I felt her before I saw her.
A sudden chill swept through the room, sharp and unsettling. The air shifted, heavy with something unfamiliar—something cold, calculating… dangerous.
Lucien went still beside me.
Every muscle in his body tensed.
"What is it?" I asked quietly, my eyes scanning the room.
He didn't answer.
That was my first warning.
The second—
Was the door opening.
Slowly.
Silently.
A woman stepped inside.
And the moment she did… I understood.
She was beautiful.
Not in a soft, warm way.
No.
Her beauty was sharp. Intimidating. The kind that made you feel small without her even trying. Long dark hair fell over her shoulders like silk, and her pale skin almost seemed to glow under the dim light.
But her eyes—
Her eyes were locked on me.
And they were filled with pure hatred.
"Well," she said, her voice smooth but laced with something bitter. "So it's true."
I instinctively stepped back.
Every instinct inside me screamed that she was dangerous.
More dangerous than the others.
"Selene," Lucien said, his voice cold.
So this was her.
I didn't know how, but I could feel it—
This woman mattered.
And not in a good way.
Her gaze shifted to him briefly, then back to me.
"You brought a human here," she said slowly. "Into your home."
"I had no choice," Lucien replied.
Her lips curved into a mocking smile.
"There's always a choice."
Her eyes trailed over me again, like she was studying every inch of me… judging me.
Disgust clear in her expression.
"She's weak," Selene added.
Something in me snapped.
"I'm standing right here," I said sharply.
Her gaze flicked back to mine.
And for a split second—
I felt it.
Power.
Radiating off her in waves.
"Oh, I know," she said softly. "I can hear your heartbeat from across the room."
My stomach tightened.
"Then maybe mind your business," I shot back.
Lucien turned his head slightly, clearly not expecting that.
Selene, however…
Smiled.
But it wasn't friendly.
It was dangerous.
"I don't like her," she said, her voice suddenly colder.
"I'm not asking you to," Lucien replied.
The tension between them was thick.
Unspoken history.
Something deeper than just dislike.
Selene took a step closer.
Then another.
Until she was standing directly in front of me.
Too close.
Her eyes scanned my face again, slower this time.
More intense.
Then suddenly—
Her hand shot out and grabbed my chin.
Hard.
I gasped, trying to pull away, but her grip tightened instantly.
"Let go of me!" I snapped.
She leaned in slightly, her eyes narrowing.
"Your scent…" she murmured. "It's wrong."
My heart pounded.
Lucien moved instantly.
In the next second, Selene's hand was gone, and she was no longer standing in front of me.
She was across the room.
Pinned against the wall.
Lucien stood in front of her, his hand around her throat, his expression darker than I had ever seen it.
"Do not touch her," he growled.
The room felt like it was vibrating with tension.
Selene didn't look afraid.
If anything…
She looked amused.
"You've changed," she said calmly, even with his grip on her. "Over a human?"
"She is not just human," Lucien snapped.
My breath caught.
Selene's eyes flickered with interest.
"Oh?" she said softly.
That was the first time her expression shifted from hatred to curiosity.
And somehow…
That felt worse.
Lucien released her suddenly, stepping back.
Selene straightened slowly, smoothing her clothes like nothing had happened.
But her eyes—
They were still on me.
Studying.
Calculating.
"Now I'm interested," she said.
I didn't like the sound of that.
"Stay away from me," I warned, my voice steady despite the fear creeping up my spine.
She tilted her head slightly.
"And what exactly will you do if I don't?"
I opened my mouth—
But no words came out.
Because the truth was…
I didn't know.
And she knew it.
A soft, mocking laugh left her lips.
"That's what I thought."
Before I could react—
She moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
One second she was across the room—
The next, she was right in front of me again.
Her hand wrapped around my wrist, lifting it slightly as she leaned in closer.
"Let's see what makes you so special," she whispered.
Something inside me reacted instantly.
A surge of heat.
Power.
My grip tightened without thinking.
And before I even understood what I was doing—
I pushed her.
Hard.
Selene flew back.
Not a step.
Not a stumble.
She was thrown across the room like she weighed nothing.
She hit the wall with a sharp crack.
Silence filled the room.
My heart stopped.
I stared at my hands.
"What… did I just do?" I whispered.
That wasn't normal.
That wasn't human.
Slowly… Selene stood up.
No pain.
No weakness.
Just shock.
Real shock.
Her eyes locked onto mine again—but this time…
The hatred was gone.
Replaced with something else.
Something darker.
"Interesting," she said softly.
Lucien didn't move.
Didn't speak.
But I felt it.
The shift in him.
He wasn't surprised I pushed her.
He was surprised by how much power I used.
"She doesn't even know what she is," Selene continued, her gaze flicking to him.
"That makes her dangerous."
"I said enough," Lucien snapped.
Selene smirked.
But she didn't argue.
Instead, she took a step back toward the door.
"But this isn't over," she said, her eyes returning to me one last time.
"You've brought something into this world you don't understand."
A chill ran down my spine.
Her gaze softened slightly—but not in a kind way.
In a warning.
"And when it finally wakes up…" she added quietly, "you won't be able to control it."
My breath caught.
Then she was gone.
Just like that.
The room fell silent again.
Too silent.
I stood there, frozen, my heart racing as everything replayed in my mind.
The strength.
The power.
The fear.
Slowly, I turned to Lucien.
"What am I?" I whispered.
This time…
He didn't hesitate.
His eyes locked onto mine, dark and intense.
"Something even we should fear."