Jenna’s POV

“You found me.”

The words repeated in my head. They sounded strange, and I didn’t know what they meant.

I blinked and looked around. I was lying on the cold ground, with dirt and small rocks pressing into my back. A large rock partly covered me.

I stayed still. I wasn’t afraid, I was just confused.

My breath caught in my throat. “What… what did you just say?” I whispered, my voice barely stronger than a breath.

The vampire stood a few feet away, his form still and tall, outlined by the moonlight. His gaze didn’t shift. It stayed locked on me, steady and intense.

“You don’t remember, do you?” he said. His tone was low but steady, like he already knew the answer.

I shook my head slowly, my hair brushing against the dirt and fallen leaves beneath me. “Remember what?”

He didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

He kept staring at me, not in a normal way, but like he could see something inside me that I didn’t even understand. For a few seconds, everything around us went completely still. The wind didn’t blow, the trees didn’t move, and even the birds stopped making noise.

Then I felt something shift in my chest. It was small, like a gentle pull I couldn’t explain.

When he spoke again, I froze.

His voice sounded familiar.

It wasn’t the first time I had heard it.

But I hadn’t heard it in the real world.

I had heard it in my dreams. The dreams that always left me shaken and confused. Dreams of a shadowed man with hands that held me like I was precious, with lips that touched mine like he had waited lifetimes. A man whose voice had whispered my name like it was sacred.

I thought they were only dreams.

But now, with him standing in front of me, I knew they weren’t.

It was him.

My heart skipped a beat, and panic rose like a wave. I pushed myself back, away from him, my hands scraping against rocks and dry leaves. The rough ground scratched my palms, but I barely noticed.

“No,” I breathed, shaking my head. “No, no… this isn’t real.”

He didn’t follow. He didn’t even move. He remained still, crouched beneath the rocky outcrop, one knee raised, his hands resting lightly on his legs.

It was like he knew I needed space. Like he understood how overwhelming this was.

I stood up quickly. The movement made my vision blur for a second. My chest tightened as I looked at him.

“You’re the one from my dreams,” I said, voice trembling. “You… how? What are you?”

He rose slowly, every movement calm and careful, as though he didn’t want to scare me. “I told you,” he said. “You found me. I called out to you. Why do you think you headed in this direction while trying to escape the nightwalkers? It wasn’t a coincidence.

You followed my call subconsciously.”

I took a step back. “Stop saying that!” I snapped, my fists clenched at my sides. “I don’t know you. I don’t even know what you are!”

“I’m not one of them,” he said, glancing briefly toward the trees where the other vampires had disappeared. “I’m not a nightwalker.”

The word made me flinch. I couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that escaped my lips. “You’re a vampire,” I said, the word tasting like ash in my mouth.

“Yes,” he answered simply.

“Then what the hell’s the difference?” I asked, my voice rising.

He let out a quiet breath, then slowly raised his hand. A silver ring sat on his finger, plain but striking. In the center was a black stone that glowed faintly, like it was holding its own kind of light.

“This,” he said, holding it out for me to see. “This means I walk in the sun. I don’t hunt in the dark. I’m a daywalker. I have never killed a wolf.”

I stared at the ring, but it didn’t make sense. None of this did.

“You expect me to believe that?” I asked, my voice caught somewhere between anger and disbelief.

He met my gaze without blinking. “I don’t care if you believe it. It’s the truth.”

My body felt like it was trembling from the inside. I took another step away from him, needing distance, needing air.

“You’re all monsters,” I said, voice shaking. “You… your kind killed my parents.”

His expression shifted then. The confidence faded, replaced by something softer, sadder.

“I know,” he said quietly. “And I’m sorry. But I didn’t.”

I stared at him, trying to read the truth in his face.

My fingers curled into fists again, the anger bubbling up. “You think that matters?” I said, my voice rising. “You think just because you didn’t do it, that makes everything okay?”

He didn’t answer.

“Vampires ruined my life,” I continued, the words falling out fast and sharp. “My mate cheated on me. My sister betrayed me. And now you show up, talking like we’re supposed to know each other?”

