I had never felt more betrayed in my life.

It was supposed to be a day for us—me and him—making plans for the future. But instead, I stood on the bridge, phone in hand, staring at the damning screenshot that I could never unsee.

My bank balance read zero.

“Is this some kind of joke?” I asked, voice trembling with disbelief.

He looked at me like I was the one in the wrong, his eyes cold, not a hint of guilt.

“I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of it,” he sneered. “It’s just money. You’ll get more.”

I could feel my heart shatter. That money wasn’t just any money—it was the tuition I had worked for, the future I had dreamed about.

“You used my savings? For clothes? For shoes? For yourself?” I couldn’t keep the anger from spilling out. “How could you do this to me?”

He scoffed, stepping closer, his smirk widening. “It’s not like you were going to use it for anything important. You were always too focused on your little dream.”

I slapped him across the face, my skin burning with the force of it. His cheek turned red as he stumbled back, his eyes now full of anger.

“You crazy bitch!” he shouted, his voice rising. “I’ve had enough of this! I’m done with you.”

Before I could even process the words, before I could even try to defend myself, he shoved me. Hard.

My feet lost their footing on the bridge, and I flailed as I fell, the world tilting around me.

I barely had time to scream before the truck hit.

The screeching tires echoed in my ears as the world turned black.

***

“No!”

I woke up to the sound of leaves rustling and birds chirping.

The pain was gone, replaced by an eerie calm. My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself lying on soft moss in the middle of a dense forest. The air smelled different—fresher, richer.

“What the…” I sat up, my head spinning. “Where am I?”

I glanced down at my hands, noticing the small cuts and bruises from before were gone. In fact, my skin looked… different. Smoother. Stronger.

I stumbled to my feet, my senses overwhelmed. Every sound was sharper, every scent more vivid. The earthy aroma of the forest, the distant trickle of a stream, even the faint rustle of a rabbit in the bushes—I could sense it all.

But something was off. I felt a strange, gnawing hunger deep inside me, a pull that was beyond mere physical cravings. It gnawed at my insides, demanding something I couldn’t understand.

Then, like a cruel twist, I saw the blood on my hands and clothes—streaks of crimson staining my skin.

I wasn’t sure where it had come from, but I knew it wasn’t mine.

I ran.

I ran like I was being hunted, like something was closing in on me. I darted through the trees, my heart racing, not knowing if it was the blood, the hunger, or the fear of the unknown driving me.

But as I sprinted through the forest, I heard voices.

Shouts.

Humans.

They were chasing me. Branding me a monster.

“Get that freak!” one man yelled. “We need to kill her!”

“She killed someone! She eat people!” another screamed, his voice filled with venom.

I stumbled, a sob breaking loose from my throat.

“No, no, I didn’t! I didn’t!” I screamed, but no one was listening.

“They don’t belong here! She’s a freak!” someone shouted from behind. “She’s not human! She’s a monster from hell!”

They were shooting at me now. The sound of gunfire rang in my ears, and I ducked, my body moving instinctively. One of the bullets grazed my arm, but I didn’t have time to stop.

The pain flared in my side, but I pushed through it, running faster, trying to escape their hatred.

“I’ll kill her if I have to!” someone shouted, and I heard the click of a gun being cocked.

I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t let them catch me.

Another shot rang out.

This time, it hit me in the leg.

Pain exploded in my body, and I stumbled. The world spun, my vision blurring. I was losing control, falling forward, my body weak.

But I couldn’t let them win. I couldn’t let them catch me.

The ground beneath me gave way, and I tumbled down a hill. My body crashed through the branches, and I fell into the river.

The cold water hit me like a slap. It burned, it numbed, but I didn’t stop moving. I couldn’t.

The current dragged me under, pulling me farther away from the hate and fear that followed me. I gasped for air, struggling against the water, but I was too weak to fight.

And then… nothing.

