Author's POVVinnie’s body was rolled into the driveway of Marcus’s sprawling bungalow, the kind of house that made one thing clear: whoever lived there didn’t just have money—they had power. The oversized double doors, the perfectly manicured lawn, the sleek black cars lined up like soldiers—everything screamed control. Inside, the walls were adorned with enormous portraits of Marcus as a boy, always standing next to his stern-looking father. Not a single photo of his mother hung in sight, which told its own story.Outside, Vinnie’s lifeless body was placed on a gurney, a blanket draped over his still form. Around him stood Marcus’s men, dressed in black from head to toe, their arms folded across their broad chests. They kept their heads bowed slightly, a quiet show of respect, though the air around them felt thick with unease.Marcus paced around the body like a predator circling prey, his sharp eyes taking in every detail of his dead friend. The memories clawed their way to the sur

Aliyah stood close to the window, her arms crossed as Auston paced the living room like a man on the edge of losing his mind. His hands fidgeted at his sides, his shirt damp with sweat. Every step he took seemed heavier, more frantic, like he couldn’t stop moving or he’d break.“She can’t be here,” Auston said, his voice low but tight, like a live wire ready to snap. He dragged a hand down his face, his fingers tugging at his jaw. “What the hell is wrong with her? She’s gonna get us both killed. You get that, right? My life, your life—everything.”Aliyah leaned against the wall, unimpressed. “You’re being dramatic,” she said flatly. “Just tell her to leave. Problem solved. I even thought you're being all dramatic because you killed someone– but here you are tilting out of control because of some cheap thing”Auston stopped pacing and turned, his eyes wild. “You don’t get it,” he said, his voice breaking like he was holding back something worse. “Eve doesn’t just... go away. She’s in w

Auston's POV A punch for a punch. The house didn’t just take damage—we tore it apart. Walls cracked under the weight of our bodies slamming into them, furniture snapped like kindling, glass littered the floor in sharp, glinting shards. But Marcus… Marcus made sure every hit meant something. Not just pain. Humiliation. He enjoyed every last bit of it.Every time he drove me into the wall, he made sure to talk. "You got black fur," he mused, cracking his knuckles before slamming a fist into my ribs. I barely had time to wheeze before he caught me by the scruff and shoved me back. "Had an uncle with black fur once. He died. Hunted down by those better than him”. I growled, but I couldn’t answer. Couldn’t snarl something back like he wanted. I wasn’t like him. In this form, I couldn’t talk. Only howl, only snap my teeth. And maybe that was why he was enjoying this so much. He circled me, slow, savoring it. "But those eyes…" He squinted, then grinned. "Nah. Never seen blue before. B

AUSTON'S POVSomething was breathing down my neck—I swear I wasn’t myself. A soft hand gripped my wrist, and I tried shaking it off, but I couldn’t. It was too tight. Yet, I could still feel like I was fighting for my life. Someone should help me. I need to stay alive, or I’ll die. Or Aliyah? Where’s Aliyah? Tilting my head, I inhaled a sharp dose of disinfectant, and my skin crawled. I was blind to what was happening around me. *Wait, blind? No—wake up. You need to wake the fuck up.*I jolted, kicking my feet wildly, but the grip around my wrist tightened. “Would you quit thrashing around like a child? You’ll spill everything,” a voice snapped, catching me off guard. I paused, gasping for air.“Aliyah?” I rasped, my voice cracking. “Is that you?”“No, it’s Eve. Aliyah’s dead.”The words hit me like a hammer to the skull. I froze, my breath hitching. Slowly, I forced my eyes open—eyes I thought were no longer there. The memory

“Hey come down, why’re you backing up like I’m about to rob you?” she mumbled around the toothbrush, squinting at him with her arm still firmly holding her towel. Auston’s voice went up the roof, “Eve! Eve, where are you?!” She paused, pulled the toothbrush out, and raised an eyebrow. “I’m Eve. What’s your deal?” Auston’s brain short-circuited. ‘This’ was not the Eve he was screaming for. Eve wasn't the most beautiful lady he's seen but she's not a robe-clad, toothbrush-wielding grandma who looked like she could bench-press him. “Uh… wrong Eve,” he stammered, backing up further. “Wrong Eve?” she scoffed, tightening her robe. “You out here yelling for Eves like I'm not freaking standing here?, what's wrong with you ? Get it together would you?” Cue the awkward silence, the saggy boobs, and Auston’s soul leaving his body.“Look, ma’am, I’m sorry,” Auston stammered, his voice shaky as he glanced around the room, trying to piece together how he’d ended up here. “I might’ve en