CHAPTER ONE
NATALIA’S POV
The room smelled of lemon scented cleaner and old wood. The floor creaked softly beneath her feet.
Nothing had changed—the pink coloured walls, the small bookshelf beside the window,the faded pink rug, the little lamp on the bedside table…
Her eyes widened with tears but she was determined not to allow them to fall. She dropped her suitcase by the bed and picked up the teddy bear hugging it to her chest.
Old memories came flooding back—how her mom had given it to her,how she couldn’t sleep without it,how this town held the best and worst of her memories.
This town used to be her happy place,far from the noise of the city,her school bullies,the loneliness. It used to be just her,her mom,her dad and her aunt living happily together in our own world filled with warmth.
But every good thing must come to an end.
Now Hollowridge felt more like hell. She’d sworn never to come back ...But she had no choice.
Her Father’s wife wouldn’t stop tormenting her, and her father was too cowardly to stand up for his own daughter. With no friends,no other options,and her trust fund still legally out of reach.
Forced to go to the one place she swore and thought she would never set eyes on again.
Her aunt’s house. This town, Hollowridge.
She won’t be here long . She’s starting college next year. All she needs is some money and some peace.
“Nat, come down for dinner!”, her aunt’s voice called from downstairs, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She didn’t even know she'd been unpacking for so long. With a sigh, she shoved her feelings to the back of her mind.
“Hey aunt Maren.”
She forced a smile while taking her seat at the table. Her aunt smiled warmly at her. They eat in silence for a while.
Natalia just couldn’t stand to look at her anymore.Her aunt looked so much like her mother it hurt.
So she left. And she never called.
“I spoke with the coffee shop owner,” Maren broke the silence. “He said you can start tomorrow.”
“Thanks auntie.”
“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me ‘Aunt’. Maren is fine, dear”,she grinned and returned to her meal. “How have you been?”
I hesitated, then shrugged. “Fine”.
”I know you are mad at your father. But it’s not his fault. He loves you—“
“Apparently he loves his wife more”, I cut in, bitterness sharp in my voice.
Even though he still loves me—I know I’m a part of mum he could never hate—he never defended me. He stood by and watched his wife mistreat me.
“That’s not true dear”,aunt Maren said gently.
I looked down, picked up my plate and stood.
“Thanks for the food, Aunt.”
“Nat?” she called.
I turned around from the kitchen. She stared at me like she wanted to say something important, but I left before she could articulate anything.
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Everything was off. The air felt too still. The sky was dark, the moon still hanging like a silver wound in the sky. It was too early—or too late. Something wasn’t right.
Before she could dwell on it, she heard a rustling sound.
She took a step toward the backyard, toward the forest that loomed just behind the house. Heart pounded as she crept closer, eyes straining to catch whatever was moving.
Then she saw it.
A large wolf stepped out from the trees.
I stumbled back, heart leaping into my throat.
How is there a wolf here?
It stepped toward her, tilting its head slightly. Its silver eyes locked with hers…striking and hypnotic. Its black fur shimmered beneath the moonlight like silk spun from shadow.
She was so mesmerized, didn’t notice how close it had gotten.
Until it snarled, lunged, and knocked her to the ground.
She screamed, thrashing beneath its weight. Its jaws sank into my neck. I couldn’t move—it was too heavy, vision blurred with tears and fear. I cried out again, terrified and helpless.
“Just a nightmare.” She woke up, panting with sweat.
Tomorrow was her first day at the coffee shop. She know she’d get the job—her aunt knew the owner—but nerves still buzzed under her skin.
The house creaked softly, the way old houses do when no one’s walking. But there was something about the silence that made her stomach twist.
She’d forgotten how… strange this house felt at night.
It wasn’t haunted, at least not in the movie sense… but it held memories. Whispers of arguments, grief, love that had turned to silence.
This house had seen too much. Maybe that’s why she hated it.
She got up and walked to the window. The tall trees swayed in the wind. The moon was out, glowing full and brightly.
Something tingled along her neck. Frowning, she went to the mirror and brushed her hair aside.
The mark. Wolf-like mark,dark and distinct. she’d had it since she turned eighteen. It just…appeared.
I touched it, it tingled beneath my fingers, and something stirred deep inside me—a pull,something strange and primal.
A rustle outside snapped me out of it. She quickly backed away and returned to bed, pushing away the strange thoughts.
A whisper. “Mate”.
My eyes flew open, I looked around, heart pounding. Where did that voice come from?
She stood up and went downstairs for water, trying to calm myself.
“Mate”, she repeated the word aloud, trying to make sense of it. She didn’t even know what it meant.
Her hand trembled around the glass. She didn’t realise how tight she was holding it until it cracked and shattered on the floor.
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“Your Aunt Maren has told me a lot about you.” Mr. Elliot, the owner of the coffee shop I’d be working in said.
I forced a small smile. “Good things, I hope?”
“All good things,” he chuckled. “Anyway, you can start right away. I’ll call Elara—she’ll introduce you to the others, show you around, and explain how things work.”
He waved over a woman who looked about my age, maybe a little older.
“Elara, this is Natalia. She’s starting today. Help her settle in?”
Elara smiled. “Let’s go, then.”
She introduced me to everyone: Jude, a waiter; Maisie, who ran the pastry counter; Rafa, the dishwasher; and herself—Elara managed things when Elliot wasn’t around, but she also served coffee. I was a waiter, like Jude.
Everyone was friendly, but there was something strange about the way they looked at me. It wasn’t unkind—just… off. Curious. Too curious. Like I was a puzzle they already knew the answer to.
I tried to ignore it.
After my shift, I left the cafe. I recalled how my mom would bring me into town when I was little, dragging me to every shop.
My favorite was the flower shop. Hers too. She loved white lilies—bought them every morning even though her garden overflowed with them.
I could still hear her voice: “Who will care for the flowers in the shop if we only love the ones at home?”
I looked around—and froze, then I started hearing the same words from last night. “Mate.”
Somehow, I had wandered into the woods.
No one had stopped me. No one had even noticed.
That was the problem with this town.
Everyone minded their own business.
She pulled out her phone in fear, to check Google Maps.
“No service,” I muttered. “I hate this godforsaken town.”
