Evangeline hugged herself tighter as she moved through the dense woods. The wind clawed at her skin like needles. She had sneaked into the staff quarters and wore whatever clothes she could find. But even those were too thin.
The woods weren't unfamiliar. Her father had trained her here for years, and no matter where she was left, she could always find her way home. But that was before—two years ago, when she still had her wolf.
Now, Evangeline felt like an abandoned child—lost, shivering, terrified. Every step forward felt wrong. Every rustle in the trees sent a chill down her spine.
If only her wolf were still with her… She would've easily reached her pack boundary by now.
"Don't think about her. Don't break now…" Evangeline murmured under her breath.
She tightened her grip on the stolen torch and ventured deeper. The light flickered over twisted trunks and damp moss, shadows stretching unnaturally in the dark.
It reminded her of that night. The university's annual day.
Vallienne and Johan had set the trap, and she had walked into it like a damn fool. The humiliation. The Rejection. The rouges attack. And then Ezaar's sudden entry.
For the longest time, Evangeline believed Ezaar was behind the scandalous video. That he'd filmed and spread it like wildfire to disgrace her and humiliate her father. And Vallienne took full advantage of it, digging an even deeper pit for her.
But the way Ezaar had looked her dead in the eyes and said, "It wasn't me."
Those words kept playing on a loop in her head. She didn't trust him—not fully. But... something told her he wasn't lying.
If it were revenge, Ezaar had far better ways. And Johan and Vallienne? They had the most to gain from that video. Now, she had no doubt it was them.
"They might've used AI," she muttered, pushing forward.
Evangeline had always suspected Johan was Vallienne's secret chosen mate. The way he looked at her. The tension. The little signs. Now it all made sense. And their desperation to get rid of her? Made it even clearer.
If they had just told her, she would've understood and accepted the rejection. Let them announce their bond. But instead, Johan chose betrayal. He used her. Let her be trashed by the whole pack. He blamed her for everything.
"They went too far…" Evangeline muttered, her grip tightening on the torch. She wouldn't let this matter fade away.
A sudden growl snapped her out of her thoughts.
Evangeline froze. She clicked off the torch instantly. Holding her breath, she crouched behind the nearest thick tree. Her heartbeat thundered as she scanned around, her fingers digging into the bark.
"A rogue?" she thought, straining to hear. But she heard nothing. No footsteps. No breathing. Yet her instincts screamed. Something was out there.
The eerie silence swallowed her whole. No rustling leaves. Even the crickets had stopped chirping. Everything had gone still. And it sent chills down her spine.
Then suddenly, Evangeline felt it. Right behind her. When she slowly turned around, her soul nearly left her body.
The creature loomed over her, almost the size of an elephant. It was massive. Not a wolf. Not even close. Something she couldn't name. Its obsidian-black fur shimmered under the moonlight, its amber eyes burned like twin suns. Scorching. Unforgiving.
Evangeline's back slammed into the tree as she shrank. She shook violently, nails digging into the bark. Her lips parted, but no sound escaped.
Darkin stepped closer, the ground trembling beneath them. He lowered his snout and sniffed her—deep, slow, assessing.
Evangeline felt like an ant before a mammoth.
Ezaar hadn't marked her yet; she didn't belong to the Solamire Pack. So to Darkin, she was a stranger. A threat. A meal.
"H-hi, handsome!" Evangeline choked out, breathless.
A deep growl exploded from Darkin's throat—sharp, guttural, enraged. His saliva splattered across Evangeline's face, burning hot against her cold skin.
And then — he lunged.
Evangeline screamed and dropped to the ground, rolling away just in time. The force of Darkin's attack split the tree behind her, bark bursting into splinters.
She scrambled to her feet and ran. Branches whipped her arms. Stones cut into her bare feet. But she didn't stop.
Solamire was only a kilometer away. If she could make it, maybe they'd save her. But if only she knew... the creature chasing her belonged to them. He had been sent to hunt her down.
Her lungs burned, and her legs were giving out. But she pushed harder, ran faster until…
Darkin appeared right in front of her.
Not behind. Not beside. Right. Fucking. In. Front.
How?
Evangeline stumbled back and fell hard to the ground. Darkin loomed over her, eyes gleaming with hunger.
Not far away, two shadows stood hidden, watching intently.
"She came prepared," Devlin murmured, both amused and slightly annoyed. They saw Evangeline suddenly yank a gun from beneath her shirt.
"She must've stolen it from the guard tower," Ezaar muttered with a smirk. He thought she'd be stupid enough to cling to his shirt and run blindly. But she was smart. Annoyingly smart.
"Where's Celestia?" he asked, gaze still locked on Evangeline as she stood up and shakily aimed the weapon.
"We drugged her and locked her in the East Wing. She'll wake by morning." Devlin replied. Her stubbornness had forced him to take that step.
Ezaar's wolf growled. "Save her!" It roared.
"Shut up," Ezaar snapped. "Aren't you excited to see her wolf?"
Gunshots rang through the trees, getting his attention. Evangeline fired—once, twice, again, and again.
But Darkin didn't even flinch. The bullets felt like pebbles against his thick hide. They only deepened his rage.
Evangeline staggered back, kept clicking the trigger, but it was useless. She'd fired all the bullets!
Ezaar leaned forward, eyes narrowed in curiosity. He could feel her desperation. She was trembling and terrified. The perfect moment for her wolf to emerge and protect her. But nothing happened.
"Why isn't she shifting?" Devlin grumbled in frustration. Evangeline tried to run again, but one growl from Darkin, and she ended up falling on the ground again.
Ezaar's jaw clenched. "She should have by now," he said, breath uneven.
"Oh, I'm doomed…" Evangeline whispered, frozen in place. Nothing could save her tonight. Not even the Moon Goddess herself.
"Save her!!!" Ezaar's wolf roared inside his head. "You need to save her now! I lied to you about her wolf. "
"Lied?" Ezaar frowned.
"I didn't feel her wolf that night," his wolf finally confessed. "When we saved her from the rogues. There was nothing inside her. She was… empty."
Ezaar's heart nearly stopped.
That night… after she kissed him, he'd lost his sanity and almost marked her. But when he didn't feel her wolf, he'd pulled back.
But his wolf had sworn it could feel her wolf. It had urged him to rescue her for the Queen wolf at least. And so he did, falling for its tricks.
"Yes, I fooled you, moron." his wolf spat. "Now save her!!"
Ezaar clenched his fists. His gaze snapped back to Evangeline, but it was too late.
Darkin lunged in full fury.
Evangeline's scream ripped through the forest, then the sickening sound of flesh tearing followed. Blood soaked the earth as Darkin clawed her leg, pinning her in place. And just as he was close to ripping her into pieces... something shifted.