Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
DONOVAN
After our kiss, Declan had finally calmed. With the sun creeping over the horizon, I somehow managed to coax him into sleep.
The day passed in uneasy silence, free of incident. But the moment night fell and I stepped back into the room, I knew something was wrong.
Declan was always awake at night. He sat on the edge of the bed, hunched forward, his hands buried in his hair. His entire body was tense, shoulders tight like coiled springs.
And the air around him felt charged, thick with something dark and dangerous. I didn’t have to see his face to know his eyes were glowing with hunger.
“Declan,” I said, carefully, keeping my voice steady. “You need to stay inside.”
His fingers tightened in his hair, his jaw clenching so hard I thought he might crack his own teeth.
“I can’t do this, Donovan.” His voice was rough, ragged with strain. “I feel like I’m losing myself.”
I took a step closer. “You’re not.”
His head snapped up, and for a second, I froze.
His eyes locked onto mine, burning with hunger, with need. But beneath that, I saw the war raging inside him. He was still in there, fighting. He hadn’t given in. Not yet.
“I can hear everything,” he whispered. “The animals outside, their hearts beating. The blood rushing through their veins. I can smell it.”
He swallowed hard, hands trembling as he clenched them into fists. “It’s driving me insane.”
If he thought those words would scare me, he was wrong. I knelt in front of him, gripping his wrists. “You’re stronger than this.”
He let out a bitter laugh. “Am I? Because right now, I feel like I’m barely holding on.”
The air between us was heavy. He was getting steadily worse. Closer to breaking.
The thought of him losing control, of him doing something he’d never forgive himself for, made my stomach twist with something close to fear.
I squeezed his wrists. “I won’t let you lose yourself.”
For a second, his hands flexed, and I swore he was about to grip me back. But he didn’t. He pulled away, raking a hand through his already messy hair.
“You don’t get it,” he muttered. “This hunger… it’s hard to describe.”
I swallowed hard. “I’ll fix this.”
His eyes flicked back to mine, searching, desperate. “How?”
“I’ll get you food. I’ll hunt down an animal, bring it back.” I leaned forward slightly, trying to anchor him with my presence. “You don’t have to drink from a person, Declan. You never have to do that.”
“And what if it’s not enough?” Declan demanded.
“It will be,” I answered confidently but deep down? I wasn’t entirely sure.
He stared at me, and for a moment, the room felt too small, the space between us charged with something I didn’t quite understand.
We were close. Closer than we had been in weeks.
And yet, everything about this was different. The way his gaze lingered. The way my own pulse betrayed me, thrumming too fast in my throat.
His jaw tensed. He looked away. “You should go before I do something I regret.”
I hesitated. “Declan.”
“Please.”
I didn’t like leaving him like this. On edge. Teetering. But I also knew pushing him right now would only make it worse. So I nodded.
“I’ll be back soon,” I assured him.
He didn’t look at me when I left. But as I stepped out the door, I heard him whisper, “Hurry.”
After getting dressed properly and gathering my gear, I stepped out of the cabin.
The air was crisp with the bite of the night, the scent of damp earth and pine thick around me as I adjusted the strap of my rifle.
Every instinct screamed at me to stay, to not leave Declan alone in that cabin. Not when I’d seen the way his hands had trembled, the way hunger had darkened his eyes.
But I had no choice.
I had to do this. I moved further into the woods, my boots crunching softly against the damp ground. Before I got too deep, I glanced back at the cabin.
The cabin sat in the middle of nowhere, the kind of place that didn’t show up on most maps. That was why I’d chosen it.
The owner had listed it online, but he was off in another country, meaning no one would be checking in anytime soon.
Just us. No people. No distractions. No one to get hurt if things went wrong.
The bedroom window was partially visible between the trees, its thin curtains shifting with the wind. And then, movement.
My pulse kicked up as I spotted Declan pacing behind the curtains, his figure restless, agitated. I clenched my jaw. He was struggling.
Even from here, I could feel it, like a wire pulled so tight it was seconds from snapping.
Guilt settled in my chest, but I turned back toward the forest. I had to get this done quickly.
Hunting an animal was a whole different skill from hunting the things I was used to. Paranormals were predictable to me, their patterns ingrained in my mind.
