Blaine's howl tore through the night, echoing across New York.
"Stand behind me," he ordered.
Tony obeyed.
The were-panthers rushed them first. Phineas swung at Blaine, who dodged and countered with a punch to the jaw. Phineas barely flinched. He drove his fist into Blaine's stomach. Blaine groaned and stumbled back but kept his guard up.
Veronica lunged at Tony. Herakim Healer threw a handful of black Mountain Ash in a circle around himself and Tony. The barrier flared dark silver. Veronica hissed and retreated.
The vampires, Brad and Dalton, watched from the shadows.
"Really?" Brad mocked, stepping forward. "Mountain Ash? In front of vampires?"
He walked straight through the barrier. The black ash scattered like dust. The barrier shattered.
Brad's claws sank into Tony's stomach before anyone could move.
Then Shawn arrived.
He tackled Brad off Tony, and the fight exploded. Blaine's six Betas poured in — splitting into pairs against Dalton, Veronica, and Phineas. Shawn's Betas followed seconds later: Harry, Kai, Vivian, and Catherine.
But Brad was fast. He slashed deep into Shawn's waist. Shawn bled black.
"Help him!" Harry shouted.
They all moved at once, but the werewolves were already falling. One by one, they dropped — still alive, but unable to stand.
Then Herakim arrived.
"Get behind me — now!"
The werewolves dragged themselves behind him. The vampires and were-panthers laughed.
"Give us the new werewolf," Dalton said, "and the rest of you walk."
Herakim raised his right hand. "Not today."
Veronica snarled and charged.
Herakim threw the powder in his fist. It hit them like liquid fire. They screamed. Their skin melted.
"Let's go," Herakim said calmly, and led the way.
---
Tony groaned, clutching his stomach. "Everyone else is healing. Why aren't I?"
"Vampire claws are poisonous," Herakim Healer said, supporting him. "I'll treat you."
Harry ran up beside Herakim. "What the hell was that powder?"
"Schracula," Anakin answered. "Mixed with vampire blood and processed into powder."
Harry's face went blank.
Shawn coughed. "Dark vampire rose mixed with vampire blood. Processed into powder."
"Oh," Harry said.
Herakim spoke without looking back. "It is very hard to make. And only the Herakims can use it — because we are not werewolves, nor vampires, nor were-panthers. We are giant wise men."
Tony stared at him. "But you look like a normal man."
"That's enough, Tony," Herakim Healer cut in. "Focus on staying conscious."
Tony shut up.
---
Meanwhile, in the vampires' lair, the Vampire Herakim, Drake, and the Vampire King, Caspian, were having a meeting.
"What should we do about the werewolves' Savior? How do we kill her in case those sent to kill her fail?" Drake asked.
"Well, it's easy since she is a celebrity. We'll get someone to give her a gift that we've already bewitched. She'll think it's normal, not knowing that gift will kill her in days," Herakim replied.
Two vampires and two were-panthers were dragged in by a group of vampires. They looked burnt and were in pain.
"We're back from the mission, but we failed. Blaine was with him, and they had help. We couldn't get him," Brad said, trying to hide his pain.
"You couldn't get the only one who can detect us?" Caspian asked angrily. They said nothing.
"Get rid of them," Caspian ordered. They begged for their lives, but they were taken away.
"Herakim, proceed as planned. In case anything goes wrong, Drake, get vampires and were-panthers to kill Lillian." Caspian stood and left.
---
That night, Lillian was deeply asleep in Mr. Hudson's mansion. She found herself deep in the woods, walking toward a wide, deep hole. It was empty and dark at first, then a heavy breeze started blowing. She startled at the sudden wind, then heard her name.
The voice was creepy. She looked around. It came again, louder, as if the speaker was right behind her. She spun around — but no one was there. The voice stopped. The breeze stopped.
She looked into the hole again. Now it was filled with all kinds of creatures. She tried to move back but couldn't. A hand reached from behind and pushed her in.
She screamed as she fell into the endless darkness, the creatures below growing closer. Right before she reached them, she screamed herself awake.
She was sweating and panting. She sat upright and turned on the lamp.
I'm definitely not sleeping again until dawn. Being cooped up in the house must have given me a bad dream. She whispered to herself in fear.
---
At dawn, the young alphas gathered at Blaine's Cafe.
Bryan grinned. "So I heard Blaine turned a random stranger into a werewolf."
Blaine's jaw tightened. "That's enough, Bryan. Tell us about the Savior."
"Okay, okay." Bryan pulled out his phone. "Lillian Silver. Famous author. Won the National Book Award at sixteen, Carnegie at seventeen, Costa, Goldsmiths, and the Booker Prize yesterday. She's twenty-three, worth millions, and known for looking cold. Poor background. Mother dead. Father missing."
Blaine slammed the table. "How does any of that help us convince her?"
"Well," Bryan said, turning his phone around, "she's here right now."
The table went quiet.
Lillian sat across the cafe, typing on her laptop. A milky‑colored beret sat on her curly brown hair. Tiny freckles crossed her nose. She bit her lower lip, deep in thought.
Blaine stood up.
Luna yanked him back down. "What's your plan?"
"Simple. Walk over, tell her I'm a werewolf, introduce her to our world."
Diana stared at him. "You want to tell an award‑winning author — who writes fantasy — that her imagination is real? And you expect her to believe you?"
"She'll be thrilled."
"In front of all these people staring at her?" Diana sipped her water. "I'm surprised she can concentrate at all."
"Then we tie her up, throw her in Tyler's jeep, drive to the forest, and show her."
Tyler nodded. "I kind of agree. It's quick."
Luna pinched the bridge of her nose. "How did you two graduate college?"
She turned to Bryan. "What's the actual plan?"
"Tomorrow is her book signing. We get close enough to know her scent without anyone noticing. Maybe take something she wears often. Then we track her home and convince her there — without tying her up."
Bryan side‑eyed Blaine.
"Who goes?" Shawn asked.
"Tiara," Tiara volunteered immediately. "I'm a good pretender."
"Everyone agree?"
They nodded.
"Tomorrow, then," Bryan said.
One by one, they left — Luna first, then Bryan, Shawn ruffling Blaine's hair, Diana and Tiara waving, Tyler hugging him.
Blaine sat alone at the table.
Across the cafe, Lillian looked up from her laptop.
For just a second, her eyes met his.
Then she looked back down and kept typing.
---
"Lillian and Blaine finally see each other – what do you think will happen at the book signing?
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