Chapter One: The Wolf Beneath the

Chapter One: The Boy Everyone Should Fear

The first rule Ryan had made for himself was simple: never let them see the wolf. Unfortunately, Bryan had just decided to break that rule. Why are you always alone? The question sliced through the noisy hallway, followed by a wave of laughter and curious whispers. Ryan stopped mid-step, his fingers tightening around the strap of his backpack as he stared at the floor for a moment. Not again. He slowly turned around, his gray eyes settling on Bryan, who stood several feet behind him with a smug grin spread across his face. His hands were buried casually inside the pockets of his uniform trousers, while William and Jackson stood on either side of him, wearing identical expressions of amusement. They looked like three predators who had finally cornered something they had been hunting all week.

I asked you a question, Bryan called out, taking another step closer. Or are you too important to answer ordinary people? A few students nearby snickered, but Ryan barely reacted. He simply tightened his grip on his backpack and studied Bryan with an unreadable expression. His face remained calm, almost emotionless, yet beneath that calmness was an exhaustion no teenager should have carried. He looked tired of the school, tired of the whispers, tired of pretending he was someone he wasn’t. I don’t want any trouble, he replied quietly, his voice low enough that everyone nearby had to fall silent to hear him.

The hallway immediately erupted with whispers. So he can talk? someone murmured. I thought he was mute, another student replied. That’s the first time I’ve heard his voice. Ryan heard every word, but he had learned not to react. He had been hearing things like that since transferring to Silvercrest High a week ago. In a school filled with hundreds of teenagers desperate for something interesting to talk about, being different was enough to make someone famous. Ryan never joined anyone during lunch, never played basketball after class, never attended parties, and never stayed around long enough for anyone to become his friend. He arrived before the bell, attended his classes, and disappeared the moment school ended. That was all.

Naturally, the students had created their own explanations. Some claimed Ryan had been expelled from his previous school after nearly killing another student. Others believed he came from an incredibly wealthy family and thought everyone around him was beneath him. One particularly ridiculous rumor claimed he had spent time in juvenile detention. Ryan had never corrected them because the truth was far more dangerous than any rumor they could invent. Bryan, however, wasn’t interested in the truth. He was interested in Ryan, or more specifically, in the attention Ryan received without even trying. Girls whispered about the mysterious transfer student with silver-gray eyes, while boys wondered why someone who barely spoke had somehow become one of the most talked-about students in school. Every time Bryan walked through the corridors, he heard Ryan’s name, and it was beginning to drive him insane.

So you don’t want trouble? Bryan repeated with a mocking laugh as he stepped closer. That’s funny because trouble seems to follow you everywhere. Ryan lowered his eyes briefly before looking back at him. Please move. Bryan’s smile vanished. What did you just say? I said, please move. William burst into laughter, nudging Jackson with his elbow. Did you hear that? The quiet kid actually has a backbone. Jackson shook his head with a smirk. Looks more like stupidity to me. Several students stopped pretending they weren’t watching. A few leaned against their lockers while others secretly pulled out their phones, excitement spreading through the hallway as everyone waited for the confrontation to become a fight.

Bryan stepped closer until Ryan’s back was almost touching the lockers. Do you know who I am? he demanded, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. Ryan nodded once. Yes. Bryan’s eyebrows lifted. And you’re still talking to me like that? Ryan’s expression didn’t change. I’m talking to you with respect. Bryan’s jaw tightened. No, you’re looking down on me. Ryan glanced at him for a moment before calmly replying, You’re mistaken. That was enough. Bryan’s hands shot forward and slammed against Ryan’s chest, sending him stumbling backward into the lockers. His shoulder struck the metal with a deafening crash, and pain shot through his body. Several students gasped, but Ryan forced himself upright, straightened his uniform, and reached for his backpack as if nothing had happened.

Instead of backing away, Bryan laughed. You really think I’m finished? Ryan froze, his fingers tightening around the strap of his bag. Something hot stirred beneath his skin, something he had spent months learning to control. Walk away, he warned quietly. Bryan’s expression hardened. What? Just walk away. Bryan didn’t listen. His fist suddenly shot forward and slammed into Ryan’s cheek. Ryan’s head snapped sideways, his balance disappeared, and he crashed onto the polished floor. His backpack slipped from his shoulder and skidded several feet away, sending his notebooks scattering across the hallway. A chorus of shocked gasps followed as students stared at him in disbelief.

Ryan remained on the floor for several seconds, one hand pressed against the ground as his cheek throbbed painfully. He could taste blood at the corner of his mouth, but the pain wasn’t what frightened him. Something inside him had awakened. His fingers curled against the floor as a deep growl echoed inside his mind. Fight back. Ryan’s breathing became heavier. His wolf stirred violently beneath his skin, demanding freedom. Break him. Make them afraid. Ryan clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms, fighting against the instincts surging through his body. Not here. Not now. He couldn’t lose control in front of hundreds of students. He had spent months learning how to silence the beast inside him, how to hide the strength in his blood, how to pretend he was nothing more than an ordinary teenager.

If he shifted now, everything would be over. The rumors would become insignificant. The school would discover what he truly was, and once they did, there would be nowhere left for him to hide. Ryan slowly lifted his head, his gray eyes fixed on Bryan. For a brief second, something unnatural flickered inside them, causing the students closest to him to instinctively step backward. Bryan didn’t notice. He only laughed. You’re pathetic.

Ryan’s jaw tightened as his wolf growled again, but before he could respond, another voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.

Ryan… don’t fight him.

His entire body went rigid.

His heart seemed to stop.

Ryan knew that voice.

He hadn’t heard it in six years.

Because the person who had spoken those words had been dead for six years.

His eyes widened, and for the first time since arriving at Silvercrest High, the calm mask on his face completely shattered.

Deep inside him, his wolf went silent.

And Ryan realized something terrifying.

The dead were never supposed to speak.