5

Blood & Moonlight

Chapter 5: In the Shadows

The city was alive with whispers.

New Haven never truly slept. Even at this hour, when most people were tucked away in their homes, the streets hummed with the pulse of life—distant conversations, the clatter of bikes, and the occasional shout from a group of restless souls looking for something to do. But beneath that, there was something darker, something that crept in the spaces between the lights and shadows.

Lucien and Rael moved like ghosts.

Rael led the way, his senses sharp. He could smell the faint trace of blood, the lingering scent of a wolf who had been here recently—too recently. Lucien, walking a few paces behind, watched him with quiet intensity, his red eyes flicking over every corner, every alley. Vampires didn’t need the same kind of tracking, but they saw things in a different way.

The warehouse in Sector 5 was just ahead. It loomed in the distance like a forgotten titan—tall, rusted, and covered in graffiti, the windows boarded up and the door barely hanging on its hinges.

Rael stopped. “This is it.”

Lucien raised an eyebrow. “I expected something more... dramatic.”

Rael grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Sometimes the quiet ones are the most dangerous.”

Lucien stepped forward, moving toward the warehouse door. “Let’s see if that’s true.”

Rael didn’t follow immediately. He glanced around once more, scanning the surroundings with a predatory calm. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

Lucien paused, looking over his shoulder at Rael. The usual smugness in his expression had faded, replaced by something almost unreadable. He didn’t answer right away, but instead looked at the door, narrowing his eyes. “I’ve faced worse.”

Rael nodded, then stepped forward to join him.

Together, they pushed the creaking door open.

The interior was dark, save for the weak light filtering through cracks in the walls. The air smelled of mildew and rust, thick with the remnants of old machinery and something more sinister—like sweat and blood.

Lucien's red eyes flickered as he surveyed the space. Shadows stretched long, bending unnaturally in the dim light. Every corner seemed to hide something, but nothing moved.

Rael stayed close, his posture alert, his senses on edge. He could smell it now—the faint scent of wolf, but there was something mixed in with it. Something wrong.

“Are you sure this is the place?” Lucien asked quietly, his voice low.

Rael nodded, eyes scanning the room. “It’s here. I can feel it.”

Lucien took a few more steps, letting the silence surround them. He moved with the grace of someone used to being unseen, his presence barely noticeable except for the faint glow of his eyes.

Rael moved beside him, his body tense, as though ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. But still, there was no sign of the rogue. No sign of anything, really.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by a sound—soft at first, then growing louder.

A distant screeching, like metal on metal.

Rael’s muscles tensed. Lucien’s gaze sharpened.

The sound grew closer.

And then—

A figure emerged from the shadows.

It wasn’t the rogue.

It was something worse.

A creature, tall and hunched, its body a twisted blend of human and wolf. Its eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and its skin was stretched tight over its skeletal frame, as if it had been starving for weeks. Long claws scraped against the concrete, leaving deep gouges as it moved.

Rael let out a low growl, his hand tightening into a fist. “What the hell is that?”

Lucien’s eyes narrowed. “Not a rogue. Something else.”

The creature hissed, its mouth opening wide to reveal rows of sharp, uneven teeth. It took a slow, deliberate step toward them, eyes locked on Lucien with a feral hunger.

Rael’s voice was steady, but there was a quiet tension in it. “What is it?”

Lucien didn’t answer immediately. He didn’t need to. He could feel the creature’s power, its raw, uncontained energy. This wasn’t just a rogue wolf—it was something born of desperation. A creature that had been twisted by something darker.

“A curse,” Lucien said finally, his voice cold. “A wolf cursed with more than just blood.”

Rael’s eyes narrowed. “A cursed creature? How do we kill it?”

Lucien didn’t flinch as the creature drew closer, but his voice was serious. “We don’t. Not yet.”

Rael’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, ‘not yet’?”

Lucien’s gaze didn’t leave the creature. “It’s not just a monster. It’s a test.”

Rael was silent for a moment, processing what Lucien had said. Then his eyes flashed with understanding. “Someone sent this thing after us.”

Lucien nodded. “Someone is playing with us. And we’ve just walked into their game.”

Rael snarled, eyes flashing bright amber. “I don’t play games.”

Before Lucien could respond, the creature lunged, its claws outstretched.

Rael moved first.

With a snarl of his own, Rael shifted, his form growing larger, more powerful, as his wolf instincts took over. His body rippled with muscle, fur sprouting from his skin as he collided with the creature, knocking it back with the force of a freight train.

Lucien stepped back, his eyes glowing brighter, his fangs sharpening. “Stay focused, Rael.”

Rael didn’t reply, but his focus was undeniable. He moved with brutal efficiency, claws clashing with the cursed wolf’s, sending sparks flying as their strength met.

Lucien’s gaze flicked between the two, his mind racing. He couldn’t afford to get distracted. But even as he watched the battle unfold, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all a distraction—a much larger plan was unfolding beneath the surface.

Finally, after a moment of chaotic struggle, Rael pinned the creature to the ground, his claws digging into its chest, his growls echoing through the warehouse.

Lucien stepped forward, his voice calm despite the violence. “It’s over. Let it go.”

Rael’s grip tightened for a moment longer before he released the creature, which whimpered as it faded into a twisted form of death.

Lucien surveyed the room, his eyes glinting in the dark. “The rogue’s not here. But someone is watching us.”

Rael wiped his mouth, his breathing heavy but controlled. “Whoever it is... we’ll find them.”

Lucien’s gaze never wavered from the shadows. “We will. But we need to be careful. This isn’t over.”

Rael nodded, standing tall. “Then let’s finish it.”

And with that, they stepped into the unknown once again.

End of Chapter 5

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