His Miraculum

Chapter 001

Hayley's POV

The alarm clock was broken into multiple pieces on the ground, and Hayley, shielded by her blanket, gazed down at the debris with no remorse at all.

It was the first day of summer vacation.

She had finally moved past the agonizing four years of high school.

She tightened the blanket around her shoulders and closed her eyes once again, taking in the early morning light and the soft noises of the house.

Today, she doesn't have to deal with wolves staring her down in busy hallways. There is no need to be cautious among pack kids who view humanity as a source of shame. There was nothing on her calendar, just her and the blanket.

She could hear her mother's voice echoing through the walls, quick and harsh, just as it often did when she had obviously been up for some time getting herself together.She intends to attend a college on the other side of the country, and for some reason, she doesn't see any issues with that.

With a quiet exhale, Hayley covered her ears with the blanket.

Her father's voice came next, much more subdued and circumspect, the tone he always adopted when attempting to avoid exacerbating the situation.She is an intelligent young woman. She is aware of her desires.You and I both know that intelligence won't keep her safe.

For three weeks in a row, this specific topic had been repeated in the kitchen, the hallway, and occasionally late at night when they assumed she was already asleep.

No matter how much her mother argued about the specifics, she had no intention of changing her decision to attend a college close to the Free State because it offered the greatest program for her desired field of study.

For as long as she could remember, Hayley had dreamed of the Free State, one of the few remaining locations in the globe where wolves did not rule.

On the other side of the wall, she heard her mother's voice rising once more. Her father then responded with a brief statement that caused her mother to become silent for precisely three seconds before speaking again, this time more quickly.

Hayley grinned slightly into her pillow in spite of everything.

The door flew open after that.

Her mother was standing in the doorway, her green eyes burning with the specific fire that indicated she had been contemplating this for hours, her curly hair wild.

Her father's head peeked gingerly around the frame behind her, giving the impression that he had made a valiant effort to avoid this situation but had been utterly unsuccessful.Have you been lying here acting as though nothing is happening, or have you even considered what you are going to wear to the ball?

Hayley gave her a slow blink. "No, but Marina and I are already planning to go shopping today."

Her mother's nose stopped turning red.

Her mother scrutinized her face for a long while, the way she always did when evaluating whether Hayley was telling the truth or just saying whatever would finish the conversation fastest. ""Can I really rely on you to finish this?"Indeed. I swear.

A pause. The tiniest smile, the type her mother usually attempted to conceal but never quite succeeded at, pulled at the corner of her mouth.

Her father gave up pretending that he had accidentally strolled in and entered the room.His voice cracked as he spoke, "My little baby is growing up so fast."

Her mom whirled around. "I am warning you right now, if you cry again I am taking you dress shopping with her."

His eyes widened. He remained silent.

When Hayley giggled, her mother gave her a look that was attempting to be firm but failing.

Before stopping at the doorway to give Hayley one final look, her mother hurried across the room, straightening items that didn't need to be straightened.A dress. Today."Right now. I comprehend.

The door closed with a click. Her father gave her a gentle shoulder pat and followed, stopping in the doorway with his glassy eyes once more.

She shook her head and discreetly gestured at him. He chuckled softly and walked away.

After taking a quicker than normal shower—which was still not quick—she put on a dark pair of jeans and a soft cream sweater before going downstairs and giving her parents a quick peck on the cheek.

Hayley had anticipated Marina's tardiness.

Her mother detested her practice of tossing her phone up and catching it while sitting on the porch steps since her hand-eye coordination had never once cooperated when she truly needed it. On the third toss, the phone fell into her lap.

When she looked up, she saw the person she had been secretly hoping to avoid this morning coming down the walk.

He was a pack warrior who resided a few homes down. He was well-ranked enough that many unmated females gave him attention, which he obviously loved from everyone but her.

She couldn't just ignore him because she was a human. She had no desire to suffer the repercussions of disrespecting a wolf of his caliber.

As he approached, his teeth were just barely visible, and he grinned."Good morning.""Good morning," she said in a cautiously impartial manner.

He started to add anything more, but Marina's small blue car came around the corner and made two loud, well-timed beeps.

Hayley was standing already. "Sorry, I have to go." She moved across the yard so quickly that it would have taken a lot of work to keep up.

Before the door was completely closed, Marina was already pushing away from her as she settled into the passenger seat.Wasn't that him once more?I really don't want to discuss it."

