Red Moon

The first morning of the new semester at Silver Hollow College had arrived with a calm that was almost deceptive. Students shuffled into the sprawling campus, carrying bags heavier than they seemed, voices echoing with the nervous energy of fresh beginnings. Yet amidst the laughter and chatter, Catrine Nella felt the familiar weight of unease pressing against her chest. Her step-sister's warnings from the night before still lingered like a venomous whisper: "Feeding on animals will make you weak, Catrine. If you want to survive, you need more... more power. Human blood." Her pale fingers tightened around her notebook as she strode through the hallways, sensing eyes flicker in her direction. Somewhere in the crowd, she knew, was Edwardo Zee-the werewolf she had clashed with countless times over the past semesters. He was infuriatingly human in appearance, yet every time their gazes met, there was an almost tangible tension that made her fangs ache and her pulse quicken. Edwardo's presence was like a storm that refused to break, and she had always wanted to shatter him. Now, with the semester beginning anew, the feeling was sharper than ever.

Edwardo himself was walking with the kind of casual confidence that belied the storm brewing within him. He had always been wary of his older step-brother's shadow-a constant pressure urging him to kill, to assert dominance, to claim the alpha status that was forced upon him rather than chosen. Edwardo wanted none of that. He craved balance, a true leadership not forged in death and bloodshed but in protection and honor. Yet, beneath his composed exterior, the full moon gnawed at him, whispering the old call of the wolf. He tried to focus on mundane tasks-lectures, homework, and the careful navigation of human-college social intricacies-but every flicker of movement, every shadow in the periphery, stirred instincts he could barely control. And he knew, with an icy certainty, that Catrine Nella's very presence made it harder to maintain control. She was clever, ruthless, and unpredictable-a predator in her own right, and one who had always tested him. But there was something else now, something he couldn't name, that made him pay closer attention whenever she was near.

The tension between them reached its first crescendo that night. The air had grown thick and heavy, tinged with the smell of pine and damp earth. Catrine had slipped away from the dormitories, carrying the tools for a ritual she had been perfecting for months-a blend of ancient runes, silver candles, and the whispered incantations that would amplify her vampire abilities. She had learned to blend the arcane with her predatory instinct, and tonight was no exception. The forest beyond campus, dense with shadows and silence, felt like the perfect sanctuary for her work. Yet, unbeknownst to her, Edwardo had also ventured into the woods. The full moon hung high, bright and unforgiving, and with it, Edwardo's control wavered. His transformation began as a blur, a surge of power coursing through him until he could no