Damien's expression shifted to something more serious as he looked at me.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you," he said. "I did some digging and found out who turned you. His name's Matthew. He thought he killed you that night—thought he ate you, even. That's why he was too scared to admit what really happened."
I frowned. "Then why attack me in the first place?"
Damien leaned forward, voice low. "Because a few days before he found you, someone captured him. Locked him inside a box. He was trapped for days—starved, half-mad. By the time he broke free, he wasn't just hungry… he'd nearly lost his mind. When he came to, he was on a torn-up campsite with a gaping wound in his chest. No memory of who hurt him or how he got there."
Selene spoke up then, folding her arms. "And the vampire that came after me was the same. He'd been starved on purpose until he couldn't control himself. I had no choice but to kill him."
Damien's jaw tightened. "Two incidents, same pattern. Someone is doing this deliberately. And I doubt it's over. Whoever's behind this… they've got a plan."
My stomach twisted. "So what—you're saying there could be more? That this was just practice?"
Damien nodded grimly. "So far, the victims have been dumped in isolated places. But what happens when the person responsible gets bolder? Imagine one of those poor bastards released in the middle of a crowded street, or a hospital."
The image made my skin crawl. "That'd be a massacre."
"Exactly. Which is why I'm asking both of you—keep your eyes open. We can't afford to ignore this."
For a moment, silence hung heavy between us. Selene drummed her fingers on the table, her lips pressed in a thin line. I could feel my pulse still hammering from the thought of a starving monster tearing through a crowd.
Finally, I stood and exhaled. "Alright. We'll keep watch. Whoever this maniac is, I just hope they get caught before it comes to that."
Later, I walked Selene back to her clinic before heading home. Damien stayed behind at his restaurant, brooding over his own thoughts.
By the time I reached my place, my mind was still racing. I stripped down on the porch and shifted into my wolf form. The familiar rush of pain and heat surged through me, bones twisting, muscles stretching. When it was done, I bolted into the woods, letting the night wind tear at my fur.
I ran until the anger burned out of me, until the forest felt calm again. Whoever had orchestrated this wasn't just evil—they were sadistic, using hunger like a weapon. Matthew only attacked me because of what was done to him. The vampire Selene killed… who knows if he ever hurt anyone before being turned into a monster?
Too many questions. Not enough answers.
By the time I stumbled back inside, I was human again and exhausted. It was already two in the morning. I collapsed into bed with only one thought echoing in my head—
God help us if we don't find the bastard behind this soon.