MasukSimone swallowed hard.His breathing slowed.“If they ever find out what you are,” the rogue continued, his tone turning colder, more dangerous, “then you kill them.”“But you’ll be smart,” he added. “Mask your scent. Hide it well.”Simone’s fingers slowly curled at his sides.His lips parted slightly, his voice barely above a whisper. “And… then what?” he asked.The rogue’s lips curved faintly.“Then,” he said, “no one will ever look down on you again.” Simone knew what rogues were.Everyone did.He could feel it in the man’s gaze, those bright red eyes locked onto him, very deep and suffocating. Simone tried not to look, his eyes shifting away, his chest tightening.Rogues didn’t just fight.They took.They killed… and fed on other wolves’ power, stacking strength on top of strength until nothing human was left.Monsters.His stomach twisted.He wasn’t ready for that.Even if a part of him which was deep, ugly and desperate wanted to be like Mat who's strong, chosen and seen.Simon
“Did you just use your wolf to kill all these college students?” a voice cut through the silence.Simone flinched.Fear shot through him as he turned sharply, his breath catching in his throat.A man stood behind him.His eyes glowed deep red and the air around him carried a foul, rotting scent that hit Simone’s nose instantly.Rogue.Simone’s chest tightened.He pushed himself up quickly, stumbling at first before steadying his stance. His hands lifted on instinct, fingers curling slightly, his body tense and ready to fight.“Stay away from me,” he warned, his voice low but shaking.The man didn’t move.Blonde Viking braids fell over his shoulders, framing a face that held no warmth. His gaze stayed locked on Simone, slow and calculating like he was studying him, peeling him apart layer by layer.Simone swallowed hard, taking a step back despite himself.“Who are you?” he demanded, trying to steady his voice, though it wavered at the edges.The man tilted his head slightly, his eyes
Eveyln watched him closely.Slowly… Simone nodded.Once.Then again.His head dropped right after, shoulders sinking as if the weight of it crushed him. He shook his head faintly, shame written all over his face, his hands curling into fists on his thighs.Eveyln’s chest tightened.That was all the answer she needed.Her lips parted, but it took a second before her voice came out. “Where is Bea?” she asked, softer this time but it cracked halfway through.The anger in her eyes flickered.Something else slipped in.Fear.Her gaze wavered as her head dipped slightly, tears gathering faster now. She pressed her lips together, trying to hold it in, then turned her face to the side, blinking hard.“Just tell me…” she whispered, her voice breaking again.Behind her, the rope creaked as she shifted, her body no longer fighting it was just trembling.Simone dropped fully to his knees in front of her, the movement heavy, like he was defeated. His hands hovered in the air for a second before fa
Eveyln didn’t move nor did she blink.The world around her seemed to fade, her mind struggling, refusing to process what she had just heard.Simone.Killed her family?No.No… that couldn’t be right.Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.Only shock.Only the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears as everything she thought she knew began to crack.“Please… please, it’s true… b-believe me,” Bea pleaded, her voice breaking, each word slipping out slower than the last as her head sagged.Eveyln barely heard her.Her mind spun, the words not settling, not making sense. She stared at Bea, her brows drawn tight, lips parting like she wanted to speak—but nothing came out. Her grip on Bea loosened slightly, her focus slipping, her thoughts loud and tangled.“Simone… killed my family…?” she murmured under her breath, almost soundless.Bea tried to nod again, her body trembling.Eveyln shook her head faintly, stepping back a little, her hand dragging through her hair. “No… no
John and Ezra drove their shovels into the earth, metal biting into soil as they followed the spot marked on the map. The forest pressed in around them, branches creaking, leaves hissing overhead. The trees swayed hard, as if a wind moved only through them, not the air. It felt wrong, like the ground didn’t want to be touched but they kept digging. Sweat ran down John’s neck, his grip tightening, while Ezra’s breaths came slow and measured as he shoved another heap of dirt aside. Then both of them froze.John’s shovel hit something softer than stone.He stilled, lifting his head, eyes locking with Ezra’s. “You feel that too, don’t you?” he asked quietly, voice tight.Ezra gave a short nod, stepping closer, his fingers flexing around the handle of his shovel. “Yeah… something’s there,” he murmured, lowering his voice as if the ground itself could hear.They slowed down, careful now. Each movement was controlled and deliberate. John scraped away the dirt with the edge of his shovel whil
Nearly an hour later, Evelyn’s phone vibrated in her bag.She grabbed it instantly.“Paulo?” she answered, already on her feet.“I found something,” Paulo said on the other end, his voice tight. “There were repeated payments made under a shell company. Monthly transfers. High amount.”Evelyn’s pulse quickened. “To where?” she demanded.“A private facility,” he replied. Papers shuffled faintly in the background. “One called ShadeNight Asylum.”Her stomach dropped.“Are you sure?” she asked, already reaching for her jacket.“Positive,” Paulo confirmed. “It’s discreet. Isolated. Expensive. And get this—most of the payments were marked under ‘long-term psychiatric containment.’”Micah was already watching her closely, reading her face.“ShadeNight Asylum,” she said, turning to Micah after the like went dead. “That’s where the money’s going.”Micah’s eyes darkened. “Location?”She checked her phone as the message came in. Her jaw tightened. “About forty minutes from here. On the outskirts.
She slowly woke up, her eyelashes fluttering open. The first thing she saw was John, sitting close by, quietly watching her. He had clearly been awake for a while, his eyes looked tired and heavy.Her eyebrows pulled together as she looked around the unfamiliar room. Confusion showed on her face. T
EVEYLNHe yanked me out of the hospital hallway and through the doors, his grip like iron clamped around my wrist, so strong that even the thought of breaking free was useless. My pulse hammered as I stumbled after him, my shoes scraping against the tiled floor until we bursted outside of the build
EVEYLN“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She rolled her eyes and strode toward the restroom door, her heels clicking against the tiles.I scoffed, my fists tightening at my sides. The urge to grab her by the hair and drag her down, to make her feel the same pain Bea had felt, clawed at my c
JOHNWhat made it worse was that there was no fence or gate. No walls. Nothing to keep anything out. Just that weak old house, sitting wide open to the forest, like it had already stopped trying to protect itself.I couldn’t help but feel sorry for whoever lived there.I walked up to the door and k







