Chapter 356: Before My Eyes
Meredith.
For the first time, Draven smiled faintly. Then he leaned forward until his forehead pressed against mine, grounding me.
His breath was warm when he whispered, "If you are this afraid of vampires, how do you think the humans would react?"
I parted my lips to argue, to tell him fear wasn’t the same as weakness, but he didn’t give me the chance.
He pulled back, his hand gesturing toward the table. "Finish them," he said softly, almost teasing, as though we weren’t talking about bloodthirsty predators beneath our feet.
And then he was gone.
I turned sharply, watching his tall frame disappear through the glass door. My chest tightened, my heartbeat quickening until I could hear the rush of blood in my ears.
The shop suddenly felt too big, too silent, too fragile.
I sank back down into his chair instead of mine, angling myself so I could see the glass wall and the street outside so that if something happened, I would see it on time.
"Do you think a vampire will come in here?" I asked inwardly, reaching for Valmora.
Her chuckle slithered through me like smoke. "What do you think?"
"My thoughts are not helpful," I muttered bitterly under my breath.
"Well," she purred, almost smug, "go ahead and finish the ice cream. You will thank me later."
I scowled at the cone on the table, my hands clenching. "How in the moon am I supposed to eat at a time like this?"
But Valmora’s silence in response was louder than words.
So, I tried to force the sweetness down, spoon after spoon, but the ice cream felt like chalk in my mouth. My nerves twisted tighter with every swallow.
By the time I scraped the last of mine away, my hand was already reaching for Draven’s untouched cup.
’What is taking Dennis so long?’ I thought bitterly, shoving a large spoonful past my lips.
"It hasn’t even been a minute since Draven left," Valmora chided, her tone smooth, almost amused.
"I don’t care," I said to her as I forced down another mouthful, anything to keep my hands busy and to keep my thoughts from spinning out of control.
But just then, I heard a faint scream.
And instantly, my head jerked up, my heart slamming in my chest. But inside the shop, nothing was wrong. People still ate their ice cream, chatting in low voices and laughing.
Then the scream came again. This time, louder and closer than the first time.
My ears strained as my wolf’s instincts sharpened. Then suddenly, through the glass wall, I saw humans outside scattering like startled birds, shrieking as they ran, panic spilling down the street like fire.
The chatter in the shop faltered. Chairs scraped. Someone near the counter asked shakily, "What’s happening? Why is everyone running?"
Another voice answered, "Is there an accident outside? A fire?"
But I already knew better.
"Get ready," Valmora purred with excitement lacing her voice. "One is coming. Hurry and finish the ice cream."
But a surge of anger shot through me, hot and sharp. Then with a sweep of my arm, I knocked the cups, half-finished and empty, off the table. They clattered against the floor as the cold sweetness splattered.
"I’m done," I hissed.
The words had barely left my lips when a man sitting near the window rushed toward the door, grabbing the handle with trembling hands. He yanked it open, desperate to flee.
But he didn’t make it.
In a blink, a blur of motion followed, then a sickening crack. His body crumpled back inside the shop, his throat torn, and his eyes wide in horror.
Immediately, the shop erupted as humans started screaming, their panic exploding like wildfire.
And through the doorway, stepping with eerie grace, came the predator. A female vampire, her pale skin almost glowing beneath the harsh lights, her eyes gleaming like molten red glass. Blood glistened at the corner of her lips.
She closed the glass door behind her with deliberate calm. The sound was sharp and final.
More screams bounced off the walls as humans tried to scatter, chairs tipping over, and spoons clattering to the floor.
They were afraid, and so was I, who already had my heart in my hands.
The vampire moved like water. One blink, she was at the door, the next her claws had split a man’s throat.
Another woman tried to crawl beneath a table, but she never made it. The vampire’s hand shot out, dragging her into the open before snapping her neck with a wet, effortless twist.
I couldn’t move. My heart was a thunderstorm inside my chest. Ten people—ten humans were dead in seconds. Blood splattered across the tiled floor, soaking napkins and toppled chairs, the metallic tang thick in the air.
I swallowed hard, the sound loud in my own ears. I had never seen anything like this in my entire life.
Valmora’s voice cracked through my head like a whip. "Remember, you are supposed to kill a vampire today, not be afraid of it."
"The one who just killed ten humans before my sight?" I shot back, my mental voice shaking.
"Exactly that one," she purred. "That’s your test."
"Moon curse me," I whispered under my breath, cursing as my hand twitched at my side.
I tried to reach for Draven through the mind-link. But just then, the vampire’s eyes met mine.
She froze mid-step, her scarlet gaze locking on me. Then she dropped the lifeless body she had been holding, letting it thud to the floor.
Her head tilted, a predator’s curiosity sparking in her eyes as she began to step slowly toward me.
"Don’t you dare chicken out," Valmora hissed in my skull, her tone sharp and electric. "Now, let me tell you a secret—fear puts you in danger. Fear attracts these blood-sucking demons. It’s a signal you’re their plaything. Understood?"
I clenched my fists, my pulse hammering so loudly I swore the vampire could hear it.
My breath caught in my throat as I forced my body to stay still, to stay upright, even as every instinct screamed at me to run.
"Understood?" Valmora repeated, louder this time, her voice sharp like a blade.