Blood And Claw

The monstrous roar echoed across Moonridge University, sending students into a frenzy.

“Run!”

“Call the police!”

“What is that thing?”

Panic swept through the campus as people pushed past one another, desperate to escape.

Aurora stood frozen.

The creature crouched atop the library roof, its body twisted beyond recognition. Its skin was charcoal black, veins glowing a sickly crimson beneath the surface. Long claws scraped against the concrete, leaving deep gouges behind.

Its eyes…

They weren’t animal.

They were intelligent.

And they were locked on her.

“Mine,” it growled, its voice distorted like two people speaking at once.

Aurora’s blood ran cold.

“What… what is that?”

Kael stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body.

“A Blood Reaver.”

Lucien’s crimson eyes narrowed.

“Morgana is moving sooner than I expected.”

The creature let out another deafening roar before launching itself from the roof.

It landed with enough force to crack the pavement.

Students screamed.

Cars alarmed.

The earth trembled.

Without hesitation, Kael ripped off his jacket and tossed it aside.

His golden eyes blazed.

“Get Aurora somewhere safe.”

Lucien didn’t move.

“I don’t take orders from wolves.”

Kael growled low in his throat.

“And I don’t care. Protect her.”

For a brief moment, their eyes met.

Neither trusted the other.

But both wanted the same thing.

Aurora had to survive.

The Blood Reaver charged.

Kael met it head-on.

With a powerful roar, his body shifted.

Bones cracked.

Muscles expanded.

Dark fur burst across his skin.

Within seconds, a massive black wolf stood where the man had been.

Aurora gasped.

Her legs nearly gave way.

“You’re…”

The enormous wolf lunged at the creature, knocking it backward.

Its jaws snapped shut inches from the Reaver’s throat.

The monster shrieked and slashed its claws across Kael’s shoulder.

Blood sprayed across the pavement.

The wolf yelped but refused to retreat.

Meanwhile, Lucien remained perfectly still.

Too still.

The Blood Reaver suddenly spun toward Aurora.

It had realized she was the true target.

It rushed toward her.

Lucien appeared between them so quickly that Aurora never saw him move.

One second he was several meters away.

The next…

He was standing directly in front of her.

The monster’s claws stopped inches from Lucien’s chest.

His crimson eyes glowed like burning embers.

“You’ve made a fatal mistake.”

Shadows curled around his feet.

Darkness spread across the ground like living smoke.

With one graceful movement, Lucien caught the creature’s wrist.

“Return to your mistress.”

He squeezed.

A sickening crack echoed through the courtyard.

The Blood Reaver screamed.

Lucien threw it effortlessly into a stone fountain, shattering it on impact.

Aurora stared in disbelief.

No human could move like that.

No human could be that strong.

Her world was unraveling.

Before the creature could recover, Kael leapt through the air in his wolf form, crashing into it with terrifying force.

The two rolled across the courtyard in a frenzy of teeth and claws.

Lucien joined the fight, moving like a shadow through the chaos.

For the first time in centuries…

A vampire and a werewolf fought side by side.

Not as allies.

But for the same woman.

Hidden among the trees beyond the campus, a cloaked figure watched silently.

Morgana Nightshade smiled.

“So the bond is stronger than I imagined.”

She raised a hand.

Dark energy swirled around her fingers.

“This is only the beginning.”

With a flick of her wrist, the Blood Reaver dissolved into black ash before Kael could tear out its throat.

Silence fell over the courtyard.

Kael shifted back into human form, breathing heavily.

Lucien dusted ash from his sleeve as though nothing extraordinary had happened.

Students who had witnessed the battle stood speechless.

Some blinked in confusion.

Others looked around as if waking from a dream.

Aurora frowned.

“They’re acting like…”

Selene stepped beside her.

“They won’t remember.”

Aurora turned sharply.

“What?”

Selene sighed.

“There’s magic protecting the supernatural world. Humans forget what they aren’t meant to see.”

Aurora looked from Selene to Lucien, then to Kael.

“You knew.”

Selene lowered her gaze.

“I knew enough to protect you. But I didn’t know today would happen.”

Aurora’s heart tightened.

“You lied to me.”

“I was trying to keep you alive.”

Before Aurora could answer, Lucien stepped forward.

“You cannot stay here.”

Kael nodded in agreement.

“Morgana knows where you are now.”

Aurora looked at both of them, anger mixing with fear.

“So what happens now?”

Lucien’s expression was solemn.

“You come with one of us.”

Kael’s jaw tightened.

“She comes with me.”

The rivalry between them flared once more.

Aurora looked at the two powerful men standing before her—one a Vampire King, the other an Alpha King.

Both claimed they could protect her.

Neither was willing to let her go.

And for the first time, Aurora realized the hardest choice of her life had only just begun.