I landed soft as a shadow, my boots barely disturbing the grass. The balcony vanished behind me as I slipped around the side of the house. The mansion loomed quiet and dark like it always did, like it was holding its breath while I snuck in like the twisted little monster I was pretending not to be.
The back door creaked open. I stepped inside, the cold tile biting at my skin through my socks.
Then I heard it. “Ethan?”
My name, sharp and questioning, cutting through the stillness.
I turned, already knowing who it was.
Greg.
My guardian. My fake stepfather. The guy who helped me flee my pack, taught me to blend in, to walk like a human, talk like a human, smile like a human. But under all of that? He was just like me.
A werewolf pretending to be something softer.
He stood at the bot
