“I was never meant to survive being born to a demon father and a werewolf mother. My name is Shay Hilton, also known as Isabella Morningstar, granddaughter of the Devil. And this is the story of how I beat death, only to meet him again. Let me take you back to how it started.”

Deep breaths. In and out. I try to control my breathing, but it’s not working. My chest is too tight, my lungs too shaky. I scan the room, desperate to find a way out of the Vampire’s den.

Nothing. No escape. Just the smell of blood and decay pressing in around me.

My gut twists. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted Mel. She’s always getting me into shit.

“I’m sick of always cleaning up her messes,” I mutter under my breath. “But not this time. No more.”

I press against the cold stone wall, inching my way forward, but then—BANG!

A loud crash.

My heart leaps into my throat. I freeze, listening. Silence. Too much silence. My pulse hammers as I crouch down, pulling my knees to my chest, trying to disappear into the darkness. Don’t cry. Don’t make a sound.

But the air is thick, and the stench of blood and cold burns my throat. The screams of the vampire clan’s victims echo in the distance, filling the silence I so desperately wanted.

Then… I feel it.

Something watching me.

Slowly, I lift my head. And there, hidden in the shadows, are two glowing red eyes.

Unblinking. Unmoving. Locked onto me.

Then—they move.

Cold terror crashes over me. My breath catches. My legs tremble. I scramble to my feet so fast I almost trip, but there’s no time to hesitate. Run. Just run.

The corridor stretches endlessly ahead, twisting and turning, every doorway looking the same. I slam a heavy door behind me—then another—each one groaning as it shuts.

But the thing behind me doesn’t stop.

It’s coming. It’s always coming.

I reach a dead end. My stomach clenches. No way out.

I bite my lip, forcing down a scream. But then I see him.

A man. Silent. Unmoving. Staring right at me.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

His presence is suffocating.

I try to breathe. Try to speak. But all that comes out is a broken whisper.

“Why me?” My voice shakes. “What do you want?”

No answer. No reaction. He just stands there, watching me. It feels like forever.

I take a slow step to the side, trying to slip past him.

His hand shoots out, gripping my arm.

“Isabella Morningstar.”

My whole body tenses. My blood turns to ice.

“Who are you?” I whisper.

No answer. He just starts dragging me down a corridor.

We reach a drain cover.

“I’ll lift you up. You turn it,” he says.

I scoff. “Funny.”

He doesn’t laugh. “I doubt you could support my weight.”

I roll my eyes. “Whatever.”

“Do not look up my skirt,” I warn.

He just rolls his eyes and lifts me up.

I grip the big, rusty wheel and start to turn it. It groans under my hands.

“I can feel you looking,” I mutter.

He scoffs. “You know, in my day, a damsel would offer more than just attitude to the man who saved her.”

I roll my eyes. “In your day, people still thought the Earth was flat.”

He chuckles. “Fair point.”

I push harder, the wheel groaning as it loosens. Almost there—

Then I hear it.

Snarling. Low. Dangerous. Close.

His grip on my legs tightens.

“Move it, Princess.” His voice is calm—too calm.

The snarling gets closer.

I strain against the wheel. “You could help, you know.”

He smirks. “And risk breaking a nail?”

I glare. “Unbelievable.”

The wheel finally gives way. I scramble up. The moment I’m through, he follows in a blur of movement, slamming the cover shut.

He spins the wheel, locking it tight.

He walks past me. “Follow me.”

I hesitate, then run after him. The silence stretches between us. Heavy. Uncomfortable.

After a while, I can’t take it anymore.

“So. Mysterious vampire who just saved my ass. Got a name?”

No answer. No reaction. He just keeps walking like I didn’t speak at all.

I huff. “Okay, fine. I’ll just call you Broody McFangface.”

Still nothing.

“How about Count Jackass?”

A slow smirk tugs at his lips, but he doesn’t look at me.

Victory.

Minutes pass. My body aches, exhaustion weighing me down. I try to push through, but every step is harder than the last.

Finally, I mutter, “I hurt.”

He stops. Turns to me. Those unreadable eyes lock onto mine.

“Jump on my back.”

I blink. “Wait, what?”

“You’re slowing down. Jump on.”

I hesitate, then sigh. Screw it.

I climb onto his back, and without another word, he keeps walking.

After a long silence, I sigh. “I love the stars.”

He doesn’t react right away. Then, “I miss the sun.”

I frown. “You have a daylight ring, don’t you?”

“No.”

That throws me. A vampire his age, and he doesn’t have one?

We reach a rundown motel. He stops outside one of the doors and gestures down the hall.

“Your room is down there. Mine is here.”

I fold my arms. “We’re not sharing? Why?”

He smirks. “Because I’m hungry. And I doubt you want to watch me drain a woman dry.”

Without missing a beat, I shrug. “Hey, you don’t know what my kinks are.”

That actually makes him pause. He turns, staring at me with unreadable red eyes.

“Isabella.”

I hold his gaze. “My name is Shay.”

He rolls his eyes. “You were scared shitless back there.”

I step closer, my voice lowering. “Well, being eaten and watching are two very different things.” I tilt my head. “Besides, I’m still scared. Vampires can track scents, right? I’m sure they have mine.”

His smirk fades slightly. “They do.”

A flicker of something dark crosses his expression, but it’s gone before I can place it.

 “You will be fine” and he goes into his room leaving me standing there in disbelife I say “whatever” and I go down to my room and I sigh as I flop down onto the bed. 

What has my life become. Two weeks ago I was just an ordinary university student studying medicine and now…well now I am fearing my life