Chapter 2: The Awakening Hunger

The forest was silent, save for the whisper of the wind rustling through the trees. Evelyn's breath came in short, shallow gasps as she stared at the two vampires before her. Ronan, the one she had trusted, and Damien, the one who had marked her. The prophecy echoed in her mind, chilling her to the core.

One of us will die. The other will claim you. And you… will decide which one of us survives.

Her fingers trembled as she clenched her gown, her heart pounding against her ribs like a wild thing desperate to escape. "This is madness," she whispered, shaking her head. "I don't belong in your world. I never asked for this."

Damien took a slow step forward, his crimson eyes gleaming under the moonlight. "Yet, here you are." His lips curved, but there was no humor in his smirk—only something dark and knowing. "Fate has a cruel sense of humor, doesn't it?"

Ronan reached for her, his grip firm yet protective. "Stay behind me."

Evelyn rigid. She was caught between them, between the vampire who had deceived her and the vampire who had claimed her.

And now… something else was coming.

A rustling in the trees. The sharp snap of a branch. The feeling of watching eyes.

Ronan hardened, his muscles tensed.

Damien's smirk vanished. His crimson eyes flared toward the darkness beyond the trees. "We're not alone."

A deep, roar growl echoed through the night.

Evelyn's pulse spiked. What was that?

Then, she saw them. Glowing yellow eyes.

One pair. Then another. Then dozens.

They stepped into the moonlight, massive creatures with dark fur, their eyes burning with something almost human. But these weren't ordinary wolves. No, they were bigger, their movements too precise, too intelligent.

Werewolves.

The leader a towering beast with silver-streaked fur growled low in his throat. "You have something that belongs to us."

Evelyn's blood ran cold. Me?

Damien let out a bored sigh. Let me guess. You've come to fight over her, too?

The wolf bared his teeth. "You don't understand what you've done, vampire."

Damien bent his head, unimpressed. Oh? Enlighten me.

The wolf's golden eyes locked onto Evelyn's.

Her breath hitched.

His voice was low and deliberate. "Tell me, girl… have you started feeling it yet?"

She blinked, confused. Feeling what?

"The hunger."

A shiver ran down her spine.

She had been feeling strange since Damien's bite. Restless. Colder than she should be. And worst of all… she could feel him, as though he were in the back of her mind, whispering to her, tethered to her in a way she didn't understand.

Her stomach stiffened. What's happening to me?

The wolf sneered. "They didn't tell you, did they?"

Damien's smirk returned. I was getting to it.

Ronan's grip on Evelyn tightened. She doesn't need to know.

The wolf let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Oh, but she does." His golden eyes locked onto her. "You're turning."

The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet.

Evelyn's breath caught. "Turning into what?"

Damien's voice was smooth, calm, like he was discussing the weather. "A hybrid."

Her pulse roared in her ears. That's not possible.

Ronan's jaw dropped. It's not supposed to be.

Damien stepped toward her. "And yet, here you are." His crimson gaze shining with something unreadable. "Special."

Evelyn shook her head, stumbling backward. No. No, I'm human.

The wolf's eyes darkened. "Not for long."

Evelyn felt sick. Her hands trembled as she touched the faint scar on her neck, the place where Damien's tooth had pierced her skin. The place where her body had burned with something she still didn't understand.

Her stomach rumbling.

And then…

The hunger hit.

It was sudden and violent. A fire in her veins, an ache deep in her core. It was unbearable. Suffocating. Her knees buckled as a sharp gasp tore from her lips.

She could smell the blood around her.

Fresh. Warm. Calling to her.

Panic clawed at her throat. No. No, this can't be happening.

Then, she felt it.

A hand on her wrist. A presence pressing into her mind, soothing the fire.

Damien.

He wasn't touching her physically, but she could feel him, his presence wrapping around her like a vice, pulling her back from the edge of something she wasn't ready to face.

His voice slipped through her mind. Breathe, little one. You're not ready yet.

Her vision blurred. The world tilted. The sounds of battle faded.

Then…darkness.

She woke to silence.

The air was thick with the scent of blood and damp earth. The fight was over.

And she wasn't in the forest anymore.

She sat up slowly, her body aching. The room was dimly lit, the glow of candlelight shining across stone walls.

A castle.

Her breath caught. She knew where she was.

Damien's castle.

A cold dread settled in her chest.

She turned her head only to find him sitting in the corner, watching her.

His crimson eyes burned with amusement. Good. You're awake.

Evelyn's heart pounded. She swung her legs over the bed, backing away, but Damien didn't move.

Where's Ronan? she demanded.

Damien's smirk returned. Gone.

She swallowed hard. Gone where?

His gaze was faint. That depends. Are you asking if he's alive?

The blood drained from her face.

Damien leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. You passed out before the fun part. But don't worry. His voice was silky, dark, dangerous. "He put up a good fight."

Evelyn grabbed her fists. Tell me where he is.

Damien stood, slow and deliberate. He took a step toward her, his presence suffocating.

Then, he smiled.

You're asking the wrong question, love.

A chill ran through her bones. What?

His smirk deepened.

You should be asking what happens next.

Her body chilled because she already knew.

She wasn't a prisoner of fate anymore.

She was a prisoner of his.