Evelyn barely had time to react.
Evelyn couldn’t stay in her apartment. Not after the call. Not after the warning. The moment she stepped into the parking lot outside her apartment, a hand clamped over her mouth, dragging her backward. Instinct kicked in. She drove her elbow into the attacker’s ribs and twisted free, stumbling onto the pavement.
A figure in black lunged at her. No hesitation. She fired.
The gunshot echoed through the night, but the bullet never landed. The figure moved impossibly fast, sidestepping at the last second. A gloved fist smashed into her wrist, knocking the gun from her grip.
Pain exploded through her arm, but she didn’t stop. She pivoted, slamming a knee into the attacker’s stomach. They grunted but didn’t fall.
Whoever they were, they were strong. Too strong.
Evelyn reached for her backup knife, but before she could draw it, the figure grabbed her by the collar and hurled her backward. She hit the ground hard, air rushing from her lungs.
The attacker stepped forward, a shadow against the dim glow of the streetlights.
Then, they spoke. A voice low and guttural.
"Stay away from Voss."
Evelyn’s blood ran cold.
Voss. The name comes from her father’s old case. The name is tied to every single murder.
She forced herself up, ignoring the pain. “Who are you?”
The attacker didn’t answer. Instead, they took a step back—and then they were gone.
Not running. Not retreating. Just… gone.
Like they had vanished into thin air.
A shiver crawled up her spine. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing her gun with shaking fingers. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. The parking lot was empty. No sign of movement. No footsteps.
Nothing.
She wasn’t alone. Something—someone—was still watching.
Sirens blared in the distance.
Evelyn turned and sprinted to her car. She had one name, one lead, and now, a very real threat breathing down her neck.
Damian Voss wasn’t just connected to this case.
He was at the center of it.
And whoever was protecting him—they weren’t human.
Evelyn didn’t go home. She couldn’t. Instead, she drove straight to the police station, gripping the wheel of the car like a lifeline.
Inside, Ramirez was waiting.
“What the hell happened to you?” he asked, eyeing her messy state.
“I was attacked.” She threw her gun and badge onto the desk. “By someone fast. Inhumanly fast.”
Ramirez frowned. “You think it’s our guy?”
Evelyn shook her head. “No. I think it’s something worse.”
She reached for the case file and flipped through the reports. “I need everything on Voss. His businesses, his properties, any known associates.”
Ramirez hesitated. “You think he’s involved?”
Evelyn looked up, her expression grim.
“I don’t think.” She exhaled. “I know.”
She ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm the storm of thoughts in her head.
Whoever attacked her knew she was investigating Voss. But she had only started looking into him hours ago.
How did they find out so fast?
A cold realization settled in her gut.
Someone was feeding Voss information.
Someone inside this building,she went to the surveillance room to ask for all the footage and they figured someone out.
Evelyn stood abruptly and stormed toward Harris’s office. He was on the phone, but the moment he saw her expression, he hung up.
What now, Cross?” he grumbled.
Evelyn slammed her badge onto his desk. “We have a rat.”
Harris frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”
She leaned forward. “I barely scratched the surface of Voss’s name, and I was already attacked. Someone inside this department is leaking information to him.”
Harris stiffened, his jaw tightening. “You’re making a serious accusation.”
“I’m not accusing.” She pulled out her phone and tossed it on the table. “I have proof.”
She had gone to check into everyone financial records before concluding. Nothing official—just enough to see if anything was off.
And something was.
Detective Frank Decker—one of their own—had unexplained deposits in his bank account. Large sums of money arrive in increments. And each transfer aligned with a major development in the Full Moon case.
Harris’s face darkened. “Decker?”
Evelyn nodded. “He’s been selling our investigation to Voss.”
Harris swore under his breath. “I’ll handle this.”
“No.” Evelyn shook her head. “I need to move now. If Decker knows I found this, he’ll warn them. I’m going to Voss Enterprises.”
Harris stared at her, then sighed. “You’re walking into a fire.”
Evelyn grabbed her badge. “Then I’ll make sure it burns.”
Voss Enterprises
The towering glass building loomed against the night sky, sleek and untouchable.
Evelyn strode through the front doors, flashing her badge at security. “Detective Cross. I need to see Damian Voss.”
