Olivia's Point of View
The night air was sharp, tinged with the scent of pine and damp earth as I ran through the woods, my heartbeat drumming louder than my footsteps. I didn't know what I was running from—only that something was following me.
"Help!" I cried out, my voice cracking with fear.
The trees whispered secrets I couldn't understand, and the darkness wrapped around me like a predator.
I shouldn't have been here. I was supposed to be at a bonfire party with my friends, not running through some godforsaken forest after wandering too far from the trail.
A sharp crack echoed behind me—something heavy had landed. Something... not human.
I turned, gasping. A pair of glowing golden eyes stared back at me, low to the ground. A growl rippled through the air, primal and deep. I froze.
Suddenly, the beast leapt—its massive frame lunging for me—but midair, it twisted and landed beside me instead. It stood protectively between me and the shadows, snarling at whatever hunted us.
What the hell?
The creature turned to me, eyes glowing with something... familiar. And then—before I could blink—it shifted.
Bones cracked. Fur receded. Skin replaced fur, and the snarl turned into heavy breathing.
Now standing before me was a man. No, not just a man.
A god carved from moonlight and shadows. Bare-chested, muscles tight with tension, his gaze locked onto mine.
"You shouldn't be here," he growled. "This forest isn't safe for humans."
"Wh-who are you?" I stammered, trying to take a step back.
He didn't move.
"I'm Jaden. Alpha of the Nightfang Pack," he said, voice low and commanding. "And you just stepped into a war zone."
I blinked, struggling to process his words. Alpha? Pack?
"I don't understand—what are you talking about?" I asked.
He stepped closer, his heat radiating off his skin despite the cold night.
"There are things in this world you don't know yet, Olivia."
I stiffened. "How do you know my name?"
He looked away for a moment, as if battling something inside him. "Because you're bound to this world now. And whether you believe it or not, you're mine to protect."
Lightning cracked across the sky.
And suddenly, the air between us shifted.
The feeling wasn't just fear anymore. It was a pull. A bond. Something ancient and uncontrollable.
"Why me?" I whispered, nearly breathless.
Jaden's eyes darkened. "Because fate chose you. And if I don't keep you alive… the vampires will claim you."
A howl echoed in the distance—long, mournful, and full of warning.
I turned toward the sound. And just like that, the shadows came alive again.
Jaden grabbed my arm. "We have to move."
"Wait—what's happening? Vampires? War?" My voice trembled with disbelief.
"There's no time for questions. I'll explain everything. But right now, they've found us."
A screech split through the trees, sharp and unnatural. My heart nearly stopped. Jaden pulled me forward, and I stumbled, running beside him through the thick woods.
I glanced over my shoulder—and saw them. Eyes like rubies, faces too perfect to be real, gliding just above the ground like they were weightless.
Vampires.
They were real. And they were hunting me.
"Why are they after me?" I shouted.
Jaden's voice was cold and urgent. "Because your blood is rare. You're not just human, Olivia. You're something more."
"What do you mean?!"
"You were born of two worlds—human and something older. A legacy lost in time. But they can smell it now. And they'll kill to own it."
Branches whipped against my skin as we ran. I didn't care. All that mattered was staying alive—and staying close to him.
We reached a clearing lit by pale moonlight. Jaden turned suddenly, planting his feet and baring his teeth. "Stay behind me."
One of the vampires lunged from the shadows.
Jaden shifted mid-leap—bones snapping, fur exploding from skin. In seconds, he was wolf again—larger than any normal wolf, all muscle and fury.
The fight was savage. Claws slashed. Fangs tore. Blood spilled on the forest floor. But Jaden didn't back down.
I stood frozen, heart thundering. Everything I thought I knew about the world was gone.
And in its place... a beast fought to keep me alive.
By the time the last vampire fled into the night, Jaden stood covered in blood—some his, mostly theirs. He shifted back, staggering slightly. I caught him before he fell.
"Why are you doing this?" I whispered.
He met my eyes, exhausted and raw. "Because this world is changing. And you, Olivia... you're the key to it all."
Before I could speak, his legs buckled.
I cradled him as he collapsed into my arms, his breathing shallow but steady.
The forest had fallen silent again, but nothing felt safe anymore. I sat there, my heart aching and my mind racing with questions I wasn't ready to face. Who was I really? What legacy had I inherited? And what kind of world had I just stepped into?
The cold wind kissed my skin as I held the Alpha in my arms.
I had walked into the woods an ordinary girl.
But tonight, something inside me awakened.
And nothing… absolutely nothing… would ever be the same again.