{ Author }
In the darkness of the room above, the golden man lay in his bed.
Perfectly still.
But not asleep.
His chest rose and fell like clockwork, his posture loose, his face unreadable.
A machine might have marked him unconscious.
But behind his closed eyes… he was very much awake.
The sedative hadn't worked.
Of course it hadn't.
He had prepared for this. Days ago. A simple potion — bitter and thick — taken in secret. It dulled the poison's edge. Let it slide through him without taking hold.
So when the fur brushed his hand… when her DNA hit his system… he waited.
Faked the breath.
Faked the sway.
Faked the sleep.
And when the cameras flickered—
He smiled.
Just barely.
They thought they'd escaped.
They thought they were clever.
But he was already moving.
His eyes opened. Slow. Burning gold.
He sat up. Calm. Silent.
And with a shimmer of light, his form twisted — feathers replacing skin, bones curling into wings.
The crow rose from the sheets.
And with one beat of its wings, it vanished into the night.
{ Lucian }
I landed in the tree just across from the house.
A quiet landing. One beat of wings. No sound.
They were fast — three wolves slipping through the shadows like ghosts. The white one tripped once, bumping into a low branch with a soft grunt. I almost moved. Almost revealed myself. But she shook it off, and they kept going.
The house welcomed them like it had done this before. The window opened without effort. They leapt through it one by one. Silent. Synchronized. Like they'd done this a hundred times.
I stayed in the tree, watching.
Waiting.
First, the dark one disappeared into a small room. The bathroom. Lights on. Lights off. Then came the sandy-furred one. Same pattern. In and out.
Then her.
The white wolf.
She hesitated before going in. Just for a second. Then slipped inside, and the door clicked shut behind her.
I looked away.
Some things weren't meant for my eyes.
But I felt it — the moment she shifted. Like a pulse in the air. Like pressure against my ribs. My wolf stirred, suddenly alert. Familiar.
But she wasn't familiar.
I'd never seen her before.
And yet…
When she stepped out of the bathroom, her hair damp, her movements quiet, my chest tightened. Not from desire. From something older. Deeper.
Recognition.
Not of face.
Of essence.
Her soul had brushed mine. Somewhere. Some time. My wolf felt it first — a low rumble in my blood, a tensing of muscle, like preparing for something that hadn't come yet.
She sat on the bed, close to the other two. Laughing softly now. Relaxed.
Safe.
I didn't know who they were.
Didn't know what they were.
But the white one…
She mattered.
And I needed to know why.
We barely whispered as we crept through the dark house, paws soft on the floor. The chill of the night had settled deep into my bones, but the warmth of being home — even if just for a moment — made me hesitate to leave.
One by one, we slipped into the bathroom, closed the door behind us, and shifted back into our human forms.
I caught my reflection in the mirror — my damp hair clinging to my face, eyes still wide from the adrenaline.
Ace was next, muscles relaxing visibly as his sharp wolfish tension faded.
Lex leaned against the sink, a quiet smile tugging at his lips.
We shared a breathless laugh — free, if only for now.
But the moment was fragile.
Something prickled at the back of my neck — like a whisper I couldn't quite catch.
I swallowed hard, glancing at the window we'd just come through.
Outside, shadows seemed to ripple. Stillness pressing closer.
I didn't know what it was.
But I knew we weren't truly alone.
~ the next day ~
{ Mia }
I woke up the sun shining in my eyes.
" Ugh! I forgot to close the curtains!" I cried out frustrated.
I slowly looked at the clock next to my bed and gasped. ' 6:15 '
I groaned, rubbing my eyes. Mom would be here any minute — she always knocked at exactly 6:20 to wake me for breakfast.
Panic fluttered in my chest.
Ace and Lex were still asleep, curled up like they belonged in a quiet museum, not on the run from who-knows-what.
There was no way Mom could find them like this. No way.
I had to think fast.
How do I hide them? I asked Scarlett in my mind, desperate.
Use what you've got, her voice whispered back. Focus.
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes.
I could feel the familiar pulse under my skin — the strange energy that let me shift, that had saved us more than once.
I let it gather, concentrate, flow.
Slowly, a shimmer spread from me, soft and warm — a faint dome of light, barely visible, wrapping around Ace and Lex like a bubble of invisibility.
I opened my eyes just as footsteps echoed outside the door.
"Mom's coming," I murmured.
Heart pounding, I slid back under the covers and pulled the blanket up to my chin, pretending to still be asleep.
The door creaked open.
"Time to get up, sleepyhead," Mom's voice said softly.
I held my breath.
Outside the dome, Ace and Lex remained hidden — and safe.
For now.
I groaned stretching my muscles to make it believable. " Morning mom." I smiled rubbing my eyes.
She quickly clapped her hands and pointed towards the bathroom. " Now, go and shower while I prepare breakfast. Or you'll be late for school..." She winked stepping out to prepare breakfast.
I quickly rushed off to shower and came back out ten minutes later, hair dripping and cheeks flushed from the heat.
I glanced at the clock.
6:38.
No time to waste.
Tearing a page from my notebook, I scribbled fast, the pen dragging a little on the paper from my damp fingers.
"Don't move. You're still under the dome. I'll be back at 2:35 — teleporting straight to my room. Stay quiet. Don't let Mom hear you. — M"
I folded the note and slipped it under the edge of the pillow between Ace and Lex.
One last look — their chests rising and falling under the shimmer of the dome, undisturbed.
Safe.
I grabbed my bag, heart racing, and ran downstairs before Mom could come back to check on me.