Monster

We both knew what they were the moment we saw them. Vampires on the prowl, their hunger palpable in the night air. My heart hammered in my chest, but it wasn’t fear for my own safety. It was for Autumn, her safety. The thought of her getting hurt, of me failing to protect her, sent a wave of icy panic through me. How did I miss them? How had I been so careless?

I knew I could protect her, but my own secret loomed like a dark shadow. If they found out what I was… if she saw what I turned into… it would all be over. Everything I’d built, the life I’d carefully crafted with the Chasse family, would crumble. The thought of losing it all clawed at me, but the fear of losing her, of watching her be torn apart by these monsters, was even worse.

I stole a glance at Autumn, trying to keep the terror from my eyes, trying to keep the beast inside from showing itself. “Run,” I said, my voice a low, urgent command.

But she was already moving, her instincts sharp as ever. She pulled a small bag from one of her pockets, then the silver blade from its sheath at her back. The vampires recoiled, hissing at the sight of the gleaming metal, their curses filling the air. They took a few steps toward us, testing the waters, but the sight of the silver kept them at bay, if only for a moment. Did they know we were hunters… or was this something else.

Autumn backed away from the car, and I followed, every step calculated to maintain the fragile illusion for her; but to also maintain the exact distance I wanted between the monsters and her. I had to pretend I was human, that I was as vulnerable as she was. I had to hide my true nature, even though every fiber of my being screamed to unleash it, to end them all in a flash of talons and fangs. But I couldn’t. Not without revealing everything. Not without risking her seeing the monster I really was.

But even as the fear gnawed at me, as the anxiety threatened to consume me, one thing was clear. I couldn’t let anything happen to Autumn. I wouldn’t. I’d protect her with every ounce of strength I had. Even if it meant losing everything else in the process.

I was continually watching their closeness, waiting for the last second to rip their fucking throats out. I fought the urge to shift, to kill. But I kept it primed, right on the edge.

Autumn took the baggy and ripped it open, slinging the contents into the air. Millions of silver particles erupted into the space between us, creating a supernatural barrier between us and the bloodsuckers. They all bared their teeth and growled at the trap. They couldn’t get to us, not this head on way. If they did the particulates would invade their bodies and weaken them. They’d be vulnerable, and they knew it. They were backing away quickly, extremely careful not to get remotely close to the rapidly spreading dust.

Autumn looked to me in a rush, “Now run!”

We tore off on foot, the silver cloud a faint glimmer in the distance as we left the car behind, now unreachable on the other side of the shimmering barrier. Every muscle in my body burned with frustration as I sprinted just behind Autumn, matching her pace stride for stride. The night was alive with danger, and the gnawing fear that any moment one of those bloodsuckers could close in was like a constant dagger in my side. I stayed as close to her as I could, my senses on high alert, ready to intercept any threat that got too close.

“Follow me!” she ordered, her voice cutting through the pounding of our footsteps as we flew down another staircase in the dimly lit parking garage. The echo of our steps reverberated off the cold concrete, a grim reminder of how trapped we were in this labyrinth. “They’ll be more cautious on the street, in front of the public. They won’t follow us out in the open.”

It was just like how that vampire got away from me a while back. The pedestrians acting as a deterrent for my monstrous, bloody visage. Now the roles were reversed.

“Where are we going?” I forced out between fake, ragged breaths, trying to keep the panic from seeping into my voice. My exaggerated panting was an act, but the tension twisting inside me was all too real.

“My dorm room…” she gasped, her voice strained with effort. “Parts of the campus are imbued with silver warding. We can lose them there and get to my dorm…” Another deep, shuddering breath from the extreme physical exertion. “We’ll be safe there until morning.”

The city blurred around us as we sprinted down the sidewalks, dodging startled pedestrians who shot us wild, bewildered stares. They had no idea what was hunting us, no idea that their ordinary night was intersecting with our nightmare. We kept close to the crowds, a desperate move to ensure there were always eyes on us. The vampires wouldn’t dare make a move in front of so many witnesses. The risk of exposure would turn them into prey themselves, hunted by the ancient ones who ruled the shadows of the city.

But I could see it. Autumn was slowing down, her breath coming in harsh, ragged gasps. She was fast, stronger than any other woman I’d ever met, but this was a relentless sprint, even for her. The frustration gnawed at me, the helplessness of watching her push herself to the limit while I held back, pretending to be weaker than I was, pretending I couldn’t just scoop her up and run until we were safe.

But I couldn’t. I had to play this game, hide who I really was, even as every fiber of my being screamed at me to do more. To protect her.

“How much further?” I shouted at her as we ran.

“Turn right after this building,” she said with labored breath and pointed forward.

We darted past a small brick building and took a sharp right, but the turn was too tight for her tired legs. She stumbled, her steps faltering as her body began to give out. I felt a surge of frustration as I grabbed her arm, my grip firm, keeping her from collapsing. Her fingers clung to my hand, desperate for stability, but I could feel the tremor in her muscles, the exhaustion pulling her down. We were slowing down too much.