I don’t know how long I was unconscious. When I finally opened my eyes, I was lying on the rocky shore, a harsh light blinding me.

The river had dumped me here, its currents as unforgiving as the world I’d just escaped.

But then, I saw them.

A pack of wolves. Massive creatures, their fur glinting in the sunlight, their eyes glowing with a power that seemed to pulse from deep within them.

And at the center of it all stood him. The Alpha.

His eyes were golden, intense, and sharp as he watched me, his presence commanding the wolves around him.

“What do we have here?” his voice was low, rough, as he stepped toward me.

I didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

“You’re trespassing,” the man said, his voice sharp with authority. “And you reek of something… unnatural.”

“I don’t know how I got here,” I whispered, shaking my head.

“Alpha Orion,” one of the wolves growled, his tone disbelieving, “she’s not human.”

The words hit me like a blow. Not human.

I tried to stand, but my body felt alien and broken.

Two wolves stepped forward, their strength unyielding as they forced me to my knees.

“Who are you?” Orion demanded, his tone icy.

“I’m… Evelise,” I croaked, barely able to hold my head up.

He crouched, his gaze sharp and unforgiving. “You shouldn’t be here. Whatever you are, you’re not welcome.”

Before I could respond, he gave a calm yet final order. “Take her. If she’s a threat, we’ll handle it.”

“No!” I screamed, struggling against their iron grip. “You don’t understand—”

But they dragged me away. Orion’s unreadable gaze lingered for a moment before he turned his back.

I was shoved into a damp cell, the scent of rust and decay thick in the air. My knees hit the cold stone, and I curled into myself, trembling. My body felt wrong—too strong, too foreign.

The hunger started as a gnawing ache, deep and primal. It wasn’t normal. It wasn’t human.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Torchlight flickered against the walls, revealing Orion’s imposing figure.

“Comfortable?” he asked, his voice edged with steel.

“Five-star accommodations,” I muttered, my humor flat and bitter.

“The pack doesn’t trust you,” he said. “Your scent is wrong.”

“I don’t even know what I am,” I admitted, my voice shaking. “One minute I was dying, and the next… this.”

Orion’s gaze softened briefly, but his expression quickly hardened. “There’s something in you—something that doesn’t belong anywhere.”

Suddenly, pain surged through me, ripping a scream from my throat. My skin stretched and tore, my bones cracked, and my body contorted as dark scales erupted along my arms. Sharp claws replaced my nails, and my jaw ached as fangs pushed through my gums.

When the pain subsided, I crouched on all fours, panting. My reflection in the damp stone was barely recognizable—a hybrid of wolf and serpent!

Oh god.

“You shifted,” Orion said, his tone grim.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “This can’t be real.”

When the hunger roared again, I lunged. Orion moved faster than I could track, slamming me into the wall with one hand around my throat.

“Control yourself,” he commanded.

I froze, my claws inches from his face. The realization that he could kill me with ease doused the rage clawing at my insides. Slowly, my claws retracted, and my breathing steadied.

Orion released me and stepped back. “Hybrids like you rarely survive their first transformation. If they do, they’re dangerous—to everyone.”

I sank to the floor, trembling. “What happens now?”

“If you lose control again,” he said, his tone final, “I’ll end you.”

He left, slamming the iron door behind him.

I stayed on the cold stone floor, staring at the cracks in the ceiling. Time blurred until the sound of footsteps shattered the silence. Three wolves stood outside the bars, their gazes hostile.

“She’s a curse,” one sneered. “Doesn’t belong anywhere.”

“Alpha should’ve killed her,” another muttered.

Their words stung, but I stayed silent, curling my claws into my palms.

Suddenly, a shout echoed from above. “Help! It’s the crimson rogues!”

The scent of blood and fear hit me like a punch. Before I could react, the iron door burst open, and a bleeding wolf stumbled inside.

Something massive slammed into him, snarling.

