The night was still, the campus quiet as most students settled into their dorms after a long day. Eighteen-year-old Ethan Redcliff walked alone along the dimly lit path, his thoughts drifting between the mundane worries of college life and the unsettling weight of a secret he'd carried his entire life.

Ethan wasn't like the others—he knew that much. Being the last of the Red Hood lineage wasn't just a title; it was a curse. He had inherited the full power of his ancestors, a power that even now, simmered beneath his skin, waiting for any excuse to surface.

He reached his dorm, pushing open the heavy door with a sigh. The small room was a mess of textbooks, clothes, and half-finished sketches. He tossed his backpack onto his bed and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His reflection stared back, looking almost ordinary—messy brown hair, tired blue eyes, a lanky frame. But Ethan knew better. The eyes staring back at him weren't just his own.

*You can't keep ignoring me, Ethan.*

The voice echoed in his mind, cold and sharp like a knife cutting through his thoughts. He froze, his breath catching in his throat. It was the Red Hood—his werewolf self, the dark force within him that had a mind and voice of its own. It had been growing stronger lately, more insistent.

"I'm not ignoring you," Ethan whispered, glancing nervously around as if someone might overhear the conversation with himself. "I just don't want to deal with this right now."

*You never want to deal with it,* the Red Hood replied, its tone dripping with disdain. *But you can't run from what you are. Sooner or later, you'll have to let me out.*

Ethan clenched his fists, feeling the familiar pulse of power thrumming in his veins, the beast pushing against the edges of his control. "I don't want to hurt anyone. You... you always take it too far."

*Hurt?* The Red Hood's laughter was a low, rumbling growl. *You think you can keep everyone safe? You're a fool. They're all after us, Ethan. The other clans, they want your power—*our* power. You can't protect them, and you certainly can't protect yourself without me.*

Ethan's head throbbed as he pressed his palms against his temples, trying to block out the voice, but the Red Hood continued, relentless.

*You know I'm right. They'll come for you soon. The Silver Fangs, the Blood Moon Pack, even the Nightshade Order—they all smell your blood, your fear. They want what we have, and they won't stop until they've taken it. You need me, Ethan. You need my strength.*

Ethan shuddered, collapsing onto the edge of his bed. He knew the Red Hood wasn't lying. The other werewolf clans had grown restless, and rumors had started to spread. He had seen the eyes watching him on campus, felt the tension whenever he walked past certain groups. He was a prize, a trophy of untold power that every werewolf in the world would kill to possess.

But every time he let the Red Hood out, it wasn't just power that was unleashed. It was anger, cruelty—everything he fought so hard to suppress. He became something else, someone else, and it terrified him.

"I can't let you take over," Ethan murmured, his voice barely audible. "I won't."

*You say that now,* the Red Hood whispered, *but when the time comes, you'll have no choice. You'll beg for my help. And when you do, I'll be ready.*

A sudden knock on the door snapped Ethan back to reality. He jumped to his feet, the conversation with the Red Hood vanishing into the recesses of his mind. Who could be visiting him at this hour?

"Who is it?" Ethan called out, his voice steady despite the turmoil within him.

"It's Amelia," came the soft reply. "Can I come in?"

Ethan's heart skipped a beat. Amelia was a fellow student, someone he had seen around campus but hadn't really spoken to. She was part of the Silver Fang clan, he knew that much. What could she want with him?

Taking a deep breath, Ethan walked over and opened the door. Amelia stood there, her long silver hair glowing faintly under the corridor lights, her green eyes studying him intently. There was something in her gaze that made Ethan's pulse quicken—not just her beauty, but something deeper, a hidden motive he couldn't quite place.

"Hi, Ethan," she said, her voice warm but cautious. "Can we talk?"

Ethan hesitated, then nodded, stepping aside to let her in. As he closed the door behind her, he could almost hear the Red Hood chuckling in the back of his mind.

*Be careful, Ethan,* it warned, its voice a dark whisper. *You never know who's truly on your side.*