The First were the creatures that roamed the Earth long before humans existed. Some called them shapeshifters, others the Gifted, and some the Cursed. They were intelligent beings, blessed by the Moon Goddess and revered by nature itself.
But when humans came into existence, they couldn't accept beings more powerful than themselves. Humans brought jealousy, anger, violence, and sin. They destroyed nature, twisted its beauty, and made everything revolve around their kind.
The First tried to coexist, suppressing their true nature by resisting the urge to shift and living as humans did. But it was futile. Humans hunted them relentlessly, nearly wiping them from existence. For years, it was as though they had never been.
Then, one fateful night, the Moon Goddess unleashed her wrath upon the world. The tables turned. The hunted became the hunters. Humans were forced to learn their place.
Lily's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Where did you get that?" she asked, eyeing the book in my hands.
I glanced up, trying to seem nonchalant. "I took it from one of the offices," I lied. There was no way I'd tell her the truth-not about Elijah, and definitely not about him giving me the book.
Her brow furrowed as she grabbed an apple from the kitchen counter. "You shouldn't do that. What if you get caught?"
I shrugged, closing the book reluctantly. "He... I mean, the office has like a hundred books, maybe more. No one will even notice it's gone."
She rolled her eyes as if my response had only confirmed her worst fears. "That's how you get yourself into sticky situations, you know."
"I promise I won't. Stop worrying." I grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, I can't afford to mess up. We have to get out of here in one piece."
Lily sighed but smiled faintly. "Have you heard anything yet?"
I shook my head, my expression growing serious. "Not yet, but we just have to be patient."
Her gaze was wary. "Do you trust him? This guy who's planning everything? What if it's a trap?"
"I trust him," I said firmly. "It's not a trap. He's going to get us out of here, Lily."
Her smile softened. "I love that confidence. You're actually making me believe we might be free one day."
"That's because we will be free," I said, biting into an apple.
Just then, Anna walked in, her face stern. "What are you two doing? Run along. There's still work to be done."
I raised my eyebrows but didn't argue, leaving the kitchen. Anna was definitely in a mood today.
Lily headed back to the second floor to finish cleaning the offices, but I decided to explore instead. It was a small rebellion, but it made me feel alive.
Somehow, I ended up in the garden again.
The garden was my escape, the one place that felt untouched by the chaos around us. The flowers were vibrant and fragrant, their colors like a silent rebellion against the darkness. I could breathe here, let my thoughts settle.
Then I heard it-a low growling sound.
I froze, my heart skipping a beat. The sound was deep, guttural, and filled with pain. My curiosity warred with my better judgment, but my feet moved before I could stop them.
The growl grew louder, followed by a sharp, jarring bang.
I hesitated, my pulse racing. "Fuck this," I muttered under my breath, turning to leave.
But then the sound came again-raw and anguished. What if someone needed help?
Against every shred of common sense, I followed the noise, my footsteps hesitant but steady. The hallway grew darker with every step, as if the light itself recoiled from what lay ahead.
Finally, I reached a door that was slightly ajar. The growling had intensified, mingling with harsh breathing and the sound of flesh colliding with stone.
Peeking through the gap, I saw him.
The Alpha.
His shirtless figure was drenched in sweat, his muscles taut as he slammed his fists into the wall. Blood dripped from his knuckles, staining the cracked stone. Dark, pulsing veins ran across his back like angry rivers, their unnatural hue almost alive.
His growls weren't just animalistic-they were tormented, filled with rage and something deeper, something more primal. He gripped his hair as though trying to claw something out of his head, his body shaking with frustration.
I should've left. Every instinct screamed at me to turn and run, but I couldn't look away. His presence was magnetic, terrifying yet impossible to ignore.
His breathing grew heavier, his shoulders rising and falling like waves in a storm. Then, as if sensing me, his head snapped in my direction.
My heart plummeted.
His eyes weren't silver-gray like before. They were blood-red, surrounded by dark veins that radiated from his temples. His gaze locked onto mine, freezing me in place. I took one shaky step back.
In a blur, he was in front of me, slamming me against the wall.
I gasped, unable to process how he had moved so fast. My chest heaved, struggling for air as his hand pressed lightly against my collarbone-not enough to hurt but enough to trap me.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was a low growl, vibrating through my bones. His blood-red eyes began to fade, replaced by a haunting obsidian black. The veins around them receded as his breathing steadied.
I couldn't answer, too paralyzed by fear. My lungs felt tight, and black spots danced at the edges of my vision.
"Breathe," he commanded, his voice softer now but no less commanding. "Slowly."
He pulled me closer, his body radiating heat. His fingers tilted my chin upward, forcing me to meet his gaze as his eyes shifted again-this time to their piercing silver-gray.
I inhaled shakily, my focus caught on the swirling depths of his irises. I followed his instruction, breathing in and out slowly.
"I heard a sound," I managed to whisper.
His brow arched, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "And you decided it was a good idea to follow it?"
I nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes?"
He exhaled, the sound tinged with exasperation. "You..." He shook his head, his voice almost amused. "You're going to be a big problem."
Before I could respond, he grabbed my wrist gently but firmly, guiding me back toward the lighter part of the corridor.
I frowned, my curiosity burning. What had I just witnessed? What was he?