Several days later
The drive to school was a quiet one. Iván sat in the passenger seat, staring blankly out the window.
"Iván, sweetie," his mom said gently, breaking the silence, "you haven't said a word since I dropped off your sister."
"What is there to say?" Iván muttered, his voice low. "That my whole life has been a lie? That you hid this from me? And now you're telling me to keep it from Sofia too?"
She sighed, her hands tightening slightly on the steering wheel. "Sofia will know… eventually. But let her be a child a little longer. She deserves that."
Iván turned away from her, his jaw clenched. "I can't believe this. All this time, I thought I was going to have a normal life… one without secrets or learning I'm goddamn werewolf."
"Your father was supposed to tell you when you turned 14, but since you didn't show any signs, I thought you'd be okay. I was wrong."
"And what about Dad, Mom?" Iván asked, his voice tense. "Did he go missing, or not?"
"That is… true," she said, lying.
She knew it wasn't the time to tell him everything. He already had enough to deal with.
The rest of the drive passed in silence until they pulled into the school parking lot.
"Iván, listen," she said, her voice calm but firm. "Act normal. If anyone asks, just say you were sick. Got it?"
"Yeah, I got it," he muttered, grabbing his bag and stepping out of the car without another word.
Can't believe this shit, he thought bitterly as he walked into the school building, heading toward his first class.
"Yo, Iván! Where've you been?" Rowan called out from down the hall.
"Sick," Iván replied flatly, not even slowing his pace.
He walked into the classroom and spotted Olivia. This time, she looked a little different—no hoodie over her head. Her dark brown hair was curled, soft waves framing her face. And she wore a cute outfit that suited her perfectly, with a scarf wrapped neatly around her neck.
She turned toward him with a shy smile.
"Oh, hi Iván," she said, giving him a small wave.
As he got closer, he noticed her scent—vanilla. It was subtle but warm.
"Hey… You seem more confident today," he said.
She nodded. "Charlotte told me I should try wearing something like this. She said it would make me look more… lovely."
"Well, she was right. You do," he replied without thinking.
Olivia's eyes widened, her cheeks turning pink. She quickly turned away, murmuring, "Thank you…"
Before the moment could continue, a loud sound cut through the room.
Thud. A textbook slammed shut.
It was Charlotte.
"Iván," she said with narrowed eyes, glaring at him. "You better not be taking advantage of her."
"What?!" Iván's eyes widened. "That wasn't my intention at all!"
Charlotte slowly rose from her desk, shooting him a death glare.
"I'm watching you, young man. She's my new bestie, and I won't let any guy mess with her." She looked him up and down, narrowing her eyes. "Huh… you look different. Did you get leaner?"
"She's got a point," Rowan chimed in as he walked in, pulling back his blonde hair and sliding his hands into his pockets, watching the scene with interest.
"Huh?" Iván glanced at himself. "I guess… I've been working out a bit."
"Oh, and I should probably mention—Jackson wants to meet you in the locker room during lunch." Rowan said.
"Is he gay?" Iván asked, genuinely curious.
A soft, adorable giggle suddenly filled the classroom.
Iván turned, catching Olivia trying to hide her smile behind her desk.
"You might have a point," Rowan said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Honestly, sometimes it feels like he's got a Stick up his ass or something."
Boom Ivan flitch suddenly like a gunshot echo his ears has he turned toward classroom window and hundred of ravens flew in the hell
"Rowan," Charlotte called out to him.
"That, my dear friends, is a bad omen," he said. "Another dead body, most likely. Birds are smart—they sense danger before we do." He shrugged casually.
Right. He almost forgot this guy was suspicious. And as for Charlotte—now that he knew what her uncle was, it made sense. She probably knew more than she let on. But what about Rowan?
"What is it?" Iván asked as he noticed Rowan looking his way.
"Nothing," Rowan said, shrugging. "Just thinking."
"Say, Iván," Rowan continued, "you said you were sick. What was it?"
"I had a fever, sore throat, bad cough—y'know, just your average illness."
"Are you feeling better now?" Olivia cut in, her voice full of concern.
"Yeah," Iván said with a small smile. "I feel amazing."
Days Prior
"Listen, kid," Derek said firmly. "I know you're dealing with a lot, but you need to understand something—this has to stay a secret. Humans can't know about the supernatural. It would throw off the natural order of things. That's rule number one in every survival book, and following it will keep you alive."
"Alive?!" Iván echoed, startled.
"Yes. You think the government doesn't know about us? They do. And they've got hunters—highly trained, ruthless. If you slip up, they won't hesitate to take you out."
"But—"
SMACK
Derek slapped him across the face—not hard, but enough to snap his focus.
"Ow! Why did you hit me?"
"Because you need to listen carefully," Derek said, his tone sharp and serious. "As werewolves—aside from vampires—we're the most feared. You know why? Because we have strength in numbers."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"You and me? We're brothers now. A pack. Your sister will be too, when the time comes. And there's someone else I'll introduce you to soon. But for now—keep your head down. Don't draw attention. If anyone finds out what you are, they will come after you. Got it?"
"…Yeah, I got it," Iván said quietly, rubbing the side of his stinging face.
"Was it really necessary to hit my son, Derek?" Daniela asked, her tone sharp with concern.
"Yes," Derek replied without hesitation, glancing at Iván. "Especially with an Alpha on the loose."
"An Alpha?" Iván repeated, confused. "What's that?"