112

Jenny’s POV

I’ve always liked the nighttime, the way the darkness blankets the world and makes everything feel a little more alive. Maybe that’s why I’ve always been drawn to danger, to the excitement of living on the edge. But nothing—not all the parties, the hookups, or even being with Jacob, a vampire, could’ve prepared me for the terror that gripped me now.

I was in the back of a car, bound, gagged, and blindfolded. My heart raced, thudding so hard in my chest that it felt like it would break free. My wrists hurt from the tight ropes cutting into them, and my body ached from the rough handling. Whoever had grabbed me had done it fast—too fast for me to even scream.

Jacob would notice I was missing. He had to. But how long would it take? And what would they do to me in the meantime?

The car jolted to a stop, and I was yanked out. My legs buckled beneath me, and I fell to the ground, the gravel biting into my knees. Rough hands pulled me up, and my blindfold was ripped away.

I blinked against the harsh light, trying to adjust. We were in some kind of abandoned building—a warehouse, maybe. My eyes darted around, scanning for any way out, any chance to escape. But there was nothing. Just the towering walls and the distant sound of dripping water.

And then I saw him.

The vampire.

He was tall, with slicked-back dark hair and a cruel smile that made my blood run cold. His eyes glowed with that eerie vampire light, and he moved with a grace that told me he was ancient—much older than Jacob, much more dangerous.

“Welcome, Jenny,” he said smoothly, stepping closer. “You’ve been quite the trouble for us.”

I tried to speak, to scream, but the gag in my mouth muffled my voice. He reached out, his cold fingers brushing against my cheek, and I flinched.

“Oh, don’t worry,” he murmured, leaning in closer. “You’re not going to die just yet. First, we have a little… initiation.”

My stomach twisted in fear, and I tried to pull away, but there was nowhere to go. I was trapped. Helpless.

He reached into his coat and pulled out a small vial of blood. My heart nearly stopped. I knew what this was. I’d heard enough from Jacob and Ian to understand.

Vampire blood.

“No!” I tried to scream, shaking my head, but he grinned and forced my mouth open, pouring the thick, metallic liquid down my throat.

The taste was overwhelming—cold, sharp, and ancient. It burned as it slid down, and I felt it immediately, pulsing through my veins like fire and ice at the same time.

“There we go,” the vampire said, satisfaction dripping from his voice. “Now, you just need one more thing.”

My eyes widened in terror as I realized what he meant.

He was going to kill me.

Without hesitation, he moved so fast I barely registered it. His hand shot out, gripping my throat, and with a savage growl, he snapped my neck.

The world went black.

When I woke up, everything was different.

The pain in my neck was gone, replaced by a strange numbness. My body felt light, too light, like I wasn’t completely tethered to the ground. The air was sharper, colder, and every sound was amplified—dripping water, distant footsteps, the hum of something mechanical.

I opened my eyes, and the world was clearer, sharper. But something was wrong. So, so wrong.

I wasn’t breathing.

Panic surged through me, and I shot up, gasping, clutching at my chest, but no air came. My heart wasn’t beating.

I was dead.

No, not dead. Worse.

I was turning into a vampire.

I scrambled back, my mind racing, trying to make sense of it all. I’d been fed vampire blood before I died. I was in transition now, just like Sophia had been. And there was only one way to complete it.

Human blood.

The thought made me gag, but it was more than that. It was a need, a hunger so deep and primal that I couldn’t ignore it. My throat felt like it was on fire, burning with an intensity I’d never felt before. My body screamed for blood, the hunger overtaking everything else.

I needed to feed.

The vampire who’d turned me was standing in the corner, watching me with amusement. “You’ll be feeling it soon,” he said, his voice casual. “That hunger. That need to feed.”

I glared at him, my body trembling as I fought the urge. But it was getting stronger, consuming me.

“You can’t fight it,” he said with a smirk. “It’s who you are now.”

“No…” My voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper. But even as I denied it, I felt the truth sinking in. I could feel the hunger tearing me apart.

“Sooner or later, you’ll have to give in,” he continued, stepping closer. “But don’t worry. I’ve prepared something special for you.”

He motioned, and from the shadows, a man was dragged into the room. He was gagged, tied up, and his eyes were wide with terror.

I could hear his heartbeat. Fast. Panicked. The sound was intoxicating, making my mouth water, my body lurch forward before I could stop myself.

“No,” I whispered again, but it was weaker this time. The hunger was overwhelming, clawing at me, ripping away my control.

The vampire smiled. “Go on. Drink.”

I stumbled toward the man, my entire body shaking with the effort of trying to hold myself back. But his blood—it called to me, a siren’s song I couldn’t resist no matter how hard I tried to.

I knelt beside him, my vision swimming as the hunger roared in my ears. I could smell his blood now, warm and inviting, pulsing beneath his skin.

“Just one bite,” the vampire coaxed. “And it’ll all be over.”

My hands trembled as I reached for him. I could feel the fangs pushing through my gums, sharp and deadly. I could taste his blood in the air, feel it pulling me closer and closer.

I sank my teeth into his neck.

The moment his blood hit my tongue, everything else faded away. The hunger, the fear, the pain—it all dissolved, replaced by the rush of life flowing into me. It was intoxicating, overwhelming, and I couldn’t stop. I drank deeply, my body shaking with the force of it, as though I was taking in more than just his blood—his life, his energy, his soul.

By the time I pulled away, the man was pale, unconscious.

I’d drained him dry.

I stumbled back, horrified by what I’d done, by the euphoria that still pulsed through my veins. I’d killed him. I’d fed, just like the vampire had said I would.

The vampire clapped his hands slowly, smirking. “Congratulations, Jenny. You’re one of us now.”

I stared down at my hands, still slick with blood, my mind spinning. I could feel it—the change solidifying inside me, the final piece falling into place. I was a vampire now, fully turned.

“I never wanted this,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

The vampire laughed. “No one ever does. But now, you have power. Real power.”

Power? That was the last thing I felt. All I felt was terror—terror of what I’d become, of what I’d done.

“I’ll give you time to adjust,” he said with a mocking smile. “But remember this, Jenny—you can’t run from what you are now. You’re one of us, and there’s no turning back.”

He turned and left, leaving me alone with the body of the man I’d killed, the weight of what I’d become pressing down on me.

I sank to the floor, staring at the blood on my hands, my mind spinning with the monstrosity of it all.

God.

Oh God.

I was trembling seriously, my hands shaking so fast it was barely humane. But I wasn’t human anymore.

I was a vampire.

There was no going back.

And Jacob… what would he say when he found out?

Would he hate me for what I’d become? Or would he help me survive what I had just become? I shook my head. I never asked for this, I never wanted to become this.

God.

What was I going to do?

I didn’t know. But I did know one thing—I couldn’t stay here. Not with the vampire who had turned me, not with the guilt that was eating me alive.

I had killed a man. And still…it didn’t seem to be enough. I felt like the rush that had taken over me when I had fed on the men was all gone.

I felt like I was tethering to the earth once again.

I had to find Jacob. I had to get out of here.

But first, I had to learn how to survive this hunger.