The refuge was supposed to be a sanctuary. The campfire flickered weakly against the darkened trees, casting long, wavering shadows across the scattered tents and makeshift huts. Lyra's eyes traced every movement, every whisper of wind, every twitch of leaf the forest felt alive tonight, and not with the calm of hidden peace.
She had only just settled beside Lissa, the sweet-natured vampire, when the faint sound of growls reached her ears. Low, guttural, primal. Lyra froze, senses sharpening in alarm. Liam, ever vigilant, was on his feet in an instant, eyes scanning the tree line, muscles coiled like a predator himself.
"They've found us," Liam said, his voice quiet but taut with tension. "Wolves… they've picked up your scent."
Lyra's heart skipped. My scent? she thought, a knot of guilt twisting in her stomach. She had hoped her human presence would go unnoticed, but apparently the forest had its own memory.
Before anyone could react, the first of the wolves lunged from the shadows. Silvered eyes glimmered in the firelight, teeth bared, claws digging into the dirt. The camp erupted into chaos. Vampires, normally serene and controlled, moved with unnatural speed, but even they were caught off guard by the sheer ferocity of the pack.
One of the camp's more aggressive members,Damian. A tall, gaunt vampire with a jagged scar along his cheek, pointed at Lyra. "This is her fault," he spat. "She can't hide her scent like we can. It's been months since we had human blood maybe it's time to end the problem before more show up"
Lyra's stomach dropped. The thought of being a liability, of being hunted by her own supposed allies, made her chest tighten. Lissa's hand touched her arm gently, grounding her.
"No," Lissa said firmly. "It could have happened to anyone. It's not her fault."
Liam stepped beside Lyra, his hybrid form tensing, teeth bared in a silent snarl. "Enough," he growled. "If anyone even thinks about harming her, they'll answer to me."
But there was no time for argument. The wolves surged forward, snapping at the fringe of the campfire light, forcing Lyra to the back of the group. Her instincts screamed to run, to hide, to survive but something deeper, more urgent, rooted her to the spot.
Maybe if I stay… maybe this is the moment. Maybe my powers will wake, she thought, muscles trembling.
She raised her hands, heart hammering, trying to summon the raw energy that had sparked within her once before. Nothing. The power didn't come. The wolves leapt closer, teeth glinting like silver knives in the firelight. Lyra's legs were frozen by fear and stubborn hope.
A massive wolf lunged for her, claws extended, and in the same heartbeat, Liam twisted and slammed her out of the way. Dirt sprayed across her face as she hit the ground, heart pounding so violently she could hear it over the snarls.
The camp reacted instantly. Vampires moved like liquid shadow, claws, fangs, and magic working in precise synchrony. Wolves were flung back, snarling, yelping, some meeting their end as silver blades and sharpened talons tore through the pack. In minutes, the assault was over. They were prepared for ambushes like this
Lyra staggered to her feet, trembling, sweat mixing with dirt and blood. Liam, breathing heavily, leaned against a tree, a gash along his arm and a scratch across his shoulder already darkening with blood. His eyes locked on hers, searing with both anger and relief.
"Do you ever think before you put yourself in danger?" Liam's voice was low, shaking with restrained fury. "What kind of probability were you gambling on? That your fluke would save you? That it'll magically appear when the wolves attacked?"
Lyra opened her mouth, words sticking in her throat. She had no answer only the pounding rhythm of adrenaline, the raw, unbelievable fact that she had stood her ground, human and vulnerable, while the supernatural worked around her.
A sarcastic voice broke the tension, sharp and mocking. "Guess throwing her off a cliff won't work after all," one of the vampires said, grinning. The pack, still panting from their attack, laughed, the sound jarring against the carnage of the moment.
Lyra's mind reeled. Humans could never… never hold their own like this. The very idea that she had tried that she had stood was inconceivable to everyone else. And yet, here she was, shaken but unbroken.
Lissa reached for her hand, gentle but firm. "You don't have to do this alone, Lyra. None of us do. But sometimes, surviving doesn't mean fighting sometimes it just means staying alive long enough to figure out how."
Lyra nodded, words failing her, heart still racing. Somewhere in the dark corners of the forest, the shadows had retreated, but the tension lingered, threading itself around the camp like smoke.
And in the quiet after the storm, she felt it the spark of something waiting, just beneath the surface, a power that didn't awaken when she wanted it to, but had sensed the danger anyway.
The night had tested her. She had failed and survived. And somehow, in that terrifying trial, something had shifted. Havenrock was going to be the beginning of new chapters of her life.
Damian stood at the distance, eyes locked on her like prey