“Fuck,” I growled under my breath, the curse slipping out in a mix of anger and fear.

She was fading, her energy drained, yet she kept pushing, even though her body was screaming for her to stop. I could hear her heartbeat pounding in her chest, a wild, frantic rhythm that made my own pulse quicken in fear. It was like she was running on fumes, each step more labored than the last, and I could feel time slipping away from us, the urgency gnawing at my insides.

“Autumn… stop, take a second,” I barked, my voice edged with desperation. Every instinct screamed at me to get her to safety, but she was slowing down, and I couldn’t stand the thought of them catching up. But if she didn’t take a second, she would just keep declining.

“We can’t stop… we have to make it to the warding… we’ll lose them there,” she gasped, struggling to force the words out. Her breath was overpowering her words, her voice barely above a whisper, but she kept going, sheer determination driving her forward.

We sprinted across a street, weaving through the sparse traffic, and slipped between two buildings, out of sight from the civilians. The alley stretched before us, narrow and dark, but I could see the faint light at the other end, the exit. We were close, so close, but the frustration boiled inside me. I needed to do more. She was barely holding on, and every second felt like a lifetime.

“Just past this next street… then we’ll be there…” she panted, her voice a strained whisper of the strength she had left.

Then, two shadows emerged at the end of the alley, tall and foreboding, their silhouettes sharp against the dim light. They stood motionless, like statues carved from the night itself. We screeched to a halt, the sudden stop nearly sending Autumn to the ground. Her legs, weakened from exhaustion, gave out beneath her, and I grabbed her, holding her upright once more. But before we could even catch our breath, another shadow materialized behind us, silent and menacing.

We were trapped.

“Sam…” Autumn’s voice trembled, a mix of fear and apology threading through her words. “I’m sorry. I don’t know… how they knew…” Her voice cracked, barely more than a whisper.

She thought they were after us because she was a hunter, that somehow they’d discovered her family’s legacy. But I knew better. This wasn’t some calculated ambush; it was pure chance. The way their faces twisted in shock when she unleashed the silver dust told me everything. This wasn’t a planned attack. They weren’t hunting hunters. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Well, I guess ultimately they were the unlucky ones. I was with her.

The realization though, hit me like ice in my veins. These vampires weren’t targeting us for who we were; we’d simply crossed paths with them on a night when they were out for blood. What if I hadn’t been here? The shift in their demeanor after Autumn revealed her silver was unmistakable. They hadn’t expected resistance, but now they were angry, focused, and ready to kill.

Dread gnawed at me, relentless and cold, as I considered how close she came to disaster. Autumn wasn’t on a hunt, wasn’t prepared like she would have been with her family. She was just living her life. If she had been alone in that parking garage…

The thought twisted inside me, rattling the cage that held the beast within, pushing it closer to the surface. The idea of those monsters catching her alone made my blood boil, my instincts screaming to protect her, to destroy anything that threatened her.

The vampires kept their distance, cautious, calculating. Autumn, still reeling, couldn’t see it, but their eyes were locked on me. To them, she was merely a distraction, a side note. They hadn’t known she was a hunter until she’d drawn her silver blade, unleashing the dust. Now, to them, we were both threats that needed to be eliminated. I drew more of their attention because they could sense a difference between Autumn and myself. When they looked at her they saw a girl struggling from extreme physical exertion. When they looked at me, they saw right through my façade. The show I put on didn’t match what their own senses told them. They could hear the slow steady beat of my monstrous heart, unaffected by the intensity of the escape we were aiming to make.

Autumn, still struggling for breath, found a sliver of resolve and gripped her blade, raising it in preparation. I mirrored her action, my movements slower, deliberate, trying to maintain the fragile mask of my human form for Autumn’s sake. But fear coursed through me, sharp and bitter, a fear I hadn’t felt in so long. The fear of losing someone I cared about… her. The poison of dread seeped into my veins, and I knew, deep down, that if I didn’t transform, if I didn’t unleash the monster within even just a little bit, she would die.

But if I did… everything I’d gained with Autumn and her family would be lost. I’d become the very thing they hunted. The monster lurking in the shadows.

The lead vampire nodded to the others, signaling their attack. They believed their numbers would overwhelm us, that they could take us down by force even slightly affected by the little bit of particulate that had found a way into their systems. I felt the tension in the air snap like a wire pulled too tight, and as I looked back, the two blocking our path blurred, moving with inhuman speed. They thought it was a done deal. They thought it was over.

They were wrong.

Autumn had pulled another small packet from her back pocket, pouring its contents in her hand during the passing moments before the initial attack. She threw the fistful of silver flakes in the path of the two blurring vampires, right as they attacked. Her timing was perfect, especially considering how tired her body was. I was impressed. This might give me just the thing I needed to do this her way and save my mask a little while longer.

