The Devourer: A Vampire's Curse

Raina's POVThe scent of blood clung to me long after I left Miss Agnes's house. It was in my hair, beneath my fingernails, and on the fibres of my clothes, like a stain that would never wash out. But worse than the physical reminder was the knowledge pressing against my skull—the certainty that Windshade Vampires had returned.And I was probably the only one who knew.I had wanted to call the police, to tell them everything. But who would believe me? The last recorded vampire sighting had been centuries ago—long enough for people to dismiss them as nothing more than ghost stories.Unless I had proof, my words meant nothing.Keeping to the darkest corners of the street, I tried to hide the blood staining my clothes from the few pedestrians still out at this hour. Every shadow seemed to breathe, every turn felt like a trap, like someone was watching me in the dark, but I forced myself to stay calm. One vampire sighting meant nothing. I told myself that, humming softly to keep my mind f

Raina's POV A cold chill ran up my spine, choking the breath from my lungs. The vampire stood unnervingly still, his gaze locked onto mine with an intensity that sent my instincts screaming. Every muscle in my body tensed, but I couldn't move, fear rooting me in place.Mel.The name curled around me like a whispered curse. I didn't know any Mel. At least, I didn't think I did. But the way he said it—like it was a name that belonged to me—sent a ripple of unease through me.I forced myself to speak, drawing in a shaky breath. “You've got the wrong person.”His lips curled, his fangs gleaming under the pale morning light. “No, I don't.”My pulse thundered in my ears, my mind racing through options. Run? Scream? Attack? None of them seemed wise against a creature that had already proven it could kill. And from last night's research, I was outmatched in strength and speed. I didn't stand a chance.“What do you want?” I asked, stalling for time.The vampire titled his head slightly, his b

Raina's POVThe wind howled between us, rattling the bridge like a warning, its steel frame groaning beneath our weight. For a split second, I thought it might give way, just like the control I had over my own shaking limbs while I tried to get up.Liam picked himself off the ground, wiping the blood from his mouth. His eyes gleamed with fury as he glared at the other vampire. “What are you doing?” he growled, his voice dripping with venom.“Stopping you from making a mistake.” The newcomer—still standing between me and Liam—retracted his fangs, his claws sliding back as if he hadn’t just tossed aside someone just as deadly, like it was nothing. “I know how you feel, Liam. But she’s not Mel.”Liam stiffened. For the first time since this nightmare began, his rage wavered, like a fracture in glass. “What are you talking about?” “It's just her lookalike. She’s not the one. Don’t harm someone innocent just because her doppelganger hurt you.”Silence stretched between them, thick and suff

Liam’s POVThe night clung to me like a second skin—cold, unforgiving, relentless. Even as I moved through the rooftops of Windshade Hollow, the town’s silence gnawed at me. My mind still couldn’t accept the truth. One more second in her presence, and I would have ripped her apart despite Ian’s words.She wasn’t Mel.A blunt reality I couldn’t ignore. Raina looked like her, fought like her—wild, determined—but she wasn’t the woman who turned me, the one who cursed me into this existence. The realization should have eased the tightness in my chest. It didn’t.Even after everything, a part of me still loved Mel. I couldn’t bring myself to forget her face—that was why I hadn’t switched it off. I wanted to remember. Wanted to cling to what it once felt like. I didn’t hesitate—I wanted to find Raina. Maybe, just maybe, if I couldn’t have Mel, then….Morning bled into the horizon by the time I caught a trail of Raina’s scent. I followed her, watched as she moved through the city delivering p

Raina’s POVMy head throbbed as I woke up to the early morning sun streaming in through my window. I groaned, flipping over to bury my face in the pillow, willing myself back to sleep. But the events of last night came rushing back, each memory a sharp jolt—Liam’s fangs sinking into my neck, the flash of his silver hair, and the way his expression twisted into something unreadable before he fled. A sting flared against my skin, I winced. I hadn’t looked in the mirror yet, but I didn’t need to. The marks would be there, raw and red—proof for the Sheriff that what I saw wasn’t some delusion.With a deep breath, I pushed myself up, only to stumble the moment my feet hit the floor. The room lurched, a sudden blur of colors and shapes that sent me grasping for the dresser. I clung to it, my fingers digging into the wood until the dizziness faded. Something was wrong. Liam’s reaction last night hadn’t been normal—vampires didn’t flinch from blood. If anything, they latched on harder, feeding