Raina's POV
I opened my eyes with a start to see the vampire leaning over me, his lips pressed to mine—again.
“Eww,” I jumped, shoving him away. “Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?” he asked, looking genuinely taken aback.
“Kissing me! It’s rude to do that against someone’s will.”
“You were unconscious. I don’t think you would've answered if I had asked. I only did it to save your life.”
“Oh.” I rubbed my arms, the wind biting against my soaked skin. “I didn’t know vampires could give CPR.”
He raised a brow. I shrugged.
“You’re dead. How can you give me oxygen when you don’t even breathe?”
“I’m a wind vampire. I manipulate air.”
Okay. That wasn't in any of the research I did last night.
“So, there are different types of vampires?”
“Yeah. Reaper, Augustine, wind—wait, you seriously traded your memories for this?” His gaze scanned me.
“Hey! This”—I gestured at myself—”is Windshade’s fastest and strongest fighter. I can have you on your ass in less than a second.” I bluffed.
He smirked. “Wanna bet?”
I ignored him, and got to my feet. Checking my watch—8:30 PM—I sucked in a breath. “Thank God you got here on time. That bitch cut my brakes!”
“Ah, there's the Mel I know.” He smiled, and leaned against the bridge railing, arms folded. “So, what do you want me to do—drain, torture to death, turn against her will? You name it. I’d prefer the first though. It’s been a while since I had a decent drink.”
“What the hell is going on?” I ran my hands through my hair, throwing my cap off in frustration. “You show up out of nowhere, kill one of our town’s elders, cover your tracks, and now you act like you know me?—”
“I do know you.”
I shot him a death glare, and he held up his hands in mock surrender. “Sorry. You were in the middle of a breakdown—please continue. It’s quite entertaining.” He smirked.
I fumed. “That’s it! I’m not Mel. I have no connection to you, and I certainly never made any deals, whatsoever. And for the love of God, my name is Raina!”
His expression hardened. “So you don’t remember turning me into a vampire?”
I staggered back. “What?”
He stepped forward. “You don't remember March 1874? When you were obsessed with your new plaything—the slave your father hired. You found me attractive, and I didn't want to die, but instead of letting me go, you turned me against my will. And then, ten years—just ten fucking years, not even a century later—you fell in love with a human and last I heard, you gave up vampirism for him.”
I blinked, my brain struggling to process his words. “I.. I… what?”
“Don't play dumb.” He closed the distance between us, anger etched into his features. “You turned me and didn't even have the decency to stay. Then you ran off to someone else. Do you know how much that hurt? You left me with an eternity of heartbreak. And now, after all this time, I finally find you, willing to forgive, willing to return to the way things were…. but you pretend not to know me.”
His fangs lengthened. Before I could react, his hands shot out, wrapping around my throat as he lifted me effortlessly.
“I loved you, Mel. But now I see I was just another one of your playthings.” His grip tightened, cutting off my air. “You think you're free from this curse? That you get your happy ending while others suffer?” His voice was a venomous whisper. “Sorry to burst your bubbles, but I intend to make you pay.”
He flung me across the bridge. Pain shot up my spine as I crashed onto the pavement. I gasped, my body refusing to move.
In a blur, he was in front of me again.
“Where is he?” He snarled.
“I don't know what you're talking about!” I clutched my waist, fighting back tears.
“Don't lie to me, Mel!” His voice boomed. “You're only alive because I haven't turned it off. Don't make me.”
“I swear, I have no idea what you mean.”
A smirk crawled onto his face as the wind coiled around him. He raised his arm and bit into it, letting black blood spill onto the ground in front of me.
“This is what you made me.” His eyes gleamed as he crouched beside me. “And I must say… thank you.”
He grabbed my hair, yanking my head back. My lips hovered inches from the bleeding wound. I thrashed against him, landing an elbow to his jaw, but his grip didn't loosen. If anything, it amused him.
“You're not stronger than me anymore, Mel. This is what you gave up for that human. I don't see him coming to save you now.”
I gritted my teeth. My fingers found the pocket knife tucked into my cargo shorts. With a desperate thrust, I drove it into his stomach.
He gasped, blood trickling down his lips. Summoning every ounce of strength, I shoved him away and bolted.
I barely made it three steps before he appeared in front of me. Casually, he plucked the knife from his stomach, twirling it between his fingers.
“Clever.” He lunged, his arm coiling around my throat from behind before I could flee, yanking me flush against his chest. The blade pressed cold against my skin as his voice slithered past my ear, too close, too steady. “Seems you're enjoying this humanity of yours. Tell me what I want to know, and I might just do the favor of killing you instead of returning the curse you gave me.”
“F.. Fine.” I rasped. “I'll tell you what you want to know.”
“Good.” He pressed the knife a fraction deeper, drawing a thin line of blood. “That's just for good measure.”
I flinched.
“Now,” he whispered, “where is that darling husband of yours? The one you gave up eternity for?”
“I don't know. I swear.” My voice trembled. “I'm not, Mel!”
“Wrong answer.”
He spun me around with dizzying speed, his fangs descending toward my throat. But before he could sink them in, the air shifted—intense, violent.
He was flung backward.
I gasped, collapsing to the ground. Relief flooded me—until I saw my saviour.
He stood between us, fangs bared, black veins pulsing beneath his skin. His nails elongated into lethal claws, his long hair rustling in the rising wind.
