The Awakening

The air crackled with tension as Anne's fire erupted, illuminating the clearing in a furious blaze. The vampire lunging at her barely had time to react before flames surged toward him, licking at his cloak and searing through the shadows.

He twisted midair, vanishing in a blur of movement, but Anne was faster. The power inside her roared to life, her instincts sharper than they had ever been. She spun, catching the second vampire's wrist before his claws could find her throat.

A feral hiss escaped his lips. "You're quicker than I expected."

Anne didn't hesitate. She yanked him forward, driving her knee into his ribs before slamming him against a tree. His body cracked against the bark, but he was already healing, his lips curling into a cruel smile.

Adam stepped beside her, daggers drawn, his stance rigid with anticipation. "Anne—"

"I've got this," she cut him off, her voice steady but burning with something else. Something darker.

The first vampire reappeared, his clothes singed, but his eyes gleamed with amusement. "Ah, there it is," he murmured. "The monster inside you."

Anne bared her teeth. "You have no idea what I am."

The vampire's smile widened. "Oh, but I do."

Before she could demand answers, a force slammed into her side, sending her skidding across the ground. The third vampire had finally moved, his speed unmatched, his strength undeniable. She felt his claws graze her arm before she twisted away, landing on one knee, her chest heaving.

A drop of blood trickled from the wound, and something inside her shifted.

The scent of her own blood filled the air, and suddenly, the fire inside her wasn't the only thing stirring.

Hunger.

It was sharp, overwhelming, unlike anything she had ever felt before. It coiled inside her, drowning out reason, pushing her toward something she had never dared to acknowledge.

The vampire who had wounded her grinned, as if sensing it too. "That's it," he whispered. "Feel it."

Anne's vision blurred at the edges. Her fangs ached. The taste of power, of blood, of something ancient and primal, beckoned her forward. But deep in the storm of her mind, something—someone—was still screaming at her to stop.

Adam's voice. "Anne, don't."

She snapped her head toward him, her breath ragged. His eyes weren't filled with fear. They were filled with pleading.

She exhaled sharply. The fire flickered, the hunger wavered, but it didn't fade completely. She swallowed hard, forcing herself back into control.

The lead vampire watched her with curiosity. "Interesting."

Anne wiped the blood from her arm, glaring. "If you know who I am, then you know I won't hesitate to burn you alive."

The vampire chuckled. "Oh, we don't want to kill you, Dragire. Quite the opposite." His gaze darkened. "We want you to understand what you truly are."

Anne's stomach twisted. She had spent her entire life trying to understand what she was. But for the first time, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer.