The night air was thick with mist, a damp shroud that clung to the trees as Alexander moved silently through the forest. The world around him was heavy with the scent of earth and decay, the rich, loamy smell of fallen leaves mingling with something darker-grief, perhaps, or the lingering memory of blood. His sharp eyes, accustomed to the shadows, scanned the dim trail ahead, where the faintest traces of her scent still lingered in the cold wind.
She had come this way. He could feel it, deep in his bones, the pull of her presence as undeniable as the thrum of his own hunger. It had been days since he had last seen her, days since she had fled from him.
He could still taste her on his lips, the sweet, forbidden warmth of her blood flooding his senses, overwhelming him with shame and desire.
He hadn't meant to. He never meant to. But the moment he had drawn her close, her body trembling against his, her pulse hammering beneath her skin, the hunger had surged, sharp and relentless. Her blood had called to him in a way nothing else ever had.
Now, as he searched for her, the memory of it haunted him. He could still feel the heat of her life coursing through him, the raw energy that had surged the moment his fangs had pierced her skin. It had been electric, intoxicating. The kind of rush that a vampire craved but never truly found-not with any other blood. Her blood had been different. It was like drinking light in the endless dark.
But now, the euphoria had burned away, leaving only regret. Alexander's hands clenched into fists, his body stiff with tension. He had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed, and the guilt of it settled into his bones like a weight he could not bear.
He had tried to stop himself. In those last moments, when her scent had filled his lungs and her warmth had pressed against him, he had fought against the urge. He had told himself that he wouldn't do it, that he couldn't. She was human, fragile. The girl he swore he would protect.
But then her heartbeat had quickened, her breath had hitched, and all the promises he had made-to himself, to her-had shattered. The hunger had taken over, primal and ancient, drowning out reason, drowning out everything but the need to have her, to feel her life slip into him. His fangs had sunk into her neck before he could stop them, before he could even realise what he was doing.
The taste of her blood-it had been everything. The way it flowed, hot and rich, igniting something deep inside him that he had thought long buried. He had drunk from her as though he could consume all of her pain, her anger, her grief, and in doing so, make them his own. But that had been the lie. The truth was that he couldn't resist her. He couldn't resist what she was to him.
Alexander's eyes closed, his jaw tightening as he remembered the way her body had sagged against him, her pulse weakening, her breath soft and shallow. He had stopped-barely-before it was too late, before he had drained too much. But even as he had pulled away, the damage had been done. Her blood stained his lips, her body had trembled in his arms, and when she had looked up at him-her eyes wide, dazed with shock and betrayal-he had seen the truth.
He had become the very thing she feared. The thing she hated.
Vampire.
Alexander staggered back, his hands raking through his hair as if he could tear the guilt out by the roots. But it was too deep. Too much. He could still feel the pulse of her blood inside him, still feel the way it had fused with his own, binding them in a way that neither of them had wanted. He had taken something from her, something she couldn't get back. And though he hadn't killed her, he had destroyed something far more precious.
Her trust.
He could never undo what he had done. He could never erase the moment when he had let his hunger win. And now, she would never look at him the same way again. Not after this.
He was supposed to protect her. He was supposed to be different from the others, but now as her blood coursed through his veins, he felt like nothing more than a slave to his nature.
Even now, with the taste of her still fresh in his mouth, he craved more. His body ached for her in a way that was beyond reason, beyond control. He wanted to feel her heartbeat again, to hold her close and take her into him, to lose himself in the warmth of her blood, her life. It was madness, and Alexander knew it. But no matter how much he hated himself for it, the desire remained. It would always remain.
He cursed under his breath, his hand slamming into the tree beside him, the bark splintering beneath the force of the blow. He had to leave. He had to get away from her, before he lost control again. Before he did something worse.
But the thought of leaving her...of letting her face the dangers of this world alone...was almost as unbearable as the guilt.
He had promised to protect her. But how could he protect her from himself?
Alexander's breath came in harsh, ragged gasps as he stared into the darkness, the weight of his regret pressing down on him like a tomb. The night stretched out before him, endless and unforgiving. And somewhere, not far from here, she was still out there-alive, but changed. Changed because of him.
He could never take back what he had done. He could never undo the damage. Bu he could try to make amends, to keep her safe, even if it meant keeping his distance. Because no matter how much he wanted her, no matter how deep his feeling ran, he couldn't allow himself to hurt her again.
He had to be stronger than the hunger. Stronger than the darkness inside him.
Even if it killed him.
********************
The village appeared through the fog like a ghost of what it once was-silent, small, and forgotten by time. Its cobbled streets were empty, the houses dark and shuttered, as though the place itself was holding its breath. Alexander knew this village. He had been here once before, years ago, long before he had crossed paths with her, before he had let himself care for a human girl with fire in her eyes and vengeance in her heart.
But now it was different. Now, it was the place she had run to. And somewhere within its boundaries, she was waiting for him.
The scent of fresh earth stopped him, sudden and sharp, cutting through the fog like a dagger. Alexander froze, his gaze drawn to the small clearing just beyond the edge of the village.
Her home.
He moved toward it, his steps slow, almost reluctant, though he couldn't say why. Something in the air here felt different-heavier. As if the very ground held the weight of something terrible, something broken. The wind whispered through the branches, a mournful sound that sent a chill down his spine.
