The Howl of Fate

Chapter Three

Ellie barely slept.

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the events of the night replayed in her mind like an old film reel. Every detail—the golden-eyed man, the massive wolf, the way the beast had bowed to her—was burned into her memory.

And then there was Grayson.

His warning echoed in her head.

"The wolves you saw… they aren’t just wolves."

Ellie turned onto her side, glaring at the soft glow of her alarm clock. 4:23 AM.

She squeezed her eyes shut, but sleep never came.

By the time morning arrived, her exhaustion was outweighed by something stronger—determination. She needed answers.

And there was only one place to start.

The Library of Secrets

The Cedar Hollow Public Library was one of the oldest buildings in town, its towering oak doors and stone walls giving it the feel of something out of time. Ellie had spent countless afternoons here as a kid, losing herself in stories when reality was too much to bear.

But today, she wasn’t searching for fiction.

She pushed open the heavy doors, the scent of old books and dust greeting her. The library was nearly empty, save for the elderly librarian, Mrs. Hastings, who peered at Ellie over her reading glasses.

"You're here early, dear."

Ellie forced a smile. "Couldn't sleep."

Mrs. Hastings nodded knowingly. "Some tea might help with that."

"Maybe later," Ellie said, already making her way to the local history section.

The town archives were housed in a dimly lit corner of the library, filled with crumbling newspapers and books that hadn't been touched in decades. She scanned the shelves, her fingers trailing over faded leather spines until she found what she was looking for.

"Legends of Cedar Hollow."

Ellie pulled the book down, brushing off the dust before flipping through its pages. The stories inside were familiar—old folktales, ghost stories, myths that had been passed down for generations.

But then, she found it.

A section titled "The Cursed Bloodline."

Her pulse quickened as she read.

"There are whispers in Cedar Hollow of men who walk as wolves. Cursed by the moon, bound to the wild. They live among us, hiding in plain sight, their true nature a secret kept for centuries. Some say they are protectors, guardians of the land. Others claim they are monsters, cursed to hunt under the full moon, forever trapped between man and beast."

Ellie swallowed hard.

The description sent a chill down her spine—not because it was absurd, but because it sounded too close to the truth.

Was that what she had seen? A man who could turn into a wolf?

She traced the words with her fingertips, her mind racing.

"Bound to the wild. Hiding in plain sight."

Could Grayson be one of them?

Before she could process the thought, a shadow fell over the page.

"Doing some light reading?"

Ellie jumped, snapping the book shut as she looked up.

Grayson stood in front of her, arms crossed, his gray eyes unreadable.

Her heart pounded. "What are you doing here?"

He arched a brow. "I could ask you the same thing."

Ellie hesitated. "Just… looking into something."

Grayson glanced at the book in her hands, and something flickered across his face—something that looked a lot like recognition.

"You shouldn't be reading that," he said, his voice lower now, more serious.

Ellie tightened her grip on the book. "Why not?"

Grayson sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Because it's not just stories, Ellie. You need to let this go."

Her frustration flared. "Let what go? No one will tell me anything! I saw that wolf last night. I saw it bow to me. I saw—"

She stopped herself before saying I saw him.

Grayson exhaled slowly. "I know."

Ellie blinked. "What?"

"I know what you saw," he admitted, his voice softer now.

A heavy silence settled between them.

Ellie stared at him, the weight of his words pressing down on her. "Then tell me the truth."

Grayson hesitated, but then, finally, he nodded.

"Not here."

The Truth Unveiled

Grayson led Ellie out of the library and down the quiet streets of Cedar Hollow. They walked in silence, the crisp autumn air swirling around them, until they reached the outskirts of town.

Ellie recognized the road immediately. It led to the woods.

Her stomach tightened.

He stopped at the tree line, glancing at her. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Ellie nodded.

Grayson exhaled. "Alright. Then you need to see for yourself."

Before she could ask what he meant, he stepped back—then shifted.

One moment, he was standing in front of her, human. The next, a massive wolf stood in his place.

Ellie sucked in a breath.

His fur was dark, almost black, and his eyes—those unmistakable gray eyes—stared at her, waiting.

Her mind screamed that this wasn’t possible, but her heart… her heart knew better.

Grayson had never been just a man.

He was one of them.

A werewolf.

She stumbled back, her chest tightening. "This—this isn’t real."

Grayson let out a low rumble, almost like a sigh, before shifting back. Within seconds, he stood before her again, human once more, his expression unreadable.

"It's real," he said quietly.

Ellie pressed a hand to her chest, struggling to breathe. "How… how long?"

Grayson’s jaw tightened. "All my life."

Her mind raced. Everything she thought she knew about Cedar Hollow, about him, had just been shattered.

"But—" She swallowed hard. "The others. That wolf last night. Was that…?"

Grayson hesitated. "Not all of us are the same, Ellie."

Her blood ran cold.

"Not all of us."

Which meant some were dangerous.

Ellie shuddered. "Then what do they want?"

Grayson exhaled, his gaze darkening. "You."

A chill ran down her spine.

"Why?" she whispered.

Grayson looked at her for a long moment before answering.

"Because you're one of us."