Love Triangle With Monsters

CHAPTER ONE: WELCOME TO A CITY OF MONSTERS 1. The Boy Beneath the Rain The first time seventeen-year-old Amara Williams saw a monster bleed, she was six years old. It was a tall, terrifying creature with black horns, silver eyes, and skin that looked as though it had been carved from stone. It had collapsed outside her father's grocery store, leaving a trail of dark, smoking blood across the pavement. People had screamed. Some had run. Others had stood around filming. But Amara had done something that made her mother drag her away and forbid her from going near monsters ever again. She had knelt beside the creature and held its hand. "It's okay," little Amara had whispered. "You're not going to die." The creature had looked at her. And then, in a voice that sounded like rocks grinding together, it had said something she would spend the rest of her life trying to understand. "When the darkness comes for you, little human, remember that the monsters were here first." Three days later, the creature disappeared from the hospital. Nobody knew where it had gone. Nobody except Amara's mother, who had spent the entire night crying in the kitchen. Now, eleven years later, Amara was about to enter a city where monsters walked freely beneath the same skies as humans. And she had absolutely no idea that one of them had been waiting for her. For eleven years. "AMARA! IF YOU DON'T COME DOWNSTAIRS IN THE NEXT THIRTY SECONDS, I'M THROWING YOUR SUITCASE OUT THE WINDOW!" Amara groaned into her pillow. "That's emotional abuse, Mum!" "THIRTY!" "YOU CAN'T COUNT THAT FAST!" "TWENTY-FIVE!" She jumped out of bed. Twenty minutes later, she was downstairs, dragging two suitcases behind her while trying to shove a packet of biscuits into her handbag. Her younger brother, Noah, sat at the breakfast table, eating the eggs she'd been saving. "You're stealing my food," she accused. He chewed slowly. "You're leaving for university. I'm celebrating." "By eating my breakfast?" "Exactly." Amara snatched the last piece of toast from his plate. He gasped. "MUM! SHE'S ATTACKING ME!" "GOOD!" their mother shouted from the kitchen. "DEFEND YOURSELF!" Amara burst out laughing. For a moment, everything felt normal. Her father's old radio played in the background. The morning sunlight spilled through the windows. Her mother fussed over her university documents for the fifteenth time, and Noah complained that nobody loved him. It was the kind of ordinary morning Amara knew she would miss. Because in three hours, she would be leaving home for the first time. And not just for any university. She was going to Blackthorn University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. A university where humans and monsters studied together. A university located in the heart of Ebonridge City. The only city in the country where monsters were allowed to live without hiding their true forms. Some looked almost human. Others had horns, tails, wings, glowing eyes, or shadows that moved independently of their bodies. There were vampires who owned nightclubs, werewolves who played professional football, demons who worked as lawyers, and ancient creatures who sat on city councils. Humans had lived alongside them for nearly a century. There were laws protecting both species. There were schools for mixed children. There were even dating apps designed specifically for humans seeking monster partners. According to the news, humans and monsters had never been more accepting of one another. According to Amara's mother, however, monsters were still monsters. And she intended to remind her daughter of that at every available opportunity. "Amara." Her mother's voice suddenly became serious. Amara looked up. "Yes?" Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen to me carefully. I don't care how handsome they are. I don't care how rich they are. I don't care how many girls are throwing themselves at them." "Mum—" "Especially the ones with pretty eyes." "Mum!" "Do not fall in love with a monster." Amara stared at her. Then she laughed. "Mum, it's university, not a horror movie." Her mother didn't laugh. "Promise me." Something in her voice made Amara's smile fade. For a moment, her mother looked genuinely frightened. Not worried. Frightened. Amara swallowed. "Okay. I promise." Her mother pulled her into a hug CHAPTER ONE: WELCOME TO A CITY OF MONSTERS 1. The Boy Beneath the Rain The first time seventeen-year-old Amara Williams saw a monster bleed, she was six years old. It was a tall, terrifying creature with black horns, silver eyes, and skin that looked as though it had been carved from stone. It had collapsed outside her father's grocery store, leaving a trail of dark, smoking blood across the pavement. People had screamed. Some had run. Others had stood around filming. But Amara had done something that made her mother drag her away and forbid her from going near monsters ever again. She had knelt beside the creature and held its hand. "It's okay," little Amara had whispered. "You're not going to die." The creature had looked at her. And then, in a voice that sounded like rocks grinding together, it had said something she would spend the rest of her life trying to understand. "When the darkness comes for you, little human, remember that the monsters were here first." Three days later, the creature disappeared from the hospital. Nobody knew where it had gone. Nobody except Amara's mother, who had spent the entire night crying in the kitchen. Now, eleven years later, Amara was about to enter a city where monsters walked freely beneath the same skies as humans. And she had absolutely no idea that one of them had been waiting for her. For eleven years. "AMARA! IF YOU DON'T COME DOWNSTAIRS IN THE NEXT THIRTY SECONDS, I'M THROWING YOUR SUITCASE OUT THE WINDOW!" Amara groaned into her pillow. "That's emotional abuse, Mum!" "THIRTY!" "YOU CAN'T COUNT THAT FAST!" "TWENTY-FIVE!" She jumped out of bed. Twenty minutes later, she was downstairs, dragging two suitcases behind her while trying to shove a packet of biscuits into her handbag. Her younger brother, Noah, sat at the breakfast table, eating the eggs she'd been saving. "You're stealing my food," she accused. He chewed slowly. "You're leaving for university. I'm celebrating." "By eating my breakfast?" "Exactly." Amara snatched the last piece of toast from his plate. He gasped. "MUM! SHE'S ATTACKING ME!" "GOOD!" their mother shouted from the kitchen. "DEFEND YOURSELF!" Amara burst out laughing. For a moment, everything felt normal. Her father's old radio played in the background. The morning sunlight spilled through the windows. Her mother fussed over her university documents for the fifteenth time, and Noah complained that nobody loved him. It was the kind of ordinary morning Amara knew she would miss. Because in three hours, she would be leaving home for the first time. And not just for any university. She was going to Blackthorn University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. A university where humans and monsters studied together. A university located in the heart of Ebonridge City. The only city in the country where monsters were allowed to live without hiding their true forms. Some looked almost human. Others had horns, tails, wings, glowing eyes, or shadows that moved independently of their bodies. There were vampires who owned nightclubs, werewolves who played professional football, demons who worked as lawyers, and ancient creatures who sat on city councils. Humans had lived alongside them for nearly a century. There were laws protecting both species. There were schools for mixed children. There were even dating apps designed specifically for humans seeking monster partners. According to the news, humans and monsters had never been more accepting of one another. According to Amara's mother, however, monsters were still monsters. And she intended to remind her daughter of that at every available opportunity. "Amara." Her mother's voice suddenly became serious. Amara looked up. "Yes?" Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen to me carefully. I don't care how handsome they are. I don't care how rich they are. I don't care how many girls are throwing themselves at them." "Mum—" "Especially the ones with pretty eyes." "Mum!" "Do not fall in love with a monster." Amara stared at her. Then she laughed. "Mum, it's university, not a horror movie." Her mother didn't laugh. "Promise me." Something in her voice made Amara's smile fade. For a moment, her mother looked genuinely frightened. Not worried. Frightened. Amara swallowed. "Okay. I promise." Her mother pulled her into a hug so tight that Amara could barely breathe. "Good girl," she whispered. Then, so quietly that Amara almost missed it, she added: "Because if you fall in love with the wrong one, I might lose you forever." the wrong one, I might lose you forever."