BOUND BY BLOOD AND CLAWS

Chapter 1

The scent of freshly cut grass and the distant hum of laughter filled the air as Adrian stepped out of his sleek black sports car, his dark sunglasses reflecting the glimmering university campus before him. With a sharp tug, he adjusted his tailored leather jacket, his presence commanding attention from passersby. His pale, flawless skin seemed almost luminescent under the sun-a detail he'd have to monitor carefully.

From the corner of the parking lot, another figure approached, his boots crunching against the gravel with deliberate slowness. Ethan, tall and broad-shouldered, carried an air of raw power, his piercing green eyes scanning the crowd with the intensity of a predator. His gray t-shirt and worn jeans made him seem approachable, but the air around him crackled with tension.

The two men locked eyes.

"Surprised you made it here without combusting, leech," Ethan growled, his voice low but sharp enough to cut.

Adrian smirked, lowering his sunglasses to reveal crimson eyes that seemed to burn. "Surprised they let mutts roam freely on campus. Should I alert animal control?"

Ethan took a step forward, his muscles tensing, fists clenching. The animosity between them was palpable, the weight of centuries of war threatening to erupt right there in the parking lot.

But before either could strike, a bell rang from across the quad, signaling the start of orientation.

Adrian adjusted his sunglasses and stepped past Ethan, whispering, "Try not to embarrass yourself, dog. This is supposed to be a civilized place."

Ethan snarled under his breath, his wolf clawing at the surface. He forced himself to turn away, his focus shifting to the task at hand: surviving among humans without drawing attention.

The university auditorium was packed with students, their excitement buzzing like static in the air. Adrian leaned against the back wall, observing the crowd with mild disinterest. His group of friends-fellow vampires-flanked him, their aloof demeanors masking their predatory instincts.

"Do we really have to stay for this?" asked Marcus, one of Adrian's oldest friends. His blue eyes scanned the humans with disdain. "This place reeks of sweat and cheap cologne."

Adrian chuckled. "Think of it as a test of our self-control, Marcus. Besides, blending in is part of the deal."

Meanwhile, across the room, Ethan sat with his pack. Unlike Adrian's group, the wolves exuded an air of barely contained aggression. Their energy was raw, primal, and distinctly out of place in the sterile university setting.

"We don't belong here," muttered Lucas, Ethan's right-hand man, his voice a low growl. "This is a human playground."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "We're here to prove a point. If vampires can play nice, so can we. Just... try not to eat anyone."

Lucas snorted but said nothing more.

The tension between the two groups simmered as the orientation dragged on, but it wasn't until the end of the session that the catalyst for chaos appeared.

"Excuse me," came a soft, melodic voice.

Adrian turned first, his heightened senses picking up on the sound before anyone else. She stood a few feet away, holding a crumpled piece of paper and looking adorably out of place.

Her dark, wavy hair framed a delicate face, her hazel eyes sparkling with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness. She wore a simple dress that hinted at elegance without trying too hard.

"I'm sorry, but can you help me find the literature building?" she asked, her gaze darting between Adrian and Ethan, who had also turned at the sound of her voice.

Adrian smiled, his signature charm slipping into place effortlessly. "Of course. The literature building is on the east side of campus. I'd be happy to walk you there."

Before Elena could respond, Ethan stepped forward, his presence instantly commanding. "Ignore him. There's a shortcut through the courtyard. I'll show you."

Elena blinked, caught off guard by the sudden competition between the two strikingly handsome men. "Oh... thank you. Both of you."

For a moment, the air crackled with unspoken animosity as Adrian and Ethan exchanged glares.

"Ladies first," Adrian said, gesturing grandly, though his eyes never left Ethan.

Ethan didn't respond. Instead, he led Elena out of the auditorium, leaving Adrian to follow at a distance, his jaw clenched in frustration.

That evening, Adrian stood on the balcony of his rented apartment, a glass of red wine in hand. The moonlight bathed him in silver, highlighting his sharp features and the faint glow of his eyes.

"She's different," he murmured to himself, swirling the wine absentmindedly.

Behind him, Marcus lounged on the couch, flipping through a textbook he had no intention of reading. "Who? The human girl from earlier?"

Adrian nodded.

Marcus scoffed. "She's human. Fragile. You'd break her if you so much as kissed her."

Adrian's lips curled into a smirk. "That's what makes her interesting. She's not like the others. There's... something about her."

Meanwhile, Ethan paced the forest edge, the cool night air doing little to calm his restless thoughts.

"Why are you so worked up?" Lucas asked, leaning against a tree.

Ethan didn't answer immediately. He stopped, staring up at the full moon.

"She's human," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And yet... I can't stop thinking about her."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You know that's dangerous, right? Humans don't belong in our world."

Ethan turned, his green eyes glowing faintly. "She's already in it."

Back at the campus library, Elena sat at a corner table, flipping through her class schedule. The day had been overwhelming, but two faces kept flashing in her mind-Adrian's smooth charm and Ethan's raw intensity.

"What's wrong with me?" she muttered, shaking her head.

Unbeknownst to her, both Adrian and Ethan watched from separate corners of the room, their supernatural senses attuned to her every move.

For the first time in years, their rivalry extended beyond clan politics.

This was personal.