They Both Wanted Me

n't s

ceiling that looked vaguely like a map of South America, replaying every second of that alley in my mind

with eyes like dying embers. The cold

M, I g

because I couldn't afford a dining room. I'd lived here for three years, ever since I aged out of the foster s

h the window. My arm throbbed where the wolf had scratched me. I'd cleaned it last night-three parallel lines

pian had said. When I l

-Lena-like the word meant something. I remembered the weight of his gaze, heavy as a hand on my skin. I

s wrong

thing, pretend the last twelve hours hadn't happened. I could bury myself in overdue book

as the

until I opened

forest itself, shoulders broad enough to block the morning light, hair the color of dark honey falling past his ears. His ey

you," h

to close

open easily, and suddenly he was inside my apartment, too close, too much, fillin

Where the vampire had been ice and silk, this man was fir

of my a

d furniture, my pile of library books, the single coffee cup on t

't a qu

ne of your

arm gold, like sunlight through amber. "My pack lost three members last night. They went hunting, and they didn't come home. This morning, I found them cowering at the edg

the kitchen counter. "I don't

finitely. But also the lie." He stepped closer, and I flinched. He stopped immediately, hands raising i

lves att

kno

going to-" I couldn't finish the sent

er hidden. "I know," he repeated. "And they'll be punished. Severely. That's no

d thanks for the attemp

d a vampire saved you. A powerful one. They said he looked at them and they couldn't move. They've never been that scared, not of anything. And when I asked them why they attacked y

my chest. "I have no

book written in a language he almost unde

k. I might

last time yo

caught me off

d, fever. When'

o, that was just fatigue. The year before, everyone at work got that stomach bug, but I'd... I'd what

t-" I s

bone? Needed stitches? H

You can't just break

gerous man saying please like it cost him something-that I couldn't h

in his expression, something almost fearful, like he was standing

lve steps, concrete. I should have broken something. The doctors said

eath c

cked, I should have been paralyzed with fear. I should have frozen, or run, or done something useless.

en hunted befor

ng. I'm a librarian. I have a cat named after a Jane Austen char

elieved him for a moment, despite everything. "You're

rse for dropping me into a story I didn't understand. "Tell me what I am. Tell me why wo

es, and I saw them change-gold deepening to amber, pupils narrowing to slits, somet

id. "Not yet. No

of w

h. When he unwrapped it, I saw a necklace-a simple leather cord with a pen

. She was... important. To me, to my pack, to everyone who knew her. And when

t? W

r a pretty necklace and I'll leave you alone forever.

ce and pretended this conversation never happened. But something in his

nt touched my skin,

omewher

at twilight, the sky bruised purple and gold above me, the air t

a young face, her eyes the color of storm clouds. She wore white, and she glowed fai

ice was wind and water and the c

t under

wolf and the vampire. They'll fight over you, claim you, try

are

. Someone who chose between two loves and lost both. Do

ut and touche

rtment, gasping, the nec

an expression I couldn't name. Hope? Fea

whispered. "I

who was t

ed thirty years ago. But before she died, she told me something. She said her blood wouldn't end with her. She said one day, someone would co

nt. It glowed faintly agai

re you

sand years. She was a Hybrid-half wolf, half vampire, both and neither. And the reason her necklace responds to you, the reason wolves c

ld feel the heat of him, close enough that

arrying her blood. Which means y

rabbed the counter

d parents-human parents-they just... they didn't w

their medical records? Did you ever wonder why they gave

home, a social worker with kind eyes, a series of foster families who meant well but never kept me long. I'd assum

ere safe, where no one would find you. By

ho

and touched the pendant where it lay against my chest. "My name is Kael. I'm the Alpha of the

way, ripped off the necklace, called for help. Everythin

was the woman in the vision.

, claim you, try to ow

ate man who smelled like the forest and looked at m

n door, I saw a familiar figure in b

sp

and vanished into the morning light, leaving me alone wi