The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Kael felt it the moment he stepped between the trees. The air was thick, heavy, like it was holding its breath. The full moon hung high above him, bright and unforgiving, pulling at the wolf inside his chest.
He hated nights like this.
The wolf wanted out. Wanted blood. Wanted control.
Kael kept walking, boots crunching softly on dead leaves. This was his land. His pack's land. Nothing came here without him knowing.
Until now.
The smell hit him suddenly.
Cold. Sharp. Wrong.
Kael stopped.
His hand went to the dagger on his thigh without thinking. Silver. Always silver.
"Show yourself," he said into the dark. "Now."
For a second, nothing happened.
Then someone stepped forward.
She looked nothing like what he expected.
She was pale, yes, but not weak. Her dark hair fell loose over her shoulders, and her red eyes watched him carefully, like she was measuring every breath he took. She stood in the moonlight like she belonged there, even though she didn't.
Vampire.
Kael's jaw tightened.
"You're not welcome here," he said. "You know that."
"I do," she replied quietly.
Her voice was calm, but he heard something under it. Tension. Fear she was trying hard to hide.
"Then turn around and leave."
"I can't."
Kael took a step closer. "That's not my problem."
"It is if you kill me."
Her words were simple. Honest. No threat. No begging.
That confused him more than anything.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Seraphine."
Just that. No title. No last name.
Something about the way she said it made his chest tighten.
Before he could speak again, a howl tore through the forest.
Not a wolf.
Kael froze.
Another howl followed. Closer.
Seraphine's eyes flicked past him, and for the first time, her calm broke.
"They found me," she said.
"You led them here," Kael snapped.
"I ran," she said back. "There's a difference."
The ground shook as something moved through the trees fast.
Kael swore under his breath.
Ancient rules told him to step aside. Let the forest deal with her. Let the vampire die.
But his body moved before his mind could stop it.
He stepped in front of her.
"Stay behind me," he said.
Her eyes widened. "You don't have to—"
"I said stay."
The thing crashed into the clearing, glowing red eyes locked on Seraphine.
Kael smiled, teeth sharpening as his wolf surged forward.
Whatever this night was meant to be, it wasn't ending quietly.
And neither were they.
Kael didn't wait.
The moment the creature lunged, he shifted.
Bones cracked. Muscle tore and rebuilt itself in a rush of heat and pain he'd felt a thousand times before. His body expanded, fur ripping through skin, claws digging into the soil as the wolf took over. The world sharpened; sounds louder, smells stronger, rage closer to the surface.
The thing attacking them wasn't a vampire. Not fully.
It was twisted. Wrong. Like someone had taken vampire blood and mixed it with something darker. Its eyes burned red, mouth stretched too wide as it snarled.
Kael slammed into it, sending both of them crashing into the dirt.
Behind him, he heard Seraphine gasp.
The creature fought wildly, fast and desperate, but Kael was stronger. He always was. His jaws snapped down on its shoulder, feeling bone crack between his teeth. The creature screamed, a sound that made the trees tremble.
More movement echoed around them.
Too much.
Kael realized it at the same time Seraphine did.
"There's more than one," she said sharply.
As if summoned by her words, two more shapes burst from the trees.
Kael growled low in his chest.
This was no accident. This was a hunt.
He tore the first creature's throat out and spun just in time to see the others closing in. One went for him. The other, straight for Seraphine.
"Run!" he shouted, forcing the word out through a muzzle full of teeth.
She didn't.
Instead, Seraphine lifted her hand, eyes flashing bright red. The air around her seemed to bend. The creature lunging at her froze mid-step, like it had hit an invisible wall.
Then its body snapped backward violently, slamming into a tree with a sickening crack.
Kael stared for half a second.
Power like that wasn't common. Not even among vampires.
He shook it off and charged the second attacker. They collided hard, rolling across the forest floor. Claws and fangs tore into flesh. Blood, dark and hot, soaked into the ground.
Kael ended it quickly.
When the forest finally went still again, the silence felt heavier than before.
Kael shifted back, breath coming hard as he dragged a hand through his hair. His skin was smeared with blood—not his. His wolf paced restlessly under the surface, still keyed up, still ready to fight.
He turned toward Seraphine.
She stood where he'd left her, cloak torn, chest rising and falling even though she didn't need to breathe. Her eyes were locked on him—not afraid, not thankful.
Something else.
"You should have run," he said.
"I don't leave people to die for me," she replied.
Kael scoffed. "I wasn't dying."
She tilted her head slightly. "You would have. Eventually."
That earned a short, sharp laugh from him. "Confident."
"Honest."
They stared at each other, the weight of what had just happened settling between them.
"You're not a normal vampire," Kael said finally.
She didn't deny it.
"And those things weren't normal either," she said. "They're called Bloodbound. Turned experiments. They don't stop hunting once they catch your scent."
Kael's expression darkened. "Who made them?"
Seraphine hesitated.
"That's the problem," she said quietly. "If I tell you, your kind will want me dead even faster."
"My kind already does," he replied flatly.
She met his gaze. "You didn't."
That hit harder than any claw.
Kael looked away first, jaw tight. "This changes nothing. You can't stay here."
"I know."
"Then you leave. Now."
She took a step back, then stopped. Her hand pressed briefly against her side, dark blood seeping between her fingers.
Kael noticed instantly.
"You're hurt."
"It's nothing."
"It's bleeding."
She smiled faintly. "I'll survive."
Kael swore under his breath.
Against every rule, every instinct drilled into him since birth, he closed the distance between them. He crouched, eyes narrowing as he inspected the wound.
"Sit," he ordered.
She hesitated, then obeyed.
His hands were warm as he pulled her cloak aside. Too warm. The contact sent a strange jolt through both of them. Kael felt it clearly. The wolf stirred again, confused, alert.
"This shouldn't feel like this," he muttered.
Seraphine swallowed. "No. It shouldn't."
Their eyes met again, close this time. Too close.
For a brief moment, the forest, the blood, the danger—all of it faded.
Only the pull remained.
Kael straightened suddenly, stepping back as if burned.
"You leave at first light," he said firmly. "I'll escort you to the border."
"And if I refuse?"
His eyes flashed. "Then I force you."
She studied him for a long second, then nodded slowly. "Fine."
But the way she said it told him one thing clearly.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.