LOGINThe soft click of the moon-shaped on my wrist sent a strange warmth curling up my arm.
Then, everything outside seemed to shift.My heart skipped a beat.A blur of motion streaked across the lawn impossibly fast. My eyes widened, and my pulse raced.Byrain.Before I could even think, he appeared on the balcony. For a moment, I barely believed my eyes. He wasn’t completely human not fully, anyway but his presence was sharper, more alert, stronger. Yet when his gaze landed oRain kept falling for weeks, It soaked through the roof of the old shack and dripped onto my back while I tried to sleep. After the first week, I stopped making fires.The smoke could rise high above the trees, and anyone watching would know exactly where I was. I couldn’t risk that.So I stayed cold most days.At night, I shifted into my dog form and curled up tight, nose tucked under my tail to keep what little warmth I had. Most of the time, I just lay there with my ears raised, listening.For footsteps.For claws scraping bark.For voices that didn’t belong in my woods.I didn’t talk to anyone.I didn’t dare.But I listened to everything.I listened to lone wolves moving through the deep woods, muttering to themselves.I listened to the few travelers who still used the old paths, their words drifting like smoke on the breeze.Piece by piece, the story started to make sense.Alpha Dawn’s pack had grown huge. They claim
~ Lucas ~The sun was dipping low behind the trees, painting the sky in shades of orange and red as I trudged back from the hunt. My backpack hung heavy on my shoulders, stuffed with a couple of rabbits I’d caught in the snares. My boots crunched over the dry leaves on the forest path, and I could feel the ache in my muscles from running all day. Hunting always cleared my head, but today, something felt off even before I got close to home. The air carried a weird tang.I stopped for a second, tilting my head, sniffing deeper. Werewolf scents and not just any but strangers. Lots of them, my heart kicked up a notch, pounding like a drum in my chest.I dropped my backpack and ran toward the house, my legs moving faster than I thought they could. Branches slapped against my face, but I didn’t stop. The strange smells were getting stronger, almost like they were sticking to the ground.Finally, I saw our little house through the trees. The wooden fence
He forced his mouth on hers, rough and cruel. She pushed against him, her hands shaking as she tried to break free. The others laughed and cheered like it was some kind of joke.That was it.Something inside me broke.The world felt different, hotter.For once, I didn’t stop to think, I didn’t tell myself to stay calm and I didn’t care what would happen next.I moved.I slammed into Ryan, knocking him off her. My fist hit his jaw hard, he stumbled back, surprised, and let her go.Amelia fell to the ground, coughing. “Lucas!”Ryan rushed at me, swinging his fist, I ducked and punched him in the stomach. He bent over, gasping for air.Jake grabbed my shirt from the side, trying to pull me down. I drove my elbow back into his ribs. He cried out and let go.The other guy jumped onto my back, wrapping his arms around my neck. I staggered, then threw myself backward, slamming him into the wall. He fell to the ground with a groan.Every
The bell rang, signaling the start of class. Chairs scraped against the floor as everyone settled down.I could already feel it.The stares.Ryan and his friends were sitting in the back row, whispering and laughing under their breath like they always did. I kept my head down and looked at my notebook. I drew random shapes in the corner of the page, pretending I didn’t notice them.That was my plan most days.Hoping they get bored.“Hey, mutt!”Ryan’s voice was loud enough for the whole class to hear.I didn’t look up.Something soft hit my shoulder. A crumpled paper ball, then another one bounced off my desk. I saw bits of snack wrappers and an empty juice pouch land near my books.A few students stopped talking, the room grew quiet.They were waiting.Waiting to see what I would do.My chest felt tight, and my heart beat fast, but I kept my eyes on my notebook. I picked up my pencil and continued drawing lines that didn’t me
Around me, the crowd burst into laughter, some kids pointed at me and a few even pretended to scream, mocking my mother.“Help meee!” one of them cried dramatically.A girl bent over laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.“No wonder he’s always alone,” she said. “Who would want to be friends with a cursed kid?”I couldn’t move, I just stood there, fists shaking at my sides.Breathe, I told myself.For Dad and for Mom.“That’s not—” I tried to say, but my voice broke before I could finish.Rylan stepped forward and shoved me hard. Our chests bumped.“Not what?” he sneered. “Not true? Then say it. Or are you too scared?”The shove didn’t stop there.Rylan pulled back his fist and punched me in the jaw. My head snapped to the side, and bright sparks filled my vision. I stumbled, the taste of blood sharp in my mouth.But something inside me refused to stay down. I swung back without thinking, my fist hitting his shoulder. It wasn
~ Lucas ~I kept my eyes on the ground and walked toward the main hall. The first lesson of the day was called Border I guess, something about old maps and learning to recognize the scent of enemies near pack land.Inside, the room was darker and quieter. Thin windows let in strips of sunlight that fell across old wooden desks. The wood was scratched and carved with initials from students long gone.I chose a seat in the back corner.I set down my satchel carefully and took out my slate and a piece of charcoal. I moved slowly, trying not to make noise.Students continued to enter, filling the room with chatter.Then the group from the courtyard walked in.Five of them.They didn’t rush. They didn’t look around for empty seats, they moved like they already owned the place.The one in front was easy to notice. He was tall, with short black hair and a long scar running down his jaw. It looked old, the kind of scar someone would brag about.I