The effect was immediate and violent. It was as if the vampires had slammed into an unseen wall, their momentum shattered. They staggered, their shrieks of agony filling the alley as the silver burned through them like acid as it moved inside their bodies. The sound of their hissing echoed off the walls, a haunting chorus of pain.

I didn’t hesitate. In one swift motion, I lunged forward and drove my silver blade through the skull of the nearest vampire. His screams ceased instantly, his body crumpling at my feet.

But then, a sickening thud reverberated through the alley. I spun around just in time to see the lead vampire barrel into Autumn, his speed and force sending her crashing into a dumpster. The impact was brutal, the metal caving in with a loud, echoing clang as she fell to the ground, motionless.

“NO!” The word tore from me, a primal roar, as the dark dread I’d fought to contain threatened to consume me whole.

I surged forward, moving faster than I should have, the beast within clawing its way to the surface. My hand shot out, seizing the vampire by the throat with a grip that could have crushed steel. I slammed him against the wall with a sickening crunch, his eyes wide with shock as I pinned him there, helpless. Without hesitation, I drove my blade into his chest, the silver slicing through flesh and bone.

I didn’t stop. Again and again, I plunged the blade into him, blood spurting in violent arcs, painting the walls in crimson. His body convulsed with each strike, but I kept going, each thrust fueled by a brutal rage that roared in my ears. When I finally let go, his body slid down the wall, a lifeless husk, crumpling to the ground in a pool of blood, limbs twisted and motionless like a broken doll.

The third one was frozen like a deer in headlights. The vampire was starting to panic, still burning from the silver dust. He lunged forward a couple of times like he was about to attack, but then he’d restrain himself, stepping back again. Self-preservation was keeping him at bay. I had just killed his two friends in seconds, and he now knew that he didn’t stand a chance. He was scared and confused.

Now I saw it. Their mode of attack was always so similar. They were like pack animals. Most of them joined together for strength and then trapped prey in alleys at opposing sides. Everything seemed so familiar, and then I remembered my other run-ins with the vampiric beasts. Three seemed to be the magic number, but it didn’t matter to me. I ran them down every time. They could overpower a lot with a trio of vampires; groups of humans, weaker supernatural creatures, or whatever else they might find. But not me.

I looked over to Autumn. I could hear her arms moving to try to get up, breathing just as hard as she was while running. I needed to get to her.

I spun around, but he was already gone, the spot where he stood now an empty void. The night swallowed him whole, the echo of his heavy footsteps fading into the distance as he bolted into the shadows. My heart pounded with the realization, he’d escaped. The implications hit me like a sledgehammer.

Autumn was safe, for now, but that safety was fragile, a thin layer of calm before the storm that was sure to follow. He’d seen too much, knew too much, and now he was out there, free to report back, to rally more of his kind. The thought gnawed at me, the dread of what was to come creeping in, thick and suffocating. This wasn’t over, far from it. His escape was the prelude to something far worse, a dark promise that hung over us like a blade waiting to drop.

This was twice now. Two times since falling in with the hunters that I started slipping. I let too much of my hidden beast out for someone to see and then run. They lived to tell the tale. What if that is why these vampires came? What if they were actually looking for me? I started to build new fears in my mind. What would it mean for the Chasse family if I brought the supernatural world down on their heads as the hunt for the black-eyed monster intensified? They would be my collateral damage.

I shook away the thoughts and focused on the present moment. I had to get Autumn back to safety.

I was at her side in an instant, shoving the dark thoughts aside. I gripped her shoulders gently, helping her sit up. "Autumn... are you okay?" My voice trembled with the fear of losing her.

She nodded slowly, still dazed. "Yeah... I’m good. Just hit my head." She downplayed as she tried to stand on her own, but I kept a firm hold on her. "Where are they?" she asked, touching her aching head.

"I got two of them. The other ran," I said, keeping my response short, too focused on listening to her vitals, making sure she was really alright.

Her eyes drifted to the two dead vampires lying in the dark, damp alley. Blood pooled around their bodies, the walls and ground stained with carnage.

"How did you...?" She struggled to piece it together, still dazed from the hit. "You killed two...?"

"You slowed them down with the dust," I said, hoping the compliment would divert her thoughts.

"Which way did the last one go?" Her voice had an edge, like she wanted to hunt him down.

"Let's just get you to your dorm," I insisted, guiding her forward. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I’m fine. I’ve taken worse hits. It’s my legs… they’re so tired, I can barely feel them," she admitted, stumbling as she clutched my arm to stay upright. I’d never seen her show any kind of weakness like this before.

I tightened my grip on her, practically carrying her as we moved. She directed me once we emerged from the alley, her voice growing stronger as she rested and caught her breath. The campus was just across the road, a grassy stretch and a small parking lot standing between us and safety.

"Where am I going?" I asked, supporting her as we crossed the lot.

"Just keep going, you’ll see it in a second. There’s a sign, Village Apartments," she murmured, her breath slowing.

