Rainwater ran red down the cracked pavement.Evelyn Vale pressed one hand against her side and stumbled through the alley, every breath scraping raw inside her chest. Her fingers were slick beneath the torn edge of her jacket. Blood, rain, grime—she couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began anymore.Behind her, something screamed.Not human.Not anymore.The sound bounced between the brick walls, thin and starving and wrong, followed by the wet slap of feet through puddles.Evelyn forced herself forward.One more step.Then another.The alley opened ahead, spilling into the back lot behind Mercer Pharmacy. Half of the sign had burned out weeks ago, leaving only MERC flickering weakly through the rain. Beyond it, through the haze of smoke and storm, headlights cut across the darkness.Her chest tightened.Damian.The black SUV sat crooked near the curb, engine running, exhaust curling pale into the cold air. The back hatch was open. Someone was moving around it quickly, shoving
Last Updated : 2026-05-17 Read more