Chapter 2 – The Hunger

Lerra hugged her bag tightly, staring at the sheets of rain hammering against the glass doors. The wind howled like it wanted to tear the world apart, her skirt whipping against her thighs every time she even thought about stepping outside.

“Great. Just great,” she muttered, pressing her forehead against the cold glass. “Professor says go home early, but how am I supposed to walk out there like this? Ugh, why did I wear this stupid skirt today?!”

Her voice cracked with frustration, and she stomped her foot like a child, cheeks flushed in embarrassment even though no one was there to hear her.

But someone was.

Far across the building, in the dim corridors where shadows stretched like claws, Zaid stood still as stone. His fingers dug into the wall, breath harsh and uneven.

The scent had grown unbearable.

Lerra’s blood called to him—sharp, intoxicating, impossible to ignore. And now the sun was gone, the full moon rising high above the storm clouds. His body trembled, every thread of control unraveling. He had fought for years to keep the monster buried. Tonight, the monster refused to stay caged.

In the blink of an eye, he was gone from the classroom.

The storm drowned out everything—the echo of his footsteps, the rush of wind as he moved. One heartbeat, Lerra was alone. The next, she felt it—the shift in the air, the sudden, unnatural chill crawling down her spine.

She turned.

“Professor…?”

He was there.

Zaid stood only a few feet away, his figure cutting through the flickering light. His dark eyes glowed unnaturally, no longer the sharp, calculating gaze of the man she knew, but wild, beast-like, burning crimson as they fixed on her.

Lerra froze. Her fingers tightened around her bag straps until her knuckles turned white. “P-Professor, I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stay late, I just—”

Her words tumbled out in panic, but he didn’t respond. He didn’t even blink. He only stepped closer, slow, deliberate, every motion predatory.

“Professor?” Her voice shook now, breaking into the silence.

Zaid’s chest heaved as if each breath was agony. His lips parted, and for a fleeting second, she caught sight of sharp fangs glinting under the storm’s flashes of lightning.

Her pulse thundered in her ears.

This wasn’t the same man who stood at the front of her class earlier. This wasn’t her professor at all.

This was something else.

Something dangerous.

And it was coming straight for her.

Lerra’s back hit the cold wall, her breath caught in her throat. Zaid’s crimson eyes glowed in the dim corridor, sharp like a predator locked on its prey. His hand pressed against the wall beside her face, caging her in.

Her trembling voice broke the silence.

“P-Professor… I—I’m sorry for staying late…”

But he didn’t answer. His gaze had dropped to her neck, his lips parting slightly, fangs gleaming in the moonlight seeping through the window. The air around them thickened with danger.

Lerra’s knees weakened. He’s not the Professor I see in class… this is something else. This is a beast.

He leaned closer, so close she could feel the chill of his breath grazing her skin. She turned her head away in panic—

And then—

A force shoved Zaid back with a violent crack against the wall opposite.

“Enough!”

Lerra’s wide eyes darted to the new figure—Cassis. His silver hair caught the moonlight like a blade, and his eyes blazed with a protective fury she had never seen before.

“Control yourself, Zaid,” Cassis hissed, standing between them. His arm stretched out in front of Lerra like a shield. “She’s not your prey.”

Zaid snarled low in his throat, his fangs bared fully now. His refined, calm professor’s mask was gone—only the predator remained.

For a moment, the two locked eyes. Tension snapped in the air like thunder.

Lerra’s heart pounded. She clutched her skirt, frozen in fear, yet unable to look away.

Zaid’s chest heaved as he stepped forward again, crimson eyes burning with hunger.

“Move,” he growled, his voice guttural, unrecognizable from the controlled professor she knew.

Cassis didn’t flinch. “You’ll regret it if you touch her.”

The air seemed to tremble between them, two forces colliding — one driven by instinct, the other by sheer willpower.

Lerra’s lips parted, but no sound came out. She wanted to scream, to run, to ask what in the world was happening — yet her body refused to obey. Her gaze darted between them, heart thundering, unable to process why her calm, distant professor looked like a monster under the moon.

“Do you even realize what you’re doing?” Cassis snapped, his tone sharp, commanding. “She’s not just any girl. Her blood—”

“—is mine.”

Zaid’s voice was dark and possessive, sending chills straight through Lerra’s veins. His crimson eyes flicked to her, and for a heartbeat, she thought she saw not a predator but a man chained to his own hunger.

Her hand flew to her neck, instinctively protecting it.

Cassis’ expression hardened. His silver aura pulsed faintly — something about his presence alone seemed to hold Zaid back, like invisible chains.

Zaid snarled, baring his fangs again, but his steps faltered under Cassis’ invisible pressure. The hallway trembled with tension, silence stretching thin like glass about to shatter.

And then—

“Professor… please…” Lerra whispered.

Her voice, soft and trembling, cut through the hostility like a fragile thread.

Both men froze.

Zaid’s crimson eyes locked on her, conflicted. Cassis’ hand tightened at his side, ready to strike again if he had to.

The storm outside raged louder, rain slamming against the windows, thunder rumbling like the sky itself was echoing the chaos inside.

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