ng the encounter with Victor over and over. His cold gaze, the knife at his side, the confidence in

at?" Laura finally asked, her v

"Victor has a knack for appearing when I lea

tasting bitter. "How have you ma

e. "I've learned to stay one step ah

ought of someone being pursued like prey. "Why is he so obses

it's black and white. Werewolves are dangerous, no exceptions. And i

e sentence, but the

-

at

for the faint creak of the old floorboards as she moved through the hallway. She slipped i

oughts were a chaotic mess. Derek's past, Victor's threats

s something else. Curiosity. A pull she coul

strange dreams of glowing forests

-

Day A

every time the diner bell jingled, she braced herself, half-expecting Vict

d her distra

oning out all morning

ping her involvement with Derek a secret. Ultimately, she for

ok convinced bu

sprinted out the door. She needed answers, and t

-

gerou

ds, leaning casually against a tree. He straight

e back,"

lding her arms. "I've got questions,

. "Fair enough. What

h Victor. Who is he, really? And why

ey've been tracking werewolves for centuries. To them, it's not just a job-i

a monster," Laur

h is, I could be. I've spent years learning to control the wolf, but it's always there, jus

n before her with the beast she'd seen the other

night I was bitten. But Victor doesn't c

ake it right. There has to be a way t

only way to stop Victor is to find a way to break thi

-

ree's

where the Tree of Life stood as

visions before," Laura said.

ast. The wolf that bit me. My transformation. But there's something... deeper. Something I can't

e stepping closer. "W

ch it," D

en light flared to life, swirling around them like a liv

unning and screaming as wolves prowled through t

e Tree of Life. Her features were strikingly similar to La

ura asked, her v

keeps appearing in the visions. I think

ad bitten Derek. It snarled, its eyes glowing with unnatu

aura asked, stepping b

ng. That woman... she might have been the first to discover the tree's power.

-

w Th

low growl echoed through the woods. Dere

he said, his voic

s Derek shifted into his wolf form. His transformation was

d more menacing than Derek. Its fur was mottled

Laura whispered, h

ce distorted but still recog

ad-on, the two of them colliding with bone-jarring force.

stincts screaming at her to run

tween growls. "The tree-t

rk, but nothing happened. The tree remain

it working?

olf, his jaws snapping dangerously close to its throat. With a final, powerf

breathing heavily. Blood stained his

Laura asked, rus

d. "But that wolf... it wasn't acting alone. Feral w

sked, fear creepi

aid grimly. "Or

k leaned on Laura for support,

his?" he asked sudde

do you

could have walked away, pretended no

ieve you're worth helping. You've been through so much, and you'r

unspoken passing between them

wasn't just helping Derek because it felt like the right thing to do. She