“Liam,” he growled, his voice carrying the weight of a storm, “if you want her, you'll have to go through me.”
My hands flew to my mouth, terror locking me in place. I swallowed the scream bubbling in my throat.
There were two of them now.
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Raina’s povWhen Judy tugged me away from the fire earlier, I caught the flicker of Liam’s eyes on us. It was not the first time. He had been watching me differently since we came here, suspicion hidden beneath the surface of his calm. Part of me wanted to reassure him, but another part liked keeping him guessing. After all, I was not the fragile girl he thought he had to protect.“Come on,” Judy whispered, pulling me behind one of the larger tents where the shadows hid us from the others. “If anyone sees us, they’ll think we’re plotting some wicked scheme.”“Are we not?” I asked, raising a brow.Judy smirked, her fangs flashing before she tucked them away. “Not the kind you’re thinking. Trust me, this will be worth it.”She crouched down and pulled a handful of pebbles from a pouch at her waist, arranging them carefully on the ground in a crooked circle. At first, I thought she was sketching out some kind of ritual, something witch-like that she must have picked up from Ysra. But the
Liam’s povMorning came slow and heavy. The forest mist hung over the camp like a veil, softening the edges of tents and fire pits, muting the wolves’ movements as they stirred from their shelters. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear water trickling over stone, a steady rhythm beneath the shuffle of boots and the crackle of fire being coaxed back to life.I had not slept, though I pretended to. My body no longer required rest the way it once had, but the weight in my chest was worse than any fatigue. All through the night, I replayed her words, the way she had leaned her head on my shoulder as if it belonged there. And every time, the same thought burned through me: she didn't know this year would be my last.I sat by the fire pit again, my eyes fixed on the rising smoke. The wolves went about their business, sharp and efficient, but I was distracted by the sound of laughter. My head turned before I could stop myself.There she was.Standing just beyond the clearing, her hair caug
Raina’s POV “He’s onto me. I almost want to tell him, but I can’t,” I sighed as I walked beside Judy toward the tent the wolves had provided for us. “Why? He’s been in love with you since heaven knows when.” “Not anymore.” I collapsed on one of the tent beds. “He’s in love with Raina now, not me.” Judy laughed. “Girl, that’s you. Mel. Raina. Same thing.” I shook my head. “It’s not. Have you heard the difference between the way he talks about Mel and the way he talks about Raina?” “I don’t know. I’d say he’s in love with Raina because she looks like Mel, which still backs up my statement earlier.” She took my hand in hers. “I’m sorry for what I did—you know why I had to. But it’s not too late to get back your old life now that you remember.” “No. It’s not too late. But things have changed. I don’t want my old life back. I don’t want him to think I’m the emotionless vampire who killed and slaughtered people for fun. I’ve changed, Judy. Other than Silas and Ian, I don’t want to de
Liam’s POV The conversation with the wolf leader made me realize just how far behind I was when it came to Ian. While we had all been focused on Velmoran, Ian had been terrorizing the Moonbane pack—letting his men feed on them, framing them, rallying them toward a war they didn’t ask for. This time, I had no argument, no way to defend him. All I could do was listen and offer my apologies as the leader laid out everything that had been happening in the city. I didn’t even notice when we started walking, only that by the time we stepped back into the main circle of camp, the air felt lighter, the tension bleeding into the rhythm of ordinary life.Wolves gathered in small knots, talking low or tending to the fires. The scent of woodsmoke and seared meat lingered on the breeze, mixing with the sharp resin of pine. Someone laughed somewhere behind me, and it was the kind of sound that didn’t belong to a place preparing for war.It was hers.Raina sat cross-legged near one of the smaller f
Raina’s povThe wolves emerged like they had been part of the forest all along, slipping out of the mist and shadow until there was nowhere to look without seeing amber eyes watching you.They weren’t in uniform, no pelts or battle gear, just jeans, boots, hoodies, and worn jackets—yet they carried themselves like soldiers. Their steps barely bent the pine needles beneath them, and their bodies seemed coiled with unspent energy.They smelled different—more like earth, leaves and life—unlike the copper-and-petrichor tang I’d grown used to since learning what vampires really were. Liam and the leader were already talking, their low voices carrying just enough for me to catch the cadence but not the words. I didn’t care enough to listen in. The pack members stood loosely around us, their posture relaxed on the surface, but their eyes tracked everything.My pulse wasn’t the one racing, but something in my chest still felt tight. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was the way the leader’s ga
Liam’s pov"Hey."My voice came out softer than I intended, almost cautious as I reached out a hand to steady Raina. She staggered back a step, gripping the edge of the sink like the room might tilt again. I'd been half-asleep when I heard her sharp, uneven breaths cutting through the quiet. They struck me like alarm bells, loud and wrong in the silence of the night. I’d thrown the covers off and rushed to the bathroom without thinking, yanking the door open."Is everything okay?" I asked again, quieter this time.Raina didn’t answer immediately. Her body tensed under my hand, like she was debating whether or not to tell me the truth. Then, slowly, she placed her hand on mine, her fingers cold and trembling. She straightened, pulling herself away from the sink and forcing a small, brittle smile."I'm fine," she said. “It’s… I just felt dizzy a little. I'm going to be fine.”But she wasn’t.She looked anything but fine. The kind of ‘not fine’ that didn't just show on your face but leak