The receptionist barely blinked. “Mr. Voss doesn’t take unannounced visits.”
Evelyn slammed a folder onto the counter. “Tell him I have evidence linking him to multiple murders. If he refuses, I’ll have a warrant in the morning.”
The receptionist hesitated, then made a call. Seconds later, a well-dressed man appeared. Tall, composed, with an unsettling calmness in his eyes.
Damian Voss.
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Detective Cross. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Evelyn didn’t bother with small talk. “You’re under arrest.”
His smile widened. “On what charges?”
She opened the folder, showing the connections—victims who worked for his businesses, financial records, and suspicious activity reports. It was all there.
But Voss barely glanced at it. “Detective, this is circumstantial at best.”
Evelyn’s jaw clenched. “Don’t play games. We both know you’re involved.”
Voss chuckled, stepping closer. “Yet, legally, you can’t touch me.”
Evelyn hated that he was right. The evidence wasn’t enough. It painted a picture, but not one strong enough to hold up in court.
She had come here hoping to shake him, to rattle his cage.
Instead, he looked… amused.
“You’re persistent,” Voss said, voice smooth. “Just like your father.”
Evelyn froze.
Voss leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “He came for me once, too. Thought he could stop what’s coming.” He tilted his head. “Do you know what his last words were?”
Her breath hitched.
Voss smiled darkly. “I do.”
Rage flared through her, but before she could react, two security guards stepped forward.
“I believe we’re done here, Detective.”
Evelyn’s fists clenched. She wanted to fight. To break that smug expression off his face.
But she couldn’t. Not yet.
She turned on her heel and walked out, her pulse hammering.
Voss had just confirmed what she feared.
Her father’s disappearance wasn’t random.
He had found something. Something dangerous.
And now, so had she.
This wasn’t just a case anymore.
It was personal.
Evelyn barely drive back to the station. Her hands gripped the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. Damian Voss knew something—something about her father. He wanted her to know it, wanted to dangle the truth just out of reach.Her mind replayed his words, over and over."Do you know what his last words were?"That smug smile. That mocking tone.Voss was taunting her.But he had made a mistake.She wasn’t walking away.She parked outside the station, heart hammering. The confrontation at Voss Enterprises had left her rattled, but she still had unfinished business. Detective Decker. The cop selling them out.The moment she walked into the station, the noise felt different—forced, unnatural. Officers typed on their computers, chatted in groups, but there was an undercurrent of tension, a shift in the air.They knew.Evelyn’s gaze locked onto Decker, standing near the vending machine, sipping coffee like nothing was wrong.But he was wrong.She strode toward him, her presence like
Pain throbbed in Evelyn’s arm, a relentless reminder of the impossible truth. The nurse’s words echoed in her mind."They are, Detective. And if you don’t start believing that, you’re already dead."She wasn’t crazy. She wasn’t seeing things. The blood seeping through the hospital bandages proved that. The creature in the Red Hollow Club was real—impossibly fast, impossibly strong. A werewolf.And Damian Voss knew about it.The sterile hospital room felt suffocating. The fluorescent lights buzzed, and the scent of antiseptic burned her nose. She needed answers. She needed to move.Ignoring the nurse’s protests, Evelyn ripped off her IV and stumbled toward the exit. Her head swam, but she pushed through it. She couldn’t afford to rest.The moment she stepped outside, the night felt different—thick with something unseen, something watching.A shiver ran down her spine.She wasn’t alone.Her fingers hovered over her holster as she scanned the parking lot. Empty. Quiet. Too quiet.Then—mo
Evelyn’s heartbeat thundered in her ears as she clutched the evidence in her trembling hands. The photograph of Damian Voss standing over her father’s body burned into her mind.She had spent years chasing shadows, searching for answers that never came. But now, the truth was staring back at her.Voss had killed her father.Her fingers tightened around the old crime scene photo, but something made her pause.A strange feeling crept up her spine.Her eyes flickered back to the grainy surveillance still, scanning every detail. The dim lighting, the position of her father’s lifeless body… and then—Voss.Her breath caught.She grabbed another picture from the pile—one taken recently at a corporate gala.Her stomach dropped.Damian Voss.The same sharp features. The same piercing silver eyes. The same cold expression.Not a single change.Thirty years apart, and he looks the same.Her pulse pounded as she compared the photos side by side. There were no signs of aging—no wrinkles, no gray h
