Jessica and her friends hopped into the golf cart just as dark clouds engulfed the resort's winding paths. Frankie took the wheel, her long dark hair whipping in the wind as she navigated the narrow jungle trail.

"You sure you know where we're going?" Kevin asked, gripping the side of the cart as they bounced over a particularly gnarly root.

Frankie flashed a confident grin. "Trust me, I know this island like the back of my hand. There's a sweet little cove not far from here–perfect spot to wait out the storm."

Jessica wasn't so sure. The sky had darkened ominously in the last hour, and she could feel the electric charge in the air. Her werewolf senses were on high alert, every instinct screaming that they should head back to the safety of the resort.

A deafening crack of thunder made them all jump. Salina yelped as fat raindrops began pelting them from above.

"Maybe we should turn back," Jessica suggested, raising her voice to be heard over the wind that had kicked up.

But it was too late. With a sickening crunch, the golf cart slammed into a fallen tree that stretched across the path. Jessica flew forward, banging her head on the seat in front of her. For a moment, stars danced in her vision.

"Is everyone okay?" Damon called out, already helping Frankie from the driver's seat.

Jessica groaned, gingerly touching the tender spot on her forehead. "I think so. Kevin? Salina?"

Her friends nodded, looking shaken but unharmed.

"The cart's toast," Frankie announced, kicking at one of the mangled wheels. "We're gonna have to hoof it from here."

"Hoof it where, exactly?" Salina demanded. "In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of nowhere and there's a freakin' hurricane bearing down on us!"

As if to emphasize her point, another peal of thunder boomed overhead. The wind whipped through the trees with increasing ferocity, bending palm fronds at unnatural angles.

Frankie's eyes darted around, searching. Then her face lit up. "This way! There's a cave system not far from here. It'll keep us dry, at least until the storm passes."

With no better options, the group hurried after her. Jessica brought up the rear, her enhanced senses on high alert for any sign of danger. But even she was having trouble picking up much beyond the howling wind and pounding rain.

After what felt like an eternity of stumbling through the dense foliage, they finally reached the mouth of a cave. It was little more than a dark smudge against the rocky cliff side, but it promised shelter from the elements.

"Ladies and gents, our five-star accommodations for the evening," Damon quipped as they ducked inside.

The interior was damp and musty, but blessedly dry. Kevin dug a small flashlight out of his backpack, illuminating their surroundings. The beam caught glittering mineral deposits on the walls and ceiling.

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"How did you know about this place?" Jessica asked Frankie, still suspicious of the other girl's convenient knowledge.

Frankie shrugged. "I just like to explore. You'd be surprised what you can find if you're willing to go off the beaten path a little."

They settled in as best they could, huddling together for warmth as the storm raged outside. The minutes stretched into hours with agonizing slowness. Jessica found herself acutely aware of every shadow, every unexplained sound. Her nerves frayed to the breaking point.

"So," Kevin said, clearly trying to break the tension. "About that crispy corpse we found..."

"Dude, seriously?" Salina groaned. "That's what you want to talk about right now?"

Kevin held up his hands defensively. "I'm just saying, it had to be some kind of animal attack, right? Maybe a rabid jaguar or something?"

Jessica frowned. "Since when do jaguars barbecue their prey? That body looked like it had been hit with a flamethrower."

“Do you want me to say it was a dragon?” Kevin challenged.

Before Jessica could respond, Frankie let out a strangled gasp. She doubled over, clutching her stomach.

"Frankie? What's wrong?" Damon was at her side in an instant, worry etched across his features.

"I... I don't know," Frankie managed through gritted teeth. "I just feel... strange. Like something's trying to claw its way out of me."

Jessica's hackles rose. There was something not quite right about Frankie's scent–a metallic tang that hadn't been there before.

"I need some air," Frankie announced abruptly, staggering to her feet. "I'll be right back."

"I'll come with you," Damon offered, already moving to follow.

But Frankie held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. "No! I mean... it's fine. I can handle myself. Just... give me a few minutes, okay?"

Before anyone could protest further, she darted out into the storm.

An uneasy silence fell over the remaining group. Jessica couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

"Should we go after her?" Salina asked hesitantly.

Damon shook his head. "She said she needed space. We should respect that."

But as the minutes ticked by with no sign of Frankie's return, even Damon's resolve wavered. The worry lines on his forehead deepened with each passing moment.

"I can’t take this anymore," Jessica finally said, voicing what they were all thinking. "We need to find her."

Damon nodded grimly. "I'll go. The rest of you should stay here where it's safe."

"No way," Jessica countered. "I'm coming with you. Two sets of eyes are better than one."

Damon shook his head. “No, I should be the one going out there myself. She’s my girlfriend.”

Jessica narrowed her eyes at him. “What if you get lost too?”

Damon stayed quiet until he gave a nod. “Fine, but keep up with me.”

The moment they stepped outside the cave, the full fury of the storm hit them like a physical blow. Rain lashed at their faces, driven sideways by the howling wind. Visibility was near zero.

"Frankie!" Damon shouted, his voice barely audible above the tempest. "Frankie, where are you?"

They pressed on, fighting against the elements. Jessica strained her heightened senses to their limit, desperately searching for any trace of the missing girl. But the cacophony of the storm drowned out everything else.

A flash of lightning illuminated the jungle for a split second. In that moment of clarity, Jessica glimpsed something moving through the underbrush–a flash of pale skin and dark hair.

"This way!" she called to Damon, already pushing through the dense foliage.

But when she glanced back, Damon was nowhere to be seen. The storm had swallowed him up, leaving Jessica alone in the maelstrom's heart.

For a moment, panic threatened to overwhelm her. She was lost, separated from her friends in a hostile environment with whom-knows-what lurking in the shadows. It would be so easy to give in to fear, to curl up and wait for rescue.

But that wasn't who Jessica was anymore. She'd faced down worse than this–werewolves and vampires. She wouldn't let a little bad weather stop her from finding her friend.

Gritting her teeth, Jessica pressed on. She moved carefully but purposefully through the jungle, using every scrap of her supernatural abilities to navigate the treacherous terrain.

And then, cutting through the din of the storm, she heard it. A wet, sucking sound that made her skin crawl. Jessica's heart raced as she cautiously pushed aside a curtain of leaves.

What she saw made her blood run cold.

There, in a small clearing, was Frankie. But not the Frankie they'd left behind in the cave. This Frankie was crouched over the carcass of a wild boar, her mouth latched onto its throat. As Jessica watched in horror, Frankie raised her head, revealing glowing red eyes and razor-sharp fangs dripping with fresh blood.

For a long moment, predator and prey locked gazes. Then Frankie's lips curled back in a feral snarl, and Jessica knew with sickening certainty exactly what her new "friend" really was.

Vampire.