Five Years Ago

Golden rays of sunlight streamed through the window. Each beam pierced my vision and intensified the relentless throb in my temples, turning my headache into a sharp, insistent ache.

Hangovers suck. I groaned.

I shielded my squinting eyes from the harsh morning light and with a sigh I leaned back against the headboard. Somehow, I'd managed to stumble back to my hotel room. My bags still lay unpacked in the corner.

I hoped Selina was in the room next door. She had some serious explaining to do.

It wasn't like Selina to invite me somewhere and then abandon me. Something must have happened for her to ditch me in the rain. I could sense she was hiding something from me, acting oddly when around me—avoiding my questions and distracting me from certain topics she found awkward to talk about.

She'd recently started treating me like a child, like I was made of glass, like I might shatter at any moment. It grated on my nerves, a constant reminder that she couldn't completely trust me with her secrets. That I wasn't a good enough friend.

I sat up and my mind swirled with hazy, fragmented images as I tried to piece together the events of the previous night. At least I was still fully clothed, which seemed like a small victory.

Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I braced my hands on my knees and pushed myself up, only to lurch sideways with dizziness as I fought to regain my balance.

Carefully, I padded across the floor towards the coffee machine by the vanity. The rich aroma of fresh coffee sparked my senses to life as I switched on the machine.

As I waited, something inside me felt different, and it wasn't just the hangover pounding in my skull. My wolf, usually stirring awake by now and demanding food, was eerily silent. There was nothing—only an unsettling void of darkness.

"What happened last night?" I muttered, my head still throbbing as I rubbed my tired eyes and groaned, trying to make sense of the ominous emptiness within.

I rubbed my face, my eyes feeling like they were coated in grit.

My fingers trembled as they brushed over my skin, and when I glanced down at my shaking hands, confusion tightened my chest.

As I stared, fragmented images from last night began to surface, swirling like a storm at the front of my mind.

I remembered the sharp pain, the glass slashing my hand when I tripped. With a hesitant thumb, I traced the inside of my palm where the wound should have been.

Nothing. Not a single scratch marred the surface—my skin was flawless. Even the scar from my motorcycle accident two years ago had vanished without a trace. It was as if the night's injuries had never happened, leaving me both awed and unnerved.

What the hell was going on? Another wave of pain surged through my mind, bringing with it a flood of last night's events.

Queuing up outside the club.

Cutting my hand on glass.

Meeting Sebastian.

Then there was the intense presence of another wolf in the club—the Novak heir. The memories blurred after that, and the next thing I knew, Sebastian had taken me back to my hotel room.

My heart lurched into my already clogged throat, tightening with each passing second. I swallowed hard, desperately trying to free my airways from the constricting feeling.

I had healed myself last night—an ability Sebastian had mentioned. What had he called me? A silver-eyed wolf.

"I'm going crazy."

It was the only explanation that made sense. The events of last night had to be a product of my imagination, a sign that I'd lost my mind.

In ten minutes, I would wake up from this freakish nightmare and laugh about it over coffee with Selina.

I paced the room, my hands raking through my tangled black hair in frustration. When I finally stopped and caught my reflection in the vanity, I barely recognized myself. My hair was a wild, frizzy mess, and the stench of alcohol clung to my clothes, making my nose wrinkle in disgust.

My once golden tan was now a sickly pale color, and I looked completely drained. But as I stared deeper into my eyes, I caught a glimmer of silver, brighter than normal, a reminder of the strength that still lingered within me.

I had to see for myself if I truly was this special silver-eyed wolf with healing abilities, like Sebastian said.

"Ow!" I pinched my arm hard enough to draw blood, watching as a crimson droplet welled up on my skin.

My breath caught. Within seconds, the wound closed up, leaving no trace. Completely healed. Wolves usually healed fast, but not instantly, and we still sometimes carried scars. Yet here I was, proving that I was different—special.

"Not a dream," I huffed on the edge of panic.

Everything Sebastian told me was true.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed, pacing the room and muttering to myself.

I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to ease the throbbing pain in my head.