Finally, we reached the Student Village Apartments, the small blue sign confirming we were at the right place. By the time we got to her front door, she was regaining strength, able to stand on her own again.

“Hold on one second,” she said as she unlocked the door and slowly wobbled inside. “Lindsey… Lindsey, are you home?” I heard her ask as she opened doors and staggered through her dorm. Then the door opened, and the lights clicked on, “Come on, my roommate isn’t here.”

It didn’t seem like a dorm room to me, more like a small apartment. They shared a living and kitchen area, but they had separate bedrooms. It was quaint. Everything smelled clean and cozy.

Autumn eased herself onto the large, dark couch that sectioned off the living room. As she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, I noticed the scrapes on her arms and the small cuts trailing along her hairline. She sprawled out, trying to relax, but I could see the tension in every inch of her body.

“Do you have a first aid kit?” I asked, unable to hide the concern in my voice.

“Yeah…” she murmured, still too frazzled to think clearly. “It’s in the bathroom, under the sink, I think.” She pointed weakly down a hallway. “Second door on the left.”

I didn’t waste a second. I rushed to the bathroom and grabbed the small white box, returning to her side as quickly as possible. She was shaking, her muscles trembling with every small movement, and I could see how much effort it took for her to even adjust her position.

“Are you okay?” I asked, the stress tightening my voice.

She didn’t respond immediately, her brow furrowed in thought. “I’m fine…” she finally said, but the words sounded hollow. She lifted her arm, showing me the constant tremor in her muscles. “My whole body feels like this. My legs are even worse. I can barely move them.”

I gently took her arm, pulling it closer so I could clean her cuts and scrapes. My hands worked quickly but carefully, tending to every small wound on her arms before moving to her head.

“Let me see these,” I said softly, adjusting her face so I could examine the cuts along her hairline. They weren’t deep, just enough to break the surface, but still, they worried me. I grabbed the small penlight from her med kit and waved it in front of her eyes, watching her pupils dilate. “We should really get you to a hospital, just to make sure everything’s okay,” I urged, the unease gnawing at me. My medical knowledge was limited, and she needed real help. Memories of Vicky talking about first aid and triage in the emergency room surfaced and assisted me through everything I did, but I’m sure I still fucked it up.

“I’ll be fine, really,” she assured me, her voice firm despite the exhaustion. “We need to stay here until someone can come to get us. This area is warded, so nothing will be able to track our scents past the barrier’s perimeter.” She reached down to her pocket, searching for her phone. “Shit…”

“What’s wrong?”

“My phone’s in my jacket… and it’s still in the back of my car.”

“I’ll call,” I said, reaching into my jacket. But as I fumbled through my pockets, a cold realization hit me. My phone wasn’t there. I checked every pocket, but it was nowhere to be found.

“It’s in my car too…” she said, frustration washing over her as she sighed and leaned back into the couch cushions. “I saw it on the seat when we were back there. It must have fell out of your pocket when we were…” she trailed off, relaxing and slowly breathing as she tilted her head back.

The memories crashed into my mind with brutal clarity, overwhelming my senses. I could still feel the warmth of her lips on mine, the intoxicating scent of her skin, a heady mix of adrenaline and the faintest trace of something uniquely… her. The weight of her body pressed against mine was seared into my memory, every curve and contour a tactile reminder of our closeness. The hunger stirred within me, deep and primal, gnawing at the edges of my control. It wanted more. More of her warmth, her scent, her touch. The monster inside me craved it all, clawing at the barriers I’d carefully constructed.

I could hear every stuttered beat of her heart, every shallow breath she took. Her exhaustion was palpable, her energy sapped to the point where she could barely lift a finger, let alone do anything more. The monster didn’t care. It whispered insidiously, urging me to give in, to take what it wanted, to drown in her essence. My heightened senses only made it worse; the way her pulse fluttered weakly under her skin, the soft rise and fall of her chest, the lingering warmth where our bodies had touched.

I clenched my fists, forcing the thoughts away, wrestling the beast back into its cage. It thrashed against my will, its mood swings lashing out, trying to twist my thoughts and desires. But I couldn’t let it win. Not now. Not when she was so vulnerable, so fragile. She needed care, not the monster lurking beneath the surface, eager to devour everything it touched. I shook my head, dispelling the images, leashing the creature within, determined to protect her from it. From me… no matter the cost.

“What are we gonna do?” I asked quickly.

“Stay here… until the sun comes up. That way, the last vampire won’t be able to find us. Then in the morning, we’ll get back to my car and head home,” she thought aloud.

He wouldn’t be looking. I saw in his eyes what he planned on doing, and that was running. He looked like he never wanted to meet me again after seeing what I did to his friends, in mere seconds. I prayed I was right.

“Everyone’s going to be so worried…” she sighed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed up here looking for me.”

“Hopefully, they will,” I wished. Then we could get her looked at properly.

