Sera woke before dawn.
The city outside was still dark, cloaked in blue shadow. Her apartment was silent except for the ticking of the old wall clock and the faint hum of the fridge. She blinked, disoriented for a second — and then her eyes landed on him.
Lucien stood in the kitchen shirtless, his jeans riding low on his hips, his back to her as he poured coffee into a mug. His muscles flexed with every movement. Even here, in her quiet apartment, he looked like a danger she hadn't yet survived.
Sera sat up, the sheet sliding down her bare shoulders.
"You didn't sleep," she said softly.
Lucien didn't turn around. "I don't need much."
"That's not what I meant."
He was silent for a moment. Then he sighed and looked over his shoulder, eyes tired but still sharp as a blade. "Something's shifted in the air. I can feel them, Sera. My enemies. The ones I left behind."
She stood, grabbing his shirt from the floor and slipping it over her head. It hung loosely over her curves. She crossed the room to him, heart thudding.
"Tell me what you're sensing."
Lucien handed her the coffee. She took it, surprised by the slight tremor in his fingers.
"They'll come for you," he said. "Because you're mine."
Sera froze. "You think I'm a target now?"
"I know you are."
She swallowed hard, remembering the way his voice had sounded the night before — when he whispered things that didn't feel like fantasy anymore. Things about transformation. Survival. Claiming.
Her fingers curled around the warm mug.
"Then teach me how to defend myself."
Lucien turned fully, eyes narrowing. "You don't understand—"
"I'm not asking you to protect me forever," she cut in. "But if I'm going to be yours… I won't do it blind. I need to know who your enemies are. What they want. And what's inside me that they fear."
Lucien stepped closer, something primal flashing in his eyes.
"They fear you," he murmured, "because your bloodline is older than you know. Because even before I touched you… you were already meant for this world."
Sera's breath caught. "You think I'm part of something bigger?"
"I don't think. I know."
Before she could respond, the lights flickered.
Once. Twice.
Then the room went dark.
Lucien's body tensed. In a blink, he was between her and the door. The shift in his stance was subtle — a predator ready to strike.
Then came the sound.
Scraping.
Something dragging along the exterior of the building.
Sera's heartbeat went wild. "What is that?"
Lucien growled low in his throat. His voice was a weapon now.
"Get back. Don't move."
But Sera didn't listen. She crept closer to the window, trying to peer through the slats in the blinds. Just beyond the glass, a shadow moved.
Then a face appeared.
Not human.
Its eyes glowed yellow, wide and feral. Its mouth was twisted into a grin that showed rows of sharp teeth. And it was watching her.
Lucien moved so fast it was a blur. The window shattered with a crash, glass flying inward. Sera screamed and dropped to the floor as Lucien leapt straight through the broken frame, chasing the intruder.
She scrambled up, heart pounding.
From the street below came the sounds of a struggle — growls, bone hitting flesh, and a cry that didn't sound human. She rushed to the edge and looked down just in time to see Lucien slam the creature — or man, or thing — into the pavement.
Lucien's body shimmered mid-motion. His form shifted subtly — bones lengthening, muscles bulging, eyes glowing gold. Not a full transformation… but close.
A warning.
The creature hissed something in a language Sera didn't understand, then disappeared into the shadows.
Lucien stood, chest heaving, his shoulders wide with rage.
And then he looked up.
Right at her.
Even from stories below, his eyes met hers like a promise.
This isn't over.
Later That Morning…
Lucien returned with blood on his knuckles and a wolfish scowl on his face.
"He was a scout," he muttered as he cleaned the wound. "From the Crimson Fang pack. They want to draw me out. They want you to be afraid."
Sera handed him a towel. "It didn't work."
Lucien's lips curled faintly — part smile, part snarl.
"I think they'll learn the hard way."
"But they know where I live now," she whispered. "I'm not safe here anymore, am I?"
"No," Lucien said. "Which means… it's time you came home with me."
Sera blinked. "Home?"
Lucien stood, eyes burning gold.
"To the Nightfang territory."