The room around me faded as my mind transported me back to that night in the forest. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor where Silver and I sat. The air was cool and fragrant with the scent of damp earth and wildflowers. I remember how his sad grin tugged at my heartstrings as he spoke. "I bit a little girl as a cub," he said, his voice tinged with hurt and sarcasm. "But I did it because she was eating poisonous flowers. I hope that doesn't count."

I shook my head, snapping back to reality. Could it be? Was Silver the one who had bitten me? Who turned me into a werewolf? By the time it happened, Silver had been so young that it would have been plausible to mistake his bite for that of a dog.

As I realized the implications, my emotions cascaded over me like a waterfall. Confusion, shock, but also... relief. So many things in my life suddenly made sense. My love for the forest, my strength compared to other women, my impulsive nature, and the inexplicable attraction I felt towards Silver.

So this is what Mom had been trying to protect me from all along. She'd been keeping me from transforming into a werewolf. That's why I couldn't join the Hoods or have a boyfriend, and why she was terrified when I told her I'd be living with Gabriel. Was this the secret Grandma Beatrice wanted to reveal to me? It must've been! But why now? Why tell me now, when they had kept it hidden for so long? How could they live with a secret like that?

"God, this is so messed up," I thought, running my fingers through my hair. But even amidst the chaos of my emotions, there was an odd sense of calmness. At least now, I knew the truth about myself. I was dealt a crazy hand, but I would face whatever destiny had in store for me.

Suddenly, I heard something behind me and spun around. There stood Gabriel, drying his wet hair with a towel, wearing only a pair of boxers, his muscular chest glistening. Instinctively, I hid the key in my nightgown's pocket.

"Hey, Red," he said nonchalantly, "what have you got there?"

Gabriel's gaze swept over the scattered photos and papers on the floor and the open silver box. Surprise flashed across his handsome face, and I could tell he was taken aback by the sight.

He stepped closer, looking at the contents of the box on the floor. "How did you open that box?" he asked, trying to sound casual. But I caught the underlying tension in his voice.

"Is this box yours, Gabriel? Where did you get it?" I asked him, my suspicion growing.

He shrugged, feigning ignorance. "That thing? I don't know... It was just lying around in the house..."

"Really?" I retorted, standing up.

I slowly picked up the photographs and papers, my mind racing with questions. I sensed Gabriel was lying, but why? Could he really be hiding something from me?

"This box belonged to my grandmother," I said, eyeing him warily. The tension between us intensified, as if a storm was brewing.

"Did it...?" he replied, feigning ignorance. "Oh, yeah..." he added, suddenly pretending to remember. "I think you might be right... She might have given it to me. Let me see what's inside."

He took a step closer, reaching for the items in my hands, but I backed away, clutching them protectively. "If she gave the box to you, how come you don't know how to open it or what was inside it?" I asked, trying to hold my ground.

Gabriel stared at me in silence, his eyes narrowing. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, the air heavy with unspoken words. Finally, he pinched his forehead and sighed, his patience wearing thin. "Just give me the goddamn papers, Red!" he shouted, his face contorting into an awful expression I had never seen before. Fear gripped my heart, and I knew I had to get away from him.

I decided to make a run for it, but Gabriel blocked my path to the door of the cabin. "Where do you think you're going?" he shouted as he attempted to wrench the papers and photographs from my grasp, but I held tightly onto them. Our arms flailed and I tried to push him away as we grappled.

In an instant, Gabriel grabbed me and held me tight, pushing the air out of my lungs. I managed to break free from his grasp with a kick to his right shin. With a sharp cry, he pulled away, his face contorted in fury.

The fight was a desperate blur, both of us thrashing and struggling against each other. Gabriel pinned me against the wall and tried to tear away the papers and photographs clutched in my hands, but I wouldn’t let go. His face was a mask of fury, eyes narrowed and teeth gritted, his movements powerful and frantic as he attempted to overpower me. I summoned all my strength to break away from his grasp and dash towards the bed.

"Give them to me, Red!" he yelled, lunging for me again. I dodged his advances, using all my agility and speed to keep the distance between us.

My heart pounded in my chest, and my breath came in short gasps as I raced around the cabin. The tugging, pulling, and frenzied scramble for the papers only fueled Gabriel's anger, and I could see the darkness in his eyes growing stronger by the second. I couldn't keep this up forever. I stumbled and Gabriel lunged towards me, causing us to tumble onto the bed together. I had lost.

I lay there, disoriented and vulnerable, as Gabriel's weight bore down on me. He snatched my grandmother's papers and photographs from my grasp. He smirked, his large body pressed against mine, trapping me beneath him, and I felt utterly helpless.

"Let me go!" I screamed, struggling to free myself from his grip. But Gabriel only tightened his hold on my wrists, pinning them above my head.

"Shut the fuck up and behave," he growled angrily, his face just inches from mine. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I knew that struggling further was futile. Reluctantly, I stopped fighting.

"Good girl," he said smugly before releasing me and getting off the bed. My heart raced as I watched him, still teary and shaking from fear.

Gabriel started examining the pictures he'd stolen from me. His eyes widened as he looked at a photograph of little me with a tail. "No, it can't be... This is you?!" he exclaimed, surprise etched on his face.

I hesitantly got up from the bed and slowly approached him, anger and determination building within me. His malicious glee was evident as the shocking truth about me dawned on him. I wondered why he would be so excited about this discovery, but I didn't have time to ponder.

"Give those back," I demanded, my voice shaking slightly. "They don't belong to you!"

"Ah, but now they do," Gabriel said, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

"Give them back, Gabriel," I demanded once again.

"Look at you," he said mockingly, holding the photograph just out of my reach. "A little werewolf. Who would've thought?"

My heart pounded in my chest as I watched Gabriel eagerly flip through my grandmother's papers. This was my chance, I had to act now. With a surge of adrenaline, I jumped onto Gabriel's back, desperately trying to grab the papers and photographs from his hands.

"Give them back!" I shouted, clawing at his arms as he struggled to shake me off. He roared in frustration, finally managing to throw me off of him. My victory was short-lived as his fist connected with the side of my head, sending a sharp, searing pain through my ear. I crumpled to the ground, my vision blurring and my head throbbing with agony. The room spun around me, and I wanted to get up, but my body wouldn't cooperate.

"W-why are you doing this?" I choked out, tears streaming down my face as I tried to make sense of the betrayal. The man I'd come to care for had vanished entirely, replaced by some horrible monster.

While I lay there, struggling to regain my bearings, Gabriel eagerly read through the papers, his eyes widening in excitement. "Yes!" he exclaimed, a twisted smile stretching across his face. "Yes, finally!"

His laughter filled the room, echoing cruelly in my ears. I couldn't believe what I was seeing – was he actually crazy? Was this all some sick joke to him?

Grimacing, I forced myself to try to get up again, but Gabriel wasn't having it. He pushed me back down to the ground with a powerful kick, pinning me beneath the weight of his foot. I gasped for air as the force of the impact knocked the wind out of me, pain radiating through my body.

"Stay down," he snarled, grabbing me by the hair and yanking my head back. "So, you're a werewolf, huh?"

Fear gripped my heart. I was in danger. What was Gabriel planning to do with this newfound information? How was I going to escape from the clutches of this monster? Would he go as far as to kill me? After all, he was a Hood… As he held me there, his grip tight and unforgiving, I couldn't help but feel a cold sense of dread settle over me. I needed to find a way out – before it was too late.