My name is Isabella Danvers. I'm eighteen years old, with long brown hair, olive skin, and eyes that look a little too much like my mother's at least, that's what I've been told. I wouldn't really know. Our parents died when I was young. After that, it was just me and my older brother, Clayton, trying to survive in a world that didn't seem to want us.Then Jeremy Danvers found us.He took us in. Raised us. Saved us, really. He's been good to us, even if there's something about him something quiet, powerful, dangerous that makes my skin prickle. I love him, but I've always had the feeling that Jeremy hides things. Big things.

That morning felt no different.I walked downstairs into the dining room, my socks sliding slightly on the wooden floor, only to find Jeremy and Clayton already seated across from each other. The tension between them was so thick it almost felt like the air itself could snap.

"What's going on here?" I asked, eyes flicking between them.

"Nothing," Jeremy said smoothly, gesturing toward the food. "Come and eat."

I sat beside him, across from Clayton. No one spoke much after that, except for the occasional clink of forks against plates. Jeremy kept giving Clayton these subtle, warning looks  like he was silently trying to stop him from saying something. It set my nerves on edge.

"How did you sleep?" Clayton asked finally, forcing a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Fine," I replied. "You?"

He just shrugged.Breakfast couldn't end fast enough.After clearing my plate, I headed back upstairs, trying to make sense of what I'd just walked into. Jeremy and Clayton were close, but lately, it felt like something was brewing between them something I wasn't being told. And I hated that.
When I came back down, voices drifted from the living room low, serious ones.Jeremy's.Antonio's.And Nik's.

I stepped into the doorway, and the conversation stopped like someone had flipped a switch.

"Please, don't stop on my account," I said, raising a brow.

"Hello, Isabella," Antonio greeted warmly, walking over to hug me. His embrace was firm, familiar. He was one of Jeremy's oldest friends, and one of the few people in this house who treated me like I wasn't made of glass.

Nik followed, grinning as he pulled me into a quick hug. "Hey, Bella. Long time no see."

"I know. It's been ages," I said, smiling. "How have you been?"

"We've been good," Nik answered. "Busy, as always."

"Yeah," I said softly. "I've been good too. Same old, same old."

Something brushed against my leg then soft fur, warm breath. I looked down to see a huge dog standing beside me. Its golden-brown eyes locked on mine.

"Is he yours?" I asked Antonio, reaching a hand out to scratch behind the dog's ear.

"Isabella, be careful," Jeremy warned sharply.

But it was too late.The moment my fingers brushed the dog's chin, everything exploded into pain. Its teeth sank deep into my hand hot, tearing pain that stole the breath from my lungs. I screamed, but the sound barely made it past my throat before my knees gave out.The last thing I heard was Jeremy shouting my name before everything went black.