Chapter 1: Blood Moon Awakening
The night air was thick with the scent of rain and something far more ominous—blood.
Seraphina Valtieri ran.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, drowning out the eerie silence of the forest. Shadows twisted and danced between the ancient trees, their gnarled branches reaching for her like skeletal fingers. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her bare feet slipping on the damp earth. She didn't know where she was going—only that she had to keep moving.
Something was chasing her.
A rustle behind her. A snap of a twig.
She whirled around, but the darkness revealed nothing. Only the oppressive weight of the night pressing against her.
Then—
A figure emerged from the gloom, tall and imposing. His eyes glowed an unnatural crimson, sharp fangs glinting under the blood moon's light. A vampire.
Before she could scream, an iron grip closed around her wrist, yanking her forward. "You shouldn't run, little dove," the vampire murmured, his voice a velvety purr laced with menace. "It only makes the hunt more exciting."
Seraphina's pulse skyrocketed. She tried to jerk free, but his grip was unbreakable.
"Let me go!" she demanded, her voice steadier than she felt.
A slow smile curved his lips. "Not yet."
A deep growl suddenly rumbled through the trees. The vampire stiffened, his eyes darting toward the darkness beyond them. The sound was low, primal—predatory.
Then, from the shadows, a second figure stepped into the moonlight. Broad-shouldered, with wild, storm-gray eyes and a presence that made the air crackle with tension.
A werewolf.
And not just any werewolf. The power radiating from him made the vampire hiss and tighten his grip on Seraphina.
"Blackwood," the vampire spat.
Kane Blackwood's gaze flicked to Seraphina, something dark and possessive burning behind his eyes. "She's not yours to take."
Seraphina's stomach twisted. She wasn't sure who was more dangerous—the vampire holding her captive or the werewolf claiming to protect her.
One thing was certain.
She was no longer just an ordinary girl.
Chapter 2: The Chains of Fate
The tension in the clearing was suffocating.
Seraphina's breath hitched as Kane took a deliberate step forward, his movements slow, controlled—like a predator stalking its prey. The vampire's grip on her wrist tightened in warning, his claws barely grazing her skin.
"She's mine," the vampire hissed. "You have no claim over her."
Kane's lips curled into a sneer. "Funny. I don't recall asking for your permission."
Then he moved.
Fast. A blur of shadow and moonlight. One second, the vampire was holding her—
The next, he was crashing into the nearest tree with a force that shook the ground.
Seraphina stumbled back, heart hammering. Kane stood in front of her now, shielding her with his towering frame. The heat radiating from him was almost unbearable, his presence overwhelming.
"Are you hurt?" His voice was rough, strained—like he was barely holding something back.
She swallowed hard, unsure of how to answer. "I… I don't know."
The vampire groaned, rising from the wreckage of splintered wood. His crimson eyes burned with rage. "You'll regret that, mutt."
Kane let out a dark chuckle. "Try me."
Seraphina barely had time to react before the clearing erupted into chaos.
Chapter 3: Shadows of Fate
Seraphina's chest rose and fell rapidly as the air thickened with tension. Kane's presence was overwhelming, yet the vampire's grip on her remained unyielding.
"Step aside, Kane," the vampire sneered, his fingers tightening around Seraphina's wrist. "You may be free, but you have no claim over her."
Kane let out a low, menacing chuckle. "You still don't understand, do you?" His eyes glowed a fierce silver. "She's mine."
Seraphina flinched at the possessiveness in his voice. "I don't belong to either of you," she snapped, surprising even herself.
The vampire smirked. "Feisty. I wonder how long that will last."
Before she could react, Kane moved. One second he was standing still, the next he was a blur of motion, his claws swiping toward the vampire. A clash of power exploded between them, sending Seraphina stumbling backward.
She barely had time to catch her breath before a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into an unrelenting embrace.
Kane.
His scent—earth, rain, and something purely male—enveloped her senses. His grip was firm yet protective, his heartbeat a steady drum against her back.
"Stay close," he murmured, his lips dangerously close to her ear. "I won't let him take you."
Seraphina shivered, her body betraying her despite the chaos around them. She wasn't sure who was the bigger threat—the vampire who wanted to use her or the werewolf who swore to claim her.
But deep down, she knew one thing.
She was no longer in control of her fate.
Chapter 4: Shadows of the Past
Seraphina's breath hitched as the heavy doors of the vampire citadel slammed shut behind her. The grand hall was vast, illuminated by flickering torches casting ominous shadows on the towering stone walls. At the far end, Rafael Dragovic stood, watching her with the calculating eyes of a predator.
"You look surprised, little dove," he murmured, stepping forward. "Did you think I would let you slip through my fingers so easily?"
Her pulse pounded as she clenched her fists. "I don't belong to you."
A smirk curled on Rafael's lips. "Oh, but you do. Your blood is tied to me in ways you don't yet understand. And now that I'm awake…" He tilted his head, as if savoring the moment. "You will learn exactly what that means."
Before Seraphina could reply, a furious growl echoed through the chamber. Kane Blackwood stood at the entrance, his silver eyes blazing with fury. The air between them crackled with raw tension.
"Step away from her, Dragovic," Kane snarled.
Rafael sighed, feigning boredom. "Always so predictable, wolf. Barking over something you can never truly own."
Seraphina felt torn between the two—one, a cold and enigmatic king of the night; the other, a fierce and possessive alpha who claimed her as his mate. But before she could speak, a chilling voice echoed from the shadows.
"Foolish creatures, playing at war while the real enemy lurks in the dark."
A new presence emerged from the dim recesses of the hall, an aura of ancient power clinging to them. Seraphina shivered.
Something far worse than Rafael or Kane had come for her.
And it was only the beginning.