I stepped into a clearing.
And stopped.
Everything stilled.
The world itself seemed to hold its breath.
And then—
I saw him.
At first, my mind refused to understand what I was looking at.
He stood across from me like something carved from the night itself. Still. Unmoving. Untouchable.
Too perfect.
Too… wrong.
The air around him felt different.
He felt different.
My heart skipped.
Then slammed violently against my ribs.
My wolf surged forward with a force that stole the breath from my lungs.
Mine…
The word echoed through me.
Sharp.
Certain.
Terrifying.
"No…" I whispered, shaking my head as I instinctively took a step back.
This wasn't right.
This wasn't possible.
Because now—
Now I could see him clearly.
Pale skin that held no warmth.
Crimson eyes that didn't reflect the light—but consumed it.
A presence that wasn't just inhuman—
It was ancient.
Cold.
A vampire.
My wolf recoiled violently.
No.
Yes.
The bond tightened.
Unforgiving.
Unbreakable.
My stomach twisted.
He moved.
Just slightly.
But it was enough.
Enough to make the air shift between us.
His lips parted—
"Mate."
The word wrapped around me like a chain.
Heavy.
Binding.
Real.
My breath caught.
My pulse spiraled out of control.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
Not like this.
Not with him.
Because vampires weren't just enemies.
They were monsters.
The reason for everything we lost.
And yet—
The bond didn't care.
It pulsed stronger.
Warmer.
Demanding.
"Finally—" I started, the word slipping out before I could stop it.
Because a part of me—one I hated—had waited for this.
For him.
My mate.
My other half.
My—
My voice broke.
Reality crashed down hard.
I looked at him again.
Really looked.
The stillness.
The cold.
The emptiness.
And something inside me hardened.
"No," I said, stronger this time.
My wolf fought me.
The bond pulled.
But I held my ground.
My lip curled before I could stop it.
And the words came out—sharp, instinctive, cruel:
"Why is my mate this disgusting creature?"
Silence.
Thick.
Heavy.
Unforgiving.
The moment the words left my mouth—
The bond tightened painfully.
Like it was punishing me.
Demanding something I refused to give.
Across from me, he didn't react the way I expected.
No anger.
No rage.
No violence.
Just—
A flicker.
Something small.
Something dangerous.
And somehow…
That was worse.
My breath turned uneven.
Every instinct screamed at me to run.
To shift.
To fight.
To do something.
But I couldn't move.
Because he was still looking at me like I mattered.
And I hated that.
Hated him.
Hated this bond.
Hated the way my heart betrayed me—beating faster with every second.
The forest closed in around us.
The silence stretched.
The bond pulsed.
Alive.
Relentless.
Unwanted.
And deep down—
I knew.
This wasn't the start of something beautiful.
This was the beginning of war.