Chapter 2: My birthday

Maddie

"Do you remember the human's name, Logan?" asked Kurt with a mocking laugh.

Logan crouched in front of me, his eyes burning with contempt. For a moment, I truly thought he was going to kill me right there.

"I remember by accident. You're nothing but human filth... we’re wolves! If we wanted to, we’d tear you apart right now. But why bother?"

"She’s not worth it. Just a silly girl who liked chess and gymnastics," Dominic muttered, and I realized with a chill that the brothers knew more about me than I had ever imagined. Not for the right reasons.

"She’s a loser!" the blond one spat.

A rough shove sent me stumbling, and I heard the sharp crack of glass. My stomach twisted when I saw it: my father’s watch, shattered on the ground, its face crushed beneath Dominic’s boot.

"No... no..." The words barely left my lips.

"Ohhh... is the little human going to cry?"

"Poor bitch!" They laughed, their voices echoing in the dark as I fought back tears.

"We should get rid of this stupid girl," Logan growled.

"We won’t stain ourselves with human blood," Dominic answered coldly, his green eyes glowing like a predator’s in the shadows.

"We... we will fight to the end..." I whispered.

Logan’s hand shot out, seizing me by the collar and yanking me upward as if I were weightless. My legs flailed uselessly; to them, I was no more than an insect.

"You’re leaving this town whether you want to or not. By tomorrow night, no one like you should remain here. Do you understand, little mouse? Or is your tiny brain too slow to keep up?" His voice dripped with hatred.

Something inside me snapped. Perhaps it was foolish, or perhaps it was brave.—I’ll never know. But they never expected me to act, because to them, I was never a threat.

My hand closed around the knife in my pocket. With all the strength I had, I slashed him across the face, from chin to cheek.

"Bitch!" Logan roared, hurling me to the ground. Dominic lunged forward, but I struck again, cutting his hand across the knuckles.

"Damn human!" Blood spilled onto the earth. Logan’s roar shook the air as the others struggled to hold him back.

I still don’t know why... but they let me go. As I staggered into the night, their voices followed me.

"Tell your people to leave and never return!"

"The next time we see you, we’ll kill you, human! I swear it!"

The shouts dissolved as I opened my eyes.

I wasn’t holding a knife. I wasn’t fifteen anymore.

I was home. Mark was watching me with worry etched on his face.

"Are you okay?"

"I had that nightmare again..."

It wasn’t just a dream. It had happened. No matter how hard I tried to bury it, the memory always returned. They had nearly killed me.

"Damn wolves," Mark muttered bitterly. Time had carved that anger deep into him.

After that night, we had no choice but to flee. The wolves destroyed our homes and drove us away. Years later, we managed to start over in another town, Three Streams, but we had lost everything.

Our mother worked herself to exhaustion, Mark labored on farms, and I barely scraped through school.

College, a career, gymnastics—all gone. I was grateful just to have two jobs.

"But today, you’re going to enjoy yourself, right, Maddie?" my mother said at breakfast, her voice warm. It was my eighteenth birthday.

"I just want to work and..."

"No way. Today we’re celebrating. I promise you’ll have an unforgettable day. I already spoke to Robin, so no excuses," Mark insisted. I didn’t want to crush his excitement, so I agreed.

"Where are we going?" I asked Robin for the fifth time as she styled my hair.

She, too, carried scars from the wolves’ cruelty. Her family had lost a thriving business, and she hated them as much as I did.

Robin was stunning—dark skin, curves that turned heads, and a cascade of black curls down to her waist. In another life, she would have ruled the school, maybe even the town.

"I don’t know, but I trust Mark. We should look amazing," she said with a mischievous smile. Part of her eagerness was clear—she had a crush on my brother.

"And Kevin’s coming too..." she teased. Kevin had grown more handsome over the years. Maybe I had more reasons to go out than I thought.

I slipped into a short silver dress, simple yet flattering. As always, I wore my dad’s broken watch.

"A club? Seriously?" I asked.

"Of course, little sister. You’re not a child anymore—you’re ready for this," Mark said proudly.

"A club in another town. No one knows us there," Kevin added with a look that lingered a little too long. I’d never thought of myself as beautiful, not compared to Robin, but tonight I almost believed I was.

"Happy birthday!" Robin cheered as we danced together.

The club was small, but to me, it felt magical. For one night, I drank, laughed, and lived like any carefree girl.

"Would you dance with me?" Kevin asked.

"Of course..." I followed him to a quiet corner.

"You look gorgeous, Maddie," he murmured, his gaze dropping to my neckline. I blushed, smiling despite myself.

"I’ve kept my distance... mostly because of your brother. But I think you know how I feel about you," he confessed, and joy bloomed in my chest.

He drew closer, his hands warm on my waist, his lips brushing mine with a sweetness that made my stomach flutter. His kiss tasted faintly of alcohol, but to me, it was perfect.

If this is my birthday gift, it was better than anything I’d imagined.

Then chaos shattered it.

"What’s going on?" Kevin whispered, tense.

"I think the wolves are coming... we have to go."

"What?"

"Over here!" Robin shouted as the four of us scrambled. My moment with Kevin was gone, and I knew I’d never forgive it.

"Here!" Mark urged as we crouched behind parked cars.

That’s when I saw them. Wolves—dozens—but above all, the triplets. Their faces seared into my memory. My stomach twisted with a dangerous mix of fear and something else I didn’t want to name.

"The Three Dragons," Mark muttered with venom. That was their name. To me, they were simply the Three Assholes.

I hadn’t seen them since that night in the forest. Now they were even more imposing—tattoos, muscles, power radiating from every move.

"Damn, those wolves are too hot... like models. God, they’re gorgeous," Robin whispered. I jabbed her ribs, making her squeak.

"Ouch!"

"Shhh!"

"I hate them, but I’m not blind. Look at those blondes... damn," she said, and I spotted the tall, broad-shouldered pair she meant.

"Come on, Robin!" I hissed.

"Look, the dark-haired one has a scar on his face," Kevin observed.

"That must’ve been one hell of a fight. Wolves heal fast," Mark added.

"Is that true?" I asked, and Mark nodded grimly.

"I think... it was me," I murmured. Their shocked faces turned toward me.

"You must be mistaken, baby," Kevin said with a patronizing smile.

"But—" I started, before he yanked me down. The triplets froze, scanning the night as if they sensed us.

"Everyone, stay quiet," Mark breathed.

"We have to go," Kevin urged once the wolves slipped into a building. We started down the path, but a sudden sound stopped us cold.

"What’s that?" I asked.

It was too late.

"Look what we have here. Some humans... pathetic peasants," sneered a voice: Wolves.

"Run!" Mark shouted, but escape was impossible. Kevin went down under a blow, and though my brother fought valiantly, Robin and I were seized.

"Mark! Mark!" I screamed as darkness swallowed me whole.