Page 5 of Vampire Bite

“This is my… place.” He gestured around the room. There was a hint of awkwardness slipping into his tone. “Hidden, out of sight. You’re safe. No one would think to look for you here.”

He stepped closer, careful and slow, until he stood a few feet away, close enough that I could see the sharp angles of his face, the shadows beneath his eyes. He looked exhausted, but focused. There was an odd gentleness about him, something I hadn’t expected. It didn’t make sense—he’d been a monster in the alley, half-dead and desperate for blood. But here he was, treating me as if I might shatter under his gaze.

Then, he took the words right out of my mouth.

“You… you saved me,” he said quietly, his eyes never leaving mine. “You didn’t have to. You didn’t know me. But you did it anyway.”

I took a slow, shaky breath, his calm presence easing my panic, the quiet certainty in his voice making me feel grounded, safe even. “I couldn’t just… leave you there.”

For the first time, a faint smile touched his lips, a flicker of warmth cutting through the tension. “Then we’re even.”

I nodded, still wary but finding comfort in his steady presence. The fear hadn’t disappeared, but it softened, dulled by the way he looked at me—not as prey, not as a tool, but as something worth saving.

He must have seen the fear still lingering in my eyes because he reached for something on the stove behind him and brought it over to me—a chipped mug of coffee, steam curling from the surface. He held it out, watching me carefully, like he knew how close I was to bolting.

I took it with hesitant fingers, my hands warming against the ceramic. The scent, dark and bitter, filled my senses, grounding me. I hadn’t expected this… kindness, not from someone like him. I took a small sip, the heat chasing away some of the cold that had settled inside me.

He lowered himself into a chair across from me, his posture easy, but there was a tension in him, a careful restraint. “What were you doing out there?” he asked, his voice low and quiet, almost as if he didn’t want to push too hard. “How did you end up here, in the middle of… all this?”

I hesitated, glancing down at the coffee as if it might give me the answer. He had saved me, and here he was, offering me shelter, warmth. If there was anyone I could trust right now, it was him. Or at least, he was all I had.

I realized then that I didn’t even tell him my name.

“I’m Annika,” I said simply, my voice steadier than I felt. “Annika Thompson. I’m a detective. I was sent to find someone. A missing person. The last trace of them led me to a small town on the outskirts of… wherever we are now. The place was called Ravenshade.” I looked up to find him watching me intently, his gaze unreadable but unflinching. “They said he was last seen there, and I thought I could… do my job. Track him down.”

His brow furrowed slightly, a hint of recognition in his eyes. I took another sip, letting the warmth seep into me, gathering the courage to continue.

“But the moment I got there, everything went wrong. It was like the whole town was watching me, like I’d been expected. I didn’t even have a chance to look around before someone—something—grabbed me, and the next thing I knew…” I gestured vaguely around the room. “I was here. Wherever here is.”

The corners of his mouth twitched, but not in amusement. It was something darker, more knowing. “Well, Annika… I’m Lucas… And you’re underground,” he said quietly. “It’s a place few know about, hidden from the world above. A place forgotten by anyone who matters.”

My pulse quickened. Underground? I hadn’t even considered it, but now that he’d said it, I could feel it—the dense, damp air, the unyielding silence that felt like it swallowed all sounds, all light. “But how?” I managed. “No one knows about this place.”

He leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing with a flicker of something I couldn’t quite read. “It’s a long story,” he said, his tone carrying an edge of caution. “I’ll tell it to you, but for now, you need rest.”

I didn’t argue, though questions burned on my tongue, and the darkness around us felt heavier than ever. The coffee’s warmth dulled the edge of my panic, and I forced myself to trust him… for now.

I nodded, feeling my mind slipping into a fog of exhaustion, but then, a scratching sound broke the silence. My eyes widened in shock, heart pounding. I couldn’t recognize the sound immediately. Slow, deliberate. A scrape, then a pause. Then, another scrape. Claws… or maybe, something worse.

I glanced at him, panic flaring in my chest. He’d stood up instantly, his gaze fixed on the door, his body tense but calm. His expression softened when he saw the fear in my eyes.

“It’s alright,” he murmured, moving closer, his voice low and soothing. “It’s just wolves. They come by sometimes. They catch the scent of strangers.” He tilted his head, a hint of a wry smile pulling at his lips. “It’s something you get used to.”

My heart didn’t seem to believe him, each beat pounding harder as the scratching continued. I clutched the blanket, forcing myself to breathe, but the tension in my body refused to release. Sensing it, he came over, lowering himself to sit beside me. Slowly, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me gently against his chest. His embrace was strong, steady, and despite myself, I sank into it.

The clawing sound persisted, and I buried my face in his shoulder, every nerve on edge. I could feel the beat of his pulse, steady and calm, and the warmth of his hand as he rubbed gentle circles against my back. It was strange, feeling this comfort from someone like him. A part of me knew I should pull away, that I shouldn’t allow this closeness, but there was another part—a stronger, deeper part—that wanted nothing more than to melt into his arms.

“See?” he murmured, his breath brushing against my ear as the scratching slowly faded. “They’ll go away. They always do.”

I lifted my head, feeling the last traces of my fear dissolve as the room grew silent once more. Our eyes met, and I saw a softness in his gaze I hadn’t noticed before—a warmth thatpulled me in, made me forget everything else. He was close, his face just inches from mine, his eyes dark and endless. My heart raced, but for an entirely different reason now.

I knew I should look away, but I couldn’t. His gaze held me there, rooted to the spot. The tension between us thickened, and without thinking, I reached up, my fingers brushing against his collar, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath. His breath hitched, and his eyes darkened further, something raw and unguarded flickering across his face.

Then, as if drawn by an unspoken force, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

The world seemed to fall away, the room, the shadows, the danger—all of it faded as I lost myself in the heat of his kiss. His hands cradled my face, gentle yet possessive, and I felt my own hands slipping up his chest, pulling him closer, needing him nearer. His kiss was slow, deep, like he was tasting every part of me, memorizing it. It was a kiss that seemed to break down every wall, every fear, until there was only us.

I had no idea what came over me. Kissing him desperately, as if my life depended on it, my fingers fumbled with the his belt, then with the buttons of his trousers. He pooled my dirty dress around my waist, wrapping it in his palm.

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