The night air felt heavier than usual as Evelyn stepped out of the station. The streetlights buzzed above, casting pools of dim orange light over the wet pavement. Ramirez was waiting by her car, his face drawn tight. “We need to talk,” he said, his voice low. Evelyn didn’t answer right away. Her mind was still replaying the moment Judge Carter dismissed the case, the moment her boss made it clear—Voss wasn’t just above the law. He owned it. She reached for her keys, but Ramirez caught her wrist. “Evelyn, listen to me. We’re in way too deep.” His voice was urgent now. “If they got to Carter, they can get to anyone. You know what this means, right?” “They already got to the chief,” she said bitterly, yanking her hand free. “That means we’re alone in this.” Ramirez exhaled, glancing around like he expected someone to be watching. Maybe they were. “I don’t know, Cross. Maybe it’s time to let this go.” Evelyn scoffed. “You want to walk away?” “I want to survive,” he shot back. “And
The precinct was colder than usual when Evelyn stepped inside. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as she walked toward her office, her boots echoing against the tiled floor. But the moment she pushed open the door, she froze.A group of detectives stood inside, their expressions unreadable.Captain Harrisp leaned against her desk, arms crossed. His eyes held something she couldn’t quite place—guilt, maybe.“Detective Cross,” he said, his tone clipped. “Hand over everything you have on Damian Voss.”Evelyn’s fingers curled into fists. “Excuse me?”“This is an order. All files, notes—anything related to your investigation into Voss. Effective immediately, you are being reassigned.”A cold weight settled in her stomach. “Reassigned?”Captain Harris didn’t flinch. He reached into his coat and pulled out a document, setting it on the desk.“Harper Town,” he said. “You leave tonight.”Evelyn barely heard the words. Her vision blurred as she read the transfer notice. Harper Town—a quiet c
Across the table, Commissioner Henry Smith, a man known for his good authority, looked like a ghost of himself. His daughter, Isabel Smith, had been taken.The ransom demand had come hours ago—one million dollars in cash, untraceable bills, and no cops—or she died.Evelyn knew better. This wasn’t about money. It never was, not with criminals, this was calculated.She asked the commissioner if he suspected anyone, but he shook his head. "No one," he replied. "My daughter has never caused trouble." Isabel had been taken from her university parking lot in broad daylight. No witnesses, no surveillance footage—too clean. The kidnappers had either planned this for months or had help from someone inside. Commissioner Henry said“Detective Cross,” Henry said. “Find her. No matter the cost.”She nodded, but there was no comfort she could offer. Not yet.Evelyn went to Isabel’s university, weaving through the bustling campus as she searched for anyone who might have answers. She questioned stu
Evelyn’s pulse thrummed in her ears as she left the interrogation room, the weight of the recorder in her pocket pressing against her like an unbearable truth. Commissioner Henry Smith had offered her power and influence—a way out of the tangled mess she found herself in. But she wasn’t that kind of cop.She stepped into the dimly lit hallway, breathing deeply to steady herself. The station felt different tonight—quieter, heavier as if the walls themselves knew what she had uncovered. She barely noticed the figure moving in the shadows until it was too late.A cold hand clamped around her wrist. Before she could react, she was yanked into a dark corridor, her back slamming against the wall. Her instinct kicked in, elbow shooting out, but the grip was unyielding.“Nathan,” she hissed, recognizing his scent before her eyes fully adjusted. It wasn’t just blood and sweat—it was something primal, something that sent a shiver down her spine.His eyes glowed in the darkness, not red with ang
Evelyn did not have time to react when a figure stepped out of the shadows. A woman—tall, sleek, and radiating an aura of cold efficiency. Evelyn stopped in her tracks, keeping her expression neutral."Detective Cross," the woman said smoothly. "You’ve been busy."Evelyn folded her arms. "And you are?"The woman smirked. "Someone who knows when a cop steps too far out of line."Evelyn’s pulse quickened, but she kept her voice even. "If you’re here to threaten me, you’re wasting your time."The woman chuckled, shaking her head. "Threaten? No. I’m here to offer you a choice. That flash drive you’re holding—it’s dangerous. The kind of danger that gets people buried. Hand it over, and you can walk away from this mess with your career and life intact."Evelyn studied her, searching for any hint of hesitation. "And if I don’t?"The woman tilted her head slightly. "Then you become a problem. And problems tend to disappear."Evelyn exhaled slowly, weighing her options. "You work for Henry.""
