Hades
The air burned cold through my nostrils as I dragged it in, sharp and raw. The hunger painted everything red. My nails lengthened, black creeping over them like ink bleeding through parchment.
I knew what it was. I wasn't supposed to—not with the wolf part suppressed, not with the vampire whispering louder—but instinct screamed the truth.
Deer.
Its scent was vivid, thick on my tongue as though I'd already torn into its hide. My vision shifted, the forest trail unfurling before me in strange, unnatural clarity. Each bent blade of grass, each broken twig gleamed like arrows etched into the earth, pointing me forward.
I stalked through the undergrowth, every step soundless despite the pounding in my ears. The path pulled me toward a pond, its surface silver with the touch of dawn.
And there it was.
The deer grazed, head bowed, unknowing. My muscles coiled, fangs pressing against my lip as I readied myself. The hunger roared louder—then froze.
Footsteps.
