Page 22 of Vampire Bite

“Welcome home,” I murmured to the room, a quiet promise to myself and everyone here.

Chapter Thirteen

Annika

Even though we’d made it back, even though we’d saved those prisoners and managed to secure the weapons, I didn’t feel like celebrating. I watched the newly freed people around us—some smiling faintly, some crying, others simply looking dazed. They clutched the water and blankets they’d been given as if they were precious lifelines, and their relief was unmistakable.

It should’ve felt triumphant. But all I could think about was home. My mother. Her face, her voice, the way she’d gently nag me to eat or sleep more. I missed her so much it hurt.

I felt Lucas beside me, close, watching me, almost as if he could read my thoughts. I kept my eyes straight ahead, but his presence was impossible to ignore. Part of me wished he’d just leave me alone. No words or reassurances could close the aching distance between here and my mother’s small apartment, the quiet hum of her kitchen, or the creak of her favorite chair.

“Annika…” he murmured gently, his voice soft.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. If I did, I’d probably break down. And I didn’t want that. Not here, not now, not with people watching. Not with him.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said, his hand lightly touching my arm. “I can’t imagine how hard this must be.”

His words only deepened the ache. I wanted to pull away, but at the same time, his presence grounded me in a way I hadn’t expected. There was something so steady about him, like he’d faced a thousand storms and could withstand one more.

Still, he couldn’t help. Nothing could. Only going back and finding her again would make any difference.

“I just…” I swallowed hard, keeping my gaze on the crowd. “I can’t stop thinking about her, about what she’s going through. I should be with her. She’s the only family I have.”

Lucas fell silent, his hand slipping away from my arm. I felt the loss of his touch, the warmth it had offered, but I kept my face set.

“If there was a way…” he started, his voice almost a whisper.

I glanced up then, catching the glint of something in his eyes. It looked like regret, maybe even sadness. He wanted to help, I could see that. But this was something he couldn’t fix. Not yet, at least.

“We’ll find a way for you to go back,” he promised me.

All I could do was nod. I inhaled deeply, wondering if his words were true. I knew he meant them. Something assured me that he would be looking for my way out of this place for the rest of his life, if I’d asked him to. But… a part of me didn’t want to burden him with that. He had enough on his mind. Enough people already depended on him. I didn’t need to add myself to those.

Still, as much as I knew that he couldn’t help, his quiet presence beside me was the only thing that managed to keep me from falling apart right then and there.

I needed air.

“Would it be… would it be alright if I went outside for just a minute?” I asked, feeling almost embarrassed for needing something so simple.

His expression darkened slightly, and he shook his head. “Annika, it’s not safe. Not out there.” He studied me for a moment longer, and I could tell he was trying to gauge how much I needed this.

I took a breath, letting my shoulders drop, and hoped he could see the weight I was carrying. Finally, he relented, though his gaze remained firm.

“Just for a few moments,” he said quietly. “Stay close to the building. And come right back in.” He fumbled inside his pocket, then extracted a whistle, which he handed to me. “And take this. If you’re in any trouble, just blow the whistle and I’ll be there.”

Relief flooded me. “Thank you. I’ll be quick, I promise.”

I slipped out into the chill air, feeling the tension drain from my shoulders the second I crossed the threshold. I hugged my arms to my chest. The coolness was a shock but somehow refreshing. The sky was a dull slate, a hint of fog lingering in the distance, and the silence out here felt different than in there. Here, it was freer, somehow… less burdened.

Then, suddenly, a soft whimper reached my ears. It was faint and fragile, but it was there.

I froze up. My heart was pounding, as I glanced over my shoulder toward the door, half-expecting Lucas to come out and pull me back inside. The noise came again, hidden somewhere in the darkness just beyond the bushes. My gut told me to ignore it, to turn around, go back inside where it was safe.

But something tugged at me. Curiosity, worry… maybe both.

Carefully, I moved toward the sound, brushing aside low branches and dried leaves, crouching down to peer through the undergrowth. There, curled in a small hollow in the dirt, was a puppy. It was hurt, shivering, its paw twisted awkwardly beneath it. Its soft eyes met mine, and my heart clenched. This tiny thing had been left out here alone, no one to care for it.

I hesitated, then reached out. My fingertips brushed its matted fur, and instantly, warmth surged through me. It was like a low, pulsing hum, moving from somewhere deep withinand out through my hand, right into the pup. I pulled back, but it was too late. Right before my eyes, its paw straightened, the scrapes and wounds vanishing, leaving nothing but soft fur in their place.

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