“I’m so exhausted,” she said, her voice sounded raspy and dry.

I was out of the kitchen with a cup of water before she even opened her eyes again.

“Drink this…” I handed her the glass.

She leaned forward and grabbed the glass with two shaky hands. She downed it in seconds.

She was shaking her head, “We should have never of made it out of that alley…”

“What are you talking about?”

“The vampires, there were three of them. We weren’t prepared. They should have killed us. If they wanted to, they could have killed us before we even had time to use the dust.”

“Don’t worry about that. We made it,” I said.

She ignored my statement, “And you killed two of them… it’s crazy,” she said in disbelief. “Frank isn’t going to believe this,” she chuckled weakly. “Neither is my dad…”

“It’s not that hard to believe, is it? You weakened them with the dust…”

“Yeah, but it shouldn’t have affected them to the point of not defending themselves. It should have only dampened their senses, kept them back, not take their strength completely.” She looked inquisitive, “How did you get both? I saw you go for the first one, but that’s all I remember.”

I thought quickly about how I could explain it away, “I got the first one and then right as the other pushed you across the alley, I ran up to him. I guess he thought the other was coming for me… so his full attention was on you.”

She looked like she was accepting this answer, “But what was the other one doing? Why wasn’t he attacking?”

“I don’t know; maybe he saw that we were hunters, and we got lucky with the first two, so he didn’t want to take his chances.”

She shook her head again, “Even if they knew beforehand… that wouldn’t have stopped them. It doesn’t make sense. It almost seemed like…” she tried to find the words, “like they were hesitating.

They were. They sensed something in me wasn’t human and they were wary.

“Let’s worry about it later. You need to rest, and if we’re not going anywhere, then we should try and get some sleep. We just sprinted over a mile to get here and fought for our lives out there. My whole body hurts,” I lied.

She grinned, “I haven’t run that hard since we fought that howler last year.” She smiled as she relived the memory.

“Howler?” I asked. I hadn’t come across that in my reading yet.

“Kind of like werewolves, except they only feed on the dead, and they don’t live in packs. They’re gross; they look half dead themselves,” she added.

“Why’d you have to run?” I asked through my theatrical breathing.

“It knocked Frank on his ass,” she smirked, “and was getting away. I followed it into a clearing and took it out with my rifle. Running with all my gear on was no treat, but this,” she compared in her mind. “I’d take the howler again,” she concluded.

We sat there for a few minutes. I lowered the rate of my breathing to match hers as she came down from the exhaustion.

“I need a shower,” she said. She slowly got up and made her way to the hallway. It took her twice as long as usual, but she was taking steady steps. She veered into her room and got some clean clothes, and then she disappeared into the bathroom. She stayed in there for about half an hour, moving carefully so as not to slip in her weakened state. I stayed on the couch, halfway from the door and her room, listening carefully for anyone at the front door. I also heard her in the shower. I never let her movements, her heartbeat, or breathing out of my focus. I already allowed her to get hurt once, I wouldn’t again.

Finally, she came back out to the living room. I tried to look busy. I was in the kitchen trying to scrub the small speckles of blood that had splashed my hands when I gutted the one vampire. She wore sweatpants that had been chopped down into a pair of tiny sleeping shorts, and a very thin tank top.

“I think Sarah may have some of her boyfriend’s clothes in her room. I can get you some if you want to shower.”

I actually didn’t want to. I tried to stay ready just in case. But I knew we were protected by the warding at the moment, and it would be what a normal person would probably do.

“Yeah, sure,” I agreed. I’d just make it quick.

She handed me a change of clothes and a towel, her movements slow and exhausted. I took them with a nod of thanks, though my mind was barely there. Every fiber of my being was focused on her; on the steady, but too-fast rhythm of her heartbeat, the shallow breaths she took, the slight tremor in her hands. It was hard to think about anything else, hard to do anything but monitor her, even as I closed myself in her bathroom and turned on the shower.

The sound of the water filled the small space, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the worry gnawing at me. I could still hear her moving around outside, each tiny noise a beacon that I couldn’t ignore. I should have been scrubbing away the blood and grime, letting the hot water wash it all down the drain, but my mind wouldn’t let me. Instead, I stood there, staring at my reflection in the mirror, the steam from the shower beginning to fog the glass.

With a slow, deliberate motion, I let my eyes go black, letting the darkness swallow the color, revealing the monster lurking beneath the surface. It was always there, just beneath my skin, waiting for the slightest opportunity to break free. I stared into those blackened eyes, loathing what I saw. “What did you do?” I whispered, the words barely audible over the hiss of the water. “This is your fault. You let her get hurt.”

The accusations echoed in the small room, bouncing off the tiles and sinking deep into my bones. I could have stopped it. I should have transformed the moment those vampires appeared. I could have ended all three of them in seconds, torn them apart before they even had a chance to touch her. But I hadn’t. I’d held back, afraid of what she might see, of what I might lose if she knew the truth. And because of that, she’d been hurt. The thought made my stomach churn with disgust. I was supposed to protect her, to keep her safe from everything, including myself.

