LOVE, LIKE BLOOD

The next morning, I didn’t make an effort to even look good.I mean, why would I try? I don’t belong in this town.After my usual morning warm bath, I threw on a plain sweatshirt and a pair of loose pants, then tied my hair up in a messy bun.I stood facing the mirror.The truth? I knew I could never really look bad, even if I tried.My shiny, light brown hair, soft and wavy, didn’t know what a bad hair day was. And my almost pale skin was flawless, smooth, always caught attention, whether I wanted it or not.Took a quick glance at the Daylight Amulet hanging around my neck.I’d worn it all my life—a gift and a warning.Apparently, vampires can’t survive the sun without it.At least not the born ones like me — still bound by blood, not yet awakened enough to walk unprotected beneath the sky.The amulet shimmered faintly, like it knew its importance. Like it enjoyed being the difference between burning alive and blending in.Some of our kind refuse to wear one — call it weakness, only

I couldn’t stop thinking about what Sebastian said on our ride back home after the greeting had ended.Not the part about blood—that was expected. I’d grown up knowing it was coming.It was the way he said it. Like he’d already seen what came after and knew I wouldn’t be the same.I hadn’t lived through anything wild yet—not like the turned ones, who had no choice but to feed within hours of being made or die.For them, the thirst came like fire—sudden, violent, impossible to ignore.But for us, the born ones, it was quieter. Slower. A hunger that waited beneath the surface, patient and polite… until it wasn’t.I used to think that made us better. More civilized.Now, I wasn’t so sure.Sebastian told me he would be there for me when the time came.He said it casually like it was nothing. But something in his voice made it feel like a promise.I barely knew him. And yet, in a way I couldn’t explain, I trusted him more than I should have.Maybe it was the honesty in his eyes. Or maybe i

Sebastian parked at the edge of the drive.Inside, the place was even bigger. High ceilings, clean floors, warm lights. Too many people, but it worked.“You good?” he asked.I nodded. “Yeah. Just… wow.”He smiled. “It’s a big place, yeah?”I noticed some familiar faces I’d seen from classes.A couple of students nodded at Sebastian. One of them raised a red cup and called out, “Glad you made it, man!”They looked me over with curious, amused expressions. I heard one whisper to the other.Sebastian’s fast…. He’s gotten the new girl.”“I won’t lie. She’s hot…” the other replied.I bit back a smile. Typical. Sebastian caught my expression and rolled his eyes with a scoff.“They’re not lying though,” he muttered, then nudged me gently with his elbow. “Stay here. I’m gonna grab you something to drink.”Before I could protest, he was already slipping into the crowd, weaving between people with practiced ease.Left alone, I exhaled, trying not to look as out of place as I felt.The room puls

I didn't feel like going to school. Not after what I felt when I kissed Aiden's neck. It wasn't just an attraction-it was something deeper. Sharper. A hunger I'd never known before. If I hadn't stopped myself, I would've gone further. And it wouldn't have just been about a kiss. It would've been about blood. The thought unsettled me. Not because I was afraid of what I could've done, but because a part of me wanted to. I stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to breathe through it. Trying to feel normal. But normal was slipping. Whatever was changing in me, it wasn't slowing down. And Aiden was a huge part of it. I finally threw the blanket off and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The apartment was cold and quiet-it always was. I went into the bathroom, splashed cold water on my face, and stared at myself in the mirror. My pupils looked wrong-too wide. My skin wasn't the normal pale, it looked sickly. There was a tension curled inside me that I couldn't

By the time we stepped through the front doors of Ravenshollow High, the bell had already rung, and the corridors had mostly emptied. Being late wasn't my thing-not at my old school, not here. But somewhere between Sebastian's words and the long walk through gray morn, the air, we'd both forgotten to care about the clock. The scent of over-bleached hallways and old textbooks still clung to the air. Lockers clanged in the distance, a teacher's voice floated from an open classroom, and someone's music leaked from their earbuds just loud enough to catch the beat. I moved through it all like a ghost in borrowed skin. "See you in third," Sebastian murmured, peeling off toward the science wing with a brief glance over his shoulder. I had just turned the corner toward my locker when a burst of energy rounded the opposite hall. A girl in full school colors, red and black windbreaker, glossy curls bouncing, nearly collided with me. "Whoa! You're Noah, right?" she asked, bright-eyed and