4

Blood & Moonlight

Chapter 4: Shadows and Secrets

The sun was nowhere to be seen in New Haven.

Dawn never quite reached Sector 9. The towering buildings blocked out the light, leaving everything trapped in a perpetual twilight. The city’s streets were ghostly quiet at this hour, save for the occasional hum of a distant drone or the rustle of wind through cracked windows.

Lucien woke to the sound of soft breathing.

It was Rael. As usual, the werewolf had found a corner of the room—close enough to hear, but far enough to stay distant. His face was turned toward the window, his body half-covered by the thin blanket. His golden eyes flickered open when Lucien stirred, but he didn’t move.

Lucien stayed still for a moment, eyes half-lidded, watching him.

Rael’s breathing was slow and steady. There was something vulnerable in that stillness, in the way his lips barely parted with each inhale. Something that made Lucien’s heart thrum for a moment—an unexpected feeling.

He pushed it away quickly.

Vampires didn’t need such things.

Yet something about the quiet and the city around them made Lucien linger on the moment. The calm before the storm.

Finally, Rael sat up. His hair was messy, falling in dark strands over his face, and he ran a hand through it absently. “Morning,” he said gruffly, though his voice was hoarse from sleep.

Lucien blinked, then sat up as well. “I don’t think that word means anything here.”

Rael smirked faintly, the first hint of a real smile Lucien had seen. “Maybe not. But it’s still early.”

Lucien stood and stretched, his movements smooth and almost effortless, despite the lingering fatigue. “I’ll be honest. I don’t know what to do next.”

Rael paused, looking up at him. “You really don’t know?”

Lucien’s gaze hardened slightly. “You think I’m lying?”

“No.” Rael’s voice softened, a strange vulnerability creeping into it. “I just thought... you always know what comes next. Vampires always do.”

Lucien hesitated, his mind spinning for a moment. “Maybe that’s true. But this isn’t some high-society problem I can solve with a few words. I don’t know what’s causing the deaths here.”

Rael’s eyes flickered with something like frustration—or maybe just a tired resignation. “I told you. It’s a rogue. They’re dangerous, unpredictable.”

“And you’re not?” Lucien’s voice was sharp, but there was no malice. Just a prickling curiosity.

Rael met his gaze for a long moment, his lips curling up in the smallest of smirks. “No. I’m just a wolf.”

“You’re much more than that,” Lucien muttered, turning away to check the darkening sky outside. “I can feel it.”

Rael watched him for a moment, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. “I’m not the one with all the power, Lucien.”

Lucien’s lips tightened, his eyes flashing red for a moment, but he stayed silent. There was no need to argue. They both knew the truth.

Rael stood, shaking his head slightly. “Let’s figure this out together, then. I’m not asking for anything from you. But I need to know what we’re up against.”

Lucien turned back toward him, the flicker of surprise fading from his face. “What’s in it for you?”

Rael hesitated, and for a moment, Lucien thought he might not answer.

Then Rael looked at him, eyes serious and piercing. “I don’t want to see any more people hurt. Vampires, humans, or werewolves.”

Lucien nodded slowly. It wasn’t the answer he expected, but it wasn’t an unexpected one either.

Silence fell again between them, thick and weighted. Neither of them said anything for a while.

Rael broke it first. “I’ve been tracking the rogue. I think I know where they’re hiding.”

Lucien turned, looking interested. “And you didn’t tell me?”

Rael smirked. “You were busy getting your beauty sleep.”

Lucien rolled his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not my type.”

Rael laughed—a short, sharp sound that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Lucien took a step toward the door. “Where’s this rogue?”

Rael’s smile faded. “I don’t know exactly. But there’s a place... a warehouse in Sector 5. It’s abandoned. A lot of strange scents there. I think the rogue might be hiding in plain sight.”

“Sector 5?” Lucien raised an eyebrow. “That’s a dangerous area. Full of hunters and other... unsavory creatures.”

“I know.” Rael’s voice hardened. “Which is why I’m going with you.”

Lucien paused. “You think I need help?”

Rael’s amber eyes burned with a quiet intensity. “I don’t think you want to go alone.”

Lucien smirked, the old, familiar confidence returning to his gaze. “If you’re coming with me, I’m not letting you get in my way.”

“I don’t plan to,” Rael said, his tone just as firm. “But I won’t let you go in blind, either.”

Lucien felt the weight of the moment press down on him. The room was tense now, thick with the weight of their agreement, unspoken but understood. The air between them crackled.

He looked at Rael, eyes narrowing slightly.

“Fine,” Lucien said, voice low. “But we do this my way. And if I tell you to run, you run.”

Rael didn’t argue, just nodded, his face unreadable.

Lucien turned and headed toward the door, his long coat swirling around him.

Rael followed without hesitation.

Together, they walked into the city’s shadows.

End of Chapter 4

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