The automobile was filled with gentle music. While Marina spoke into great detail about something her partner had done the previous evening, Hayley leaned back and allowed the strain to release from her shoulders.

Despite having no personal experience to draw from, Hayley did her best to listen while making brief comments and attempting to offer helpful advise.

After finding parking close to the mall's rear entrance, they spent the next hour going from store to store, Hayley carrying bags while Marina put things on, both of them giving frank feedback based on their years of friendship.

Marina didn't locate her dress until the eleventh store; it was a deep blue gown that gave the impression that she had known exactly what she would find when she walked in.

Hayley slipped toward the tiny bookstore café hidden at the far end of the mall while Marina lingered in the lengthy checkout line.When you're finished, meet me in there."

Visibly glad that she wouldn't have to accompany them, Marina gave her a quick glance before letting her leave and cautioning her not to take too long.

Before Hayley had even stepped through the door, the smell of coffee and old paper welcomed her. She placed an order for a gingerbread latte and carried it to the back, near the classics area, which was the only shelf in the entire store free of romance-driven romance.

In every bookstore she had ever been to, almost every other shelf was filled with tales of wolves finding mates instantly, with a single glance making all the difference.

The allure of a love that was predetermined before a single word was spoken was beyond her comprehension. Slowly getting to know someone, falling in love with their unique peculiarities, and again choosing them with complete awareness of who they were were all signs of true love, the type she believed in.

These days, it seemed like that kind of love was only found in ancient literature.

Beside Hayley, the proprietor of the store, a friendly old lady with similar tastes, showed up holding a new title.arrived last week. published prior to the change. There are no wolves in this traditional romance.

At once, Hayley extended her hand.

They talked for a long time, disagreeing on two points and completely agreeing on a third as they debated a series Hayley had just finished.

She lost all sense of time until the door opened and Marina entered with a dress bag slung over one arm and the look of someone whose patience had reached its limit.45 minutes.

Hayley glanced at the clock, guilt dropping lightly. "It did not feel that long."In here, it never does.

As Marina forcibly guided Hayley back out into the mall, the store owner pursed her lips to contain a smile.

They went to five more shops. Hayley tried on more dresses than she wanted to count, but she rejected them all for various reasons, such as being too colorful, too bold, or just incorrect.

She then put it on.

Soft blush pink, off-the-shoulder, with a delicate, yet functional, trail of cloth behind her. Not ostentatious. It was the exact type of outfit that allowed her to blend in with the crowd, which was exactly what was intended.

Silently, she examined her reflection.

In the mirror, Marina materialized next to her. "That's the correct one. I refuse to listen to any disagreement."I had no intention of arguing.

After dinner, Marina talked about the event practically constantly, her eyes shining with real pleasure at the prospect of meeting someone."Are you not even slightly intrigued?"I didn't say I wasn't interested. I stated that I wasn't thrilled."Those are identical."In actuality, they are not.

Marina gestured to Hayley with her fork. "There's a thirty percent probability that your partner is out there already. Does that mean nothing to you?

Hayley considered the Free State, the college application that was sitting on her desk, and the life she had spent years creating in her imagination.

She considered what it would be like to lose everything to a stranger.It implies that I expect to be among the remaining 70%.

After giving her a long glance, Marina turned to face the window and ended the conversation.

It was a calm drive home. When she entered, her parents were still awake, and her mother gave the outfit a close inspection before saying, "It is lovely," which was a huge compliment from her.

Her father emitted a sound that indicated an impending emotional outburst.Without even looking back, her mother ordered, "Do not."

After giving them both a good night kiss, Hayley went upstairs and carefully hung the dress before getting into bed.

Even though the ball was still weeks away, her plan was sound and sensible, and she was staring at the ceiling, a dull, unyielding uneasiness remained in her chest that would not go away.

She shut her eyes.

A ballroom full of people, a room falling abruptly and absolutely silent, eyes meeting hers across an impossibly long distance, dark and steady and unaffected by anything else in the room—all of this was the looser and stranger that sleep slowly dragged her into.

In an attempt to ignore the sight, she rolled over in her sleep and pulled the blanket tighter. It persisted still, like some thoughts do when they've already discovered something valuable.

And in the final silent moment before the darkness completely engulfed her, a single, little, and unavoidable thought came to her.

What if there was no plan at all?