Opal was walking home late, the autumn air crisp as she pulled her jacket tighter around herself. Her father had sent her out on a last-minute errand, and she had taken a shortcut through the woods, her breath forming soft clouds in the cold night.
That's when she saw him.
Caesar stood beneath the silver glow of the moon, his back turned to her. But he wasn't alone. A figure lay crumpled at his feet, groaning in pain. The scent of blood filled the air.
Opal's heart pounded. "Caesar?"
He turned sharply, his eyes gleaming an unnatural silver in the moonlight.
She froze. His fangs—sharp, glistening—were bared, his expression caught between surprise and something more primal. His hands, stained red, trembled at his sides.
"Opal, you—you're not supposed to be here," he said, his voice raw.
"What are you?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
His jaw tightened, and for a long moment, he simply stared at her, as if trying to decide whether to tell the truth or run.
Then, with a slow breath, he stepped toward her, his features still shadowed by something otherworldly. "I'm not human."
She already knew that. But hearing him say it sent a shiver down her spine.
"I'm a hybrid," he admitted. "Half vampire, half werewolf."
The words hit her like a blow to the chest. The pieces clicked into place—the unnatural grace, the way he could disappear and reappear like a ghost, the way his presence alone sent shivers through her.
He had never belonged in her world.
And yet, she loved him.
The silence between them was thick, suffocating. Opal felt like she couldn't breathe.
But then Caesar's expression changed, his sharp gaze narrowing. "Why aren't you running?"
She hesitated. Then, before she could stop herself, the words fell from her lips.
"Because... I have secrets too."
Caesar's brows furrowed. "Opal, what are you talking about?"
She swallowed hard. "My family... we've always hunted creatures like you."
His entire body went still.
Opal's heart pounded as she continued. "I never wanted this life, but my father—he's been training me. Preparing me to kill things I didn't even believe existed until now."
A dark emotion flickered across Caesar's face. Hurt. Betrayal. A kind of sadness she had never seen before.
"You lied to me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I didn't know what to do," she admitted, stepping forward. "I was scared. Scared that if you knew, you'd leave. That you'd hate me."
Caesar looked away, jaw clenched. "You thought I would hurt you."
"No," she said quickly. "I thought you'd disappear."
He turned back to her, his silver eyes filled with something unreadable. "And now?"
Opal exhaled, her hands trembling. "Now... I need to tell you my last secret."
She reached for his hand, pressing it against her stomach, where life had begun to grow.
"I'm pregnant, Caesar."
His fingers twitched beneath hers, his breath hitching.
For the first time since she had met him, he looked truly, utterly lost.