Page 44 of Vampire Bite

“I’m afraid,” I admitted, my chest tightening as the words spilled out. “Afraid of losing you. Afraid of failing you. And... afraid of what it would mean if I asked you to stay.”

Her lips parted slightly, as though she wanted to say something, but no words came. The silence between us stretched, heavy and loaded.

Finally, she stepped closer, her hand brushing against mine. “Lucas,” she whispered, her tone laced with something I couldn’t quite place, hope, maybe, or doubt.

“Do you want me to stay?” she asked tenderly.

I closed my eyes for a moment, the weight of the question pressing down on me. “I want you to stay more than I should,” I admitted, my voice barely audible. “But I can’t ask you to. You have your life, your mother... I’d never forgive myself if I pulled you away from that.”

The moment hung between us like a fragile thread, one I wasn’t sure I wanted to break. Annika’s fingers were still entwined with mine, her warmth grounding me in a way I hadn’t thought possible. For a moment, it felt as though the war, the danger, and everything else faded into nothing but the sound of her breath and the faint scent of her skin.

Then the door flew open with a crash, and reality came hurtling back.

“Lucas! Annika!” Callum’s voice was sharp, urgent. He barely glanced at the two of us, his focus on the chaos behind him. “There’s trouble in town. It’s bad. We need to move. Now.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Annika

“What kind of trouble?” I heard Lucas ask, his voice steady as always.

Callum’s eyes darted between us. There was little sign of his usual calmness. “Shifters. A group of them. They’ve torched a few buildings, and they’re rounding up people. We don’t know why.”

“How many?” Lucas asked again. From the sound of his voice, he was ready to grab his weapons.

“More than a dozen,” Callum replied. “Maybe more. And they’re not just targeting vampires this time.”

I stiffened as Lucas’ hand brushed my upper arm briefly. “Stay here,” he told me.

“No,” I shook my head defiantly. “I’m coming with you.”

“This isn’t a negotiation, Annika,” he ordered in a sharp tone, but I knew it was fear. “It’s dangerous.”

“And you think I don’t know that by now?” I shot back at him. “I’m not going to sit here while people are in danger. I can help.”

He clenched his jaw. Callum cleared his throat, a gentle reminder that we had no time to argue.

“Fine,” Lucas finally acquiesced. “But you stay close to me. No wandering, no heroics. Understand?”

I nodded, watching him grab his coat, then we both followed Callum into the hall. The others were already gearing up, their faces grim and their movements efficient. It was a sobering sight. After all, this was their life, always preparing for the next fight, the next loss. I didn’t want to think about whatthat meant for the people in the town, the ones who didn’t have weapons or training to fall back on.

We stepped outside, the night air was sharp and cold. It smelled of smoke, acrid and thick, carried on the wind from the direction of town. My stomach twisted. It was worse than I’d imagined.

Lucas glanced back at me briefly, his dark eyes narrowing. “Stay behind me,” he said in a tone that allowed no argument.

I nodded, though his protectiveness both reassured and frustrated me. I wasn’t helpless, even if I didn’t have his strength or Callum’s skill. I had something, whatever that something was, and I’d already decided to use it.

The closer we got to town, the louder the chaos grew. Screams, the roar of flames, the guttural growls of shifters. Shadows flickered in the distance, and I could see people running, stumbling as they tried to escape.

Lucas stopped abruptly, holding out an arm to block me as Callum crouched beside him, scanning the scene ahead.

“They’re organized,” Callum muttered. “Too much for a distraction.”

Lucas’ jaw tightened. “They’re herding people. Splitting them up.”

“For what?” I asked, my voice shaking. “Why would they—”

Lucas turned to me, his expression hard but not unkind. “We don’t have time to guess. Just stay close, Annika.”

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