Page 23 of Vampire Bite

My hand trembled as I yanked it away, staring at my fingers as if they’d suddenly morphed into something else. But they were just… hands. Ordinary. No glow, no mark, nothing. The puppy let out a yip, pawing at my knee, its tail wagging as if nothing had ever been wrong.

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. How was that possible?

That was when I heard a branch crack behind me. Fear gripped me. I was sure that a shifter had found me, smelled me.

“I said just a moment or two,” I heard Lucas say, his tone low and grave. I couldn’t blame him.

I turned to meet his gaze, and for a moment, I thought that he knew.

My breath caught in my throat. My heart hammered as I fought to keep my composure. All I could do was hope that he didn’t see what had happened, what I had just done.

His eyes scanned me briefly, taking in my wide gaze, the trembling fingers that I was trying desperately to hide behind my back. He seemed to sense something was off but didn’t press further.

“I—I found a puppy,” I stammered, my words coming out rushed. I bent down, scooping up the small, now-healthy animal into my arms. It wagged its tail, completely unaware of the panic swirling inside me. “It was hurt, so I brought it back… with me, I mean.”

Lucas nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. “You sure you're okay?”

I wasn’t sure of anything. “Yeah. I’m fine,” I managed, though I knew it wasn’t true. Not at all.

My mind was still reeling from what I’d just witnessed, from the way my touch had somehow… healed. He didn’t seem to notice the way my hands were shaking as I adjusted the puppy in my arms, the way my heart felt like it was about to burst from confusion and fear.

He didn’t press further, thank God, and instead nodded as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “Let’s get back inside. We’ve got work to do.”

I didn’t argue. I turned and started walking back toward the door, my thoughts a million miles away, my pulse still racing. What had just happened? Was it connected to everything else that was happening to me? Was it the transformation I’d feared?

As I stepped back inside, the door clicking shut behind us, I looked down at the puppy in my arms. It looked up at me with those trusting eyes, completely unaware of the storm raging in my mind.

Around me, the chaos of the day’s mission still hung in the air. People were moving about, talking in hushed tones, discussing the next steps. But none of that mattered to me at that moment. My mind was still reeling from what had just happened outside. I could still feel the warmth of the puppy’s body in my arms, its soft fur, and the inexplicable way I’d healed it.

I needed answers, but more than that, I needed time. Time to figure out what the hell had happened, time to figure out if it meant anything. And perhaps most importantly, time to decide whether I could trust anyone with this.

Lucas had already caught me off guard when I first arrived, his protective instincts always on edge. I knew him well enough to know that if he suspected something was wrong, he’d press me for answers, and I didn’t have any. Not yet.

“Aaaw, a puppy!” one of the women squealed in delight upon seeing the little creature in my arms. “Can I hold it?”

“Sure,” I smiled, offering it to her.A small group had already huddled around her, petting the small creature, which obviously enjoyed all the attention it was getting.

I removed myself from their circle, hiding in one of the corners of the room. It was a chance to catch my breath. It wasn’t just the puppy. It was… everything. The strange sensations, the headaches, the raw power I was now feeling crackling just beneath the surface of my skin.

How could I explain any of this to anyone?

I kept my gaze down, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. I wasn’t sure I could hide it forever, but for now, I needed to be invisible, to let the confusion settle before I faced any more questions.

I didn’t know how this would change things, but I knew I couldn’t let it slip. Not yet. So, I kept it buried inside, wrapping my thoughts tightly around it as if to cage the chaos within.

Lucas met my gaze from across the room. I was still wondering how much he had seen. If he had seen something, why didn’t he mention anything?

There were so many questions swarming inside my mind, and no answers. It was driving me insane.

I inhaled deeply, looking away first. Things were changing and I didn’t know if I could keep up with everything, with him, with… us.

Chapter Fourteen

Lucas

We returned to my home, deciding to spend the night there and rest. We needed it more than we knew it. But I had barely finished locking the door behind us when I heard it.

It was an unmistakable sound. Claws scraping against stone.

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