Chapter 81

Liam’s POVFor a while, the world existed only in her breath.Raina’s head rested against my shoulder, her skin clammy with blood and guilt. The bar reeked of death, but I didn’t care. I’d take this—her warmth, her trembling—over the centuries of silence that came before her.When she finally pulled away, her eyes were still gold, still burning, but softer now. “You shouldn’t have come,” she murmured. “You keep walking into fires that were never meant for you.”I gave a rough laugh. “Then stop lighting them.”Her lips twitched like she almost wanted to smile, but the hunger in her eyes never left. She rose to her feet, unsteady, swiping her sleeve across her mouth. “I need more,” she whispered. “It never ends.”Before I could stop her, she was gone—a blur through the shattered door, the wind rushing in her wake. I followed, not to stop her, but because I couldn’t leave her alone in this. Not again.She didn’t hunt in alleys or shadows this time. She didn’t even hide. She walked throug

Last Updated : 2025-10-07

Chapter 82

Raina’s POVMusic throbbed through the walls like a heartbeat I couldn’t feel. The club pulsed with it—bass shaking the floorboards, laughter too loud, perfume too sweet, blood humming in every mortal vein that brushed past me.It was almost funny, the way they never noticed. Monsters didn’t have to hide anymore; they just had to smile.I stood at the edge of the crowd, wearing a borrowed face of softness. My hair fell loose over my shoulders, lips tinted the color of a promise. The dress clung just enough to draw eyes. I tilted my head when someone looked too long, let a faint, shy smile curve my mouth—the kind that said easy target.It didn’t take long.He was tall, in that careless, expensive way. A human. Maybe half-drunk. Maybe just stupid. His heartbeat drummed steady beneath his shirt when he leaned in close enough to smell the wine on my breath.“You look like you don’t belong here,” he said.I let out a soft laugh, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “Maybe I don’t.”He

Last Updated : 2025-10-09

Chapter 83

Raina’s POVSlade watched me like he was reading a language he already knew by heart. Every shift of my hand, every slow blink—he saw it. He wasn’t just looking. He was studying. Measuring. Waiting to see if I would lie again.He’d poured me another glass I hadn’t asked for. I held it anyway, the rim pressing against my lower lip as the blood’s metallic scent curled through the air. It wasn’t human. It was cleaner, colder. Stored blood, probably taken from donors or corpses. Efficient. Boring. Nothing like the pulse-warm rush that came from the vein. But I drank. It helped me blend in. Pretend.“You’ve got control,” Slade said after a moment, his tone casual but testing. “Most of the new ones don’t. They burn through cities until someone puts them down.”I let the glass hover near my mouth. “You seem awfully confident that I’m new.”He smirked, leaning back in his chair. “If you weren’t, I’d know your name already. And your kill count.”I tilted my head. “You don’t know everything.”“

Last Updated : 2025-10-12

Chapter 84

Liam’s POVThe blood burned down my throat, thick and coppery, too sweet for what I needed. The man’s pulse fluttered weakly under my hand, his breath hitching as I let go. He slumped against the wall, alive—barely.I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and took a step back. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d killed to feed. Maybe I was losing my edge. Maybe I didn’t care anymore.The alley was quiet except for the hum of a far-off generator and the faint rustle of paper skittering across the pavement. I could almost pretend it was peace. Almost.Then I felt it—eyes on me.“Come out,” I said, my voice low. “If you’re going to stare, at least have the decency to do it to my face.”The shadows shifted near the end of the alley, and a figure stepped forward. A vampire. Young, by the look of him—eyes too bright, movements too clean, the sort of sharpness that hadn’t yet dulled with time.He inclined his head in a half-bow. “He’s still fighting,” he said. “But he’s fading fast.

Last Updated : 2025-10-18

Chapter 85

Raina’s POV Oh, I did find something worse than myself waiting in the dark. It wasn’t a monster. It wasn’t even human. It was purpose. Cold, clean, cruel. The shipment Slade had sent me after wasn’t late—it was stolen. By a group of rogue vampires who thought feeding off the trade lines would make them untouchable. They were wrong. Their hideout was an old freight yard just beyond the river, thick with rust and stench. The night crawled with the kind of silence that only came before blood. I moved through it like smoke, tracing the heartbeat of the first guard before he even saw me. One twist, one bite, and he was gone. The others followed fast. Quick kills. No mess. I was done before the echo of the first body hit the ground. When I found the missing shipment, half the blood bags were drained dry. The rogues hadn’t been hungry—they’d been desperate. I stared down at the torn plastic, the clotted red on the floor, and felt nothing. Maybe that was the worst part. By the ti