Lena's scream died in her throat as the shadowy figure slammed her against the wall, the impact jarring her bones. Her apartment's dim light flickered, casting jagged shadows over the thing pinning her. It wasn't human, not with those yellow eyes glowing like embers, or the claws digging into her shoulder, sharp enough to draw blood. Its breath was hot, reeking of something feral, and its cloaked form seemed to shift, too big, too wrong for her tiny living room.
She kicked, aiming for its knee, but it didn't flinch, its growl vibrating through her. Panic clawed at her chest. The broken bat lay useless on the floor, her phone out of reach.
No one was coming. Crestwood didn't have heroes, and she was no fighter. But she wasn't ready to die.
"Get... off!" she gasped, clawing at its arm. Her nails scraped cloth, then something leathery, and it hissed, loosening its grip just enough for her to twist free. She stumbled toward the door, heart hammering, but it lunged, faster than she could blink.
Before its claws reached her, a roar shattered the air—not human, not animal, but pure rage.
A massive shape barreled through the splintered doorway, slamming into the figure.
Lena hit the floor, scrambling back as the two collided, a blur of muscle and fury. The new figure was huge, taller than any man, its black fur glinting under the flickering bulb, claws flashing as it tore into her attacker.
She froze, her breath hitching. It was a wolf, but not. Too big, too upright, with shoulders that screamed power. Its eyes burned gold, familiar in a way that made her stomach lurch.
The shadowy figure snarled, swinging back, but the wolf-thing was faster, pinning it to the ground with a sickening crunch. Blood splattered the hardwood, and the cloaked
thing went limp, its yellow eyes dulling.
The wolf stood, chest heaving, and turned to her. Lena's heart stopped. Those eyes—gold, piercing, his. Kael. She didn't know how she knew, but it was him, the man from the café, the park, her dreams. Now he was... this. A monster. A savior.
She backed against the couch, her hands trembling. "Stay back," she whispered, voice cracking. Her shoulder throbbed where the claws had bitten, but fear drowned the pain.
Whatever he was, he wasn't human. Neither was the thing he'd killed.
He didn't move closer. His form shimmered, fur receding, claws retracting, until Kael stood there, human again, six-foot-five, black hair falling into his eyes. Blood streaked his jacket, his knuckles raw, but his gaze was locked on her, intense, almost soft. "Lena,' he said, voice rough, like he was fighting to keep it steady.
"You're safe now."
Safe? She choked on a laugh, half-hysterical.
Her apartment was trashed, door gone, blood pooling, a body on her floor. And him—Kael, changing like that, like something out of a nightmare. Yet his voice, his eyes, pulled at her, a warmth cutting through the terror. She hated it. Hated how her body leaned toward him, even now.
"You... you killed it," she managed, glancing at the cloaked heap. "What was that?"
He stepped forward, slow, hands raised like she was a cornered animal. "Not human. Not safe." His jaw tightened, like he wanted to say more but couldn't. "You're hurt."
She touched her shoulder, wincing as blood smeared her fingers. It wasn't deep, but it burned. His eyes darkened, a low growl rumbling from him, not at her, but at the wound. He moved closer, too fast, and she flinched, shoving herself back. "Don't!"
He stopped, pain flashing across his face. "I won't hurt you, Lena. Never." His voice was raw, almost pleading, and it hit her harder than the attack. She believed him, even if she didn't want to.
Her legs shook as she stood, using the couch for balance. The room spun, but she forced her eyes to his. "You're not normal, are you? That thing, you... this isn't right." Her voice broke, memories flooding, claw marks in the park, howls in her dreams, his touch sparking like fire. "What's happening to me?"
Kael's hands fisted, like he was fighting himself. "You're caught in something bigger. I'll explain, but not here. It's not safe."
"Not safe?" She laughed again, sharper. "My door's gone, Kael. I'm bleeding. You…you turned into a wolf. Where's safe supposed to be?"
He didn't answer, just watched her, his eyes tracing her face like he was memorizing it.
Her skin tingled under his gaze, that same pull from the café, stronger now, binding them despite the chaos. She hated it, but she was grateful, too grateful he'd come, grateful she was breathing. It made her head spin worse than the blood loss.
"We need to move," he said finally, glancing at the body. "More could come."
"More?" Her stomach dropped. "There's more of those things?"
He nodded, stepping toward her, careful now.
"I'll keep you safe, Lena. I swear it."
She wanted to argue, to demand answers, but the truth was in his eyes, gold, steady, promising something she didn't understand.
Her shoulder throbbed, her apartment reeked of blood, and the world she'd known was crumbling. She nodded, barely, and let him guide her toward the door, his hand hovering near her back, not touching but close enough to feel his heat.
They stepped into the hall, the stairwell dark and quiet. Too quiet. Kael tensed, his head tilting like he heard something she didn't. Her pulse spiked again, but she followed him, her sneakers soft on the steps. She didn't know where they were going, didn't know if she could trust him. But she was alive because of him, and that had to mean something.
At the building's exit, she stopped, turning to face him. His eyes met hers, gold and endless, and the question burned through her fear, her gratitude, everything. She had to know. "Kael," she said, voice trembling but firm. "What are you?"