spent years chasing shadows, searching for answers that never came. But now, the truth was staring back at her.Voss had killed her father.Her fingers tightened around the old crime scene photo, but something made her pause.A strange feeling crept up her spine.Her eyes flickered back to the grainy surveillance still, scanning every detail. The dim lighting, the position of her father’s lifeless body… and then—Voss.Her breath caught.She grabbed another picture from the pile—one taken recently at a corporate gala.Her stomach dropped.Damian Voss.The same sharp features. The same piercing silver eyes. The same cold expression.Not a single change.Thirty years apart, and he looks the same.Her pulse pounded as she compared the photos side by side. There were no signs of aging—no wrinkles, no gray h
Chapter SixThe night air felt heavier than usual as Evelyn stepped out of the station. The streetlights buzzed above, casting pools of dim orange light over the wet pavement. Ramirez was waiting by her car, his face drawn tight.“We need to talk,” he said, his voice low.Evelyn didn’t answer right away. Her mind was still replaying the moment Judge Carter dismissed the case, the moment her boss made it clear—Voss wasn’t just above the law. He owned it.She reached for her keys, but Ramirez caught her wrist. “Evelyn, listen to me. We’re in way too deep.” His voice was urgent now. “If they got to Carter, they can get to anyone. You know what this means, right?”“They already got to the chief,” she said bitterly, yanking her hand free. “That means we’re alone in this.”Ramirez exhaled, glancing around like he expected someone to be watching. Maybe they were. “I don’t know, Cross. Maybe it’s time to let this go.”Evelyn scoffed. “You want to walk away?”“I want to survive,” he shot back.
The precinct was colder than usual when Evelyn stepped inside. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as she walked toward her office, her boots echoing against the tiled floor. But the moment she pushed open the door, she froze.A group of detectives stood inside, their expressions unreadable.Captain Harrisp leaned against her desk, arms crossed. His eyes held something she couldn’t quite place—guilt, maybe.“Detective Cross,” he said, his tone clipped. “Hand over everything you have on Damian Voss.”Evelyn’s fingers curled into fists. “Excuse me?”“This is an order. All files, notes—anything related to your investigation into Voss. Effective immediately, you are being reassigned.”A cold weight settled in her stomach. “Reassigned?”Captain Harris didn’t flinch. He reached into his coat and pulled out a document, setting it on the desk.“Harper Town,” he said. “You leave tonight.”Evelyn barely heard the words. Her vision blurred as she read the transfer notice. Harper Town—a quiet c
Across the table, Commissioner Henry Smith, a man known for his good authority, looked like a ghost of himself. His daughter, Isabel Smith, had been taken.The ransom demand had come hours ago—one million dollars in cash, untraceable bills, and no cops—or she died.Evelyn knew better. This wasn’t about money. It never was, not with criminals, this was calculated.She asked the commissioner if he suspected anyone, but he shook his head. "No one," he replied. "My daughter has never caused trouble." Isabel had been taken from her university parking lot in broad daylight. No witnesses, no surveillance footage—too clean. The kidnappers had either planned this for months or had help from someone inside. Commissioner Henry said“Detective Cross,” Henry said. “Find her. No matter the cost.”She nodded, but there was no comfort she could offer. Not yet.Evelyn went to Isabel’s university, weaving through the bustling campus as she searched for anyone who might have answers. She questioned stu
The city never truly slept, but on full moon nights, it felt different—like something old and wild moved underneath, a dark presence hiding nearby. Detective Evelyn Cross had learned to trust her instincts, and right now, they were screaming at her, a loud mix of warning bells rang in her mind.She stood outside the police station, drinking a cup of coffee that had long been cold, the bitter taste a reminder of the urgency that gnawed at her insides. The streetlights buzzed overhead, casting long, distorted shadows on the pavement, as if the very ground was alive with secrets. Inside, the station was a lot of activity—phones ringing, officers moving back and forth, the air thick with tension—but none of it reached her. Not after what her boss had just told her.Another body. Another night. Another brutal crime scene.The killer struck only on full moons, leaving behind the victims so deformed that even the most seasoned officers had to turn away, their faces pale and drawn. Five bodie