The machines beeped steadily. Sterile light hummed above. The room smelled clean, lifeless.Evelyn hadn’t moved in days.Anika sat beside her, dark circles under her eyes, fingers laced around a cold paper coffee cup. She didn’t speak anymore—not to Evelyn, not really. Just sat there, hoping. Praying. Sometimes whispering stories they used to laugh at, back at the precinct. Ghosts of normal.But today, something shifted.A nurse paused at the door. “The swelling’s gone down,” she murmured. “No improvement in neural response, but… her heart rate spiked last night. Just for a moment.”Anika’s gaze snapped to Evelyn’s face. She looked exactly the same. Still, pale, breath soft.But deep inside—buried in the quiet—something stirred.Not pain. Not memory.Instinct.A dream. A forest. Snow crunching beneath bare feet. The flash of yellow eyes. Heat in her bones. A call—distant, pulsing. Familiar.She turned in that dark world, her unconscious mind pulling toward it.And somewhere in the rea
It was past midnight when Mason gave the signal.Two unmarked vans waited in the alley behind the hospital. Anika was already inside the first one, scanning the street. Mason moved quickly, quietly—lifting Evelyn’s unconscious body from the bed with careful strength.No alarms. No nurses. Just the sound of wheels and breath.He hated every second of this.They loaded her into the van, strapping her in with care. The IV drip remained. Her head lolled gently as Mason climbed in beside her.“Go,” he ordered.The van pulled into the darkness.But a block away, in the roof shadows of a tall building, Delara watched. She didn't blink. Didn't speak.She pulled a slim rifle from its case. Tranquilizer rounds. Not to kill—yet.She whispered into her comms: “Package in motion. Beginning intercept.”Back Inside the VanMason felt it before he saw it—some instinct rooted in violence and fear. The van took a sharp turn. Too sharp.Then—Pop-pop!Tires screamed. A dart cracked through the back wind
The file cabinet snapped shut behind Anika, but the tremor in her hands didn’t stop. The more she read, the worse it got. Evelyn’s life—the police academy, her transfer to Redbrook, even her first case—had been quietly nudged into place.The last page was different. A surveillance photo. Grainy. Two people in a forest clearing. Evelyn… and Lucian.Scrawled beneath:“If she bonds with him, we lose control.”She didn’t know what the Circle truly wanted, but she knew this: Evelyn was never just a cop. And someone had known it from the start.Captain Reyes arrived minutes later, his face grim as she spread the documents before him. “This goes higher than I thought,” he murmured. “We were just pawns in something old. Deep.”Anika’s jaw tightened. “Then it’s time we stopped playing their game.”The tie itched at his throat. Applause filled the council chamber, but Damian barely heard it. Another bill passed. Another piece of power secured.Yet his mind was miles away—in a hospital room. Wit
Evelyn hadn’t woken up.She was taken to a private hospital outside the city—off the grid. No press, no records. Her wounds were serious: internal bleeding, broken ribs, torn muscles. She’d lost a lot of blood.Mason sat by her bed, bruised and bandaged himself. He hadn’t slept much. The machines beeped steadily beside her, but she hadn’t moved.Lucian paced the hallway, silent, restless.Anika showed up on the second night. She brought clean clothes and Evelyn’s badge from the precinct. She set it quietly on the bedside table and leaned close to whisper, “You better wake up, Evie. We’re not done yet.”No response.Back in the city, Damian was already cleaning up. Suits, meetings, cameras. The press called it an “industrial explosion.” No one mentioned the Door, or Julian. That part had been erased.Behind closed doors, whispers moved fast. Some of his allies demanded answers. Others backed away, uneasy with the blood on his hands.Damian gave them a tight smile and said, “Everything
Evelyn stared into the blackness beyond the Door.It wasn’t just dark—it was heavy. Like a vacuum pressing against her chest. Something ancient, vast, and wrong stirred beyond the threshold, brushing her consciousness with the familiarity of a nightmare she’d never had—yet somehow always carried.“Close it,” Lucian growled, backing away. “Whatever’s in there, it remembers you.”She didn’t answer.Her feet edged closer.Inside the Door, the air shimmered. Shapes moved, too fast to be fully seen—like wolves made of shadow and bone. Whispers swirled around her, one voice cutting through the rest:> “E-113. Return.”She blinked. The world around her tilted. Her vision wavered—flashing images: a sterile white room, restraints biting into her wrists, her mother’s face pale with guilt, and Damian’s voice murmuring something about a key.The realization hit her hard—they didn’t just make her for this. They made her do it.Lucian grabbed her arm, grounding her. “Evelyn. You don’t belong to the
