Prologue: The Morning After
The morning after the full moon, every muscle in Leo’s body felt like it had been shredded and stitched back together with wire.
He pulled his hoodie low over his brow, keeping his eyes down as he pushed through the heavy glass doors of Oakridge High. The morning crowd was already buzzing, but to Leo, it was deafening. The squeak of sneakers on polished linoleum sounded like nails on a chalkboard. The tangled mess of scents—stale locker air, damp winter jackets, cheap body spray, and anxious sweat—hit his newly sharpened senses like a tidal wave.
He jammed his hands deep into his pockets, trying to ignore the strange, low hum of power vibrating just beneath his skin. All he had to do was survive the school day, avoid drawing attention, and figure out how to live as whatever monster he had turned into last night.
Then, the air shifted.
Through the chaos of the hallway, a single scent cut through everything else. It was crisp, bright, and utterly distinct—like fresh rain on warm cedar.
The dormant creature inside his chest stirred, snapping to attention so fast Leo nearly stumbled into a row of lockers. His pulse spiked, and a sudden, primal pull tugged at his core, drawing his gaze straight down the crowded hall.
Standing near the library doors, adjusting her backpack strap as she sorted through a heavy folder, was Evelyn.
She was completely human. There was no golden gleam in her dark eyes, no hidden authority in her posture, and no idea that the boy staring at her from twenty feet away was fighting a sudden, overwhelming urge to step between her and the rest of the world. She was just trying to get her English homework in order before the first bell rang.
Evelyn glanced up, catching him looking. For a brief second, her brows knitted together in mild curiosity at the quiet, pale boy who looked like he’d just run a marathon in his clothes.
Leo tore his gaze away, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.
He was a werewolf, completely untrained, unpredictable, and dangerous. And Evelyn—oblivious, human Evelyn—was his mate.
Keeping his secret was no longer just about protecting himself. It was about keeping her safe from him.