"Damn, why did I drink so much last night?"

I stopped pacing, and gripped the vanity table.  I glared at my reflection.

"This is the last time I'm ever drinking," I said, though I knew I was lying to myself.

More fragments of the previous night surged into my mind like a torrent, overwhelming my ability to think clearly. My grip tightened on the edge of the table as I fought to piece together the chaotic memories. My expression hardened into a serious scowl, and determination etched across my features.

"I remember you," I said, my eyes glinting a brighter silver, as though my inner wolf, despite his silence, was nodding in agreement. The image of the floppy-eared wolf came back to me with startling clarity.

"I remember you," I whispered again, my voice barely audible.

I recalled the black and tan werewolf in the alleyway. Which should be impossible without a full moon, yet the memory was as vivid as my own reflection.

"Who are you?"

The wolf had saved me from a lurking vampire. He had been friendly, and despite our brief encounter, I'd felt a comforting warmth and safety in his presence. I was eager to learn more about him. Who was he?

I jumped when the coffee machine beeped. Grabbing the steaming mug, I pressed it against my cold palms. The heat bit into my skin for a moment, grounding me in the present.

Trying to reclaim a sense of normalcy, I savored the rich taste of coffee as it danced on my tongue, providing the caffeine fix I desperately needed. Letting out a slow breath, I relaxed my shoulders and sank onto the bed. My brief moment of tranquility shattered when I came across a note on my bedside table, its message sprawled in Selina's unmistakable handwriting.

Call me when you get back to your room!

"Oh, no." I recognised that demanding tone even when written down on a note.

She must have left it before I returned to my room last night. I frantically patted my pockets, but my phone was missing.

Selina was going to kill me for not calling her.

The thought of my best friend telling me off sent my stomach swirling. Panic surged through me, and I bolted upright, dropping the mug.

The porcelain shattered against the floor as I sprinted to the bathroom. The door slammed against the wall, and with seconds to spare, I threw up the contents of my stomach, my body trembling with each heave.

The toilet bowl filled with a brown-purple liquid as my body expelled last night's alcohol.

Purple? I didn't remember drinking anything purple. Unless it was my body rejecting the nightmoss I'd taken.

I shuddered, wiping the drool of puke from my bottom lip with the back of my hand.

Gasping for breath, I rested my head against the toilet seat. I couldn't move. My insides felt like a washing machine stuck in the spin cycle. A wave of nausea hit me again, and I retched a second time, my body trembling with the effort.

"Nate?" Selina banged on my hotel door. "Are you awake?"

"Urgh..." I groaned, barely able to respond.

She unlocked the hotel room with the spare key we'd exchanged when we checked in yesterday, just in case of an emergency. This was most definitely an emergency.

"Oh my god, Nate!" Selina exclaimed, dropping her bag as she rushed to my side.

She skidded across the floor, her eyes wide with concern. Kneeling beside me, she gently rubbed my back in soft, soothing circles.

Her touch was comforting, helping to ground me as the room continued to spin.

"What happened to you last night? I've been messaging you all morning." Selina's voice was a mix of concern and frustration.

"I lost my phone."

Selina threw my arm over her shoulder and hauled me up, her strength surprising as she led me back to the bed. She gently rested me down and pulled the comforter over my shaking body, tucking it around me with care. In a huff, she disappeared from my room, returning ten minutes later with a bottle of water and two aspirin.

"Take these. Now."

Selina opened the water bottle and shoved it into my hand.

I took the aspirin, struggling to swallow with my dry, parched throat. Even with the aid of water, it felt like I was trying to choke down sandpaper. All the while, Selina shook her head, muttering under her breath, her words a string of incoherent sentences.

"What happened to you last night?" She grabbed a tissue and gently wiped my mouth. "I told you to wait for me at the club."

I swatted her hand away, my movements sluggish. She sighed, placing her clenched fists on her lap, her eyes glazing over me with a worried glance.

"I could ask you the same thing. I waited for hours in the rain, and you never showed up. Luckily, I bumped into your friend."

