CHAPTER ONE--THE NEW BEGINNING
Camilla Wilson rested her forehead against the cold car window as towering pine trees stretched endlessly along the winding road. The farther they drove, the quieter the world became. Gone were the crowded streets and familiar faces she had grown up with. Ahead lay Raven Hollow, Colorado—a peaceful mountain town hidden beneath mist-covered hills and endless forests.
It was supposed to be a fresh start.
Her father, Chief Inspector Idris Wilson, tightened his grip on the steering wheel as they entered the town. He had recently been transferred to the Raven Hollow Police Department after accepting a promotion. It was a career opportunity he couldn't turn down, even if it meant leaving everything behind.
Neither of them spoke much during the drive.
Ever since the divorce, silence had become normal.
Camilla still remembered the day her parents told her they were separating. She had cried herself to sleep that night, hoping they would change their minds. They never did.
Her mother had moved overseas to begin a new chapter of her life, while Camilla chose to stay with her father. Although they talked on phone calls almost every day, it wasn't the same. Some things could never be replaced through a screen.
"You okay?" Idris asked, glancing at her.
Camilla forced a small smile.
"yeah Dad, I'm cool"
He nodded, knowing she was trying to be strong.
A few minutes later, they pulled into a quiet neighborhood where elegant houses stood among towering trees. Their new home overlooked a beautiful lake, its calm waters reflecting the gray afternoon sky.
"It's beautiful," Camilla whispered.
"I thought you'd like it."
For the first time in weeks, she smiled without forcing it.
The house was larger than she expected, with wide windows that filled every room with natural light. Upstairs, her bedroom overlooked the forest. It was peaceful... almost too peaceful.
She unpacked her belongings ,
While other teenagers spent weekends at parties or shopping malls, Camilla preferred staying at home, staring at her window and watching movies late at night using her laptop
She wasn't antisocial.
She simply enjoyed being alone.
The following Monday marked her first day at Raven Hollow College.
Her father handed her the keys to a silver sedan parked in the driveway.
"Your first day," he said proudly. "Drive safely."
"I will."
"And no speeding."
She laughed.
"I've never gotten a speeding ticket."
"Let's keep it that way."
The drive to campus took barely fifteen minutes. The college was larger than she had imagined, with old stone buildings surrounded by colorful autumn trees. Students filled the walkways, laughing and chatting as if they'd known one another forever.
Camilla suddenly felt out of place.
She parked her car, adjusted the strap of her backpack, and walked toward the science building.
Within minutes, she noticed people staring.
Some smiled.
Others whispered.
She ignored them.
Attention had never interested her.
During her chemistry lecture, the professor introduced a difficult molecular problem to the class.
Silence filled the room.
Camilla quietly raised her hand.
She solved it perfectly.
The professor smiled with genuine admiration.
"Excellent. That's exactly right."
Several students turned to look at her with surprise.
By lunchtime, a few classmates tried introducing themselves.
"Hi, I'm Jessica."
"I'm Noah."
"You must be the new girl."
Camilla greeted them politely, but the conversations never lasted long. Making friends had always been difficult for her. She wasn't rude; she simply didn't know how to keep conversations going.
Instead, she carried her lunch outside and sat alone beneath a large oak tree overlooking the forest.
The cool breeze brushed through her dark hair as she opened her laptop.
Peace.
That's all she wanted.
She had no idea that, somewhere across campus, with an unseen eyes was already watching her.
Eyes that had waited far longer than she could ever imagine.
Hidden among ordinary students were creatures that had walked the earth for centuries.
Some possessed fangs.
Others carried the spirit of wolves.
Both races recognized something unusual about the quiet new girl.
Camilla Wilson believed she had come to Raven Hollow for a new beginning.
She didn't know she had just stepped into the middle of her destiny between the two races.
