Aric could only stare at the door as it opened. His heart hammered against his ribs, every beat a loud reminder that he was still alive. His breath came in sharp, shallow bursts. The air felt charged, as if the world held its breath with him.
A man stepped inside.
Tall. Unnaturally graceful. His movements were too smooth, too silent. His dark hair framed a pale face that looked almost carved from stone. But what held Aric frozen were the eyes — sharp blue, bright enough to look unnatural, gleaming with a predatory amusement.
The man wore all black, black shoes, black trousers and a black shirt.
Emanating from the man was a smell… something sharp and metallic.
Blood.
It clung to the man like a second skin, a thick scent that made Aric's stomach twist. The odor got stronger the closer the man came, overwhelming and rotten.
Aric wasn't a stranger to danger. He had trained for years, expecting the worst from life. If someone tried to corner him, he would fight. He knew how to protect himself. He had hit the gym while others wasted time, pushing his body to its limits. It gave him confidence. It gave him a sense of control.
But the second he looked at this man, every lesson, every hour of training, meant nothing.
Something primal inside Aric screamed that this was no human.
He stumbled back, throat constricting as he breathed in the stench.
The man smiled. His lips peeled away just enough to show the fangs behind them. Not subtle. Not human. He breathed in slowly, savoring the moment.
The sharpness in his voice cut like a blade. "Ahh. The scent of fear. I love it."
Aric tried to speak, but the air refused to move. When his voice finally escaped, it trembled weakly. "W-What are you?"
The man tilted his head slightly, as if honestly confused by the question. His eyes narrowed in amusement.
"You mean… you really do not know?" His voice was soft, mocking. "Didn't that silly woman tell you anything?"
Aric blinked. "Who? What woman?"
The man's grin grew wider. "Your mother of course."
The world fell silent.
Aric froze. His lungs forgot their job. His mind went blank. The word mother echoed through him like a falling stone.
"How do you know my mother?" he asked, barely breathing.
The man's expression twisted into something cruel. "Because I killed her."
Aric felt the floor shift beneath him. "What… that's not possible. My mother died in a car accident."
The man laughed — a low, dark sound that spilled through the room. "Is that what they told you?" His voice dripped with amusement. "For a vampire, controlling the minds of these cattle is simple."
The world tilted.
Mother. Warm eyes. Gentle voice.
Then, a flash inside his mind, a cruel imageeynn7
. His mother screaming, blood pooling, fangs tearing into flesh.
He did not know if the image was memory or imagination. It did not matter.
Something inside him cracked.
His vision blurred. His muscles trembled and coiled. Heat raced through his veins, burning hot and wild. His pupils narrowed, stretching into slits without him realizing.
"You bastard," he breathed, voice vibrating with rage. "I'll kill you."
He rushed forward, instincts taking control. His body moved faster than it ever had. Punches. Kicks. Every technique he had learned, thrown without restraint.
The man did not move.
He only leaned back slightly, hands tucked behind his back, watching the attacks pass by without effort. Each strike missed by inches, but it felt like miles.
"Is that all?" he asked softly.
Aric growled and pushed harder, striking faster, his anger rising like fire in his blood. Yet still, he hit nothing but air.
"You know," the man said, almost bored, "your mother fought harder."
The words stabbed deeper than any blade. Aric screamed and launched himself at the vampire, every muscle straining.
Nothing landed.
The gap between them was not small. Their skill and physical capabilities were worlds apart.
"Truth be told," the vampire continued casually, "the woman tasted horrible." He spat on the floor. "Too much cholesterol. It was like I was drinking lard."
Aric snapped.
He sprinted forward with a roar, swinging blindly, thinking only of tearing the monster apart. His voice broke with raw fury. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
A hand moved.
Aric never saw it coming.
One strike slammed into his chest like a cannonball. His ribs screamed. His body flew across the room and crashed against the wall, leaving him gasping and dazed.
Before he could breathe, fingers closed around his throat and lifted him off the ground. Cold skin. Impossible strength. Aric clawed at the hand but felt nothing giv4.