But animals? That was something I hadn’t done in years. Still, instinct took over.
I moved silently through the trees, scanning the underbrush for signs of movement.
It took longer than I wanted, but eventually, I caught sight of a deer grazing in a small clearing.
A hare wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Declan, but a deer… a deer might.
I slowly unstrapped my rifle, raising it with careful precision. The weight of it was familiar, steady in my hands. I took a step forward, angling myself to get the perfect shot.
The deer’s ears twitched, but it didn’t bolt. I had to be quick. Finger on the trigger, I exhaled, preparing to shoot. And then I heard it.
A low, guttural snarl rumbled behind me, deep and menacing.
My blood turned ice-cold.
I froze, my muscles locking up as the sound sent a sharp jolt of adrenaline through me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. That growl wasn’t human.
Slowly, carefully, I eased my finger off the trigger.
Every instinct screamed at me to move, to turn, to face whatever had crept up behind me. But I didn’t. Not yet. I couldn’t afford to make a sudden move.
The deer lifted its head, ears alert, and then bolted into the trees, disappearing in seconds. But I didn’t look after it.
I stayed exactly where I was, my breath shallow, my heart hammering against my ribs.
The growl came again, closer this time and I knew I wasn’t alone.
I spun, brushing against branches and twigs, not caring the deer had probably taken flight by my movement.
The leaves crunched underfoot, the sharp scent of the forest filling my lungs, and the adrenaline still thrumming in my veins.
A rustle behind me caught my attention, a low snarl that sent a chill down my spine. Instinctively, I froze, every muscle tense, every nerve alight.
My heart skipped a beat, and then another as I slowly turned my head, squinting into the thick underbrush.
I couldn't see anything at first, but the growl grew louder, closer, more menacing.
Then, it emerged from the shadows.
A creature, tall and gaunt, its skin stretched tight over bones that jutted at unnatural angles. Its face was hollow, sunken, its mouth smeared with something dark.
Blood. Its eyes, those bloodshot, glassy red eyes, locked onto mine with an unnatural hunger, its lips peeling back to reveal jagged, needle-like fangs.
The scent of rot clung to it, thick and nauseating, a stench of decay and something fouler, something wrong.
The way it moved, jerky and uncoordinated yet eerily fast, sent a bolt of unease down my spine. It was a vampire, but not like Declan.
Not like the ones who still clung to their humanity. This thing was feral.
A snarl tore from its throat, a rasping, guttural sound that made my pulse stutter. And then, from the periphery, another form slithered out from behind a tree.
Smaller but just as horrifying, this one had patches of flesh peeling from its face, its hands twisted into claws, its fingers far too long.
Its mouth hung open, saliva glistening in the dim light as its tongue darted out, tasting the air.
I stiffened.
Two of them.
I barely had time to process before the first lunged.
It moved too fast. One second, it was feet away; the next, it was right in front of me, swiping at my throat with razor-sharp nails.
I threw myself back, dodging by mere inches, the wind from its movement grazing my skin.
My feet tangled in the underbrush, and I barely caught myself, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps.
The second vampire crouched low, its fingers digging into the dirt, lips curling into something that might have once been a grin. It was playing with me.
I swallowed hard.
Were there more of them in these woods? Was this their territory? The question spiraled in my mind, but I couldn’t afford to waste time.
The first one snarled, its jaw unhinging as it lunged again. I ducked just in time, feeling the sickening brush of its fingernails against my shoulder.
My instincts screamed at me to fight, to run, but the second one was already moving.
It was quicker than I expected.
I twisted to the side, barely avoiding the swipe of its claws, but the first one took advantage of my distraction.
Its hands wrapped around my wrist, vice-like, its grip cold as death.
A searing pain shot up my arm as its nails dug deep into my skin.
I bit back a curse, yanking my arm free, stumbling backward. The wound burned, but there was no time to dwell on it.
The first vampire’s head twitched at an unnatural angle, its nostrils flaring as it scented the air. Its hunger was almost palpable, radiating off of it in waves.
The second one let out a chittering sound, like laughter.
I had no doubt now.
They weren’t just feral. They were starving.
And I was their next meal.