Emily clutched Riley's hand as they neared the police station. Riley's fingers trembled, her knuckles pale. She had never felt this kind of fear...one born not from danger, but from guilt.
The car rolled to a stop.
"We're here," Ethan said quietly from the front seat.
Ryder gave a bored sigh. "Could've just kept pretending to be dead," he muttered.
Emily shot him a glare. "Then why did you come if you're going to whine the entire time?"
"Keep your mouth shut, brother," Ethan warned as he stepped out of the vehicle.
Emily turned to Riley, brushing strands of hair from her friend's tense face. "Are you sure about this?"
Riley nodded slowly, but it was Ryder who opened the door first.
"Come on, princess," he said with a smirk.
"We'll be waiting outside," Ethan told Emily before she followed Riley into the building.
Ryder watched them go, then turned to his brother. "You sure we should've let them go in alone?"
"She wouldn't be thrilled to learn you're the reason her parents are dead," Ethan replied coldly.
Ryder's jaw tensed. "I didn't know she'd lose control. I only meant to scare her."
"They were on borrowed time either way," he added with a bitter shrug.
Ethan's silence said more than words.
⸻
Inside the police station, Riley and Emily sat across from a man whose calm demeanor didn't quite match the heaviness of the room.
Officer Dalton, a man in his early forties with a neat mustache and warm yet discerning eyes, folded his arms as he listened.
"I came home and... and the house was already burning," Riley said, her voice cracking slightly. "I tried to save them."
His gaze softened. "We were told you died. It's good to see you alive, Miss Hale. I'll have to ask more questions, but—"
A knock interrupted him. Another officer leaned in and whispered something urgently.
Dalton's face tightened. "The media is here. I won't subject you to their hounding."
He rose. "Follow me."
The girls stepped out with him into a sea of flashing cameras. Emily instantly drew closer to Riley as they tried to block the reporters' voices.
"Is it true you faked your death?"
"Were your parents murdered?"
"Who's protecting you?"
Police tried to keep them back, but the crowd was relentless.
Dalton led Riley to a quieter hallway while Emily stayed behind, chewing her inner cheek anxiously. What if Riley broke down? What if she said too much? What if they arrested her?
Minutes felt like hours.
Then Riley emerged, accompanied by Officer Dalton and another young man in uniform...tall, sharply dressed, and with a calm, unreadable face.
Emily stood immediately. Riley gave her a faint nod, assuring her all was well.
"The press is still crowding the entrance," Dalton said. "Stay inside a bit longer until we clear them out."
Emily pulled out her phone and sent Ethan a quick update.
The younger officer remained, his gaze quietly observant. "I'm Officer Michael," he said.
"Emily," she replied hesitantly.
"The media won't give up soon. Why don't you both wait in my office?" he offered.
Emily glanced at Riley, who gave a subtle nod. The tension was thick, but they didn't have many options.
Inside the office, Officer Michael gestured for them to sit. "Tea or coffee?"
"Tea, please," Emily answered.
"Coffee for me," Riley added.
He prepared their drinks with practiced hands and offered them with a pleasant smile.
Just as Emily took a sip, his tone changed.
"You both have vampire scents on you."
They froze.
"Vampires?," Emily asked acting oblivious...
"I know," he replied calmly. "You're involved with them."
"How do you know about them?" Riley asked.
"Let's just say I've survived long enough to know what I should avoid," Michael said, his smile faltering.
Emily's instincts flared. Something was off.
"You're hiding?" Riley questioned with a raised brow.
"Not hiding. Just not interested in being found by vampires."
Emily and Riley exchanged a glance. Unease coiled in her stomach. They both rose to leave.
"I think we've overstayed—" Riley started, but the door suddenly slammed shut.
Michael's eyes shimmered gold.
"Don't scream," he said softly, his voice now laced with a predatory undertone.
Emily covered her mouth. Whatever he was...he wasn't vampire. And definitely not human.
"My shift's over," he said coolly. "Let me give you girls a ride."
"You're not serious," Riley muttered, backing toward the door.
Michael's smile widened, revealing sharp canine teeth.
"I'm trying not to hurt anyone," he said. "Let's keep it that way."
He tapped the wall, revealing a hidden exit that led behind the station.
"Go on. I won't stop you," he said calmly.
Emily hesitated, unsure whether it was a trap but she didn't want to risk Riley losing control and unleashing her magic.
Without another word, they slipped through the hidden door which led to the forest behind the station.
They ran as fast as they could into the cold evening.
Their hearts pounded. Their lungs burned.
"I think we lost him," Emily gasped.
"I hope so," Riley said between breaths.
A voice drifted from above.
"You girls are so slow."
They looked up—and there he was.
Michael stood on the branch of a tree like a phantom, golden eyes glowing in the dark.