I stepped into the shower, moving robotically, the hot water pelting my skin as it washed away the blood. But it couldn’t wash away the guilt. It couldn’t scrub clean the memory of her body hitting that dumpster, of the blood trailing down her face. I should have been stronger, should have done whatever it took to keep her from harm, even if it meant revealing the truth.

And now, there was another survivor out there. A vampire who had seen my face, who had seen me with Autumn. He knew I was trying to protect her, knew there was something different about me. If he made it back to his kind, he would surely tell them everything. And what then? Would they come after her? After the Chasses? The thought of them being targeted because of me, because of my failure, was unbearable.

I clenched my fists, leaning my head against the cool tiles, letting the water cascade over me. I had to hope that he would flee, that the fear of what he saw would keep him from coming back. But hope wasn’t enough. I had to be ready for whatever came next, had to protect them all, no matter the cost.

But as I stood there, the steam swirled around me, the monster within roiled. Its rage and hunger clawing at my insides. It wanted out. It wanted blood, retribution for the harm done to Autumn. But I couldn’t let it loose. Not yet. Not when so much was at stake. I had to keep it caged, no matter how much it tore at me from the inside. I had to remember the ultimate goal. I was looking for answers, and if I revealed myself, it would all be over. I was still on the path to finding out what I was, but I was… veering. I never admitted it, but I had already begun to veer onto a new path. What was more important to me? Discovery and the truth of what I was… or friends? This girl and her family that I was forming some kind of connection with… was starting to overtake my original desire to find out the truth, and even the desire to be killed and leave this life behind. I was starting to want to carry on, as long as it was with them.

The shower did nothing to calm my thoughts, did nothing to ease the tension coiled in my muscles. I had to get back out there, had to make sure she was okay, had to keep her safe. But the guilt and anger were still there, festering just beneath the surface, a constant reminder of what I was, and the lies I was living.

Once the shower was over, I pulled on the new clothes she’d given me. They fit surprisingly well—seems Lindsey’s boyfriend and I shared a similar build. I emerged from the bathroom, feeling a strange mix of relief and frustration. Autumn was busy in the kitchen, putting away food, her movements slow and deliberate. A stack of pillows and blankets sat on the couch, clearly meant for me.

“You can have whatever you want, just make yourself at home,” she said, her voice tired but warm. “I’m going to lay down. I can barely stand as it is. I got you some stuff to sleep on. I hope you’ll be comfortable.” She offered the couch with a half-hearted smile, clearly torn. Her gaze lingered on me, as if she were battling with her instincts to keep me close versus the practical reality of the situation.

As she turned to leave, she paused and looked back at me. Her eyes, shadowed with exhaustion, locked onto mine. “Sam… I don’t know how you did it, but… you saved me tonight. You saved us. We should have died out there. No one survives a vampire attack when they’re outnumbered. We barely had any weapons…” Her voice trailed off, her gaze distant as if she were trying to piece together the night’s chaos. “I still don’t understand what happened, but thank you.” She leaned in, her lips brushing my cheek in a slow, tender kiss.

The contact was electric, sending a jolt of raw desire coursing through me. My body reacted with a fervor I couldn’t ignore. The monster inside me roared to life, its hunger clawing at my insides, demanding more, demanding her. I had to fight it, to lock my muscles in place, to keep my hands from reaching out, pulling her close. She was injured, vulnerable, and needed rest. I had to remind myself that she was in no state for anything beyond what was right and necessary.

She didn’t mention the intensity of what happened between us, didn’t even acknowledge the heat of our previous encounter in her car. Her kiss was a gentle gesture, a fleeting acknowledgment that spoke volumes more than words ever could. Maybe she was second-guessing what happened in her back seat, unsure of what to make of it. Part of me wondered if that was better… if she was reconsidering the tangled mess of emotions and desires between us. I wished it were simpler, that I could just walk away from the turmoil of my own making.

“Goodnight, Sam…” she said softly, her voice tinged with an exhaustion.

“Goodnight, Autumn. Get some rest,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady, despite the storm inside me.

She closed her door behind her, the light seeping through the cracks flickering off as the room plunged into darkness. I stood there for a moment, fighting the raging beast within, the gnawing desire for her warring with my need to keep her safe. The couch, the pillows, and the blankets were a stark reminder of the distance I had to maintain, of the self-control I had to exert. As I settled onto the couch, the night stretched before me, a battleground of emotions and restraint.

I had to protect her. I spent the entire night sitting in a chair only feet from the front door. I didn’t really need to sleep anymore, so I could stay up for days if I wanted to. Sleep was only an escape for me now. I just sat in the darkness of the quiet apartment, listening to the ambient noises that played through the night. I waited for any hint of danger.

