The night screamed.
Wind howled down from the ridges, carrying the metallic tang of blood and fear.
Sky ran.
Silver light flashed over his skin as he moved through the mountain forest-half man, half shadow, eyes burning gold. Every breath came out as mist. The trees shivered when he passed.
He found the first pack near the riverbend-wolves scattered, their alpha bleeding out on the stones. Something had attacked them and vanished, leaving scorch marks where claws should have been.
Sky crouched beside the fallen alpha, pressing a hand over the wound. "Stay still." His voice carried authority even the dying obeyed.
From the darkness came another growl-a vampire, half-feral, shielding a wounded human behind him. Enemy by blood, yet fear in both their eyes looked the same.
Sky didn't hesitate. The Guardian never chose sides.
He moved like instinct; claws met teeth, silver met flame. The air crackled with the old power that lived in his blood. Each strike cost him a heartbeat, but he didn't stop until the forest went still again.
When it ended, his body trembled with exhaustion. Moonlight crawled over him, faint and cold.
He pressed a palm to his chest, feeling the old scar burning beneath the skin-his blood answering a call he didn't understand.
Far away, something in the night answered back.
A pulse. A presence. The same one that had brushed against him in the hallway.
He pushed the thought away. There was no time for that. The packs needed him.
---
Morning
Felix's apartment smelled like coffee, burnt toast, and the faint sulfur of a spell gone wrong.
"Sit. Don't argue." Felix waved his wand-really more of a cracked wooden spoon-and a ribbon of green light wrapped around Sky's shoulder wound.
"It's fine," Sky muttered.
"It's oozing, Sky. You're not fine. You're a walking blood donor commercial."
Sky gritted his teeth as the potion hissed against his skin. "You're the one who said this charm hides my scent."
"It does! But it doesn't make you indestructible." Felix shoved a mug into his hands. "Drink. That's for healing."
Sky eyed the cup. "Last time you said that, I hallucinated my own funeral."
"That was a test batch. This one's safe. Probably."
Sky sighed, muttering, "You're lucky you're my only friend."
Felix grinned. "Oh, I know. Now tell me why you look like you lost a wrestling match with a bears."
Sky leaned back, exhaustion weighing him down. "More attacks last night. Wolves. Even a vampire. Whatever that thing is, it's feeding on both sides."
Felix's smile faded. "So the Council will start sniffing around."
"Already did. I can feel it."
Felix bit his lip, then said quietly, "You need to stay out of their radar, Sky. Especially him. The Supreme. If he ever catches your real scent-"
"I know." Sky's jaw tightened. "I'm careful."
Felix arched a brow. "You call running on rooftops while bleeding out careful?"
Sky shot him a look, but before he could reply, his phone buzzed.
---
The message was brief, official, and very inconvenient.
From: William H.
Subject: Assignment Confirmation
Body: You've been selected for the CEO's personal security unit. Report to HQ at 10:00 sharp.
Felix peeked over his shoulder. "CEO? As in that CEO?"
Sky groaned. "Of course. First week and I'm already stuck babysitting a vampire fossil."
Felix nearly choked on his toast. "A Supreme vampire fossil! Sky, that's not a job-that's suicide with a salary."
"I can handle it," Sky said flatly, though the thought of those amber eyes flickered in his mind again, unwanted.
Felix pointed a spoon at him like a weapon. "No heroics, no bleeding, and for the love of all that's sacred, don't growl at him."
Sky gave a faint smirk. "No promises."
Felix huffed, then pushed away from the counter, already muttering an incantation under his breath. The air shimmered faintly, symbols of moonlight and smoke swirling around his hands.
"What are you doing?" Sky asked warily.
"Upgrading your glamour," Felix said, voice sharp with focus. "If you're going to stand next to that thing every day, your current wards won't cut it. The Supreme can sense bloodlines in a heartbeat. One wrong pulse, one stray drop of blood-and you're done."
He circled Sky, tracing sigils in the air that sank into the soldier's skin like soft warmth. The magic pulsed once, steady, then faded.
Sky flexed his hands. "Feels weird."
Felix grinned. "Good. That means it's working. I doubled the binding between your scent and mine-so if anyone tries to read your essence, they'll think you're just an ordinary wolf under my protection."
"You sure it'll hold?"
Felix hesitated for half a second. "...Mostly sure. Unless you bleed again."