Evelyn barely had time to react.Evelyn couldn’t stay in her apartment. Not after the call. Not after the warning. The moment she stepped into the parking lot outside her apartment, a hand clamped over her mouth, dragging her backward. Instinct kicked in. She drove her elbow into the attacker’s ribs and twisted free, stumbling onto the pavement.A figure in black lunged at her. No hesitation. She fired.The gunshot echoed through the night, but the bullet never landed. The figure moved impossibly fast, sidestepping at the last second. A gloved fist smashed into her wrist, knocking the gun from her grip.Pain exploded through her arm, but she didn’t stop. She pivoted, slamming a knee into the attacker’s stomach. They grunted but didn’t fall.Whoever they were, they were strong. Too strong.Evelyn reached for her backup knife, but before she could draw it, the figure grabbed her by the collar and hurled her backward. She hit the ground hard, air rushing from her lungs.The attacker step
Evelyn barely drive back to the station. Her hands gripped the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. Damian Voss knew something—something about her father. He wanted her to know it, wanted to dangle the truth just out of reach.Her mind replayed his words, over and over."Do you know what his last words were?"That smug smile. That mocking tone.Voss was taunting her.But he had made a mistake.She wasn’t walking away.She parked outside the station, heart hammering. The confrontation at Voss Enterprises had left her rattled, but she still had unfinished business. Detective Decker. The cop selling them out.The moment she walked into the station, the noise felt different—forced, unnatural. Officers typed on their computers, chatted in groups, but there was an undercurrent of tension, a shift in the air.They knew.Evelyn’s gaze locked onto Decker, standing near the vending machine, sipping coffee like nothing was wrong.But he was wrong.She strode toward him, her presence like
Across the table, Commissioner Henry Smith, a man known for his good authority, looked like a ghost of himself. His daughter, Isabel Smith, had been taken.The ransom demand had come hours ago—one million dollars in cash, untraceable bills, and no cops—or she died.Evelyn knew better. This wasn’t about money. It never was, not with criminals, this was calculated.She asked the commissioner if he suspected anyone, but he shook his head. "No one," he replied. "My daughter has never caused trouble." Isabel had been taken from her university parking lot in broad daylight. No witnesses, no surveillance footage—too clean. The kidnappers had either planned this for months or had help from someone inside. Commissioner Henry said“Detective Cross,” Henry said. “Find her. No matter the cost.”She nodded, but there was no comfort she could offer. Not yet.Evelyn went to Isabel’s university, weaving through the bustling campus as she searched for anyone who might have answers. She questioned stu
The precinct was colder than usual when Evelyn stepped inside. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as she walked toward her office, her boots echoing against the tiled floor. But the moment she pushed open the door, she froze.A group of detectives stood inside, their expressions unreadable.Captain Harrisp leaned against her desk, arms crossed. His eyes held something she couldn’t quite place—guilt, maybe.“Detective Cross,” he said, his tone clipped. “Hand over everything you have on Damian Voss.”Evelyn’s fingers curled into fists. “Excuse me?”“This is an order. All files, notes—anything related to your investigation into Voss. Effective immediately, you are being reassigned.”A cold weight settled in her stomach. “Reassigned?”Captain Harris didn’t flinch. He reached into his coat and pulled out a document, setting it on the desk.“Harper Town,” he said. “You leave tonight.”Evelyn barely heard the words. Her vision blurred as she read the transfer notice. Harper Town—a quiet c
Chapter SixThe night air felt heavier than usual as Evelyn stepped out of the station. The streetlights buzzed above, casting pools of dim orange light over the wet pavement. Ramirez was waiting by her car, his face drawn tight.“We need to talk,” he said, his voice low.Evelyn didn’t answer right away. Her mind was still replaying the moment Judge Carter dismissed the case, the moment her boss made it clear—Voss wasn’t just above the law. He owned it.She reached for her keys, but Ramirez caught her wrist. “Evelyn, listen to me. We’re in way too deep.” His voice was urgent now. “If they got to Carter, they can get to anyone. You know what this means, right?”“They already got to the chief,” she said bitterly, yanking her hand free. “That means we’re alone in this.”Ramirez exhaled, glancing around like he expected someone to be watching. Maybe they were. “I don’t know, Cross. Maybe it’s time to let this go.”Evelyn scoffed. “You want to walk away?”“I want to survive,” he shot back.
