Forbidden Blood

The rain in Evergreen was relentless, a constant curtain that turned the world gray and blurred. I stepped off the bus from sunny California, my hoodie soaked in seconds, bag heavy on my shoulder. My mom had remarried, happy with her new life, so I chose to live with my dad — Charlie, the quiet police chief in this forgotten small town. He waited in his cruiser, awkward smile. "Welcome home, Izzy." Home. It felt strange. Phoenix was home — heat, friends, freedom. Evergreen was cold, wet, mysterious. The high school was tiny, old brick building surrounded by thick forest. Everyone stared on my first day. Whispers followed me in the halls. "The new girl from California." "Think she can handle the rain?" I kept my head down, dark hair hiding my face. Until lunch. The cafeteria was crowded, but two tables stood out. One with the Cullens — no, the Voss family. All impossibly beautiful. Pale skin, golden eyes. Lucian Voss sat at the end, dark hair falling over his forehead, staring out the window. He turned. His eyes locked on mine. Intense. Cold. Like he saw through me. My heart skipped. The other table — the Blacks. Big, tan, loud. Kai Black in the center, laughing with his friends. Muscles under his t-shirt, dark hair tied back, golden eyes flashing. He looked up. Smiled at me. Warm. Inviting. My stomach flipped. Two different pulls. One cold. One hot. Biology class. The teacher paired me with Lucian. He tensed as I sat. Stiff. Like he was holding his breath. "You're Isabella Swan." His voice smooth, accented slightly. "Bella." He didn't smile. His scent — cold night air, something wild. I felt dizzy. The teacher talked about cells. But I felt his stare. Burning. After class, he was gone. Fast. Too fast. Kai waited outside. "Hey, new girl. Need help finding your next class?" His voice rough, sexy. I nodded. He walked me. His arm brushed mine. Heat. Electricity. "You'll like it here," he said. "Eventually." I smiled. "Maybe." That night, in my new room, rain pounding the window. I dreamed of both. Lucian cold, biting my neck. Kai hot, claiming my body. I woke sweating, heart racing. The pull was there. Forbidden. Dangerous. I didn't know yet that Lucian was a vampire. Kai a werewolf. Or that my blood was special. The kind that could change everything. The triangle began. With a human girl in the middle. Who would soon become something more. The rain continued. And my life changed forever.