Sky exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. "Great. So basically, don't die."
Felix smiled sweetly. "See? You do listen sometimes."
He tossed Sky a small glass vial filled with pale blue liquid. "Drink this before you leave. Reinforces the spell from the inside out. And if the Supreme so much as breathes near you, don't panic. He can smell fear."
Sky shot him a deadpan look. "You're really boosting my confidence right now."
Felix winked. "That's what best friends are for."
---
Hirunkit Holdings, 10 a.m.
Six men waited in the glass-walled lobby.
William stood at the front, his expression unreadable. Beside him, Est lounged with a coffee, watching the recruits with far too much amusement.
"You've all passed the first phase," William said. "Starting today, you'll be assigned to permanent divisions. Two of you will accompany the CEO personally."
Sky's heart gave a traitorous thump.
"Team Alpha: Gawin, Billkin, and Sky Nateetorn. Report directly to me and Est. You'll shadow the CEO during external operations."
He felt Felix's warnings echo in his mind, but the weight of duty steadied him. Whatever it took, he'd keep his secret-and his distance.
---
Later That Day
The convoy of black cars cut through the city streets, heading toward the underground district where human officials met with supernatural intermediaries in secret.
Sky sat in the second car, gaze steady, pulse even. He could already sense the Supreme's aura in the vehicle ahead-cold, refined, and impossibly vast.
Through the tinted window, the morning sun broke through the clouds, casting thin light over the skyline.
Sky caught his reflection in the glass. Pale, tired, eyes ringed with the memory of moonlight.
He told himself it was just duty. Just a job.
But somewhere beneath the surface, his blood hummed-low and restless-answering a call that had crossed centuries.
---
The convoy glided to a halt in front of a secluded glass building veiled in shadows.
Sky stepped out first, rain brushing over his shoulders like a whisper. He rounded the car smoothly, opened the door, and bowed his head slightly.
"Mr. Hirunkit."
Nani emerged with unhurried grace-immaculate, precise. The faintest shimmer of moonlight seemed to follow him, touching his pale skin and making the world tilt for just a moment.
Sky's heartbeat betrayed him, steady but louder in his ears than it should've been. The air around the vampire was cold, and yet... something about it felt like gravity itself bending closer.
"Thank you," Nani said, voice soft but threaded with command.
Their eyes met-briefly.
For Sky, it was like staring into the heart of an eclipse. Calm, beautiful, dangerous.
He dropped his gaze immediately. "Of course, sir."
Nani said nothing, but his attention didn't move on as easily. His gaze lingered, tracing the way the soldier's shoulders tensed, the quiet discipline in every motion. There was a controlled strength there, a wildness carefully buried beneath obedience.
And yet-something else clung faintly to him.
An undertone beneath the wolf's natural scent-herbs, smoke, and old charm magic. Witchcraft.
Nani's jaw tightened. He recognized that aura anywhere. The stench of spellwork.
He didn't like it.
The thought was irrational, territorial even-an instinct he hadn't felt in centuries-but it stirred before he could suppress it. Whoever had dared lace their magic around this wolf had left traces too close to him, as if marking what wasn't theirs to touch.
His eyes flickered once, a faint crimson sheen buried in the gold. William noticed the shift and said nothing.
Sky, oblivious, stepped back into formation, unaware that something ancient and possessive had awakened behind those serene amber eyes.
---
They moved through the marble corridor, footsteps echoing in perfect rhythm. William walked a pace behind, expression unreadable. Gawin and Billkin stayed outside per Nani's order, leaving the Supreme and his chosen guard to enter the private chamber alone.
The meeting room was dim-shades drawn, the scent of cigar smoke heavy in the air. Five men waited inside, humans dressed too well to hide the edge of criminality beneath their suits. They stood when Nani entered, the temperature of the room seeming to drop with him.
"Mr. Hirunkit," one greeted nervously. "An honor, as always."
Nani inclined his head slightly, the motion precise, regal. "Sit."
The single word carried enough weight that they obeyed without hesitation.
He took the seat at the end of the table, calm as still water.
Sky stood just behind his right shoulder, posture straight, expression carefully neutral. But his senses were on high alert-the heartbeat of every man in the room, the faint hum of silver weapons tucked beneath their coats. One wrong move and the air would turn to blood.
