She felt frantic. That night, ignoring Samuel's warning, she went to the highest point on campus—the astronomy rooftop—to clear her head. The wind was whipping around her, and the sky was a churning mass of clouds, promising the storm.
A moment later, Samuel found her.
"I told you to stay inside!" he scolded, his tone sharp with genuine fear. He immediately pulled off his thick jacket and wrapped it around her. The strong scent of pine and his body heat enveloped her instantly.
"Why are you protecting me, Samuel? Why are you fighting him?" she demanded, looking up at his desperate face.
Samuel gripped her shoulders, his gaze dark and intense. "I can't lose you, Esther. He's a vampire, a creature of the Shadow. He draws people into his life and then slowly drains them—of their energy, their will, their life. He sees you as a new source."
Esther gasped, the truth hitting her with the force of the wind.
"And you? Are you what he calls the rising tide?"
"I am a wolf, Esther. I fight the change every month, but I use my strength to protect this city's borders from his kind. I love you, and my love is the only thing stronger than the beast inside me. But if he touches you again, I won't be able to control it."