MasukRue’s POVWe stood near the shoreline now, the surface of the lake reflecting fragments of the evening light.His hands remained at my waist. Mine rested against his chest.In my past, closeness had always carried expectation and obligation. I had once believed that intimacy was something to be endured, like walking across thin ice.This was different.When Percy kissed me again, it wasn’t with hesitation, it was reassuring.His mouth moved against mine slowly, as if exploring a language we were building together from scratch. My breath hitched softly when his fingers traced the curve of my spine, mapping the line with quiet reverence.I deepene
Rue’s POVIris was eight now. It marked survival and growth. Years I had not been certain I would live to witness.She had my eyes, it was remarkable, always scanning the world as if cataloging it. But her smile was freer than mine had ever been at that age. She laughed easily.She stood between Percy and me, holding both our hands as we walked toward the car. She spoke animatedly about the newly built school, about a drawing she had made, about how she thought wolves should be majestic in painting.I had laughed.Percy had crouched down to her level, “Majestic wolves,” he said, “that would be revolutionary.”Iris grinned at him with unfiltered admiration.
Rue’s POVI had almost forgotten what it felt like to be invited somewhere without calculation. Ever since the mutation apocalypse, I had rarely heard of parties.When Vicky called and insisted I attend her small gathering at the mountain lodge, I nearly declined out of instinct. “Just come,” she had said lightly. “Let’s enjoy life for once.”The idea felt foreign, but I went.The lodge sat near the base of the northern range. Patches of snow still clung stubbornly to shaded slopes, while the lower meadows had already surrendered to green. The air smelled of thawing earth.Inside, the atmosphere was warm and conversation drifted easily from one topic to another. With the light laughter that transformed the air, I was glad that no one watched me too closely or no one whispered when I passed.I stood by the window for a short while before Percy joined me eventually. He held two glasses and handed one to me without speaking, his shoulder brushing mine lightly.“This is new,” he observe
Author’s POVAiden’s proposal had been rejected. In the formal letter that had been typed after the meeting cited “insufficient institutional trust,” “limited documented community-level implementation experience,” and “concerns regarding stability of leadership oversight.”They seemed like polite words but they had devastating implications.Aiden stood at the doorway as he read it. His fingers tightened around the paper.He had led patrols, defended borders, and negotiated tough agreements. He had commanded wolves in battle and maintained internal order through the mutation craze. And yet here, in the CDC facility, those victories meant little.They did not trust him. Not after the wedding incident. Not after whispers of plagiarism and concealed conflicts.He exhaled slowly, folding the letter once, then again, until the crisp edges bent unevenly beneath his grip.There was more. The second page outlined the CDC’s decision not to reassign the project to any alternative candidate with
Author’s POVThe elders convened more frequently than before. The nationwide directive concerning the containment and treatment of mutated rabid wolves had transformed from a distant crisis into an immediate political battleground. Whoever secured the CDC grant project would not only control the research initiative but also the flow of national funding, and with it, influence that stretched far beyond pack borders.“We cannot afford any sort of hesitation,” Aiden said firmly. “If we secure the initial operational control, we will secure legitimacy. The CDC neutral region is expanding its containment wing...plus the funding.”Several elders exchanged glances.The scandal at the wedding had not faded from collective memory. The charity presentation drama had brought more doubts. Most of the elders had already lost hope in ‘Haven’s’ plan.Still, Aiden pressed forward.“We will present a revised treatment protocol,” he continued. “It integrates containment, adaptive immune modulation, a
Rue’s POVThe first time I stood at the front of Blue’s classroom, chalk in hand, I felt like my plan was silently falling into place. Tiny chairs formed a semicircle before me, each occupied by a child whose legs dangled several inches above the floor, swinging with unspent energy.Children smelled different from adults. Their emotions were immediate and unfiltered, excitement, boredom, curiosity, frustration; all of it flickering openly across their faces without concealment.“Alright,” I said gently, kneeling to their eye level. “Today we’re going to play a game.”They leaned forward instantly.I had structured the lesson to be interactive, matching exercises disguised as adventure. It was about colors, and the kids loved it.Blue sat near the window.She had grown taller. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders. She watched me intently throughout the lesson, her gaze thoughtful in a way that made my chest ache.She didn’t recognize me. Of course she didn’t. She knew me as her tea
Rue‘s POVI blinked my eyes open when the bell rang at Iris’s school and the playground outside came alive with children’s chatter. I had been busy since 4 am in the morning, and in my waiting for Iris, I had fallen asleep in my car.I saw Iris in the company of other girls exiting the elementary s
Aiden’s POVThe restaurant’s dim lights shone gold in a fancy way. The candlelights on our table flickering at the slightest gust of wind. Haven smiled as she delicately sipped from her wine glass. Clearly, she was enjoying the evening dinner. Myself on the other hand, I was already tired. I very
Rue’s POVWe exited the hospital in silence at first. People stared as we left, murmuring in hushed tones but we could still hear them. Some wondered what I was doing back here in the first place, others thought I came to heal Aiden because I probably still had feelings, a laughable matter.It wasn
Rue’s POVBy the time I found Bella and Iris waiting near the exit, the blaring alarms had died off. Bella was nervously tapping her feet, hands akimbo, while Iris had her eyes trained on the main exit.“Finally!” Bella exclaimed, walking forward towards me. “What on earth took you so long? Do you