Evelyn’s heartbeat thundered in her ears as she clutched the evidence in her trembling hands. The photograph of Damian Voss standing over her father’s body burned into her mind.She had spent years chasing shadows, searching for answers that never came. But now, the truth was staring back at her.Voss had killed her father.Her fingers tightened around the old crime scene photo, but something made her pause.A strange feeling crept up her spine.Her eyes flickered back to the grainy surveillance still, scanning every detail. The dim lighting, the position of her father’s lifeless body… and then—Voss.Her breath caught.She grabbed another picture from the pile—one taken recently at a corporate gala.Her stomach dropped.Damian Voss.The same sharp features. The same piercing silver eyes. The same cold expression.Not a single change.Thirty years apart, and he looks the same.Her pulse pounded as she compared the photos side by side. There were no signs of aging—no wrinkles, no gray h
Pain throbbed in Evelyn’s arm, a relentless reminder of the impossible truth. The nurse’s words echoed in her mind."They are, Detective. And if you don’t start believing that, you’re already dead."She wasn’t crazy. She wasn’t seeing things. The blood seeping through the hospital bandages proved that. The creature in the Red Hollow Club was real—impossibly fast, impossibly strong. A werewolf.And Damian Voss knew about it.The sterile hospital room felt suffocating. The fluorescent lights buzzed, and the scent of antiseptic burned her nose. She needed answers. She needed to move.Ignoring the nurse’s protests, Evelyn ripped off her IV and stumbled toward the exit. Her head swam, but she pushed through it. She couldn’t afford to rest.The moment she stepped outside, the night felt different—thick with something unseen, something watching.A shiver ran down her spine.She wasn’t alone.Her fingers hovered over her holster as she scanned the parking lot. Empty. Quiet. Too quiet.Then—mo
Evelyn barely drive back to the station. Her hands gripped the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. Damian Voss knew something—something about her father. He wanted her to know it, wanted to dangle the truth just out of reach.Her mind replayed his words, over and over."Do you know what his last words were?"That smug smile. That mocking tone.Voss was taunting her.But he had made a mistake.She wasn’t walking away.She parked outside the station, heart hammering. The confrontation at Voss Enterprises had left her rattled, but she still had unfinished business. Detective Decker. The cop selling them out.The moment she walked into the station, the noise felt different—forced, unnatural. Officers typed on their computers, chatted in groups, but there was an undercurrent of tension, a shift in the air.They knew.Evelyn’s gaze locked onto Decker, standing near the vending machine, sipping coffee like nothing was wrong.But he was wrong.She strode toward him, her presence like
Evelyn barely had time to react.Evelyn couldn’t stay in her apartment. Not after the call. Not after the warning. The moment she stepped into the parking lot outside her apartment, a hand clamped over her mouth, dragging her backward. Instinct kicked in. She drove her elbow into the attacker’s ribs and twisted free, stumbling onto the pavement.A figure in black lunged at her. No hesitation. She fired.The gunshot echoed through the night, but the bullet never landed. The figure moved impossibly fast, sidestepping at the last second. A gloved fist smashed into her wrist, knocking the gun from her grip.Pain exploded through her arm, but she didn’t stop. She pivoted, slamming a knee into the attacker’s stomach. They grunted but didn’t fall.Whoever they were, they were strong. Too strong.Evelyn reached for her backup knife, but before she could draw it, the figure grabbed her by the collar and hurled her backward. She hit the ground hard, air rushing from her lungs.The attacker step
The city never truly slept, but on full moon nights, it felt different—like something old and wild moved underneath, a dark presence hiding nearby. Detective Evelyn Cross had learned to trust her instincts, and right now, they were screaming at her, a loud mix of warning bells rang in her mind.She stood outside the police station, drinking a cup of coffee that had long been cold, the bitter taste a reminder of the urgency that gnawed at her insides. The streetlights buzzed overhead, casting long, distorted shadows on the pavement, as if the very ground was alive with secrets. Inside, the station was a lot of activity—phones ringing, officers moving back and forth, the air thick with tension—but none of it reached her. Not after what her boss had just told her.Another body. Another night. Another brutal crime scene.The killer struck only on full moons, leaving behind the victims so deformed that even the most seasoned officers had to turn away, their faces pale and drawn. Five bodie