Autumn’s breathing was the main thing in my ears, and every now and then, I’d hear the squeak of her bedsprings as she tossed and turned. She never woke up throughout the night. She slept past sunrise. I could see the sun creeping through the blinds long before I heard her rustle out of bed.

Her door creaked open, and I could hear her pass through the hall into the bathroom. I heard her turn on the sink, brush her teeth, swish with minty smelling mouthwash, and then come back out.

“Morning…” I said from the chair at the door.

“Morning,” she smiled. “How long have you been up,” she asked with a pitiful look towards the couch. Her eyes going wide at the sight of the still stacked pillows and blankets.

“I never went to sleep,” I said.

“Are you serious? You must be exhausted…” she said in apology.

“I couldn’t sleep. It’s fine.”

“Did you sit by the door all night?”

“Yeah,” I answered honestly.

She didn’t say anything for a few seconds as she realized I was out there protecting her all night. “Thank you.”

I just smiled back at her and nodded, not sure what else to say.

She kept her distance, standing across the living room as we talked. I wondered if what happened had put a halt to everything between us. My insides ached for that to not be accurate, but I went numb and made myself believe that was the right thing to do. I couldn’t keep her safe if I was around her like that. The immortals that were after me would come for her. They’d come for all of them.

“So, what’s your plan?” I asked.

She spoke with purpose, “Get back to my car. We need to call my parents, they’re probably worried sick,” she shook her head. “Once we get there, we’ll make our way back. We should be fine since the sun is up, but we’ll take a long way home, through the wards across town.”

“Sounds good,” I agreed, ready to take her lead.

She went back into her room for a minute to change. She came back out in jeans and a zip-up sweater. She had all of our bloodied clothes in a plastic bag.

“Don’t want to leave these here, Lindsey would start asking questions. Better to avoid that.”

There were no signs of the struggle anywhere on the path back to her car. It was like it never happened. There were a few wisps of ash floating across the alley where I had murdered those two vampires. The sun must have just finished boiling them from the inside out.

After a mostly silent walk back to the parking garage, we got inside the small black car, which was still parked on the second level of the parking garage. Autumn seemed stuck in her own head the whole walk back, probably reliving the previous night’s events.

She reached back and grabbed her black jacket off the floor, still where she had dropped it in our heated moment. She grabbed for it, quickly glancing at me. Her cheeks went red for a moment as she searched her pockets for the cell phone. Mine was just as Autumn had remembered, sitting on the back seat. I grabbed it and looked at all the notifications.

Carter, Eleanor, and most of the other Chasses had called, texted, and recorded messages on both our phones. They were all frantic, stress oozing from every word in their urges for us to call them back. They begged for us to answer them, to let them know that we were safe. More specifically, Autumn.

Autumn sped through the light traffic of the early morning, passing through specific locations only know to her family to camouflage and hide their trail. Losing anything that could potentially be tracking us. That part still stumped me though. Warding had been a lesson I had learned but just in practice. I hadn’t yet learned the specifics or the “why” it worked yet.

She called her parents as soon as she could fumble a call through as she raced around town on her way back. They answered after the first ring, probably sitting up all night worried about the safety of their only child.

“Autumn?” Eleanor’s voice cut through the phone, frantic and trembling with concern.

“Mom, I’m okay,” Autumn tried to reassure her, though the urgency in her mother’s voice made it hard to speak above the avalanche of questions. “I’m safe. Everything’s fine.”

“Where are you? What happened? Are you hurt?” Eleanor’s questions came in rapid-fire, her worry palpable even through the static of the call.

“Mom, just hold on a second,” Autumn pleaded, her own anxiety rising as she struggled to keep her voice calm. She could hear the desperation in her mother’s tone, and it only made her more fearful. “We’re almost home now. I promise, I’ll explain everything when we get there.”

Eleanor’s questions tapered off, replaced by a muffled, strained silence, the weight of her concern hanging heavy in the air. Autumn’s heart ached with the need to ease her mother’s fears, but she couldn’t bring herself to explain the full extent of the night’s events over the phone. She glanced at me, her eyes reflecting a mix of exhaustion and dread, knowing that Eleanor’s worst fears were far from over.

We pulled in a few minutes later, parked on the street where the car usually rested, and then bounded through the yard to the front door. Autumn was rushing like we were still running from something. I think she was more shook from what had happened than I realized. Autumn wanted to see her family again after the attack. She kept saying that we shouldn’t have survived the attack. She noted that hunters don’t win in outnumbered scenarios. She must have been expecting to die as soon as she grasped our situation in the parking garage. I started to realize this was a reunion she thought she would never have.

Autumn burst through the door and flew inside. Her family swarmed her in a blurring frenzy.

Carter grabbed her in an intense embrace, “Are you okay?”

“What happened?” Clara asked, sounding tired. They all did.

They all paid close attention to her, noticing her cuts and scrapes along her head and arms.

“We got attacked last night… vampires.” She was getting slightly emotional from the happiness of being back, safe with her family.

