The night was colder than usual—sharp, biting, the kind of cold that seemed to creep under the skin and settle inside the bones.Catherine pulled her jacket tighter as she walked along the empty street. The lamps flickered, the air was damp with the smell of rain, and the town lay eerily still.
She shouldn't have been out here.But she had nowhere else to go.
The fight with her stepfather still rang in her ears—his voice booming, his words cutting. She'd told herself she wouldn't cry this time, but when the door slammed behind her, she realized she'd left everything behind. Everything except her backpack, a few crumpled bills, and her pride.
The pavement gleamed under the half-moon. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked—then fell silent.
Catherine walked faster.
The deeper she went into the old part of town, the stranger it felt. Shadows clung to the corners, and a faint mist curled low over the ground. A chill ran down her spine, not from the cold, but from something else—something watching.
Then she heard it.
A sound.Soft at first, like a breath—or a growl.
She stopped, her breath catching. "Hello?" she called out, voice trembling slightly.
No answer. Only the echo of her own voice.
She forced a nervous laugh and kept walking, her boots splashing lightly in puddles. But the feeling didn't fade. If anything, it grew stronger.The wind shifted, carrying the scent of pine—and something metallic.
Blood.
Catherine froze.That was when she saw him.
A figure stood at the far end of the alley, tall and motionless. He was half in shadow, half bathed in the cold glow of the moon. His coat moved slightly with the wind, but he didn't. His presence alone made her pulse quicken.
"Who—who's there?" she demanded, her voice shaking despite her effort to sound brave.
The man stepped forward, his boots silent on the wet pavement. "You shouldn't be out here," he said. His voice was low—rough, yet almost melodic. "It's not safe tonight."
His tone was protective, but something in it sent a shiver through her all the same.
Catherine swallowed hard. "Thanks, but I can take care of myself."
He tilted his head slightly, studying her. Even from a distance, his eyes seemed to reflect the light—gold, or maybe amber. "You shouldn't lie to a predator, little human."
Her stomach twisted. "Excuse me?"
Before she could move, something crashed nearby—a trash bin knocked over, followed by a guttural snarl that froze her in place. The man's expression darkened instantly.
"Behind me," he said, voice commanding now.
Catherine hesitated. "What—"
"Now."
She barely had time to react before a shape leapt from the darkness—something massive, fast, and wrong. It wasn't human. Its eyes glowed crimson, its fangs gleamed under the moonlight.
Catherine screamed.
The man moved faster than her eyes could follow. One moment he was in front of her, the next, the air cracked with the sound of impact. Claws slashed through the mist, and she glimpsed something impossible—his hands morphing, fingers elongating, nails turning into deadly claws that glinted silver.
The beast lunged again, but he met it head-on. A flash of motion, a roar, a blur of darkness and light—and then silence.
Catherine pressed herself against the wall, shaking.
The man stood over the creature's lifeless body, his chest rising and falling. His coat was torn, revealing faint traces of fur along his arms—already fading as she watched. His eyes glowed brighter now, wild and feral.
He turned to her slowly.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice softer, steadier.
She shook her head numbly. "What… what was that?"
He hesitated, as if weighing whether to tell her. "Something that shouldn't exist in your world."
"You mean our world," she corrected weakly.
A faint smile touched his lips, but it wasn't warm. "No, Catherine. Not yours."
Her blood turned to ice. "How do you know my name?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he stepped closer. The air between them crackled with energy, with something primal and magnetic. He reached out, brushing his thumb gently against her cheek where a cut had formed.
His touch burned—literally.She gasped, jerking back.
He frowned, eyes narrowing as if realizing something. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "You're marked."
"Marked? What are you talking about?"
But before he could reply, his body stiffened. His gaze darted upward, toward the rooftops. Catherine followed his eyes—and saw several silhouettes perched above them, too still to be human.
"Vampires," he hissed.
Her heart skipped. "Vam—what?"
He grabbed her wrist. "Run."
"What?!"
He didn't wait for her to argue. One pull, and she was running beside him, her heart pounding, feet slapping against the pavement. Behind them came the hiss of air and the faint whisper of wings.
They turned corner after corner, the streets twisting like a maze. Catherine's lungs burned, but she didn't dare stop. Finally, he dragged her into an abandoned church, its stained glass shattered, moonlight spilling through broken windows.
He released her hand. "Stay here."
She caught his sleeve before he could move. "Who are you?" she demanded, breathless.
He turned toward her, and for the first time, she saw his face clearly—sharp angles, a faint scar across his jaw, and eyes that were far too bright to belong to any man.
"My name is Lucien," he said. "Alpha of the Moon Pack."
She blinked. "Alpha? Like… wolves?"
He smirked faintly. "Something like that."
Before she could process his words, a faint glow pulsed on her neck. She reached up instinctively—and froze.A small crescent mark shimmered just beneath her skin, glowing silver.
Lucien's expression hardened. "It's begun."
"What has?" she whispered.
He stepped closer, his gaze locking with hers. "The bond. You carry my mark now. And the vampires will come for you."
"Why me?"
His voice dropped to a near growl. "Because you shouldn't exist in our war."
Before she could speak again, a crash echoed outside—the church doors rattling violently. Lucien's eyes flared gold, his canines lengthening in the moonlight.
"Stay behind me," he ordered.
Catherine's breath hitched, her fear mixing with something else—something hot, confusing, electric.
He looked back once, his voice low but certain. "You're not safe anymore, Catherine. Not from them. Not even from me."
And as the ancient doors burst open and shadows poured into the moonlit chapel, she realized—whatever had started tonight was far from over.
It was only the beginning.