I was running.
Not from something—but toward it.
The forest was dark. The trees moved like shadows whispering secrets. My bare feet hit the cold ground, leaves crunching under me. My heart pounded like a drum in my ears. I could hear something behind me. Not chasing me. Calling me. Pulling me.
And then—I saw them.
Three tall shadows standing under the moonlight. Their eyes glowed—silver, blue, gold. They smelled like cedarwood, smoke, and danger. They didn't speak. They didn't need to. I knew them.
I reached out.
And woke up.
My chest was rising and falling fast, my skin sticky with sweat. I clutched my sheets, confused.
What kind of dream was that?
I sat up and sniffed. There was a strange smell on my pillow. It wasn't my shampoo. Not even my perfume.
It smelled like… someone else. Familiar. Expensive. Wild.
I jumped up and opened the window, heart still racing.
What the hell was that?
The next morning, the house was calm—too calm. After all the chaos yesterday, I expected more mess, but most of the party evidence was already gone. Mom must've started cleaning again, even after she promised to rest.
I walked into the kitchen, yawning, and almost crashed into Ethan.
"Oh—sorry—" I started, but stopped.
He was staring at me.
Not just looking. Staring.
His eyes dropped to my neck, then to my wrist. Then he leaned in slightly, sniffed the air—and blinked like he didn't mean to.
"Morning," he said softly, then walked past me like nothing happened.
What. The. Hell?
Ryan came in right after, shirtless again, hair a mess. "House Mouse is up."
"Still not my name," I muttered.
"You've been tossing in your sleep," he said with a smirk. "You dreamin' of me?"
Caleb entered last, sipping coffee, eyes half closed. "Nah, she's dreaming about all three of us. Don't be greedy, Ryan."
I turned red. "Can you guys ever stop?"
"No," Caleb said simply.
But even he gave me a weird look. Like he was trying to figure me out.
At school, Liana and I kept our heads low. The whispers were everywhere.
"She lives with them?"
"I heard she cleans their rooms!"
"Maybe she cleaned more than that—"
Liana growled, "Ignore them. They're jealous."
My chest tightened when I saw Aaron. He walked past us like always, perfect hair, perfect face, not a single glance my way.
Figures.
But in third period, he sat behind me. When my pen fell, he picked it up and placed it on my desk.
Our fingers touched.
"Here," he said.
I looked at him, surprised.
He smiled.
Only for a second—but it was enough to make my heart skip.
Back at the mansion, I was doing laundry again. The boys' clothes smelled like smoke and sweat and something else I couldn't name.
I pulled out a white T-shirt and gasped.
It was shredded. Not ripped like a party accident—torn, like someone clawed through it.
Liana peeked over my shoulder, laughing. "What, are they werewolves or something?"
I laughed too, shaking my head. "No. They can't be. That's just a crazy story."
But inside, I felt a cold shiver.
I knew the truth.
That night, I couldn't sleep.
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The wind outside was loud. The forest behind the mansion always made creepy noises, but tonight it sounded worse.
Like… howling.
I sat up, heart pounding again.
Was that a wolf?
I moved to the window and peeked out.
Dark trees. Moonlight.
Eyes.
I swear I saw glowing eyes in the woods.
Then they vanished.
I backed away quickly, breath catching in my throat.
I checked the hallway. Quiet.
Ethan's door—shut.
Caleb's?
Shut.
Ryan's?
Slightly open.
I peeked inside. His bed was empty.
My blood turned cold.
Where was he?
Where were they?
I don't know why, but something was pulling me outside.
Maybe it was the scent on my skin. Maybe it was the dream still echoing in my mind. Whatever it was, I felt like I had to know what the boys were really up to.
The forest behind the mansion was dark and quiet—except for the whisper of leaves in the breeze. The moonlight barely reached through the thick branches.
I slipped past the open window and landed softly on the grass.
My heart hammered in my chest as I stepped toward the woods. The trees loomed tall and black, like giant shadows waiting to swallow me whole.
I tried to tell myself to turn back, to go inside and forget the whole thing. But I couldn't. Something kept pushing me deeper into the forest, like a force I couldn't fight.
I moved quickly, hiding behind thick trunks and bushes, hoping no one would see me.
But it was already too late.
Two bright eyes appeared in the darkness ahead.
They glowed.
Silver.
Huge.
I froze.
Oh my god—a werewolf.
A massive beast with sharp teeth and glowing eyes stood staring at me, muscles rippling under its thick fur. It was so big—bigger than I ever imagined.
And then—two more sets of glowing eyes appeared behind the first.
Three wolves.
My breath caught in my throat.
I remembered the last time I saw them like this. We were just kids then. The wolves were small back then—cute, almost.
Now… they were monsters.
Panic flooded me.
I didn't know when I started running. My legs moved before my mind could catch up.
But they chased me.
Faster than I thought possible.
Their heavy paws pounded the ground, closing the distance between us.
I pushed harder, but I was too slow.
Just when I thought I might get away—I tripped.
My body rolled down a small slope, hitting the cold earth hard.
Pain shot through my arm and leg.
I lay still, heart racing as the wolves closed in.
Their hot breath fogged in the cool night air as they circled me.
I covered my eyes with my hands.
Too scared to look.
Then a voice—low and familiar—broke the silence.
"Is that House Mouse?"
I froze.
Slowly, I removed my hands.
The wolves were changing.
Bodies shrinking, fur melting away.
Before me stood the three boys—Caleb, Ryan, and Ethan—in their human forms again.
Ryan smirked.
"We were looking for you."