Nightfalls mate

I plant a kick in the nearest thug's gut, knocking the breath out of him. Rain slicks the pavement in a quicksilver sheen as lightning cracks the sky. He crumples in the gutter, groaning, and I push past him deeper into the alley. Neon light flickers overhead: ELYSIAN in blood-red letters. My boots splash in shallow puddles, steam curling from iron grates. Gargoyles carved into the old Gothic rooftops leer down as if entertained by this midnight fight. My knuckles sting from the blow, but adrenaline rushes through me, numbing the pain.

Another thug blocks the way, a scarred face twisted into a grin. His coat falls open to reveal a snarling wolf's-head crest on black leather. My chest tightens as memories flare: this is the mark of the city's most feared pack. He twirls a serrated knife in his scarred fist. "Last chance," he growls. I grit my teeth, fighting the tremor in my hands. "Not happening tonight," I snarl back, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

He lunges. Knife flashes. I pivot, sliding my blade under his arm. Metal bites and rips-he screams, face twisted in shock. My fist tightens as he crumples to his knees, a bloody mess on the cobblestones. For a moment I feel invincible, but the alley isn't silent for long.

The thug snarls at the beasts on the ground, spitting curses. I scramble backward, adrenaline reversing my fatigue. Too late, two hulking shapes bound into the streetlight's glow behind him. Too large, too bent to be men. Fur bristles over rippling muscle, endless and feral. Golden eyes fix on me with white-hot hunger. Every nerve screams as fear blossoms in my gut.

My world tilts. In a blur of rain and streetlight, a massive hand crashes down on one of the snarling wolves, pinning it. The beast shudders, hisses, and collapses under its own weight. Another crash, and both creatures fall still. My breath is gone; my legs go weak. My ears ring with silence, vision blurring around the edges.

When the chaos clears, I'm flat on the ground, heart hammering. The two beasts lie dead at my feet, bodies heaped and twitching. I struggle to regain my breath. Through my haze I see him: the stranger who saved me. He stands upright, drenched and solid, between me and the carnage. In the yellow puddle-light his eyes catch the neon and glow amber-gold. Rain slicks his dark hair across a strong brow. My breath catches, confusion mixing with fear. He moves as if he owns the night, prowling forward with predatory grace.

He steps forward, hand extended. "You okay?" he asks, voice low and firm, rain dripping from his cheekbones. The words come gentle, as if checking on a wounded animal. I blink up at him, heart still racing. "I... I'm fine," I rasp, swallowing hard. My knees feel weak. He grips my arm to steady me; it's solid and warm under my fingers. I press my back against the wall to steady myself, every nerve buzzing with adrenaline and something else I can't place. The words hit my ears like thunder.

"Name's Lucian," he says quietly, almost to himself. It takes me a moment. "Lucian Kane." The name lands in my mind with an echo. I manage to answer, "Celia," voice cracking like glass. I sweep wet hair out of my eyes, trying to look braver than I feel. Pain flares in my left arm. My jacket is shredded where the claws tore it open; warm blood slicks my skin. A cold fear threatens to break through. A cold fear threatens to break through.

Lucian's gaze drops to my wound, then back to my face. "Why did you come here?" he asks softly. Confusion tightens my throat. I manage a hollow laugh. "Ask the cops," I say, voice uneven. "I had a tip. Didn't think it'd go like this." My stomach twists at the madness of it all. Everything about tonight feels unreal.

He arches an eyebrow. "One man's tip is another man's crosshair," he says, nodding to the crushed thug. "Let's say I owed that bastard a favor." His tone is flat, calculating. "You shouldn't be wandering around here."

My chest grows cold, the alley stretching around us. "Lucky you showed up," I snap. "And lucky I'm still breathing." My voice is rough with adrenaline and shock.

Lucian lets out a short laugh. "I'm something of a night creature myself." He straightens, stepping back. The alley falls quiet except for distant rain. He studies me, eyes narrowing. I grip the knife in my hand tighter, knuckles whitening. I can barely stand.

Lightning splits the sky. Shadows stretch across Lucian's face. For a heartbeat, the shadows twist-his eyes flash a golden hue. Then the streetlight returns to normal. Suddenly he's just Lucian again-rain-soaked, unshaken. A thrill of terror shoots through me. Survival instincts ignite in my bones. "What are you?" I blurt, voice trembling.

Lucian hesitates, scanning the deserted alley. "Not human, obviously," he says, tone flat and tired. I swallow. "I'm not one of your cops," he adds softly. My stomach lurches. He steps back. "You should leave-now."

My breath catches. "Why did you help me?" I demand, pain and disbelief sharpening my voice.

Lucian studies me, as if expecting more tricks. "Let's say I owed someone," he says quietly, eyes on the rain. "You shouldn't be here. Leave now."

I force my legs to move. "Right," I manage. My voice sounds hollow. I stagger back against the wall, adrenaline surging again. Lucian offers no more explanation. He steps back into the shadows as if fading.

And then he's gone-stepping into the foggy darkness as quickly as he arrived.

Alone again, silence crashes down. My knees buckle and I slide to the ground, pressing my back against the wet brick wall. Rain pummels my face and runs in cold rivulets down my neck. I press a trembling hand to my wound. The pain is alive, hot and insistent, burning under my skin. Reality has shattered. There will be no backup tonight. No one is coming. Just darkness and rain.

"What the hell did I just see?" I whisper to the empty alley. The words tremble on my lips. The city hums around me-distant traffic lights, a lone siren far off-but none of it cares about me. I feel utterly alone. My heart pounds like a drum. I slam a fist into the brick, anger flaring. I taste metal on my tongue, a bitter tang.

A distant neon sign flickers. My instincts scream at me to run. But I'm exhausted, wounded, trapped.

Footsteps crunch on wet asphalt behind me. I freeze, heart in my throat.

Claws click on stone. My blood runs cold. I try to force air through screaming lungs, panic licking my teeth.

"Finally..." a voice rasps from the dark. "...came sniffing out my prize." For one endless moment I'm suspended in agony and darkness. My world fades to black, swallowed by darkness. My final scream catches in my throat.