Vampire. The word reverberated in her cerebellum, and although she knew she should run, far away from this crazy stalker, her wrist burned with heat, her skin prickled with goosebumps, and as she looked into glowing green eyes, she knew it was true.

She knew it in her blood.

She lay in her bed, eyes settled on the shimmering scar on her wrist. In his presence it burned, while the rest of her skin felt tiny prickles of ice, goosebumps. It was insane to think he had something to do with it, but she knew. She’d always been a believer in the paranormal; after all, it was in her blood. She’d known the lengths her family went to, changing their names to Michaels, because they wanted to escape the shadow of their family’s lineage. Crowley.

Ava had always felt drawn to her history, being a descendant of one of the most famous occultists in history. She’d amassed a small collection of books on such things—witchcraft, ghosts, divination, cryptozoology. But vampires—

She tossed in her bed, turning over on her stomach, looking out the window at the dark forest beyond.

If what Cassius said was true…that vampires truly were the ones responsible for the murders at Chester…responsible for Ross’s death…

How do I fight off something that isn’t even human?

Ava could throw a punch, and even evade an attacker, but a vampire? She doubted a solid right hook would deter something with fangs and super strength that wasn’t alive or dead.

A knock sounded on her door, and Ava jumped.

Mal stood in the doorway.

“Hey, Simba.” His voice was serious, and in the harsh shadows of the hallway, she could see the highlight of the hallway lights on his face. Mal hadn’t looked this serious since their parent’s funeral.

“Can I come in?” he asked, and she didn’t miss the worry in his voice.

“Of course.” She nodded and he entered, shutting the door behind him.

“There’s something we need to talk about. I know you’re going to have a lot of questions…but…” Mal ran his hand through his hair as he took a seat in the butterfly chair in front of her desk. He leaned on his knees, running his hands over his face before continuing.

“Mal is everything ok…”

“Dallas told me you’ve been bit.”

Memories of earlier, of her spar with Dallas flashed in her mind.

His fingers running over her skin, brushing her bite mark on her wrist. The sting.

Cassius’s…vampire bite.

Of course, she thought.

He must have seen it and wondered what happened. Any sane person would wonder why one had teeth mark scars on their wrist.

“It’s nothing, just… I was at a party and things got…out of hand.”

She hid her wrist under her pillow.

“I haven’t told you the truth. I thought…I thought I could keep it from you. That’d you’d be safer if you didn’t know but…clearly I was wrong.”

Mal looked into her eyes, and she could see sadness and fear in them.

“Mal, you’re not making sense.” She hugged her pillow in front of her.

“All the trips I go on, Ava…. I’m not just playing gigs.”

Ava’s blood chilled. It was as if she knew what was coming, and she didn’t want to hear it any more than Mal wanted to speak it.

“I hunt monsters, Ava. The kind that bite you…and leave marks like the one on your wrist. The kind that makes the monster under the bed look tame. The kind…”

“Vampires, you mean.” Her fingers tightened around the pillow, squeezing it with anxious energy.

“Yes. Dallas too. He’s my partner. We hunt them together.”

Ava blinked her eyes, trying to hold back the onslaught of emotion that seemed to be trying to push its way up and out of her through her eyes.

“Vampires aren’t real…” she whispered. But even as she said it, she knew it was not true.

“Unfortunately, Ava they are very real. And you’ve been bitten by one.”