The night air felt heavy.
Too heavy.
Lira couldn't breathe properly as she stared at the tall stranger standing before her. The streetlights cast a pale glow over his face, revealing sharp features, dark hair, and eyes that glowed like molten silver.
Those eyes were locked on her.
Unmoving.
Possessive.
The word he had spoken still echoed in her mind.
Mate.
Lira swallowed hard.
"What… did you just call me?" she asked, her voice shaking.
The man didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer.
Each step was slow, deliberate—like a predator approaching prey.
Or something far more dangerous.
Behind him, the three vampires shifted nervously.
The one Lira had thrown across the street was slowly getting up, his expression now filled with fear rather than hunger.
"We should leave," one of them whispered urgently.
"That's him," another muttered. "The Alpha King."
The tall stranger didn't even glance at them.
His focus remained entirely on Lira.
"You shouldn't be here," he said quietly.
His voice was deep and commanding, vibrating through her chest like thunder.
Lira frowned.
"I live here."
A faint crease appeared between his brows.
That seemed to irritate him.
Before he could respond, the vampire who had been thrown suddenly snarled.
"Enough of this," he hissed.
His eyes flashed red as he lunged toward Lira again.
Everything happened in a blur.
The stranger moved faster than anything Lira had ever seen.
One second he was beside her.
The next, he had the vampire pinned against a wall by the throat.
CRACK.
The sound of breaking bone echoed down the empty street.
The vampire collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
The other two froze.
Pure terror filled their faces.
"Run," one whispered.
They turned and sprinted into the darkness.
The stranger didn't chase them.
Instead, he slowly turned back toward Lira.
She stared at the body on the ground.
"You… you killed him."
The man's expression didn't change.
"He attacked my mate."
Lira felt her stomach twist.
"Stop saying that."
His gaze sharpened.
"You felt it."
Her heart skipped.
The truth was… she had.
When their eyes met earlier, something inside her had shifted.
Like two invisible threads snapping together.
A strange warmth spread through her chest.
But that didn't make sense.
"I don't even know you," she said.
The man studied her carefully.
Then he took another step closer.
Lira instinctively stepped back.
Bad idea.
Her back hit the cold brick wall behind her.
Now he was right in front of her.
Too close.
She could feel the heat radiating from his body.
Smell his scent.
Wild.
Dangerous.
Something about it made her pulse quicken.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Lira."
His gaze softened slightly.
"Lira," he repeated slowly, as if tasting the name.
Then he said, "I am Kael."
The name carried weight.
Power.
Even the air seemed to react to it.
"Kael what?" she asked.
He held her gaze.
"Kael Draven."
For some reason, the name sent a strange shiver through her.
"You said something about Alpha King earlier," she said cautiously.
"That's impossible."
His lips twitched slightly.
"You've been living in the human world too long."
"What does that mean?"
Instead of answering, Kael suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.
The moment his skin touched hers, electricity shot through her body.
Her eyes widened.
A burning sensation spread across her wrist.
"What are you doing?" she gasped.
Kael stared at her wrist in shock.
For the first time since she met him, he looked genuinely unsettled.
"That's impossible," he murmured.
Lira looked down.
A glowing silver mark had appeared on her skin.
It looked like a crescent moon surrounded by faint runes.
"What is that?!" she cried.
Kael's expression darkened.
"That… is the mating mark."
Her heart dropped.
"The what?!"
He looked up at her again.
His silver eyes were filled with something dangerous now.
"You're my mate."
"No," Lira said immediately. "No way. I just met you!"
Kael didn't respond.
Instead, he studied her more closely.
Then he said something that made her blood run cold.
"You're not just a mate."
Lira frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Before he could answer—
A powerful explosion suddenly rocked the street.
BOOM.
Both of them turned toward the source.
At the end of the road, a tall woman stood beneath the streetlight.
Her long black cloak moved in the wind.
Dark symbols glowed around her hands.
Magic.
Kael's entire body went rigid.
His voice dropped into a deadly whisper.
"A witch."
The woman smiled slowly.
"Well," she said. "This is interesting."
Her gaze moved to Lira.
Pure excitement filled her eyes.
"So the rumors were true."
Lira's heart began pounding again.
"What rumors?"
The witch's smile widened.
"You really don't know, do you?"
She raised her glowing hand.
"You're the girl who will either save the supernatural world… or destroy it."
Kael instantly stepped in front of Lira.
His voice was cold enough to freeze blood.
"If you touch her, witch…"
His eyes flashed bright silver.
"I will burn your entire coven to the ground."
The witch laughed softly.
"Oh Alpha King," she said.
"You're already too late."
Lira felt a terrifying surge of power suddenly awaken inside her.
Her veins burned.
Her eyes flashed silver again.
The witch's smile grew wider.
"There it is," she whispered.
"The power of the Blood Moon heir."
Lira's breath caught.
"What… did you just call me?"
But no one answered.
Because the ground beneath them suddenly started to shake.
And somewhere in the distance…
Hundreds of wolves began to howl.