Mason’s breath came in ragged gasps as he pressed his back against the wet bark of a pine tree, one hand clamped to his side where blood seeped hot and steady through his fingers. His vision blurred, pulsing with pain and adrenaline. He could hear them—boots crunching dead leaves, radios murmuring, the hounds of the Circle loose in the dark.He hadn’t meant to separate from Evelyn and Lucian. The explosion back at the ridge had knocked him off his feet, disoriented him. By the time he’d regained his bearings, they were gone, and the forest was crawling with enemies.A branch snapped too close. Mason gritted his teeth and forced himself to move, every step a white-hot spike through his ribs. He wasn’t a werewolf like Evelyn or Emily—but he was something just as stubborn: a man too loyal to quit.A soft growl rumbled in the trees to his left.“Not now,” Mason whispered. “Don’t you dare.”The growl came again—closer. He turned, raising his knife, breath hitching.But what stepped out was
Evelyn didn’t know how long they’d been running—just that her legs wouldn’t stop shaking. Every breath scraped like glass down her throat. The forest blurred around her, trees spinning by in smears of brown and green. Lucian was ahead, always just out of reach, silent and fast like a shadow that refused to wait.She stumbled.Didn’t fall.Keep going.But her side was wet. Warm. She pressed her palm there and felt the sick, sticky heat of blood soaking through her shirt.Lucian finally slowed near a fallen tree. He crouched low, checking the air like a wild animal scenting danger, then waved her forward.Evelyn dropped beside him, gasping, the cold moss beneath her a small relief. “They’re not behind us.”“They will be,” he said without looking at her. “They always are.”She winced and shifted. Pain flared sharp through her ribs.Lucian turned. His eyes flicked to the dark stain spreading beneath her jacket. “You’re bleeding again.”“I noticed,” she muttered.“Let me see.”“I’m fine.”
Julian’s words hung heavy in the cold.Help me burn it all down.Evelyn didn’t lower her gun. Her arms trembled—not from fear, but from rage. Guilt. Grief. The memory of Emily's blood on her hands.“I’m not your weapon,” she said. “And I’m not your damn ally.”Julian’s gaze softened, like he pitied her.“You still think this ends with good guys walking away clean.” He stepped closer. Lucian bared his teeth, growling low.“You weren’t created to save the world, Evelyn. You were designed to lock it up. You’re a failsafe. Nothing more.”“Then why not kill me?” she snapped. “If I’m the key to the Door, and you want it buried—kill me right now.”Julian hesitated.Something flickered in his face—something broken.“Because you’re the only one who might still choose not to open it.”Then he moved.Fast. Too fast.Lucian lunged at the same moment, claws colliding with claws in a crack of sound that sent birds scattering into the night. Evelyn dove aside, rolled, and came up firing. Silver roun
The forest reeked of blood and gunpowder. Evelyn’s breath fogged in the cold air as she ran, heart thundering like a drum against her ribs. Behind her, the screams had stopped. That was worse than hearing them.Lucian didn’t say a word. He moved ahead, his shoulders hunched, muscles coiled tight like a wolf still waiting to pounce. His scent—earth, pine, and something wild—lingered in the air as Evelyn struggled to keep up. Her legs ached, her throat burned. But she couldn’t stop. Not now.A clearing broke through the trees. The ruined husk of an old ranger station sagged beneath snow-dusted beams. Lucian jerked open the door and motioned her inside.“Won’t hold them long,” he muttered, eyes scanning the dark treeline. “But it’s something.”Inside, Evelyn collapsed against the wall, gasping. The air stank of rot and old wood. Dust stirred with every breath.Lucian’s silhouette loomed in the dark, his eyes catching what little light remained—those unmistakable predator eyes. Still glow