Zara's eyes snapped open. Dim morning light seeped around heavy curtains. Her neck tingled, a subtle reminder of Lucien's bite, warm under her skin. She touched the punctures. Tender. Not bleeding.
Panic hit. She sat up. The room tilted. The pulse in her temples throbbed.
"You should lie back," a voice said from the shadows.
Zara froze. Lucien stepped into the dim light. Black coat flowing, dark hair brushing his jaw. Silver eyes. Impossible to look away from.
"What did you do to me?" she demanded.
He didn't answer. A glass of water appeared in his hand. "Drink."
Her throat raw, she sipped while keeping her eyes on him.
"Where am I?"
"Safe."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you need right now."
She slammed the glass down. "I'm leaving."
"You can't."
Her chest tightened. "Try and stop me."
She swung her legs off the bed — stumbled. His hand steadied her, firm but gentle.
"You've lost blood," he said. "It will pass."
Her stomach turned. "You bit me."
"Yes," he said. No shame. Just truth.
"You're insane," she whispered.
"You're alive," he replied. "More than you'd be if they had reached you first."
Images of the alley, the men, flashed. Pulse racing. Anger flaring. "That doesn't make you my hero."
"I didn't ask to be," he said.
The room was quiet. She noticed the furniture — old but polished, heavy curtains, a desk with papers, a black fountain pen. Bookshelves lined with cracked spines.
"How long have I been here?"
"Since last night."
"And you just… watched me sleep?"
"I made sure you didn't wake screaming."
She blinked. "Not creepy at all."
A twitch at his mouth. Not a smile. Reflex.
She crossed her arms. "If you're keeping me here, at least tell me your name."
He hesitated. "Lucien."
"It suits you," she said. "I'm not staying."
"You'll change your mind."
"No."
He stepped closer. A faint scar at his temple. Shadows under his eyes. Imperfect. Unsettling.
"There are things in this city," he said quietly, "that will notice you now. Things that will not care that you're unprepared."
"What does that mean?"
"My bite marked you. You are… different."
Her laugh was sharp. "You're telling me I'm cursed?"
"I didn't say cursed."
"You didn't have to."
The gaze didn't waver. Something hot and restless coiled in her chest. She shoved past him, toward the door. Legs trembled. She twisted the handle. No click. Stillness.
"You won't leave," he said.
"Because you won't let me?"
"Because you're safer here."
Her breath fast. Anger sparking. "I don't even know you. You don't get to decide what's safe for me."
"Then give me one day. After that, you decide."
She hesitated. One day. Fine. "One day."
Lucien inclined his head. "Then eat."
A tray sat on the table — toast, fruit, butter. Her stomach growled. She ate while he watched.
"There's more you should know," he said after. "About me. About last night."
She pushed the plate away. "Start talking."
His gaze shifted to the curtains. "They're here sooner than I thought."
"Who?"
"The ones who can smell what you've become."
The amulet in her hand pulsed faintly. She traced the symbols. Maps. Sketches. Cryptic notes. Hidden world.
A low hiss curled through the room. Zara froze.
From the corner, a shadow moved. Darker than morning light allowed. Limbs long, fingers tipped with bone. Eyes like coals, hungry.
"Stay behind me," Lucien said.
The creature studied her, sniffing the air. Hissed again, closer now.
Zara's stomach lurched. The bite pulsed, strange warmth flaring, courage sparking.
Lucien's eyes flicked to hers, admiration laced with warning. "Hold your ground."
The creature lunged. Zara yelped, stumbled, tripped. Its claw grazed her arm. Pain numbed by the mark.
Lucien moved faster than thought. Struck the shadow, sending it reeling. It hissed, retreating, eyes never leaving hers.
"Not today," he murmured. The watcher lingered in shadows.
Zara's fingers tightened around the amulet. The mark pulsed in rhythm with her racing heart. The bite wasn't a curse. It was a key.
Something in her whispered: she was ready.