The Vampire's Tribute
Soon that leaf was going to be crushed under a vampire’s heel.
My heart ached. Gods, how could this happen?
After the tribute lottery ceremony, Keri was given a half-hour to collect her whole life into only one bag, as well as to say goodbye to her family and friends, everyone who loved her.
We knew we would never see her again. We could only imagine the horrors she would experience when she left our town and the relative safety of the pack.
Mother, Jacob, and I tried to help Keri pack, but it was difficult to decide what would be needed, when we had no idea what she would soon face. We packed some clothes for her of various thickness for various climates. The rest of the suitcase we left fo