Kyle's POV.
I learned early that rogues didn't hunt loudly.
We didn't make careless movements or leave signs behind. We didn't stay in one place longer than necessary. Packs did that. Rogues stayed alive by being careful.
I moved through the woods in my wolf form, keeping low as I searched for food.
My stomach growled, reminding me how long it had been since I'd eaten. The territory markers here were old and faded. No fresh scent of an Alpha, no signs of patrols. That was why I'd come this way.
The forest smelled of wet soil, trees, and old leaves. An owl cried somewhere in the distance. I listened closely as I moved, paying attention to every sound. I slowed when a new scent reached me. It was faint, too faint to recognize clearly.
I stopped and sniffed again. It wasn't prey, It wasn't wolf, It wasn't human either. The smell was strange, like metal.
I stayed still.
The forest went quiet, not the normal quiet of night, but the kind that made my muscles tense. I turned my head slowly, listening.
Something moved behind me. I looked back, but saw nothing. Another sound came from the left, right. Then it stopped.
I pulled my lips back, showing my teeth. Whatever was out there hadn't made itself known. That meant danger. I shifted my weight, ready to run or attack….
Until something struck me from behind.
Pain tore across my side. I snarled and spun around, snapping at nothing. Whatever attacked me was already gone within a split second. I stepped back, breathing hard, blood running down my flank.
I turned in a circle, searching. Nothing showed itself. I growled, loud and threatening, hoping to scare it off. But the forest stayed silent. My heart beat fast. The wound hurt, but I could still
move. I lowered my head and focused, trying to catch the scent again.
Then it attacked again.
This time I was ready. I dodged and swiped with my claws. I felt them hit something solid. The creature hissed and
jumped back. It stepped into the moonlight. Its skin was pale. Its eyes reflected the light in a way that made my stomach twist. Its teeth were
sharp and exposed in a smile, blood dripping from its fangs.
A vampire.
I lunged at it. We collided and rolled across the ground. I slashed at its chest, tearing skin. It screeched and slammed me into a tree, knocking the air from my lungs.
I forced myself back up and attacked again. Its teeth scraped my shoulder, but I twisted away and struck back. Dark blood splattered the ground.
The vampire laughed.
The sound made my ears ache terribly.
I pushed forward, using everything I had, forcing it back step by step. For a moment, I thought I might win. Then it moved quickly. Its teeth sank into my neck. Pain shot through me instantly. I cried out as the vampire bit deep, then pulled away.
It didn't stay.
It vanished into the woods, moving too fast for me to follow.
I had thought the full moon would give me enough strength to defeat that repellent creature. But there was something unsettling about his scent, strength….
Before I could process my thoughts, I dropped to the ground. My legs shook, my breathing became shallow. Something cold spread from the bite, making my body feel heavy and weak.
I knew what it meant.
A vampire's bite was fatal to a werewolf.
I tried to stand, but my legs gave out. I fell onto the dirt, my vision blurring. My heartbeat slowed, then sped up again. I tried to shift, to move.
Nothing worked. The cold kept spreading and then, the forest faded into black