And then he saw it.
A single grave, freshly dug, the soil still loose and raw. Alexander's breath caught in his throat, though he had no need for air. His chest tightened. The weight of Jane's grief hung in the air like a tangible force, pressing down on him, making it hard to breath. Her mother had been her world, the only keeping her alive. And now she was gone. Gone because of a vampire.
"This was Lilith's doing."
Alexander slowly turned his gaze to the man standing beside him. Phoenix was silent, his pale face unreadable in the dim light, though Alexander could sense the tension in his posture. For a long time, neither of them spoke. The silence stretched out between them, broken only by the soft rustling of the wind through the trees.
Finally, Phoenix exhaled, his voice a low rumble in the night. "She did the same to the priest. Didn't bury him though. He deserved everything he got."
Alexander didn't respond right away. His eyes were still locked on the grave.
"Jane won't stop until she kills each and every one of us." Phoenix said. "You know that, don't you?"
"I know." Alexander muttered eventually, his voice hollow. "But she's not thinking straight. She's blinded by grief."
"She's not blinded by anything." Phoenix corrected, stepping forward, his boots sinking into the soft earth. "She sees more clearly than either of us. She's lost everything, Alex. That kind of loss-it sharpens a person's focus. It gives them purpose."
"She doesn't know what she's doing." Alexander muttered, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "I fear that if she keeps going like this, she'll get herself killed."
Phoenix tilted his head, his sharp eyes glinting in the darkness. "Maybe. Or maybe she'll take us down with her. I tried talking to her, but she didn't want to listen. She sees me as the enemy now. Just like all the others."
Alexander released a heavy exhale. "Maybe I could talk to her?"
Phoenix shook his head slowly, his gaze still fixed on the grave. "She's made up her mind. She wants blood for blood."
"And if she gets it." Alexander said, his voice tight. "She'll never be the same. She'll be lost."
"Or she'll be free." Phoenix murmured, his tone contemplative. He turned to face Alexander, his expression softening slightly. "Revenge does strange things to people. Sometimes, it consumes them. Sometimes, it gives them the strength to survive."
Alexander shook his head, his jaw clenched. "Not like this. She's not ready for this kind of darkness. She's human. She still has...she still has a heart."
Phoenix raised an eyebrow. "Do you really believe that? After everything she's been through? After everything we've put her through?"
Alexander's chest constricted, guilt washing over him like a tide. They had both failed her. They had allowed Lilith, their twisted lover, tear her world apart. They had let the woman who had meant everything to the girl die, and now, she was lost to them, consumed by the very hatred that had claimed so many lives before her.
Phoenix watched Alexander closely, his voice low but sharp. "Lilith will come for Jane. And when she does, she's not going to stop until one of them is dead. You know that, don't you?"
Alexander's heart sank. He had known that, of course. He had known it from the moment he had found the body, the blood drained from her, her eyes wide with terror. He had known that Lilith's cruelty would push the human girl past the point of no return. But knowing it didn't make it any easier.
"She's already planning." Alexander said, his voice barely above a whisper. "She's already tracking us. And she'll find us, eventually. She's relentless."
Phoenix crossed his arms, his gaze thoughtful. "And when she does?"
Alexander swallowed hard, the weight of the question pressing down on him. What would he do? Could he stand by and let Jane confront Lilith, knowing full well that Lilith would tear her apart without a second thought? Could he let the girl he had come to care for-perhaps even love- walk into certain death?
"I don't know." Alexander admitted, his voice raw with admission. "I don't know how to stop Lilith without breaking her completely."
Phoenix was quiet for a long moment, his eyes narrowing as he studied Alexander's face. "Maybe you can't." He said finally. "Maybe this is one of those things that has to run its course."
Alexander shot him a sharp look. "You're saying I should let Jane die?"
"I'm saying that she's not a child anymore. She's not the same girl you brought home from the auction." Phoenix replied, his voice calm but firm. "She's made her choice. And whether we like it or not, she's going to follow it through."
"But she'll destroy herself in the process." Alexander said, his voice thick with anguish.
Phoenix shrugged, his expression unreadable. "Maybe that's what she wants."
Alexander's hands clenched into fists. He couldn't accept that. He couldn't accept that this girl-this girl who had been so full of life, so determined to survive-would willingly walk into oblivion just for the sake of revenge.
"I care for her." Alexander said quietly, the words slipping out before he could stop them.
Phoenix's gaze softened slightly, though his voice remained steady. "I know."
"But I don't know how to save her." Alexander continued, his throat tightening with emotion. "I don't know if I can."
Phoenix sighed, glancing down at the grave once more. "Maybe you can't save her. Maybe that's not your job anymore."
Alexander stared at him, his heart pounding in his chest. "Then what do I do?"
Phoenix's eyes met his, dark and piercing. "You let her fight. And when the time comes, you choose which side you're on."
Alexander's breath caught in his throat, the truth of it cutting through him like a blade. He would have to choose. Between the girl he loved and the world he had always known. Between her revenge and the life she could still have, if she survived.
But deep down, Alexander already knew which side he was on.
The question was whether it would be enough to save her-or whether it would only drive her further into the darkness.
As the wind whispered through the trees and the night pressed in around them, Alexander felt the weight of that choice settle heavily on his shoulders, as cold and unrelenting as the grave beneath his feet.