Chapter 4

Moving slowly, I made my way to the sitting room door and secured it before ascending to my room. After taking only a few steps up the staircase, a sharp pain shot through my head. Memories of Tyler's heartbreaking rejection flooded back, causing me to cry out in pain and hurry to my room to seek solace under my duvet.

With frustration boiling inside me, I slammed the door shut and forcefully kicked off my boots before flinging myself onto the bed. That's when I heard a spine-chilling grunt coming from just outside my window. My eyebrows shot up in alarm, and my body filled with fear as the sun began to set and I realized I was completely alone in the house.

"What the heck was that?" I wondered, my heart pounding in my chest. But then I remembered that I was going to be a hunter soon and I couldn't let fear overtake me. With a deep breath, I pushed aside the fear and sprinted to the window, yanking open the curtain to peek outside. After scanning the area with no luck, I finally looked down and saw something that made my blood run cold.

I was left astounded, my jaw hanging open, as tremors of fear rippled through my body and every fibre of my being tensed up. I was convinced that what I was witnessing was a figment of my imagination, unable to fathom the reality of the situation.

Directly before me stood a vampire, donning lengthy sleeves and a sombre hoodie that concealed his countenance and entire frame. His gloved hands also shielded his palms. He tightly gripped onto the iron bar of my window, emitting deep and guttural noises.

The agony he was experiencing struck a deep chord within me. While it would have been effortless to remove his grasp on my window sill and send him hurtling from the building, the very thought of such an act stirred a palpable uneasiness in my chest. As I gazed out upon the city, I couldn't help but notice the hunters searching the streets below in their pursuit of him.

In the short moment that I considered my next move, he lifted his drooping visage and sprang into action. In a flash, he leapt towards my open window and lunged headfirst into my room.

My nerves were jolted to the point of near-leap as he hurtled into my chamber with an unrestrained speed that caught me off guard. His blood-stained frame left a hideous imprint on my window and left a crimson trail on my shirt as our bodies collided in his reckless descent.

I whipped my head around, locking eyes with him as he let out a guttural groan and shattered the arrows embedded in his flesh with a swift crack. My sharp eye immediately identified the arrows as the very same ones my parents used for hunting in our pack, expertly crafted to target vampires with their deadly poisoned tips. Our pack witch had concocted a potent potion that not only paralyzed vampires, but could prove fatal if left untreated beyond a day.

"Close the window, quick! I don't want them to find me here!" he grunted through laboured breaths. Blood covered him from head to toe, staining his hair and clothes with a deep crimson hue. His once-white locks were now matted with the sticky substance, taking on a rosy tint. The same could be said for his clothes, which had soaked up so much of his blood that they appeared to match the shade of his wounds.

As he fought desperately for survival, he appeared utterly helpless and vulnerable, with the hood still concealing his face. I couldn't resist the urge to imagine what he might look like beneath that hood top, and my gaze lingered on him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Are you aware that you have less than 24 hours to live?" I asked as I closed the window. Oddly enough, I found myself hesitant to allow the pack hunters to track him down, despite being the daughter of one myself. The usual course of action would be to pounce on the vampire and administer more poison to weaken him, then call upon the royal warriors to deliver him to our alpha for execution. But for some reason, that plan didn't sit well with me.

The man before me doesn't quite match the cruel persona that was attributed to vampires. Perhaps it's my perception that has cast him in a favourable light. 

Would he exhibit any reluctance in tearing out my heart, had he not sustained such serious injury?

As soon as I mentioned he would die, a visible shudder ran through him, causing him to instinctively draw back his hood and meet my gaze for the first time. Our eyes locked, and I was suddenly gripped by a paralyzing sensation.

The world disappeared into nothingness, leaving only the two of us in an empty void. His eyes, resembling almonds, were a glistening emerald green and brimming with tears. The light reflected off them, captivating me and pulling me towards their depths. I was frozen in place, mesmerized by the intense warmth emanating from him. His celestial countenance entranced me to the point where my hands trembled, and I couldn't look away from him. It was as if his gaze had entrapped my very soul.

His chiselled jawline and well-defined cheekbones give him a flawless appearance, but what really caught my attention were his rugged eyebrows and sharp, hawk-like nose that added to his undeniable sex appeal.

As I looked at him, my eyes were drawn to his damp lips, and a shiver ran down my spine. His lips were full and shaded a deep red, exuding a sensuality that made me want to wrap my arms around his neck and lose myself in a passionate kiss. I could only stand there, lost in thought, wondering how sweet they would taste.

The concept of love at first sight had always been a fairy tale to me. Even after Tyler shattered my heart, I refused to entertain the notion that it could happen to me. Despite Tyler's charm and good looks, I had not fallen for him at first glance. I was never swayed by handsome faces, but the man standing before me was proving to be a different story altogether. His sheer charisma had me captivated and intoxicated.

He asked in a voice that seemed to resonate within me, "Is it true that I will die?" 

His husky tone captured my attention and I found myself strangely drawn to it.

My mind snapped back to the present, jolting me out of the dreamy realm of admiration and daydreaming, but in the process, I forgot his question. I was so consumed with my vivid thoughts that I had overlooked the fact that he was injured.

"Is there any possible means to save me from possible death? You, being a werewolf, must possess some solution..." His gasps were now accompanied by bloody coughs, and witnessing his agony from afar was unbearable for me.

I wasn't particularly interested in knowing if he was a vampire at that moment. All I could think about was how incredibly attractive he was - the most striking being I had ever laid eyes on. Tyler would look so hideous beside him. 

Oh gosh!

My heart raced and pounded irregularly as I hurriedly approached him, eager to inspect his wounds.

With a pleading tone and a glance that sent shivers down my spine, he begged me, "Help me now, and I promise to reciprocate your kindness someday." I found myself speechless, only able to swallow hard as I stooped down to unfasten his sandal.

"Could you remove your shirt?" In a barely audible voice, I requested.

 His response came in the form of a guttural groan that caught my attention, and as I gazed at him intently, I could see his gaze growing fainter, a clear indication that the poison was taking hold of him.

"Let me go get the antidote." As the words spilled from my mouth, I realized that my lips were acting independently of my brain. It was as if my usual thought processes had been thrown out the window. The mere idea of saving a vampire was once unfathomable to me; if someone had suggested such a thing, I would have scoffed and dismissed it outrightly. And yet, here I was, unable to resist the urge to fetch the antidote. The thought of losing him was unbearable, a concept that seemed to elude my understanding. It was all so perplexing.

"Please, save my life." He begged for his life, clutching onto my hand with desperation, but I tore myself away and bolted towards the hallway. 

My heart was racing, not just from the rush of the situation, but also from the electric sensation that his touch had ignited within me. It was almost as if I was under some kind of enchantment, clouding my judgment and rendering me unable to recognize him as a vampire. 

As the daughter of a pack hunter, it was expected of me to harbour a deep-seated animosity towards these creatures who were our sworn enemies. Yet, my mind and body seemed to be in opposition to this notion.

Although my parents have instilled a deep-seated animosity towards vampires within me through their tales of past mistreatment, I cannot include the man over there in that group of hated beings. Despite my best efforts, I cannot bring myself to feel any malice towards him.

I find myself sprinting down the hallways towards my father's room, amazed at the speed with which I move. He had purchased an antidote several weeks ago after my mother was accidentally struck by one of their arrows during their hunting season.

I do not know why my heart is beating erratically, but I am certain that I must rescue that vampire.