Page 24 of Vampire Bite

It was faint at first.

“Wolves?” Annika asked. She had heard it, too.

I wanted to nod, but something prevented me from doing so. It was progressively growing louder. My senses sharpened immediately. I was on edge, every muscle tense, prepared.

She understood my reply without me saying a single thing. Most people, even rebels like us, would be on edge, ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger. But Annika, she didn’t look worried. She looked... calm. Too calm.

I moved toward the door, keeping my movements deliberate and slow. The wolves were still out there, scratching, testing the lock. The sound of claws scraping against wood was almost maddening, a rhythm that was starting to drill into my brain. I could feel the weight of their hunger, their impatience, even from behind the door. They were getting closer.

“Annika,” I said again, more firmly this time. “I need you to stay here. I’ll handle this. Just—stay back.”

I turned my back on her and walked to the window, peeking through the small crack between the wooden shutters. I could make out movement just beyond the tree line. The shadows were too thick for me to get a clear picture, but I knewwhat was out there. I could feel the pack closing in. It was too quiet, too still.

She didn’t say anything, but I could feel her eyes on me, watching. Even though she didn’t show it, I knew she had picked up on the danger too. She was always perceptive, even when she tried to hide it.

I went to the door, listening closely to the sounds outside. Another growl, this time louder, closer. I knew they were preparing to break through. They always did. Usually, they couldn’t. I had no idea what was different this time.

I turned back to Annika, my mind racing.

“We need to be ready,” I told her, my voice low, though I could feel my heart speeding up. There was something more to this, something beyond just the wolves. Something in the air. “I don’t—don’t think they’re just going to leave us alone this time.”

Her gaze softened, like she understood what I meant, even if she didn’t say it out loud. There was something there, hidden in her expression. Something fierce, and it unnerved me. I wasn’t sure if I liked the idea of her being involved in this fight, but I knew better than to question her now. She was stronger than she looked, and there was no going back from here.

The wolves started howling, a sharp, eerie sound that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. That was the signal. They were getting ready.

I looked over at her again, and this time, I saw it clearly in her eyes. She wasn’t scared. But then again, she wasn’t naïve. She knew the stakes. She wasn’t going to let me handle this alone.

“Stay close,” I told her, my voice low and urgent, but my gaze softening. “Follow my lead.”

She nodded. But there was no fear in her eyes, only determination. And maybe, just a little bit of something else.Something I couldn’t quite place. Something that made me completely mad about her. Losing her was not an option.

The door rattled, and I heard the claws scraping against the wood again. They were getting impatient, testing our defenses. I didn’t need to look out the window to know that they were already circling, waiting for the right moment to strike. They wanted us to think they were just ordinary wolves, but I knew better.

I turned my back to her, moving swiftly toward the door. I checked the lock again, even though I knew it wouldn’t hold for long. It wasn’t meant to. This wasn’t about stopping them; it was about buying time. I wanted to give her a chance to get out of here, even if I didn’t want to admit it.

I glanced over my shoulder. “Stay low, Annika. Don’t let them see you.”

But she didn’t even flinch. She just nodded, her gaze never leaving mine, as if she were trying to read me, trying to figure out what I was going to do next. The wolves were getting louder, their scratching now punctuated by growls. They were ready.

I gritted my teeth, my hand tightening around the hilt of my knife. It wasn’t enough. They wouldn’t back off for something as simple as a blade. I needed to be faster, smarter. I needed to use every advantage I had.

Suddenly, the door splintered, the force of the wolves’ attack sending shards of wood flying into the room. The first one came through. I could see this massive, hulking figure, all teeth and fur, his eyes glowing in the dim light. He lunged, and I was already moving, my body reacting before my mind even had a chance to catch up.

I ducked low, letting the wolf’s claws swipe above my head, then countered with a vicious thrust of my knife, aiming for the heart. The wolf howled in pain as the blade sank deep, but it wasn’t enough. They never went down that easy.

I barely had time to react before another one lunged at me, claws slashing. I twisted, feeling the air rush past my face as the second wolf missed by inches. But now there were three of them, and I couldn’t fight them all off by myself. Not without help.

“Annika!” I shouted, even though I didn’t want to pull her into this. “Get to the back door! Get out of here!”

I didn’t know if she heard me, or if she was already making her move. But I couldn’t worry about that now. There was a wolf barreling toward me, teeth bared, its growl shaking the air around us.

I sidestepped just in time, the wolf’s claws missing by a hair. I shoved it back, pushing it into the others as they tried to swarm me. My body was already moving on instinct, faster than I had expected, but I could feel my energy waning. I couldn’t keep this up forever. They were too many, too strong.

I managed to slam the door shut again, the wolves on the other side snarling and clawing, but the door wouldn’t hold. It was only a matter of time before they broke through again.

I had one chance.

“Annika!” I yelled again, turning toward the other side of the room where she had been standing. But she wasn’t there. Panic flared in my chest.

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