The moonlight shimmered over the secluded forest lake, casting a silver sheen across the still waters. Shadows danced between the trees, and the scent of pine hung heavy in the air but for Rose, it all smelled like nothing. All she could sense was her hunger.
Her breath came out in ragged hisses. Her crimson eyes were dull, her limbs weak. She had gone too long without blood, refusing to harm the humans she once vowed to protect. But now, survival clawed at her insides.
Collapsing to the forest floor, Rose barely registered the sound of laughter approaching boys, swimming in the lake. One of them broke off alone. His scent hit her first: warm, wild, distinctly werewolf. Her predator instincts flared, but her body remained limp.
Jackson stepped out of the water, shaking droplets from his dark hair. His eyes impossibly blue scanned the woods and stopped when he saw her lying still. A girl with glowing red eyes and porcelain skin, barely breathing.
A vampire.
But instead of hostility, something primal surged in his chest. Mate.
Without hesitation, he crouched beside her, pressing his wrist to her lips. "Drink," he whispered. "Now."
Her eyelids fluttered. She could smell him musky, strong, forbidden. But her thirst won.
Fangs emerged, and she bit.
Jackson winced but held steady. As his blood flowed into her, warmth returned to her body. Her eyes glowed brighter, her strength surged back and then their eyes met.
Time froze.
Something shifted like the universe aligned in that one moment. A heartbeat skipped. Then another.
"You're..." Rose whispered, pulling back. "Different."
Jackson smiled. "So are you."
And then, without thinking, she kissed him a soft, grateful press of her lips. But the electricity in the air sparked deeper.
In that moment, Jackson knew. She wasn’t just beautiful. She wasn’t just a vampire.
She was his.
Instinct roared inside him. He pulled her close, lips at her neck. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.
"For what?"
He bit down.
She cried out pain, shock, then... magic. Glowing light burst where his fangs met her skin. Her scream turned to gasps. Her heart thudded with power and connection.
Her body didn’t resist. It welcomed him.
The bond was sealed.
In the depths of that forest, under the gaze of the moon, a vampire and werewolf became something the world feared, and fate demanded:
Mates.
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