Kyle's POV
I pressed my fingers against the skin where the bite had been. Hard, then harder. Nothing, no pain, no tenderness. Just like normal.
My breath came shallow.
That wasn't possible.
A vampire's bite didn't fade. It didn't heal. It poisoned the blood, shut the body down, and killed you slowly if it didn't do it fast. I had seen it happen. I had buried wolves because of it.
I pulled the rest of the bandage away and checked my shoulder, my chest. Everything was the same. No wound, no scar.
My heart started racing.
I moved carefully at first, expecting the pain to hit me again. It didn't. I rolled my shoulders, took a deeper breath. My lungs worked just fine.
I swung my legs off the bed and stood.
My body didn't protest.
No dizziness, no weakness, no shaking.
I was fine.
I paced the room, trying to make sense of it. Nothing added up. I shouldn't even be standing. I should be dead, or at least barely breathing.
I went to the door and knocked once.
No response.
I knocked again, louder. "Hey."
Footsteps shifted outside.
"Be quiet," someone snapped. "Sit down."
"I'm healed," I said. "Open the door."
A pause.
Then, "Piss off rogue."
I let out a sharp breath through my nose. "You can come see for yourself."
Silence again.
They weren't going to open it.
That was when the restlessness hit. My skin felt tight, like it didn't fit right. My muscles hummed with energy, every instinct telling me the same thing.
Move.
I stepped back from the door and focused.
The shift came easily unlike before.
My body folded into itself, bones adjusting, fur spreading over skin. When I landed on all fours, I was balanced and much stronger than before.
I didn't stop to think about that.
I lowered my shoulder and slammed into the door.
The wood cracked.
I hit it again. The hinges gave way, and the door burst open with a sharp crack just as voices rose outside.
"Hey—!"
I ran.
The corridor was narrow, but my body moved without hesitation. I followed scent and instinct, turning when it felt right, taking stairs four at a time. Some of the wolves followed me, but none of them were close enough.
Cold air hit my face as I burst outside.
The forest.
I didn't slow down.
Trees blurred past as I ran, paws tearing through dirt and leaves. My lungs burned not from strain, but from the speed. I had never moved like this before.
Behind me, the air shifted.
I felt a familiar presence running after me.
I didn't need to look back to know who it was.
The Alpha.
I pushed harder, muscles stretching, speed climbing. The distance between us should have grown.
It didn't.
From the corner of my vision, a dark shape moved through the trees, matching me stride for stride.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
He wasn't chasing to catch me.
He was chasing to see how fast I could run.
As much as I wanted out, the chase was exhilarating…..because I could feel his strength behind me, pulling something awake in my body.