The night air was thick with tension, the only sounds the distant rustling of leaves and the unsteady rhythm of Raelynn's breath. The dim glow of the car's headlights barely illuminated the figures before her—Axel and Elion, standing like two titans ready to tear each other apart.
Elion's eyes burned with a dangerous intensity, crimson like fresh-spilled blood. His expression was hard to read, but there was something possessive, something resolute in the way he stood between Raelynn and Axel, as if he would let nothing, no one, take her away.
Axel, gripping his blade tightly, was breathing heavily from the chase. His body was tense, muscles coiled, his entire being radiating defiance. "You don't know what he is, Raelynn!" His voice was sharp, desperate. "You think you're safe with him? You think he's protecting you? He's not human! He's a monster!"
