They slashed wildly, their swords cutting through the air, but they were no match for the vampires. Zephyr moved with terrifying grace, sidestepping every strike with ease. He caught one guard by the wrist, snapping it with a sharp twist. The man screamed, his blade clattering uselessly to the ground. Zephyr's claws raked across his chest, tearing through flesh like paper. Blood splattered across Zephyr's face, but he didn't flinch.
Lucian, meanwhile, made short work of the last guard, his fingers digging into the man's throat as he drained the life from him, his face expressionless. "Valak needs to find better help," he muttered, dropping the corpse.
Within moments, the chaos was over. The clearing was drenched in blood, the bodies of Valak's men strewn about, their faces frozen in terror, eyes wide and unseeing. Zephyr and Lucian stood amongst the carnage, barely out of breath, their eyes gleaming in the darkness.
Zephyr turned, his gaze falling on Luna and Arcanos standing nearby, watching him with a mixture of awe and fear. Luna's hand still gripped her dagger, though it trembled now. Her brother stood close behind her, eyes wide, but no longer terrified- just stunned.
Luna took a step forward, her eyes meeting Zephyr's. "Who... who are you?" Her voice was steady, though her breath hitched slightly.
Zephyr didn't answer immediately. His eyes lingered on her, taking in every detail-the defiance in her posture, the fire in her eyes. Something stirred within him, a dangerous flicker of emotion he knew he shouldn't feel.
Lucian wiped the blood from his hands, smirking. "Well, this is new. The great Zephyr saving humans." He clapped his friend on the back. "You're getting soft."
Zephyr ignored him, his attention still fixed on Luna. Her beauty was raw, unrefined, but there was something about her that tugged at him in a way no human ever had. It was foolish, reckless even, but he couldn't tear his eyes away.
Luna, sensing the intensity of his gaze, blinked, then glanced at her brother. "We should go," she whispered, grabbing Arcanos by the hand.
Before either Zephyr or Lucian could react, the siblings bolted into the woods, disappearing into the darkness as quickly as they had appeared.
Lucian raised an eyebrow at Zephyr, a knowing grin spreading across his face. "You're in trouble now, mate. Falling for a human? That's one way to get yourself killed."
Zephyr said nothing, but his eyes remained on the spot where Luna had vanished into the night, her image burning into his mind like a flame he couldn't extinguish.
Zephyr had never been the brooding type. The usually carefree and unruly heir now paced restlessly through the halls of his father's great estate, his mind a storm of thoughts, all swirling around the same image: Luna. Her face, framed by the chaos of that night, wouldn't leave him. Her eyes, filled with equal parts fear and defiance, haunted his every step. He caught his reflection in the tall windows as he passed- his usual sharp, confident smirk absent, replaced by something unfamiliar. What was this? No human had ever held his attention for longer than the brief moments before their fate was sealed, yet now... her memory clung to him like a curse.
As Zephyr approached the entrance to the grand hall, he found his father, Ashriel, waiting. The Lord of the pack stood tall, regal as ever, his long dark hair falling like shadows over his broad shoulders. His eyes, the same burning crimson as Zephyr's, flickered with an ancient wisdom that saw far beyond the surface.
"You seem troubled, my son," Ashriel's voice was deep, with an edge of concern that rarely colored his tone. "Your mind is elsewhere."
Zephyr, not one to easily expose his thoughts, shrugged, trying to appear indifferent. "I'm fine."
But Ashriel wasn't so easily deceived. He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "You forget I can see your soul as clearly as I see your face. There is something stirring within you, Zephyr. What is it?"
The tension in Zephyr's muscles stiffened under his father's scrutiny. His emotions battled within him, clawing at his insides. He couldn't speak the truth. How could he? Falling for a human was dangerous -a path paved with more than just heartbreak. It was a death sentence. He'd seen it before, how love for mortals had led others to ruin. But Luna... she was unlike anyone he had ever encountered.
"It's nothing, Father," Zephyr said, though the lie felt heavy on his tongue. "Just... the usual."
Ashriel studied him for a moment longer, a knowing look in his eyes. "If there's one thing I've learned over the centuries, it's that feelings, when ignored, fester into something darker. Don't let your thoughts lead you astray, Zephyr."
Unable to maintain the charade, Zephyr sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I'll handle it."
Without waiting for further questioning, he turned on his heel. "I'll take my leave," he muttered, already walking toward the training grounds. "The new recruits could use... guidance." Anything to escape his father's all-seeing gaze.
Ashriel watched his son depart, the faintest trace of worry creasing his ageless face. There was more to this than Zephyr was letting on, and he knew the dangers of letting emotion cloud judgment. For now, however, he would let him be. There were some lessons that could only be learned through experience.
******************
The cool night air whispered through the trees as the water lapped softly against the rocks. But Arcanos' mind was not at peace. His hands trembled as he stared at them, a cold dread creeping up his spine as he replayed what had just happened.
The bird-it had fallen from the sky, broken, its wings twisted and bloodied, its tiny body torn apart in a grotesque display of death. Arcanos had watched it in horror, his heart sinking at the sight of such brutal finality. And then... something inside him had stirred.
He hadn't meant to do it. In fact, he wasn't even sure what he had done.
His finger had risen, almost of its own accord, trembling as if some unseen force had seized control. He pointed at the broken creature, his entire body shivering with a strange, foreign energy. And then, as if guided by an ancient power deep within him, he had watched in disbelief as the pieces of the bird- the blood, the shattered bones- began to move.
He blinked, his breath caught in his throat as the torn fragments slid across the ground, coming together like a macabre puzzle. The bird's wings reformed, its bloodied feathers smoothing out as if time itself were reversing. And then, in a heartbeat, the lifeless creature twitched... and breathed.
Arcanos gasped, stumbling back, his mind reeling as the once-dead bird hopped to its feet, ruffling its feathers as though it had never been broken. It took off into the night sky, disappearing into the darkness as though nothing had happened. But Arcanos knew. He had done that. Somehow, he had brought the dead back to life.
His hands trembled violently, the echo of power still coursing through his veins. He was no sorcerer. He had no magic-or so he thought. But now... he wasn't sure. Something had awakened within him, something terrifying and ancient.
Behind him, Luna sat in their small wooden shelter, staring into the night. She was lost in her own thoughts, her mind filled not with the terror of the night, but with the face of their mysterious savior. Zephyr.
She couldn't shake the image of him. The way he had appeared out of nowhere, the raw power in his movements, the intensity in his eyes. His skin, pale and smooth like polished marble, gleamed in the moonlight, casting him in an almost ethereal glow. And his eyes-those deep, crimson eyes-had burned with a fire she couldn't quite understand.
Luna had never seen anyone like him. He was beautiful, in a way that made her chest tighten, and dangerous, in a way that thrilled her. His presence had wrapped around her like a shadow, dark and intoxicating, and she found herself longing to see him again.
She shivered, though not from the cold. How could she be thinking of him like this? He was not human. She knew that much. But there was something about him that called to her, something she couldn't explain. She wanted to know more.
As the silence of the night deepened, Arcanos returned to the camp, his face pale, his eyes wide with disbelief. Luna glanced up, her thoughts interrupted by the look on his face.
Arcanos? What's wrong?" He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to explain what he had just witnessed. "I... I saw something," he began, his voice shaky. "Something... impossible."
Luna frowned, her mind still half-focused on Zephyr. "What do you mean?"
Arcanos sat down heavily beside her, staring at his hands. "The bird. By the river. It was dead. Torn apart. I... I brought it back."
Luna blinked, not understanding. "Brought it back?"
He nodded, his voice barely a whisper. "It was