One

Violet's POV

Two months later

I never wanted to be a boy but that's the only way I knew how to survive.....

“Catch that thief!” A man's voice echoed through the streets, and I tried my best to push through.

My feet pounded against the pavement as I tore through the market crowd, clutching my bag to my side.

People jumped out of the way, and I heard someone crying for help, but I didn't dare to stop, running as if my life depended on it.

My shoe got caught on a large stone and before I could think, my body went down like a dead log of wood.

My knees scraped hard against the ground and the sting was sharp enough to blur my vision. "Hey!!" The voice filled my ears again, a clear sign he was getting closer. Letting out a sigh, I picked myself up running.

My wolf whispered a quiet prayer to the goddess, making me let out a chuckle, despite the breathlessness.

I didn’t know what was funny—maybe the thrill, maybe the absurdity of it all—but the sound escaped my throat before I could stop it.

Why was he yelling like that? I only took a few oranges... and maybe a loaf of bread, some jerky, and a bottle of water. Basic stuff.

Nothing that would break the market’s economy. But I knew better than to stick around and explain. I tossed my bag over the tall concrete fence ahead of me.

"You’re going to get us killed," Nayla whined inside my head, her voice full of panic. "For a wolf, you scare easily," I shot back, already climbing the fence.

I swung one leg over, then the other, and jumped. My feet slammed into the ground and I winced, but kept walking almost immediately.

I picked my bag off the floor and pulled my cap lower over my eyes as I slipped into a quieter alley.

It wasn’t until I turned a corner that I spotted it. Another wanted poster. Plastered right there on the wall, mocking me with its bold letters.

Violet Throne.

It was my graduation picture and my lips tilted up. black hair down my chest. Jade green eyes. A smile with dimples I hadn’t used in months.

Wanted Alive For Murder.

Cash Reward: $30,000.

That was the number they put on my head. Thirty grand. I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or an insult.

"Nah, that's definitely an insult," Nayla said with a sassy tone, making me grin.

Because of that poster, I’d chopped my hair to the shoulders and dyed it brown. I started wearing colored contacts.

And more than that — I stopped being Violet. I became Diego because who on earth could guess that, I was a completely different person.

Looking at that poster made my chest tighten. Not just from fear, but from something heavier. Grief, maybe. Anger, definitely.

It wasn’t even the murder that broke me. It was the betrayal. After Derek died, I ran home trying to explain but my father barely let me through the door before he tried to drag me back to the Alpha. Dead or alive. Loyalty to the pack meant more to him than his own daughter.

So I ran and never bothered to look back, a few days after that my class picture was everywhere with a sob story of how I had mercilessly killed the Alpha's son.

Most of it was lies, but who was I to even try to set things straight? I was better off dead.

“Can we go for a run?” Nayla’s voice broke into my thoughts, soft and a little hopeful.

I sighed. I understood why she asked. We

were still close to the pack’s territory, and I rarely let her take control anymore. It was too risky. If another wolf caught our scent, we were done for.

“Not today,” I said. “But soon. Friday, maybe.”

"I’m counting down the days.” She said, trying to sound a bit excited, and I found myself smiling a little, despite everything.

Finally, I turned at the last corner and spotted the building we called home. It was a large abandoned mansion, from what I had heard, an engineer had ripped the family off.

The ceilings leaked, the floor creaked, but as long as I had a place to sleep, that was more than enough.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside, already reaching up to tug my cap off when someone slammed into me from the side.

Large hands came from all sides, grabbing me by the arms, so hard I just knew I was going to get a bruise.

I barely had time to suck in a breath before I was dragged down, my knees hitting the floor so hard my vision went blurry. A small growl left my lips as I tried my best to fight.

My elbows, legs, nails digging into whatever I could reach. Two of them cursed out but that barely lasted as I felt someone hit me hard in the fucking gut.

Something cracked inside of me, and it felt like it had been stolen from my lungs.

“There’s nothing to steal,” I said quickly, the words spilling out of my mouth before I could stop them. “I swear, there’s nothing here.”

I heard a low chuckle, and the room blurred for a second before snapping into focus, and I realized I was still on my knees, my hands forced behind my back and standing in front of me was an old man.

I swallowed, lifting my head up to meet his gaze. He had to be not more than five feet six inches as he stepped closer, I took a closer look at him, the gold teeth and the oddly fitted clothes.

"I was right. You were so going to get us killed," Nayla whispered in my head, and I nodded, agreeing.

The man looked at me for a long moment, head tilted slightly, his bright blue eyes moving over my face, my clothes, my hands.

“Me ? steal from a street urchin?” he said with disgust and I almost threw up. Why the hell did he smell so much like garlic? “Where is my property?”

My stomach dropped, and I stared at him, trying to sound and act cool, even though I was seconds from shiting myself.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”

“My watch,” he said, his jaw clenched as he bent down. He was barely a foot away from me, but I pushed myself into the arms of the men holding me, trying to avoid his gaze. "You took it.”

Oh.

That.

"Yeah, we definitely stole that," Nayla said with an odd tone. "And sold it," she added helpfully.

I didn’t deny it. There was no point. The fact that he was here meant he already knew.

“Okay,” I said, forcing the word out. “I sold it. But I’ll pay you back. I promise. Just tell me how much.”

He stared at me for a while before saying

“Fifty thousand dollars. You think you can pay that back?"

My eyes widened to the size of saucers and stared at him, hoping I misheard. "What?!"

“Dollars,” he repeated, slow and clear enough for me to hear. “Obviously.”

“That’s impossible,” I said, and his stare hardened, the wrinkles around his eyes getting worse. “ Okay Just give me a year then”

He stepped closer and I had to stop myself from flinching. “You wouldn’t even make that in two years,” he said. “And that’s without interest.”

“Please,” I said, because I was running out of words and options. I expected him to say something, but the strange man just sighed and turned away.

“Bag him,” he said, not even looking at the men behind me.

“No, wait…”

Something slammed into my side and the world tilted sideways. Pain exploded as I felt them manhandle me

so much for a safe hideout.