DAMIEN POV

My name is Damien Dark, and I am a werewolf—an alpha wolf, to be precise. People often say that a werewolf's power comes from the moon, and they are right. The full moon grants us power, speed, agility, and stamina. I can spot prey from miles away, and my sense of smell is heightened, though the stench of some humans is not always pleasant. 

I once had a beautiful wife named Aurelia. She was human, the only woman I have ever truly loved. We married when I was 25, but my family never approved of our union; a werewolf was forbidden from marrying a human. My father, the leader of the pack, gave me a choice: turn her or let her go. Letting her go was never an option for me, so I decided to turn her into a werewolf. It was a decision she was ready to accept because we couldn't live without each other.

Turning a human into a werewolf is a painful transition. It was my first time doing it, and of course, my father never told me about the pain involved. Aurelia was strong; she would always say to me, "It's fine, baby. Always and forever. Even death can't keep me away from you." Her smile melted my heart. She made me feel more powerful than I had ever felt. She believed we could do anything we wanted to, as long as we had each other. We would be unstoppable.

Well, I believed that—until after the bite. For a human to become a werewolf, they must be bitten by a fully transformed werewolf on the night of a full moon. The wound must be left untreated for ten days. If the body is strong enough to withstand the transformation, a werewolf is born, and the first full transformation occurs on the night of the first full moon after the transition.

During the first transformation, the wolf takes control of the mind and kills anything in sight, including any human wandering around at night. The first rule of a werewolf is, "Never kill a defenceless human in cold blood." Therefore, the wolf must be caged or tamed to avoid a bloodbath. The pack always watches out for the omega, the newest member of the pack.

After I transformed into a werewolf, biting the love of my life was the hardest thing I have ever done. But it had to be me, so I did it. Her body fought to survive the transformation, but after ten days, I lost the only woman I ever truly loved. The last thing she said to me was, "You would have made a great dad." She was pregnant, and I didn't know. She wanted to tell me after the transition, but the pregnancy prevented her from surviving it.

My family knew this but kept it from me. After Aurelia's death, I blamed my family for her demise, so I left the pack and came to California. Now I have a new pack, a new family, and as an alpha, I would do anything to protect them. I haven't seen my parents in decades. Last I heard, my mom had left, and nobody knows where she is. I have thought of looking for her, but I still blame her for Aurelia's death.

Since Aurelia's passing, love has been a mirage for me. I have met many women since then, had flings with a couple of them, but none could win my heart like Aurelia did. My pack members tried to set me up on dates, but sometimes I felt like turning into a wolf and ripping these ladies apart. But everything changed when I met her.

She was a student in my class. I should have mentioned this earlier: I am a lecturer at the prestigious University of California, UCLA, where I teach History. On that cool afternoon, as she walked into the packed classroom, her red hair flowing behind her caught my attention. I recognized her scent—it was the same scent Aurelia had. The calmness in her breath distracted me, and I could smell the vanilla caramel fragrance that Aurelia loved.

As she entered the class, she wore a smile that lit up the room. The calmness in her eyes as she turned to look at me made my heart race. I could hear the slow beating of her heart. At that moment, I felt a connection with her, as if Aurelia had returned, and I wanted to know who she was in this new body.

After class, I asked her to wait behind while the other students filed out. Up close, she was even more beautiful. Her eyes were blue like the ocean. "What's your name, miss?" I asked, and she replied softly, "Amber, sir."

"Amber," I repeated, letting the name roll off my tongue. She seemed cheerful, but I noticed a concerned look on her face. "Well, Miss Amber, I noticed you were a bit distracted with your phone in class today. Did you get your heart broken or something?" That made her smile.

"Well, my boyfriend Dave… I caught him cheating with my friend. He's an asshole. Sorry, professor…" she paused. "Damien. My name is Damien," I said with a smile. She smiled back, as if she hadn't expected my name to be Damien, and I hadn't even told her my last name yet.

We talked for a while—well, she talked, and I just listened. She went on and on about Dave. I wasn't bored; all the while she spoke, I could only see Aurelia in her. The similarities they shared drew me to her. There was something about her presence that reminded me of Aurelia.

As she spoke, I found myself lost in her words, captivated by her passion and the way her eyes sparkled when she talked about her dreams. She wanted to travel the world, to experience life beyond the confines of her small town. I could see the fire in her spirit, and it ignited something within me that I thought had long been extinguished.

For the first time in decades, I felt a sense of comfort, and it felt good. As we walked closer to my office, she finally realized she had been talking the whole way. "Oh, sorry, professor! I can't believe I've been complaining about my silly life all the way to your office," she said with an embarrassed smile. If only she knew the effect, she had on me.

"Well, Miss Amber, you can call me Damien. It has been a long time since anyone complained about their life to me; it was fun," I said with a smile. "And fuck Dave; it's his loss. See you around, Miss Amber."

As I opened the door to my office, I caught a glimpse of her smile as she walked away. Is it possible for me to find love in someone else again? Is Amber my next love story? These thoughts flooded my mind as I shut the door.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the wall, lost in thought. The memories of Aurelia flooded back, but this time, they didn't hurt as much. Instead, they felt like a warm embrace, a reminder of what love could be. I couldn't shake the feeling that Amber was different. There was something about her that felt familiar yet new, like a melody I had forgotten but could still hum along to.

As the sun began to set, casting a golden hue across the campus, I realized that perhaps it was time to let go of the past and embrace the possibility of a future. Maybe, just maybe, Amber could help me heal the wounds that had festered for so long. 

With a newfound determination, I decided to take a chance. I would find a way to get to know her better, to see if the connection I felt was real. After all, life is too short to live in the shadows of what once was.