I lay on the bed, listening to the rain tapping against the window.

Of all days, it has to rain.

And it has to be this day—the day I could die.

A sigh escapes me as I sit up, the damp air pressing in around me. My body aches from exhaustion, but my mind won’t shut off.

I push myself off the bed and start pacing the small motel room, running a hand through my tangled hair. Too much has happened. My life was normal—stressful, but normal. Now, I’m running from vampires, sleeping in shitty motels, and stuck with an arrogant, bloodsucking asshole who won’t even tell me his name.

I move toward the window, fingers twitching as I pull the curtain back slightly.

That’s when I see him.

A figure stands at the edge of the woods, staring straight at me.

My breath catches.

Even through the rain, I can see his glowing purple eyes—piercing, unblinking, watching like he can see straight into my soul.

A chill runs down my spine.

Vampires… and now Lycans?

I let the curtain drop, stepping back as my heart pounds. What is happening? Why me? Why now? The questions race through my mind, a whirlwind of fear and frustration.

After a moment, I take a slow breath and sneak another peek through the curtain.

He’s gone.

The clearing is empty. The trees sway with the wind, the rain pooling into the dark earth. But he was there.

I know he was.

And something tells me this isn’t the last time I’ll see him.

I sit back on the bed and sigh, trying to shake off the unease twisting in my gut. But the feeling doesn’t go away.

I feel it.

Something watching me.

Then—breathing.

Shallow. Almost unnoticeable.

But there.

A chill snakes down my spine. Vampires don’t breathe.

But hybrids do.

My heart slams against my ribs as I whirl around. My eyes scan the dimly lit room, my breath caught in my throat.

And then I see him.

Mel’s father.

The vampire who dragged me out of my dorm room.

He leans against the wall, fangs glinting as he sneers at me, arms folded like he’s been enjoying the show.

"Hello, darling." His voice is a purr laced with poison.

My stomach churns.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Did you really think he could keep you safe from us?"

My throat goes dry, a lump forming as fear locks me in place.

Move. MOVE.

I bolt.

The second my feet hit the floor, I sprint for the door, yanking it open so hard it nearly comes off the hinges.

My legs burn as I tear down the motel walkway, my bare feet slapping against the cold, wet ground.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I pound on the door of Count Jackass.

The door flies open.

And there he stands.

Shirtless.

And pissed.

"What?" he snarls.

I can’t even speak. I just point.

His gaze follows my shaking hand.

His face darkens.

The other vampire smirks at me—then vanishes.

Vampire speed.

One second he’s there. The next, he’s nothing but a blur disappearing into the woods.

The storm rages outside, but all I can hear is my own heartbeat, slamming like a war drum in my chest.

And the way Count Jackass's eyes darken like he's about to go on a murder spree.

The vampire is gone in an instant.

He doesn’t hesitate. Doesn’t look back.

One second he’s standing in the doorway, face dark with rage, and the next—he’s gone, vanishing into the rain-soaked night.

I’m left standing there, drenched in cold fear, my breath still uneven from running.

And then I see it.

His door is wide open.

And inside, lying on his bed, is a woman.

She’s still. Too still.

Not moving. Not breathing.

A normal person would probably panic. Freak out. Call the cops.

Me? I just stare.

I should feel disgusted. Angry. Horrified.

But instead, there’s just… confusion.

Because for some reason, I don’t react to him the way I do others.

Mel’s father showing up in my room? Pure terror. My body’s flight response kicked in immediately.

But this? Him?

He hasn’t tried to kill me. If anything, he’s been the one keeping me alive.

Maybe I should stop being such an asshole to him.

The thought actually makes me laugh. A low, tired chuckle bubbles up from my chest as I shake my head.

"Yeah, when hell freezes over."

I take one last glance at the motionless woman on his bed, then turn and walk back into my room, locking the door behind me.

Whatever’s going on with him? Not my problem.

Not yet, anyway.

Three hours.

That’s all the sleep I get before the banging starts.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I groan, burying my face in the pillow. "Nope. Not today. Not dealing with this shit."

The banging gets louder. More impatient.

I grumble under my breath as I drag myself out of bed, every muscle in my body aching. If this is another vampire coming to kill me, they can at least let me have a full night’s sleep first.

I unlock the door and swing it open, squinting against the dim hallway light.

He's standing there.

Blood splattered across his shirt. His face. His hands.

And standing next to him, the woman from his room.

The one I saw lying still on his bed.

Her eyes are open now. Wide. But there's no life in them. Not really. Just an eerie, dead stare. She's standing too still, and something about her feels... off.

He looks at me, a grim expression on his face.

"Isabella—" he starts, but catches himself. "I mean, Shay. This is my wife, Jessie."

I blink at him. Then at her. Then back at him.

"Okay."

I don’t know what I expected, but this sure as hell wasn’t it.

I stare at him for a moment, then without another word, I shut the door.

Not my circus. Not my problem.

I crawl back into bed, already half asleep again.

But then—

CRASH.

The door flies off the hinges.

I shoot upright just in time to see him striding toward me, his eyes flicking briefly to the woman beside him who just... stands there.

He doesn’t say anything at first. Just stares at me with those unreadable red eyes.

"We’re going."

"What?" I’m still half-asleep, my head foggy.

Before I can ask another question, he lifts me effortlessly, throws me over his shoulder like I’m nothing but a ragdoll, and strides back out of the room.

"Put me down!" I shout, kicking and pounding against his back.

"No." His voice is firm, unyielding.

I can feel Jessie’s gaze on me, but I refuse to look. I don’t want to know.

I don’t want to know what kind of fucked-up relationship this is. I don't want to know why she looks like a corpse or why he’s dragging me out of here.

But I’m already way too far gone to fight this.