sion were tricks of tired eyes. That the ache pulsing in her arm wasn't real. That the scent o

question she couldn't answer. Half-used. Unlabeled. And hers. Someone had left

st outside. Inside. At night. When she turned off the lights and laid her head down. When the sil

n't name out loud because the

ied to sh

her reflection that morning.

ings didn't

warm in her lap, scrolling through endless pages of resear

ed, light as air, and yet... heavy with meaning. She'd searched "claw symbols," "cresc

guardians. Some claimed they were meant to protect the wearer from s

g an image of a gray wolf onto her desk

lves of all sizes, their claw

ments," she mumbled, staring.

ent. Someone had come into her home. S

." Her ch

charm with trembling fingers.

id quietly. "You said they were m

Watching over her

e no sense. Her screen still glowed with dozens of open tabs-photos of wolves, articles abo

nt was quie

een staring until-BOOM. A blast of music

the laptop shut. "Jesus!" sh

g, already feeling the press

They always did this on Sundays.

hate

t shrug and say, "He pays his rent on time,

he second-belonged to the party addict. And the

he claw marks. Back to the

hispered, rising

hoved her feet into her

fe. She walked fast, buying coffee she barely tasted,

n she s

et. ..Travis..h

in-arm like they bel

r..the wo

in her hand crinkling beneath her

en her yet. Bu

easy smile. Their hands intert

aze lifted

rin s

dly, raising his cup. "Lo

er head. Smirked. "Heyy

d. "You're with him

s more my type. You just couldn

d. "Still emot

with me," she said to Brielle. "You begged

be dramatic. No one believes y

been slapped. Brielle reached

" Nina snapped.

Look at that. She

d and wal

k like a mess..told you didn't I? You are not

ust walked. Every step scalde

me, she didn't

party sounds from t

e long finger marks like the mark on he

ghost? A wolf? An angel? My father?! Just stop hiding and-come out

nswe

n, grabbed the whiskey bott

ing came cr

ming her into the wall for answer

hs and saying coldly, "I don't like t

e front, yelling, "You look like

the floor, sobbing, her finge

shook. Her

ind flash

ing, she found him. Curled behind a dumpster.

companion since. He

was g

e," she whisp

three-story building. She lived below a monster who danced

aybe

f. The betrayal. The bone-deep ache of being c