Ruelle's heart continued to beat loudly in her chest as she met Lucian's dark red eyes that were too calm in contrast to the man groaning behind her. To think she had earlier hoped not to run into a dangerous vampire, forgetting that the ones she had grown accustomed to sat far higher on the ladder of predators.
And though deep down she had already known, her lips still parted, trembling as she said, "T–There's an injured man."
"I know," came the cool and collected voice of Lucian. His gaze shifted past her briefly, assessing something behind her, while her own eyes drifted away from his lethal face and noticed the drops of blood splattered on his collar and sleeves, along with his gloves.
She then heard him exhale slowly, the sound restrained rather than weary. He asked her, "Weren't you supposed to head home?"
Ruelle found it difficult to pay attention to him with the person behind her bleeding and groaning in pain.
