The damp pine needles crunching beneath Marcus's boots were the only sound in the dark woods. Behind him, the forty-seven refugees moved like shadows, stepping carefully over exposed roots and fallen branches.
Kyle walked near the front of the line, his hand resting lightly against his side where his ribs still ached. The digital display floating beside his vision had finally vanished, but the memory of those stats hung heavy in his mind.
He glanced back at Yua. She was walking steadily now, her skin flush with color again after drinking his blood. Her dark eyes met his, and a faint blush touched her cheeks before she quickly looked away toward the dense treeline.
"So," Kyle said, dropping his voice low so the refugees behind them wouldn't hear. "A pureblood vampire."