He stood still, silent.

I was yelling now, louder than I meant to, but I couldn’t stop. The emotions poured out of me like water breaking through a dam. My chest felt tight. My hands were shaking. I backed away again, faster this time, needing to put distance between us—between me and this strange, impossible truth.

My foot suddenly caught on something thick and twisted. A root.

I didn’t have time to catch myself. I hit the ground hard, my elbow slamming into a rock beneath the leaves. The pain was sharp and immediate, shooting up my arm and making me gasp.

Before I could even think, he was there.

Fast. Too fast. It was like he hadn’t moved at all. He just appeared beside me. Faster than any vampire I had ever seen.

He dropped to one knee, crouching low. His hands reached for me, gentle and careful, like I was something breakable. His fingers brushed over my arm, searching for the injury.

I jerked back, trying to shove him away with my other hand. “Don’t touch me!” I cried, my voice tight with pain and panic.

He didn’t move away, but he didn’t grab me either. His hands stayed where they were—open, calm.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said softly. “I never would.”

I stared at him, my breathing ragged. My heart was pounding so hard, I felt it in my throat.

“Then why are you here?” I snapped, my voice raw.

His eyes met mine, and in the shadows, they glowed faintly. A soft, pale white light. Not threatening, but not human either.

“Because I’ve seen you too,” he said. His voice was barely above a whisper. “In my dreams. Just like you saw me.”

I froze. My mouth was dry. My hands clenched into fists in the dirt.

“I didn’t know who you were at first,” he continued, watching me closely. “But now I do.”

His words made my stomach twist. I didn’t know how to respond. I could feel the truth pressing in on me, but I wasn’t ready to accept it.

“What are you saying?” I asked, forcing the words out.

He looked away for a second, like the answer was heavy and hard to carry. Then he exhaled slowly, like he’d been holding it in for too long.

“My name is Daren,” he said. “I’m the last of the Daywalker clan. My people were hunted down and destroyed centuries ago. Killed by our own kind, the Nightwalkers. But somehow… I survived.”

His voice didn’t tremble, but I could hear the weight in it. The loneliness. The pain.

“And so did something else,” he added quietly.

I couldn’t speak. My throat felt tight, like something invisible had wrapped around it.

He leaned in slightly, not enough to scare me, just enough to lower his voice.

“I think… I think we’re bound, Jenna. You and me.”

My skin went cold. A chill ran down my spine. I stared at him, eyes wide, heart hammering.

“No,” I said quickly. “That’s not possible. I’m a wolf. You’re—”

“A vampire. I know that. But I’m not just a vampire,” he said gently, cutting me off.

I blinked. His words stopped me cold.

“What do you mean?” I whispered.

He didn’t answer right away. His face was calm, but his eyes watched me closely, like he was waiting to see how I’d react.

“There’s more to this world than what we’ve been told,” he said. “More than just packs and clans. There are bloodlines that were hidden, truths that were buried for centuries. I don’t know everything yet. But I know this—you were meant to find me.”

I pulled away again, dragging myself back as if that would make his words less real.

“No,” I said, shaking my head hard. “I don’t believe in fate. Not anymore.”

His lips tugged into the faintest, almost sad smile. “I didn’t either,” he said. “Not until I saw you.”

The silence that followed was heavy. It pressed between us, making it hard to breathe.

I pushed myself to my feet, brushing the dirt and leaves from my palms, needing something to do with my hands. My legs felt unsteady, but I stood tall anyway.

“I don’t trust you,” I said, meeting his eyes.

He gave a small nod. “You shouldn’t,” he replied calmly. “Not yet.”

I frowned. “Then why help me?”

He paused, and when he finally answered, his voice was soft. “Because I think your enemies are mine too. And… because if I’m right, you and I are more than strangers. We’re bound. Our souls are connected.”

I stared at him, not sure if I’d heard right.

“Mates,” he added, his voice even softer now. “I think we’re meant to be mates.”

I stepped back, stunned. My mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.