The vampire smiled, eyes glowing with cruel delight. "I would love to keep playing," he whispered. "But I do not have the luxury of time. So…"
His grip tightened.
"Die."
The door exploded inward.
A massive white shape crashed into the vampire. Aric fell, choking and wheezing, lungs desperate for air. He hit the ground and rolled, vision spinning, ears ringing.
A giant white wolf landed between him and the vampire, fur shimmering like snow under moonlight. Muscles tensed beneath the thick coat. Amber eyes burned with fury.
The beast turned its head, staring at Aric with intelligence no animal should have.
"Aric. Move."
Something about the voice was familiar; it felt trustworthy. His body moved on its own choosing to trust the giant wolf.
He scrambled to his feet and ran, legs barely functioning. He followed the wolf without question, instincts overriding thought. They sprinted through the hall, past the living room, out the door and into the building's corridor.
The wolf paused, glancing back.
At the far end, the vampire stood perfectly still. He did not chase. He only watched them leave. A smear of sunlight lay across the floor between them, golden and bright.
Aric clutched his chest, gasping. "Why isn't he coming after us?"
"He cannot," the wolf replied sharply. "He fears the sun."
Suddenly the wolf stopped right in front of the building exit and began to change.
The transformation that followed was swift and shocking. Fur shrank into skin, paws into hands, a body reshaping with fluid grace. No bones cracking. No screams of pain. Only a shift, like shadows changing shape.
In moments, Emily stood there — pale and human, breathing hard.
Aric stared. Everything was moving too fast. His mind struggled to catch up. "Emily…?"
She cut him off with a look. "We do not have time. Sundown is close. Then he will come. We need to move."
Aric nodded, though his thoughts were chaos.
They rushed down the empty streets. The shadows grew longer. The sun dipped lower. Emily kept checking the sky, urgency hardening her features.
"We have minutes," she muttered, picking up speed. "We will never get far enough."
Aric forced himself to keep up. His legs felt like rubber.
"That vampire is an adult," Emily said, voice controlled but sharp. "Too fast, too strong. If he finds us when night falls, we will not escape. I can escape on my own, but not while protecting you."
Her words sank like stones in his chest. He was dead weight.
"Our best bet is to lay low somewhere and wait the night out" Emily continued.
"Do you know anywhere suitable, this is your town after all."
Aric kept quiet for a few moments.
"There is an old warehouse," Aric said suddenly. "Not far from here. I used to hide there as a kid. Around the corner."
Emily nodded once. No hesitation.
They reached the warehouse quickly. The building towered over the cracked pavement, a huge structure of weathered wood and old steel. Its boarded windows and reinforced doors made it look more like a tomb than shelter. The forest behind it pressed close, trees twisted and black against the dim sky.
"How do we get in?" she asked.
"This way." Aric moved with practiced familiarity, finding the side ledge and climbing up. He shoved a loose plank aside, revealing a narrow passage. He slipped through first, then Emily followed silently.
Inside, the warehouse swallowed them in darkness.
The ceiling arched high above, lost in shadows. Dust hung thick in the air, glittering faintly in the dying light that leaked through cracks. Wooden pallets and broken boxes lay scattered, remnants of long-abandoned work.
Emily's eyes scanned the space quickly, calculating every possible threat. "What now?"
"There is an office," Aric said, pointing. "We can barricade it."
Emily moved instantly. She grabbed debris with efficient force, dragging heavy beams and crates into place. Aric joined her, pushing shelves and broken furniture to block the door and the small window. They left only a narrow escape path through the emergency exit.
When the barricade was finished, they sank to the dusty floor. Their chests rose and fell with uneven breaths. The silence pressed against them from all sides.
The sun was almost gone.
The building creaked and whispered with age. Every sound felt too loud. Every shadow seemed to stretch toward them.
Aric sat still, eyes wide, waiting for the pounding in his chest to slow. Emily remained alert, gaze fixed on the barricaded door, her posture tense, ready.
They waited.
Because outside, in the darkening world beyond the walls, a monster waited too.
A predator who had all night to hunt.