The campus was unnaturally quiet under the cover of night, the only sound Layla’s footsteps echoing through the empty halls. She slipped out of the dorm, her heart pounding with each step. Julian’s words replayed in her mind like a relentless echo: “I want to set you free.” Kael’s warning whispered back: “He’ll use you.” The two voices clashed, but she couldn’t ignore her curiosity about her vampire side—or her hunger for the truth. She had to make her own choice.

The rain had just stopped, leaving the air cold and damp, thick with the scent of earth and pine. Layla pulled her hoodie tighter, her boots crunching faintly on the gravel path toward the campus edge. Julian hadn’t specified a meeting place, but instinct told her he’d be where they’d first met—the now-closed café.

Sure enough, he leaned against the darkened storefront, elegant as a shadow. The streetlamp cast a glow across his pale blue eyes, and his lips curved into a slow smile when he saw her. “I knew you’d come,” he said, his voice smooth as silk.

Layla stopped a few paces away, her tone wary. “I’m not here to join you, Julian. I just want answers.”

His smile didn’t waver. “Answers are a start. Ask.”

She hesitated, the hum in her head low but persistent, as if it were watching her. “You said I should explore my vampire side. What does that mean? What can you teach me that Kael can’t?”

Julian straightened, closing the distance between them with a single step, his gaze locking onto hers. “Kael is a wolf. He understands power, loyalty, the pack. But vampires—” He paused, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “We understand control. Precision. How to wield power, not just unleash it.”

Layla’s pulse quickened. Control—that’s what she craved, control over the hum, over the fear, over the chaos swirling around her. “You think I need that?”

“I know you do.” He reached out, his fingertips brushing her wrist, cold and electric. She didn’t pull away. “You’re not just a hybrid, Layla. You’re a bridge between two worlds. But bridges can be crossed or burned. You have to decide what you are.”

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Her throat tightened. “So you’re here to help me decide?”

“I’m here to show you the possibilities.” He withdrew his hand, stepping back, his expression unreadable. “But first, you need to know your roots. Your family’s history isn’t just a wolf’s tale.”

Layla held her breath. “What do you know about my family?”

Julian’s gaze darkened, a flicker of pity crossing his face. “More than Kael does. Your grandmother, Rowan, wasn’t just a guardian—she was a mediator, trusted by both sides to keep the peace. But your mother…” He trailed off, watching her reaction.

“My mother?” Layla’s voice wavered. Her memories of her parents were blurry—warmth, laughter, then gone in the accident that took them. “What about her?”

Julian’s eyes softened, but his words cut deep. “She wasn’t just a hybrid. She was a weapon, bred by a faction of vampires who wanted to overthrow the wolves. Rowan hid her, protected her, but when she fell in love with a wolf—your father—it sealed their fate. They were hunted, silenced.”

Layla’s world tilted, the hum spiking painfully. “No, that can’t be—Kael would’ve told me.”

“Would he?” Julian’s tone was gentle but piercing. “Kael’s pack killed your parents, Layla. They saw them as a threat, a violation of the natural order. Rowan saved you, hid you among humans, but the truth always catches up.”

Tears stung her eyes, her chest heaving. “You’re lying. Kael wouldn’t—”

“Ask him,” Julian said firmly. “Look him in the eye and ask how your parents died. Then decide who to trust.”

Before she could respond, a furious growl tore through the night. Kael burst from the shadows, his gray eyes blazing with anger. “Get away from her, Julian.”

Julian didn’t flinch, his smile cold and defiant. “Ah, the loyal guard dog. Right on time.”

Kael’s fists clenched, his body trembling with barely contained rage. “Layla, step back. Now.”

But Layla stood frozen, her mind reeling. She looked between them—Kael, fierce and protective; Julian, calm and knowing. The hum in her head turned to chaos, pulling her in two directions, each laced with truth and betrayal.

“Is it true?” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Did your pack kill my parents?”

Kael’s anger faltered, his gaze snapping to her. In that moment, he looked stricken, caught off guard. “Layla, it’s not that simple.”

Her heart shattered. “Answer me.”

He swallowed hard, his jaw tight. “There was a conflict. Your parents… they were caught in it. But I swear, I didn’t know until—”

“Until when?” she demanded, tears spilling over. “Until you met me? Until you realized I was just like them—a ‘threat’?”

“No.” Kael reached for her, but she jerked back. “You’re not a threat. You’re—”

“Enough,” Julian cut in, his voice ice. “She’s heard enough for one night. Let her breathe, wolf.”

Kael snarled, but Layla shook her head, stepping away from both of them. “Stop it. Both of you. I can’t—I need to think.” She turned and ran, tears blurring her vision, the hum deafening in her skull.

Behind her, she heard Kael call her name, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t. Not when everything she thought she knew had just crumbled.