There were no emotions within Maxine's eyes, only an eerie, vast void. Her heart thundered within her chest with a savagery that threatened to rip her limb from limb, while her brain was a maelstrom of raw, uncontrollable rage. It was the need for vengeance that drove her onward, some bestial urge that had to be appeased. She spotted Coreen in the ladies' room, her gaze nailed to her target. Coreen was changing her top, totally oblivious to the storm brewing just outside the door. As each second ticked by, Maxine's anger coursed higher. One of Coreen's friends, Nikki, was the first to notice the intense stare coming from Maxine and chimed in with a snide remark, "Look, it's Maxine. What's with you, creep? Why are you staring like that?” Seeing Maxine, Coreen hastened to change into the clothes. "What's up, fatty? You look so angry?" she sneered, grinning. Maxine's eyes were vacant, but it would seem that the anger inside her was palpable. Coreen's words served only to whet her ange
Maxine's eyes fluttered open to a world of confusion. She lay on the forest floor, rough ground pressed against her bare skin. The dirt felt clinging to her body, and when she raised her quivering hands to her face, she saw they were stained with blood. Her breath caught in her throat as memories of the night before returned. No. no, this isn't me, she had whispered quivering, while her eyes had welled up with tears. I'm not like that. I didn't mean to. But the images were too vivid to deny. She remembered the way her body had contorted, the way her wolf was surging forth from deep inside her-a monstrous force she could neither understand nor control. And she remembered faces-Drake's face, twisted in pain as she tore into him. Guilt and horror twisted her stomach as she struggled to her feet, attempting to wipe off the blood and dirt clinging to her. The forest around her was still, silent, as if it held its breath while it waited to see what she would do next. Maxine shuddered
It was morning, and the sun had just started to rise high over the busy garden, casting a warm, golden glow. Miranda, her mother, was tending to her flowers, trimming the bushes that were overgrown and clearing the dead leaves. She had always found solace in her garden, away from the complications of the world by simply being amidst nature. She worked in a haze, her hands on autopilot as she pruned the rose bush very carefully. The events of the past few days weighed heavy on her mind, although she tried to be strong for Maxine. Her daughter had always been special-different in a way that Miranda couldn't fully comprehend-but the changes in Maxine of late shook her to her core. Suddenly, Miranda's thoughts were invaded by the faint rustling of someone, or something, that seemed to emanate from the flower beds. She frowned, her brow furrowing in concern as she turned toward the source of the noise. It sounded like something-or someone-was moving through the flowers. "Hello?" Miran
Alph tore through the thick woods behind the school, his quickened senses tracking the scent of Maxine. He knew the earthy smell of pine needles and dampened dirt, but beneath it all was something unmistakable-the trace of Maxine. Yet hers was different, stronger, more intense, tinged with a wildness as if the woods themselves were carrying her through the air, drawing him to where she had gone. "Maxine." Alph whispered to himself, his mind racing. He just could not shake off the picture of her earlier-the raw energy coursing through her veins, morphing. The emergence of her wolf was fierce and uncontrollable, like nothing he had ever encountered. He did know that Maxine was strong, but this. This was far beyond his expectations. He fought his way through a thicket of bushes, still reeling from the events that had just unfolded. "Coreen shouldn't have done that," he muttered under his breath, anger bubbling beneath the surface. Coreen had deliberately provoked Maxine into taking th
Maxine stared out the window as the city slowly disappeared into the distance. The hustle and bustle of city living grew quiet, replaced by serene countryside. Tall buildings gave way to vast fields and forests, vibrant shades of green and brown that were somehow soothing, though she hadn't known she needed it. It had been a long journey, but she was relishing every new change of surroundings, however far from ideal the circumstances were.Her mother had insisted she needed to be away from everything-from the chaos, from the overwhelming energy that had surged through her after the incident. Maxine got it, even as it did nothing to make it easier to leave. Finally, the car pulled up in front of a small, old-fashioned house that sat in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by tall trees: her grandmother's house. It was a place she hadn't been since she was little.The car door opened, and Maxine got out, taking a deep breath of the scents around her. The house stood just as she had reme
Chapter 35The sun had barely risen the next morning when the chirping of birds outside her window woke Maxine up. The soft golden light that filtered through thin curtains spread a warm brightness in her room. She stretched, as stiff could be from a journey the day before, and for a moment, forgot where she was. But as her eyes got used to the surroundings, memories of the time of arrival, words of her grandmother, and the responsibility that fell on her shoulders came rushing back.She dressed quickly in the simple clothes laid out for her by her grandmother, making her way downstairs to the scent of breakfast with the sound of her grandmother bustling around the kitchen: loose shirt, sturdy pants, boots meant decidedly for work and not comfort."Good morning, dear," her grandmother greeted her with a warm smile as Maxine entered the kitchen. "Did you sleep well?"Maxine nodded, even though in reality, her sleep had been restless, filled with dreams she couldn't quite remember. "Yes
Alph's P.O.VUniversity felt different now—off-kilter, almost empty. I walked around the grounds with this strange feeling. There was some form of peace since she left; quietness that was never present, I didn't realize how much her presence clogged this place until it was not here anymore. Same campus, same buildings, same roads, same faces, but something essential was deleted.I passed by a group of students on my way to practice. They nodded at me, a few offering half-hearted hellos. I nodded back, but didn't stop to chat. Not that I ever did, but now it was like they didn't expect me to. Everyone had been tiptoeing around me ever since Maxine left, like something had shifted, even if they didn't understand what.Adding to this atmosphere of weirdness, it had been a week since Coreen had gone to school. People talked about her, put in theories of why she had disappeared, but I knew better. Coreen wasn't the kind of person who would keep out of school for no reason at all; whatever
The day of graduation buzzed in the courtyard at Hampton University. The warm sun filtered its way through the trees, casting various patterns of light on the students gathered to celebrate their achievement. Yet, despite the joyful atmosphere, Alph felt that no amount of applause or cheer could fill the hollowness in his chest.He had stood on the fringe of the crowd, his arms folded across his chest, as he watched the ceremony progress. Pride and relief bathed the familiar faces of his classmates, but his eyes scanned elsewhere for that something-or someone-he knew wasn't going to be there. The absence of Maxine clung to him, an inescapable reminder of how everything changed since the incident.On stage, the principal of the university started to cough; his voice rumbled through the speakers. "Graduates, today marks a major milestone in your life," he began in a formal, yet warm tone. "You worked hard, faced challenges, and now stand at the threshold of the future.Alph barely liste