“Vampires attacked you?” Carter was angry. “Fuck! I knew we shouldn’t have let you go into town last night. How many?”

“Three…” Autumn answered.

“What happened?” Wayland spoke up.

I was still in the door frame, trying to give them some room for their tearful reunion. I could only imagine the pain and fear I would feel as a parent if I thought anything had happened to little Caydee. Even that slight notion twisted the monster inside. It settled quickly though as I brushed off the stray thought.

Autumn looked over to me in the opening, “Sam saved us.”

They all looked perplexed, yet instantly hungry for more answers and explanations.

Autumn’s recount was spotty and short, but it got the point across. “They came out of nowhere,” she said, her voice steady but strained. “Ambushed us in a parking garage near the coffee shop by the college. I managed to throw a packet of silver dust between us, creating a barrier that slowed them down. We took off running, pushing through the city for over a mile, but I couldn’t keep up that pace for long. They closed in on us, trapped us in an alley. Two on one side, one behind. I got another packet of silver dust out before they attacked. Sam dove forward, driving his silver blade into one of their heads. I was hit from behind, thrown into a dumpster. That’s when I blacked out.”

Her eyes, full of gratitude, met mine with an intensity that made me question my thoughts of distance myself from her. “When I came to, Sam was beside me, helping me to my feet. Two of the vampires were dead, and the third had disappeared.”

They all turned to face me as I stood in the doorway. Eleanor was the first to move, crossing the room with urgency. Without a word, she enveloped me in a tight, heartfelt embrace. Her arms, strong and reassuring, held me for what felt like an eternity. The silence between us spoke volumes of her relief and gratitude.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

Carter followed closely behind. He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder, his expression one of deep appreciation. “Sam, you have no idea how much this means to us. You saved my daughter’s life. We can’t even begin to repay you…”

I was at a loss for words. The enormity of their thanks settled over me, and for a few seconds, I allowed myself to fully absorb the moment. This was what I had been yearning for, buried beneath the weight of countless slaughter, the monstrous shadow that had haunted me for years. I had longed for a family, for a sense of belonging. In that instant, amidst their gratitude and the unspoken bond we shared, I felt a profound sense of acceptance and connection. For the first time since that fateful night in the woods, I felt like I was truly part of something real, something that mattered.

“I just got lucky. Autumn’s the real hero. If she didn’t throw that particulate, they would have killed me for sure,” I tried to downplay the whole thing, laughing through the end of my statement.

Autumn wasn’t having that, “Yeah, but you killed them…” she seemed like she had more she wanted to say. More questions that she was still trying to define before she spoke them aloud in front of everyone.

Eleanor pulled me closer to the rest of the family, and Carter closed the front door.

“You took out two vampires by yourself… no guns, no plan,” Frank was shocked.

“I told you he wouldn’t believe it,” Autumn laughed through her strained and emotional voice.

“Really, Sam,” Carter said, “that’s not a usual occurrence around here. We only fight battles that we know we can win, and we always bring weapons. We always have a plan. All you had was a knife.”

I shrugged, “I don’t know… I just went all out as fast as I could. As soon as the dust hit them, I went for the first one. Then, once the first was down, I turned and went for the one that attacked Autumn. It was easier than you think; any one of you would have done it if you were in my shoes.” I hoped and begged that they would latch onto that lie and drop it.

“Still… you never cease to impress,” Carter patted my shoulder. “Thank you, Sam.”

All of the family gave Autumn multiple hugs and thanked me for protecting her. Then they tried to figure out how the vampires had found us. They all talked about the possibility of it being a coincidence, but Carter didn’t believe that. Not with all that was happening in the monster world. He was going to contact Martin and see what he could find out.

I stayed for about an hour after we returned, replaying the night’s events with them and keeping a close watch on Autumn to ensure she was alright. She was utterly spent and had drifted into a deep sleep on the couch, finally looking serene and free from her usual state of alertness.

“You should stay with us tonight,” Carter suggested. “Once the sun sets, the vampires will be back out. Until we figure out what led them to you, it’s not safe.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said, trying to sound casual as I lied. “I’ve been warding my apartment for weeks. Nothing should get through—if I did it right,” I added with a half-hearted chuckle.

“If anything feels off, or if you get a weird vibe, call me immediately,” Carter insisted. “You can come back here, or we can come to you. I can even check that warding for you, make sure it’s solid.”

“Thanks, Carter,” I replied, hoping to end the conversation and slip away unnoticed.

I closed the large wooden door behind me, feeling a pang of guilt. They had been so kind, offering me a place to stay and extending their trust. If they knew the truth about me, they wouldn’t be so generous.

Mounting my motorcycle, I twisted the throttle and roared away from the warmth of their home. The engine’s growl echoed my inner turmoil as I sped towards the industrial side of town. Back to the heart of the monster’s den, where I could keep my secrets safe and hidden from my friends, who were too kind to the liar in their midst.