The forest was dark again. But not because of the night—this darkness was heavier, thicker. Something evil was growing there.
The man standing in the clearing clenched his fists.
"He was here," he said again, his voice low and rough. "I can still smell the vampire's scent… and the baby's."
Another man stepped beside him. "If the vampire turned him, he's one of them now."
The leader growled, "Then we kill them all."
Their eyes glowed gold. They were not human.
They were werewolves.
Back at Arya's house, peace still held—but barely.
It had been a week since the night Rohan was turned. Every evening, Arya trained him—how to move in silence, how to drink without killing, how to sense danger. She was patient, but strict.
"You must control yourself," she said one night. "Especially around her."
She pointed to Sara, who was sleeping in her crib.
"I know," Rohan said. "She's all I have."
Arya looked at him for a moment. "No, Rohan. She's all we have now."
That night, Rohan couldn't sleep. He sat near the fireplace with Sara in his arms. The flames danced, casting shadows on the walls.
Arya joined him quietly. She sat on the floor beside him, close but not too close.
"She looks so peaceful," she whispered, smiling.
"She is," Rohan said, brushing his fingers over Sara's tiny hand. "She doesn't know the world is full of monsters."
Arya looked at him gently. "She's stronger than she looks. Just like her mother."
Rohan looked up. "You never asked me about Diviya. Do you know who she was?"
Arya nodded. "I had a feeling. But I didn't want to scare you."
He frowned. "Tell me."
Arya took a deep breath. "When I smelled Sara that night… her scent wasn't just human. It was something else. Something familiar. I realized… your wife must have been a werewolf."
Rohan's eyes widened. "Diviya was a werewolf?"
Arya nodded. "That's why they're after Sara. She's not a normal baby."
Rohan felt dizzy. He stood up and started pacing. "No… that can't be… Diviya never told me anything like that."
"She must have had her reasons," Arya said softly. "She loved you. That's clear. Maybe she wanted to keep you safe."
Rohan sat down again, his head in his hands. "So what is Sara?"
Arya replied carefully, "She's a mix. A rare kind. A child born of a human and a werewolf… now raised by a vampire. That makes her… special."
Outside, the wind howled. A storm was coming again.
The next morning, Arya sensed something.
She was in the kitchen when the air suddenly shifted. She froze. Her vampire senses sharpened. Something was wrong.
She rushed to the living room.
Rohan was already holding Sara. "What's happening?"
"They've found us," Arya said. "I can smell them."
Rohan handed Sara to Arya. "Take her and go. I'll fight them."
Arya looked at him with fire in her eyes. "We fight together."
Rohan gave a small nod. "Then let's end this."
In the forest, the werewolves moved closer.
The hunt had begun.