The hunger I’d been suppressing erupted. My chains snapped as I lunged, slamming into the rogue and tearing into its throat with claws and fangs. Blood sprayed as it crumpled beneath me, lifeless.

More rogues flooded in, their red fur a blur. My bones cracked, and my vision sharpened as my body shifted further. Scales and fur melded together, and my claws grew razor-sharp.

I didn’t think—I attacked.

The next rogue lunged, and I ripped through its chest. Another fell as my fangs closed around its neck. Blood coated the floor as I tore through them with savage precision.

When the chaos settled, four rogues lay dead at my feet. My chest heaved, and the hunger still clawed at me, insatiable.

A sharp growl snapped my focus. Orion stood at the entrance, his golden eyes blazing.

“Evelise, Enough!”

The rogues finally retreated, leaving the forest silent once more. I stood there, panting, my body trembling. My hands were slick with blood—not theirs, not mine—just... blood. Crimson streaks stained my clothes, my skin, my very existence. My stomach churned, the hunger that had gnawed at me moments ago now gone. But it wasn’t relief I felt. It was dread.

I caught a glimpse of myself in a broken shard of glass stuck in the ground. My reflection stared back, wild and unrecognizable. My eyes glowed faintly, the color unnatural. My lips were smeared with blood. Is that really me?

My chest heaved as the realization sank in. This is why they called me a monster. This is why they were chasing me. Because... they were right. I was a monster.

I stumbled back, tears spilling down my cheeks. "No," I whispered, my voice trembling. "No, no, no..." I dropped to my knees, clutching my head, the memories of what I’d just done flashing like a horror film. What’s the point of being reborn if I’ve come back as this?

Before I could spiral further, a strong hand gripped mine. Startled, I looked up to see Orion, his piercing gaze steady but... not angry. Not disgusted.

“I’m not going to kill you,” he said firmly, as though reading my thoughts. “You’re coming with me.”

“What?” My voice cracked.

“You’re joining my pack,” he said, pulling me to my feet. “You’re dangerous, yes. But with training, with control, you could be more powerful than anyone. You could use it for good. But you need help.”

I swallowed hard, still shaking. “Why would you help someone like me?”

He met my gaze, his expression softening just slightly. “Because I’ve seen what happens to hybrids who don’t learn control. You don’t want that. Trust me.”

He told me about a rare herb, one that grew high in the mountains, said to suppress the overwhelming urges and powers of hybrids. If I wanted a chance to live without being consumed by this... thing I’d become, I needed that herb. And I needed to learn.

The next day, we set off—Orion, two of his warriors, and me. I stuck close to him, too afraid to stray, too afraid of myself. The journey was long and grueling, the mountain terrain unforgiving. But the physical toll was nothing compared to the memories that haunted me.

As we began our journey, I couldn’t help but think back to my life before everything changed. Working three part-time jobs just to save up for college, the dreams of a better future... and then being betrayed by the one person I thought I could trust. My ex-boyfriend. I shuddered at the thought of him, the way he’d used me, spent my savings, and then killed me in cold blood.

The image of the truck’s blinding headlights seared through my mind. The impact. The pain.

I stumbled on the trail, and Orion caught my arm, steadying me. "You okay?" he asked, his tone softer now.

I nodded quickly, brushing away a tear.

But fate wasn’t done playing games with me yet.

When we reached a clearing near the mountain base, another pack was waiting. Their Alpha stepped forward to greet Orion, but my heart stopped.

It was him.

No, not him, I realized. But he looked exactly like my ex-boyfriend. The same smirk, the same sharp jawline.

"Damian," Orion said, addressing the man. "Alpha of the Ashfang Pack."

I couldn’t breathe. My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms. Could this be another cruel twist of fate?

Damian’s piercing eyes landed on me, and his smirk deepened. "Who’s this?" he asked, his voice eerily familiar.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Because all I could see was the face of the man who had betrayed me, pushed me, and left me to die.