Page 37 of Vampire Bite

I shook my head. “No. It only started recently. After I got here.”

Lucas’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening as he processed my words. “I thought… I thought maybe you were turning into a vampire. But this—this doesn’t make sense. Vampires can’t heal others, and humans don’t… develop powers like this.”

I looked away, my mind racing. “I don’t think I’m turning into a vampire. I don’t feel different, not really. And it’s not justEvan. There was a puppy—back when we were at the other base. It was hurt, and when I touched it, the same thing happened.”

He stared at me, his expression unreadable. “You’ve been hiding this?”

“Would you blame me?” I snapped, keeping my voice low. “It’s not exactly something easy to explain.”

Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. “This… this might be why the shifters want you,” he said after a long pause.

I shook my head. “That doesn’t make sense. I only discovered it recently, after coming here. They couldn’t have known.”

“Maybe not,” he admitted, his eyes flicking to Evan again. “But it changes things, Annika. Whatever this is, it’s important.”

“Important? Lucas, I don’t even know what this is.” My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. “I didn’t ask for this. I don’t want it.”

He reached out, his hand resting gently on my arm. “I know,” he said softly, his tone steady, grounding. “But we need to figure it out. Before someone else does.”

I nodded, my gaze drifting back to Evan. He caught me looking and offered a small, hesitant smile. It was enough to remind me why I was still here, why I couldn’t give in to fear.

“We will,” I said, more to myself than to Lucas. “We have to.”

Chapter Twenty

Lucas

The meeting room felt stifling, though the air was cool. We all gathered around the large, battered table, the faces of our ragtag group illuminated by the flickering light of an old lantern. Plans were being laid out, strategies drawn. Callum led the discussion with his usual sharpness, his voice steady despite the stakes.

But my mind kept drifting to Annika. She sat beside me, and there was somethingabout her, something I couldn’t quite place but suspected was sadness. I couldn’t shake the thought that this plan, this fight to break the shifters’ hold, might be the last thing we did together. If we succeeded, when we succeeded, she’d go. Back to her world. Back to the life she’d left behind.

The thought lodged itself in my chest like a shard of ice.

“We’ll split into teams,” Callum was saying. “One will cause a distraction at the outer gates, draw the majority of the shifters’ forces away. The other will infiltrate the heart of their operations. Free the prisoners. Destroy their supplies. And Lucas...” His gaze met mine. “You and Annika will lead that infiltration.”

Annika looked up at me then, her lips parting slightly as though she hadn’t expected it. I gave her a small nod, trying to keep my face neutral, but inside, I was anything but calm. Being paired with her meant keeping her close, meant protecting her, but it also brought the bittersweet reminder that she didn’t belong here. She wasn’t mine to keep.

“And if this works?” Lena’s voice broke through my thoughts. “What then?”

“Then we get everyone out,” Callum replied. “We scatter, regroup in safer territory, and start over. Build something better. Those who want to return… are free to do so.”

Annika shifted in her seat beside me, her hand brushing mine as she adjusted her position. It was a fleeting touch, but it sent a jolt through me. I clenched my fists beneath the table, focusing on Callum’s words, though they blurred as my thoughts spiraled.

When the meeting wrapped up, I lingered as the others filtered out, talking quietly amongst themselves. Annika stayed too, her gaze fixed on the plans still spread out on the table.

“You okay?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

She glanced at me, her lips curving into a small, wistful smile. “I’m fine. Just... thinking.”

I wanted to ask what she was thinking about. Wanted to tell her she didn’t have to go, that there was a place for her here, with me. But I didn’t. Because I knew what her answer would be. I could feel the weight of her resolve even as she stood beside me.

As the room cleared, I stayed behind, watching Annika as she hovered near the table, her fingers tracing the edges of the maps we’d spread out. Her brow was furrowed, her thoughts distant. I wanted to say something, to pull her back to the moment, but the weight in her expression kept me silent. Finally, she spoke.

“I feel... torn,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I leaned against the edge of the table, crossing my arms. “Torn how?”

She looked up at me, her eyes shimmering with uncertainty. “This fight, this place... It’s started to feel like it’s mine, like I’m supposed to be here. But I can’t stop thinking about my mother. I don’t know what’s happened to her, if she’sokay or not. And if she’s not...” Her voice cracked slightly, and she took a deep breath. “I’d never forgive myself.”

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