I shot Selina an accusatory look, my eyes filled with frustration and hurt.

I sat up straight and leaned against the headboard. The sudden movement made my stomach churn with agony, and a new wave of nausea came crashing over me.

Selina's worried gaze never left me as she frowned.

"When did you meet my friend? When did—what happened last night, Nate?"

"Nothing," I shrugged, trying to sound calm, but her pointed look told me she wasn't buying it. "Nothing happened. I met your friend, we had drinks, and he took me back to my room."

Selina's eyes bore into mine, searching for the truth, worry etched into every line of her face.

"Is that really what happened?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Okay." Selina's face pinched with doubt. "Just get washed up and meet me in the coffee shop opposite the hotel. We'll meet up with my friend again, and find out what really happened."

"Fine by me." My voice perked up. "He was really nice."

Selina took in a deep breath, her shoulders slumping as she leaned down to pick up her bag. When she straightened, her eyes met mine, soft and warm.

"We'll see what he has to say" she said, her smile gentle but genuine.

I managed a half-hearted smile. "I'm sorry for making you worry last night."

"It's fine," she replied, her tone a mixture of relief and sternness. "Just call me next time instead of wandering off with a stranger." It was a command wrapped in care.

I did call you, I wanted to say, but held my tongue back. I didn't want to start an argument.

Her eyes reflected a mix of concern and affection as she placed her hand on my cheek, her thumb gently rubbing across my stubble.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" Her voice softened, filled with worry. "I can't sense your wolf."

"It's fine, we had a little argument. He'll come around," I said, nodding enthusiastically. Selina gave me a lingering look, still worried, but she left.

My heart pounded hard against my chest as I thought about Sebastian. The anticipation of meeting him again sent a thrill through me. I barely knew him, but after last night, he intrigued me in ways I couldn't explain.

I wanted to learn more about him and his royal background. And I wanted to learn more about myself.

Curiosity burned within me, a fierce desire to uncover everything about silver-eyed wolves and the hidden world of werewolves beyond Havenwood's threshold.

***

Despite our plans to meet at the coffee shop, Selina was nowhere to be found.

Typical.

She always did this—disappearing during important moments and reappearing at the most awkward times. It was incredibly annoying.

I quickly realized that, like the club, the coffee shop was also supernaturally owned. It, too, had a ward spell on it, making humans walk by without even a glance in its direction.

As I nervously waited for Selina to arrive with Sebastian, I busied myself by picking up a book left behind by the previous occupant of the table. Flipping through the pages, I hoped it would distract me from my racing thoughts.

The Wolf King, by Daniel Novak.

The story was a retelling of the Wolf King's downfall, narrated from the perspective of the Novak family. Within the first couple of sentences on the acknowledgment page, it was clear that the account was highly biased, heavily favoring the Novaks.

The era of the Wolf King was a dark time when cruelty reigned supreme. Through these pages, the Novak Pack recounts the fierce battles they fought and won, toppling a tyrant to protect wolfkind.

As the brave souls who faced this monster, we weave our tale with both heartache and triumph, showing how, even in the darkest of times, hope can shine through, guided by the unwavering strength of our family.

I scoffed. This Daniel Novak clearly had an ego, painting his family as the valiant knights who saved the day. I flicked through the pages, noticing the little annotations left behind by the previous owner of the book.

Didn't happen.

Lie.

The Wolf King was misguided, he knew how to love.

We persecuted them first.

He was trying to protect his people.

Lie.

WRONG, ALL WRONG!!

The last annotation caught my eye. It felt personal, as though the annotator was sympathetic towards the Wolf King, offering a perspective that contrasted sharply with the Novak family's narrative.

Half an hour passed, and still no sign of Selina. If I had my phone, I would have called her by now. The uncertainty of not knowing where she was gnawed at my gut.

"It's an interesting read, don't you think?" A man's shadow loomed over me, his voice pulling me from my thoughts.

My heart immediately thudded in response to his British accent, recognizing his voice at once. A smile tugged at my lips. As I looked up, our eyes met.

"Sebastian."