Love Bites:Guide to Dating a vampire and werewolf

The Beginning of the End.

The neon lights of Eclipse, the city's most exclusive nightclub, flickered against the black glass of the towering skyscrapers. The bass-heavy music spilled out into the cool night air, calling to those in search of a good time or an escape. For Lila Collins, tonight was supposed to be the night she finally let go.

"Lila, hurry up! We're already late!" shouted her best friend, Mia, leaning impatiently against Lila's car.

"I'm coming out right now!" Lila called back, rushing down the front steps of her apartment. She had spent more time than usual getting ready.She curling her long auburn hair until it cascaded down her shoulders, carefully applying just enough makeup to make her bright green eyes pop. She even dared to wear the deep red dress Mia had convinced her to buy months ago, the one she'd deemed "too much" for someone like her. But tonight was different.

Graduation day had come and gone, and the future Lila had worked so hard for was finally within reach. She deserved to celebrate. Even if Caleb Wolfe, the man she'd loved quietly and patiently for years, couldn't be there.

"Caleb's loss," Mia said when Lila had mentioned he was stuck at work. "Tonight is about you, not him."

Lila tried to hold on to that thought as they pulled up to the club, where a line of people stretched down the block. She wasn't sure she belonged in a place like Eclipse, with its high-energy crowd and its reputation for luxury and decadence, but Mia had insisted.

"We're not waiting in that line, are we?" Lila asked, glancing nervously at the queue.

Mia smirked. "Of course not. I have connections."

Connections turned out to be Mia flirting shamelessly with the bouncer, who waved them inside with a wink. The interior of the club was a sensory overload—flashing lights, pounding music, and a sea of bodies moving as one to the rhythm. Lila's nerves prickled. She wasn't used to this kind of chaos.

"Relax," Mia said, dragging her toward the bar. "Let's get a drink and loosen up a little."

Lila hesitated, but the temptation to let go, just for one night, was too strong. The bartender handed her a cocktail that matched the red of her dress, and she took a cautious sip. Sweet, fruity, and deceptively strong.

"This isn't so bad," she admitted, starting to feel the tension in her shoulders ease.

Mia grinned. "See? I told you. Now, let's dance!"

As Mia disappeared onto the dance floor, Lila stayed back, content to watch. She wasn't ready to lose herself in the music just yet. Instead, she let her eyes wander over the crowd—until they landed on him.

At first, she thought she was imagining it, that no one could actually look like that. He was leaning casually against the far wall, away from the crowd, a drink in hand. His sharp jawline, dark hair, and piercing gray eyes gave him an otherworldly kind of beauty, the kind that made people stop and stare. And they did. Women seemed to orbit around him, vying for his attention, but he looked bored, almost dismissive.

Then, to her shock, his eyes met hers.

Lila felt a jolt, like an electric current running through her. She quickly looked away, but it was too late. He was moving toward her, cutting through the crowd with effortless grace.She felt really embarrassed that he had caught her staring at him and she was panicking that he was coming to speak to her not trusting herself to be able to say the right words to him or respond to his questions.

"First time here?" His voice was smooth, deep, and laced with amusement.

Lila blinked up at him, struggling to form words. Up close, he was even more stunning. His tailored black shirt clung to his lean frame, and his presence seemed to fill the space around him.

"I, uh, yes," she stammered.

He smiled, a slow, knowing curve of his lips that made her heart skip. "I'm Adrian," he said, extending a hand.

"Lila," she managed, shaking his hand. His skin was cool to the touch, and she felt a strange sense of unease and excitement all at once.

"Lila," he repeated, as if testing the sound of her name. "Beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

She blushed, unsure how to respond. She wasn't used to this kind of attention, especially from someone like him.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I—" She hesitated. Something about him felt dangerous, like standing too close to the edge of a cliff. But there was also something irresistible about him, something that made her want to ignore the warning bells in her head.

"Come on," he said, holding out a hand. "I don't bite."

The irony of his words would later make her laugh—or cry. But in that moment, she took his hand.

The music swallowed them as Adrian led her onto the dance floor. His hands rested lightly on her waist, guiding her movements, and she found herself falling into the rhythm. It was easy to forget everything else—the crowd, the noise, even Caleb. There was only Adrian, his intoxicating presence pulling her closer with every beat of the music.

"You're full of surprises," he murmured, his lips close to her ear.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely audible over the music.

"You don't seem like the kind of girl who spends her nights in places like this," he said, his gaze piercing.

"I'm not," she admitted. "This is… new for me."

"I like new," he said, his lips curving into that maddening smile again.

For a moment, she let herself get lost in him, in the way he made her feel. But then a voice cut through the haze.

"Lila?"

She turned to see Mia, looking frantic. "Lila, we have to go."

"What? Why?" Lila asked, confused.

Mia's eyes darted to Adrian, then back to Lila. "Just trust me, okay? Let's go."

Lila looked at Adrian, who raised an eyebrow, clearly unbothered. "If you must," he said, stepping back.

"I'll see you around, Lila," he added, his voice a promise.

As Mia dragged her out of the club, Lila couldn't shake the feeling that her life had just shifted, that something had begun, something she couldn't stop.

"What was that about?" she demanded once they were outside.

"You don't know who that was, do you?" Mia asked, her voice trembling.

"Adrian," Lila said. "What's the big deal?"

"Adrian Ravencroft," Mia said. "He's… dangerous, Lila. Stay away from him."

"who is Adrian Ravencroft and what's so special about him

Dangerous. The word lingered in her mind as she climbed into Mia's car, the cool night air doing little to calm the storm inside her.

As they drove away, Lila glanced back at the club, half-expecting to see Adrian watching her. But the entrance was empty and she felt Disappointed that he wasn't looking back at her but at the same time wondering why she was looking forward to him standing at the entrance looking at her.

She didn't know it yet, but her world was about to change forever.