When a particularly bold man tried to meet Nani's eyes, he flinched within seconds-sweat breaking across his brow as the vampire's gaze slid through him like a blade. The Supreme didn't need to raise his voice; his presence alone was domination.
"You have something that belongs to me," Nani said softly. "And I dislike repeating myself."
One of the men tried to speak, stammering excuses about misunderstanding, but Nani merely tilted his head, an elegant, chilling gesture.
Sky had seen soldiers command with force, with fear-but never with silence. This was something else entirely. Power so absolute it didn't need to be proven.
Yet even as he watched the exchange, a prickle danced at the back of his neck. Something was off-the scent in the air, faint but wrong. His instinct whispered danger.
Without thinking, he shifted slightly closer to Nani's side, eyes scanning the corners of the room.
Nani noticed.
He didn't move, didn't speak-but his gaze flickered sideways, catching the subtle movement. And for a moment, the ancient ruler felt an unfamiliar sensation unfurl inside him.
Not fear.
Not amusement.
Something different. Protective.
He should have been focused on the men before him, on the business at hand-but his attention kept circling back to the wolf beside him, and the faint hum of magic clinging to him like a whisper from another's hand.
Nani's fingers brushed against the edge of the table. The air crackled faintly-the ancient energy of his blood stirring, responding to something he refused to name.
William, ever watchful, caught the shift and glanced at him in silence. He had seen this look before-but never directed at anyone living.
The rest of the meeting passed in tense quiet, the humans signing what they were told to sign, leaving with trembling hands.
When the last door closed, Sky exhaled quietly, tension bleeding from his shoulders.
"Handled," he muttered.
"Indeed," Nani said softly, rising from his chair. His gaze lingered once more. "You have good instincts."
Sky hesitated. "Just doing my job, sir."
"No," Nani murmured, a faint curl to his lips. "You're doing more than that."
He brushed past, the faintest trace of cold air following him, leaving Sky standing there-unsure whether the chill running down his spine was fear... or something dangerously close to fascination.
---
The room had emptied, leaving only silence and the faint hum of city lights through the tinted glass.
Sky reached for the folder on the table, intent on finishing his task and leaving before the Supreme's presence could weigh on him any further.
"Sky," Nani's voice stopped him.
Smooth. Controlled. The kind of tone that made even ancient beings listen.
He turned, stiff but composed. "Yes, sir?"
Nani didn't move at first. He was standing near the window, city lights painting soft gold across his pale skin. His eyes - that strange molten amber - tracked Sky with quiet precision.
For a moment, it felt like the whole room was holding its breath.
"Tell your witch to remove his scent from you," Nani said finally.
Sky blinked. "Excuse me?"
"His magic lingers," Nani continued, voice calm but layered. "The herbs, the wards - I can smell them. I don't like it."
Sky exhaled through his nose, jaw tightening. "With respect, sir, the charm's for protection."
"From what?" Nani's eyes met his. "From me?"
There was no arrogance in the question, only the quiet confidence of someone who had never needed to ask twice.
Sky's lips twitched into a humorless smile. "From all vampires, actually. You're just part of the package."
That earned him a sharp glance from William in the corner - no one ever spoke to the Supreme like that.
But Nani didn't flare, didn't hiss or threaten. Instead, the faintest amusement flickered across his face - subtle, dangerous.
"Bold," he murmured. "Do you dislike us so much?"
Sky straightened, meeting his gaze head-on. "I don't trust predators who call it power."
The air shifted - colder, denser - as if the room itself reacted to the tension between them.
And yet, Nani... smiled. Softly. Almost fondly.
"Careful," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "You speak like someone who's forgotten what hunts in the dark."
"Or maybe," Sky countered quietly, "I'm just not afraid of it anymore."
For a heartbeat, the silence was thick enough to feel. Two forces circling each other, neither willing to yield.
Then Nani stepped closer, his tone dropping low enough to stir the air between them.
"I don't like my wolves smelling like others."
"I'm not your wolf," Sky bit back.
A pause.
And then that dangerous, perfect half-smile returned.
"No," Nani murmured. "But you will be."
He brushed past, his scent - crisp rain and ancient cedar - lingering long after he was gone.
Sky stood frozen, pulse hammering, anger and something far less rational tangling in his chest.
He told himself it was irritation. Disgust. Anything but what it really was.
But deep down, he already knew - this wasn't over.