Until the shocking revelation of real werewolves throws society into turmoil, the world's definition of fear was set at a low expectation. However, as humans exploit these creatures, trading them for power, Seraphina's world unravels on her 18th bir...
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✦ . 🖤⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ 💛. ✦
When I woke up, the sunlight was streaming into my room, but Sam was nowhere to be seen.
“Mom? Dad? Sam?” I called out weakly, my throat dry and voice raspy from dehydration. I desperately needed water. As I sat up, a face I didn’t recognize greeted me, and I instinctively pulled the covers over myself, realizing I was completely naked.
“W-who are you?” I stammered, startled by the stranger’s appearance. His hair was black, with the top longer and sides faded, standing up naturally. His face was sharply trimmed, with neat facial hair and a clean hairline. But what stood out most were his eyes—silver, like liquid mercury.
“I am Sam. Your Sam,” he replied, his tone robotic, almost rehearsed.
I blinked, looking around for the silver wolf, and when I realized he was telling the truth, my face flushed. “Sorry, um… where are my parents?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the awkwardness.
“They’re downstairs. They want to talk to you about last night. I told them you were attacked by wolves, but since you’re healing so quickly, I didn’t mention… well, everything.” He smiled slightly, revealing perfect, white teeth.
I ran a hand through my tangled hair, still trying to wrap my mind around the situation. I swore I thought I was naked but when my fingers brushed over fabric, I looked up at him in confusion. “Your clothes shredded when you… shifted. I carried you back with my shirt. Don’t worry, I made sure your parents saw the torn ones to keep the story believable.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “They were worried I’d done something to you.”
“Oh,” I murmured, glancing down at my body. My arm was still bloodied, but there was a faint pink scar where I’d been bitten. Both my arms were caked in dirt, and I was certain my hair was a mess. “I guess I should go see them.”
As I stood, a wave of dizziness hit me. Before I could collapse, Sam moved quickly, catching me around the waist.
“Yikes.” I laughed, steadying myself as he let go. “Um… not to be rude, but maybe you should shift back to your wolf form. It might look better to my parents if you weren’t, you know… you.”
His eyes sparkled mischievously. We locked gazes for what felt like hours before he finally stood up and headed toward the bathroom. “Wouldn’t want to ruin my new clothes,” he joked, winking before shutting the door. The sound of bones cracking followed, along with a soft grunt as he shifted.
My senses were heightened now, and I could hear every little noise. Testing it, I listened downstairs. “Should we take her to the hospital? What if she’s seriously hurt?” My mom’s worried voice twisted a knife in my chest. I couldn’t let them take me to the hospital. They’d figure out what I really was.
Sam, now in his wolf form, emerged from the bathroom as I glared at him. “We definitely need to talk later about this.”
“Talk to human Sam or wolf Sam?” His teasing voice echoed in my head. “I can do both.”
“Keep that up, and I’ll lock you in my room for a whole day,” I shot back. He didn’t respond after that.
We headed downstairs, and Mom rushed over to inspect me. “Are you alright, hun? Thank God Sam was there to protect you.”
Dad, however, was giving Sam a stern glare. “Dad, he saved me. Nothing happened. We went for a jog before you got home, and he protected me from the wolves,” I explained. He looked between me and Sam, then grunted, taking a sip of coffee.
“Honey, I don’t think you should be out there at night anymore. Not if there are wolves around,” Mom fretted.
I caught Sam’s amused gaze and rolled my eyes. “Mom, it was a one-time thing. We’ll just keep an eye out from now on.” I shrugged. “Maybe check on the horses. The wolves could be hungry.”
“Yeah, hungry for you,” Sam’s voice quipped in my mind, full of amusement. I pretended to ignore him.
“You’ll get used to it,” he added, but now his tone was serious.
“Do you *have* to be in my head all the time?” I muttered.
“Maybe don’t be so open, and I wouldn’t hear your thoughts,” he teased.
Before I could retort, a knock at the door interrupted us.
“I’ll get it,” I said, heading to the door. When I opened it, I wished I hadn’t. Standing before me was the golden-eyed guard and a smaller man with graying hair, thinning in patches.
“Good day, ma’am. I assume you’re the one we’ve been looking for?” the older man said, motioning for me to step outside.
“Don’t worry, I’m just stepping out for a moment,” I called back to my parents. They knew what this meant. Business. Mom would anxiously watch from the window, while Dad prepared the paperwork proving I was their child. We’d had incidents before where authorities tried to take me, suspecting I was something more.
This time, though, they were right.
“What’s this about, Mr…?” I asked as we descended the steps, the golden-eyed wolf trailing behind us.
“Mr. Simpson,” he replied smoothly. “I manage the mall you visited with your werewolf. I’ve received complaints about you not having him on a leash. You’re aware of the policies in place to prevent… incidents?”
“Yes, I understand,” I said, glancing at Sam, who stood in his human form beside me. “But as you can see, he’s loyal. He never leaves my side.”
Mr. Simpson’s gaze flickered between us. “Loyalty can only go so far. They all turn on you eventually.” He barked at the wolf beside him. “Show her.”
The golden-eyed wolf lowered his head, turning his back to me. Lifting his shirt, I saw his scarred back—fresh wounds covered old ones.
“This is how we ensure loyalty,” Mr. Simpson said coldly. “Is your werewolf marked?”
Sam’s voice echoed in my mind. “Tell him yes.”
My heart pounded in my chest. “Y-yes. He’s been marked. Many times,” I lied, my voice as steady as I could manage.
“Show him,” Sam’s voice urged. Reluctantly, Sam turned around and lifted his shirt, revealing deep scars covering his back.
Mr. Simpson’s eyes widened. He cleared his throat and offered me a small bow. “My apologies, ma’am. I underestimated your control. Please forgive this… misunderstanding.”
The golden-eyed wolf looked relieved, though the fear lingered in his aura. As they left, I reached out telepathically, whispering, “I’m sorry…” to the scarred wolf.
As the limo drove away, I saw something shift inside, a shadow moving rapidly. A muffled cry echoed from the vehicle, and the pain it carried sparked a deep, throbbing ache inside me.
