I’m walking home from school with a pile of books in my hand. I had a backpack, but a couple of kids at my school stole it from my locker and I haven’t had a chance to go to the store to buy a new one. I could’ve taken the bus, but I’d arrive home much quicker that way, and I hate being at my current home.

My foster mother despises me because my foster father seems to like me a little too much. He hasn’t tried anything yet, but I see the hunger in his eyes. Have seen that hunger before. The last time I saw it, I ran away. Eventually, though, the police found me and gave me back to Social Services.

In a few months, I’m officially out of the system, free to do whatever I want. I don’t have a place to live yet, but I’d rather be homeless than live in another home full of people who hate me or like me too much.

Sighing, I veer down a slender alleyway that dips between some apartment complexes, going the long way home. The route is fairly secluded and the atmosphere quiet. The pages of the books in my arms rustle in the breeze as the sun blares down on me.

Peace. I feel so at peace whenever I’m alone. I don’t know why. Why I can’t seem to connect to anyone. All I know is that I prefer to be alone.

I take my time, savoring the quiet moment, wishing I could feel this way all the time. Halfway down the shortcut, though, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. A faltering breath later, the overwhelming scent of moonlight floods my nostrils. I’m not sure how I know what moonlight smells like, only that the air currently reeks of it.

Hugging my books tighter to my chest, I quicken my steps.

From what I’ve read in books, werewolves often smell like moonlight. And, while paranormals aren’t supposed to be able to hurt humans, some have managed to break the spell and do a lot of damage. And I’d prefer not to cross paths with one in a desolate alleyway.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” a taunting voice sails from over my shoulder. “And she’s all by herself. Man, it must be my lucky day.”

I whirl around so rapidly that I trip over my feet and my back bangs against a dumpster.

A bulky man with shaggy blond hair and dark eyes materializes from the shadows with a grin curling at his lips. He drags his gaze across me, lingering on the star birthmark on my temple, fully visible due to the fact all my hair is pulled back.

His sneering smile widens. “Easy. You don’t need to be afraid of me.” The hunger in his eyes suggests otherwise.

I spin around to run, but crash into a solid surface. The impact sends me falling on my ass, and my books scatter across the ground.

Shock whips through me as I blink up at a man twice the size as the guy behind me. I don’t know how it’s possible for guys to be this huge.

But they’re not guys, are they? Smell the moonlight in the air, Lake.

“You’re wolves,” I breathe out, scrambling to my feet.

The blond guy grabs my arm and jerks me against his chest. “It’s not every day we get this lucky.” He sniffs my neck while the other one licks his lips. “Why are you here, Elora?”

I jab my elbow into his stomach, and he surprisingly winces. “My name’s not Elora, so leave me the hell alone!”

“Fuck, you’re stronger than you look.” He encloses his hand around my neck, squeezing tightly. “That’s okay. We’ll just have to break the fight out of you.”

I open my mouth to scream, but he clamps his other hand down on it.

“Stop fighting, Elora,” he warns. “Or else, this will be worse.”

Why does he keep calling me Elora?

I lift my foot and kick him in the shin. He curses then squeezes my neck until I can’t breathe. My vision spots, unconsciousness threatening to take me under.

The guy in front of me grins as his claws snap out from his knuckles. Then he slashes them across my shirt, along with a layer of skin.

I gasp from the pain as I’m thrown to the ground. I attempt to push to my feet, but the big guy pins my wrists down above my head, while the blond guy undoes his belt.

Fear convulses through my body.

No, not this …

I’m going to die.

I want to die.

“Stop!” I shout as tears stream down my cheeks.

The big guy slaps his free hand over my mouth while the blond wolf laughs, his eyes flashing red as he climbs on top of me—

My eyelids spring open as I bolt upright in bed, my skin drenched with sweat. It takes me a moment to regain my bearings, to convince my mind I’m not in that alleyway anymore, being held down by evil werewolves.

“Bad dream?” Legend asks, startling the crap out of me. I forgot he said he was going to sleep over.

I pivot onto my side to face him. “I thought you would’ve left by now.”

He shakes his head, propping it up on his elbow. “I’ll leave when the sun rises.”

I glance out the window where the moon is an orb in the charcoal black sky. “But there’s only a few hours left of your last night here. Don’t you want to go out and do something fun? Like, go score some blood from one of those blood clubs? You must be thirsty by now. You haven’t drunk any blood in over a day.”

“I’m not thirsty,” he insists. “And I already did something fun. I went bar hopping with my best friend.”

I roll my eyes. “That was hardly fun. And you didn’t even get drunk.”

“I’m fine.” Worry creases his forehead. “Quit worrying about me.”

I heave an exhausted sigh. “Then you quit worrying about me.”

“I can’t. Not when I know they’re close to finding you.” He shifts his weight, sitting up in my bed and staring out the window. “I don’t think I can just leave you here now.”

I knew this was coming.

“You have to.” I sit up and scoot over beside him. “You can’t stay here and be miserable just because a couple of werewolves might be looking for me.”

“Might? Princess, they attacked a girl because they thought she was you.”

“And they attacked me because they thought I was some person named Elora, so maybe, if I somehow prove that I’m not, they’ll leave me alone.” I stare out the window at the starry night sky. I preferred nighttime over day until the day the werewolves attacked me. They didn’t shift due to the sunlight, but when they threatened to find me again, I feared the moon would be full when they came and they’d be in full wolf form.

Tonight could’ve been that night. And that night could be waiting for me in the future. I just wish I knew why they were after me and why they think my name is Elora. I know for sure it’s not. When the police found me, my first name and my age were the only things I could remember. Elle Laikyn, and I was eight. My name and age are the real things about me. So why do those stupid wolves think my name is Elora? I’ve never even heard that name before.

None of this matters right now. This is my problem, not Legend’s.

“You don’t need to worry about this.” I promised myself after I left foster care that I’d never, ever be anyone else’s problem again. “And besides, we knew this day would come. They warned me they’d come after me after you left.”

“So? That doesn’t mean I’m just going to let them hurt you.”

“Well, I’m not going to let you stay here and be miserable.”

“I’m not planning on staying here.”

Oh. Guess I misread him.

“Good.” My heart may be rupturing, but he needs to leave. He deserves to be happy.

He may be a creature of the night and most humans loathe him, but I know what kind of a vampire he truly is. The kind who cares about me. That kind who nearly died saving me. The only reason he didn’t is because he’s an ancient vampire and the werewolves were only in their early twenties. In the paranormal world, the older you are, the more powerful and strong you become.

“I’m not leaving you here by yourself, either,” he mumbles, getting to his feet. “Go back to sleep. I have a few errands to run, but I’ll be back by sunrise. Do not go anywhere until I get back. I don’t want to risk those wolves finding you.” He storms out of my room with fierce determination in his eyes.

I have no clue what he’s up to, but I stay in bed. Then, the second I close my eyes, the werewolves find me in my nightmares again.

They always do.

Fear smothers me.

No, I don’t want to relive the nightmare.

I fight not to succumb the exhaustion, but I’m hungover and emotionally drained.

Please, no …

I will my eyelids to stay open.

Someone, please help me …

I plunge into the nightmares.