Rain carved silver lines across the skyline of Arclight City. Neon signs flickered through the downpour, painting the streets in crimson and blue. From the top of a steel-framed skyscraper, Kael Draven watched his city breathe—alive, chaotic, dangerous.
The full moon hung low, swollen and bright. It called to the beast within him, whispering through every vein and muscle. Beneath his coat, his pulse matched the rhythm of distant thunder.
They're late.
He crouched on the ledge, eyes glowing faintly silver. Through the rain-blurred night, he caught the stench of blood, gunpowder, and wolf musk—the signature of the Bloodshade Pack.
A pack war was brewing again.
Kael straightened, stretching the tension from his neck. "You can come out," he growled to the empty air. "I can smell your fear from here."
Three figures emerged from the shadows across the rooftop. Leather jackets. Shaved heads. Eyes that gleamed gold under moonlight. Bloodshade scouts—low-rank wolves, but deadly enough to spill blood for their alpha, Lucien Vargan.
The leader sneered. "Silver Fang's mutt himself. Lucien said you'd be sniffing around."
Kael's lips curved into something between a grin and a snarl. "And yet he sent his pets instead of facing me."
"Three against one. You're not walking off this roof."
Kael rolled his shoulders. "Then stop talking."
The first wolf lunged. Kael sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and slammed him into a steel vent so hard the metal caved. Before the second could react, Kael spun, a blur of motion, claws extending mid-turn. One swipe tore through the man's jacket and ribs alike.
The third scout drew a silver-lined blade—illegal, forbidden metal forged to burn werewolf flesh. He slashed; sparks flew. Kael caught the blade with his bare hand. Smoke hissed where steel met skin, but Kael didn't flinch.
"Silver doesn't kill me fast enough," he said, eyes burning bright. "You'll have to do better."
He twisted the blade away and drove his fist into the man's chest. Bones snapped. The body crumpled, motionless.
Rain washed away the blood pooling near Kael's boots. The battle had lasted less than twenty seconds.
Then the scent hit him—sharp, foreign, electric. Not wolf. Not human.
Vampire.
Kael turned, his senses flaring. A shadow perched on the adjacent rooftop, cloak whipping in the wind. When lightning cracked the sky, he saw her clearly for the first time.
Tall, lithe, leather-clad. Long black hair clung to her shoulders, eyes glowing faint amethyst. Twin pistols rested on her hips, and a silver dagger glimmered in her hand.
She didn't move when Kael met her gaze.
"You're far from your nest, leech," he said.
She smirked. "And you're far too loud for someone who's supposed to be hunting quietly." Her voice was smooth but carried steel beneath.
"Who sent you?"
"I work alone."
He could hear her heartbeat—slow, steady, confident. No fear. No lie.
"Then why are you stalking me?"
She stepped closer to the ledge. "Because Lucien's men weren't after you tonight, Alpha. They were bait."
Kael's jaw tightened. "Bait for what?"
The answer came in a roar.
The neighboring rooftop exploded outward as four hulking shapes burst through the rain—fully transformed Bloodshade wolves, fur slick black, eyes glowing scarlet. They landed between Kael and the vampire, claws slicing concrete.
Kael's grin returned. "Finally."
He tore off his coat. The transformation hit like fire in his veins—bones stretching, muscles surging, claws ripping free. Fur burst from his skin as silver light flooded his eyes. The beast within him howled to the storm.
The wolves attacked in a coordinated rush. Kael met them head-on. Claws clashed against claws, snarls drowned by thunder. The rooftop became a blur of motion and fury.
Kael caught one wolf mid-leap and slammed it into the ground, snapping its neck. Another sank its teeth into his shoulder; he twisted, breaking its jaw with an elbow. Pain flared, but pain only made the beast angrier.
Two remained—faster, smarter. They circled. Kael lunged at one, but the other tackled him from behind, driving him toward the edge. His claws scraped concrete.
A gunshot cracked through the rain. The wolf on his back jerked, a hole burned through its skull.
Kael looked up. The vampire stood calm, pistol smoking.
"You're welcome," she said.
He shoved the body aside. "I didn't need help."
"Clearly," she said dryly, reloading. "You were doing so well bleeding on the roof."
Before Kael could respond, the last Bloodshade wolf leaped at her. She ducked under it, driving her silver dagger up through its ribs. The beast convulsed, howled, and dissolved into mist.
Kael wiped blood from his face, shifting back to human form. Steam rose from his skin as rain hit the burns on his hand.
He studied her carefully. "You're no ordinary vampire."
"Half-breed," she corrected. "Human mother. Vampire father."
"That supposed to make me trust you?"
"No," she said, holstering her weapons. "But it means I don't answer to a clan. And right now, we have a bigger problem."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Lucien."
She nodded. "He's forming an alliance with rogue vampires. A pack-coven merge under his control. If he succeeds, he'll own this city."
Kael stepped closer, water dripping from his hair. "And why warn me?"
"Because if he wins, none of us survive—wolf, vampire, or human."
Her gaze met his. For a moment, lightning flashed between them, silent and dangerous.
"I'm Selene," she said finally. "Selene Morales."
"Kael Draven."
"I know who you are," she said, turning away. "The Silver Fang Alpha who doesn't play by pack rules. The one who burned down an entire den to protect his own."
Kael said nothing. The memory of that night clawed at his chest—the screams, the fire, the smell of blood.
Selene glanced back over her shoulder. "Meet me tomorrow. Midnight. East Docks. Bring no one."
She leaped across the rooftop, vanishing into the storm.
Kael stood there, alone again with the rain and the dead.
He looked at the full moon, still heavy above the city, and whispered to himself, "Lucien
, whatever game you're playing… I'm ending it."
Lightning split the sky. His silver eyes burned.
The hunt had begun.