Amara.
"Happy New Year!"
Seraphina burst into my room without warning, her voice sounding far too lively for that time of day.
I turned from the mirror and glanced at her over my shoulder. "Happy New Year," I replied, stifling a yawn.
For the past four days, my life had taken an adventurous turn. During the day I trained myself to exhaustion. My routine had changed—no more transformations. No more group drills—I wasn't even allowed to train with Seraphina.
All I did now was stamina work—running, heavy lifting, and sparring with a five-foot punching bag that had become my secret enemy. I actually didn't mind the changes. Not at all.
Despite how tired I was when I returned home each day, I couldn't help but feel excited.
Each night, I found myself watching the clock.
Waiting for him to arrive.
L.
That was what my wolf friend had told me to call him.
Every night came with an entirely new thrill. He always took me to different places— while I rode on his back, we would race through the woods, going deeper and further each day. My little adventure made me realize just how beautiful and big Everlone was.
Last night, he'd taken me to a frozen lake hidden below a cliff, far from town. The moonlight had shattered across the ice, creating a sparkly gem-like illusion.
I smiled faintly at the memory.
"You didn't sleep well again, did you?" Seraphina asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I slept," I said. "Just… not enough."
She opened her mouth to say something else—then stopped.
We both knew what she'd almost asked.
Without a doubt, it had to be of my nightly adventure with a certain nobly wolf. And also my sneaky returns each time which I assumed was clever, or maybe flawless. Anyway, somewhere deep in my heart, I knew both Seraphina and Grandmother were very much aware of everything.
The only reason why none of them raised the topic, I believed, was because L was indeed a friend of grandmother's like he said.
Seraphina grabbed the brush from my hand and ran it through my hair, frowning slightly when her fingers reached the ends.
"You really didn't have to cut it so short," she muttered.
"I wanted to," I said quietly.
She sighed, then brightened suddenly. "Ah! I almost forgot. My brothers are here."
My stomach dropped.
Her brothers.
Vance and Lance—the twin leaders of the Crimson Squad. Hunters. Warriors. They commanded one of the most important squads in the pack. By hunting down rogues and werewolf hunters, they kept the pack safe. I heard they were part of the reason why our family was so reputable.
The more I learned about my family, the more I realized just how special it was. It felt as if everyone in it was special one way or another…and then there was me, special, yes—but special in a way that tarnished the family's good name.
I lowered my head, a little ashamed
"Come on," she urged, shoving a dress into my hands. "They want to meet you."
I wasn't too excited about meeting my other cousins. But I knew Seraphina wouldn't allow me to withdraw from the encounter.
And so, with a heavy heart, and a dejected spirit, I put on the dress, wore my fluffy slippers, and wrapped a scarf around my neck.
As I descended the stairs, I found myself pausing time and again, trying to delay that most uncomfortable moment. But no matter how much I dragged my feet, I soon found myself in the living room, in front of two intimidating men.
They were already standing. And I immediately took in their appearance. They both had golden brown hair similar to Seraphina's, and rich caramel skin just like Aunt Alexa's. But the most striking of their features was their amber eyes, which studied me as I entered.
One of them spoke first.
"So you're Amara."
I nodded, trying my best to appear polite, but his gaze didn't soften.
"You look nothing like him," he said, somewhat coldly.
Like who? My father?
Of course not. He and I were nothing alike. From looks to character, I resembled my mother in everything. When he was alive, Dad used to always lament about just how little I inherited from him. He always wished I resembled him with even one thing—didn't care how small.
His final hope was that I would inherit his brown fur if I finally turned.
I guess even that hope was wasted because my wolf wasn't brown—far from that, it was pitch black, like the world he pushed Mom and me into when he died.
The other twin intervened smoothly. "Lance."
It was a warning that sounded rather calm.
"I'm Vance," he said to me. "Sorry about that."
Seraphina arrived moments later, chattering away, mercifully easing the tension that was brewing between us.
"Did Phina tell you where we are headed?" Vance asked. I shook my head slowly.
"She didn't? I sent her to ask if you wanted to join us… I thought you came down because you wanted to come with us."
"What's the use?" Seraphina said with a shrug. "All the pack members are meeting at the town's square to celebrate New Year's together. I figured she would rather go with us than with the grown-ups."
Or I could just stay in my room!
"But you could have told her first… anyway," Vance turned to me. "There is a good steak place out of town, and we are driving there to eat. Wanna join us?"
"Out of town?" I echoed.
"Yes," he said. "Gruftown. A small human town nearby."
Lance scoffed. "Two-hour drive isn't nearby."
"You're only saying that because just don't like to drive."
"Yeah. So are you gonna do it?" Lance shot back, irritated.
I watched them bicker lightly, the tension easing just enough for me to breathe again.
Just as my anxiety began to settle, I felt it.
It wasn't fear—not exactly. It was a pressing weight, sudden and unshakable, prickling against my chest like a warning whispered too softly to hear.
I had felt it before. Every single time something terrible was about to happen, it came like this—quiet, insistent, impossible to ignore.
Since I was little, I had somehow learned to call it intuition.
But despite it being a mere sensation, I trusted it because it had never been wrong— not once.
"Okay, let's go," Vance suddenly announced.
My heart skipped a beat.
"Emm… Vance…" I hesitated when they all turned to me. Suddenly my voice felt stuck in my throat.
"Are you alright? Do you not want to come?" Seraphina asked, her tone laced with worry.
What do I say? That I feel like something bad might happen so we should stay home?
Would they believe that? They would think I'm strange, right?
"No… no I'm coming along."
I was too much of a coward to tell them the truth, and so, instead, let it be my punishment to share whatever the danger was with them.