We made our way to the grocery store, the chill of the early morning air seeping through the car's windows. Ever the cautious one, Erin drove carefully, his eyes occasionally darting to the rearview mirror to check on Jeremy, Jessica, and me. Sitting in the middle, Blake was unusually quiet, her thoughts likely consumed by the strange and newfound hunger that coursed through her veins.

Fresh produce and baked goods wafted through the air as we entered the grocery store, mingling with the metallic tang of blood that Blake, Jeremy, and I craved. We moved in pairs, with Erin and I heading for the meat section, leaving Jessica and Blake to browse for other essentials.

Erin filled our cart with meats, choosing the freshest cuts. He glanced at me, his worry etched on his face. "We need to find a way to manage this," he whispered. "Blake, Jeremy, and you can't go on like this, hunting animals or worse."

I nodded, sharing his concern. "We have to find a solution before they lose control completely. Maybe there's someone who knows more about how to reverse it."

We rejoined Jessica and Blake, who had gathered non-blood-related groceries, attempting to maintain some normalcy. It was a delicate balance between satisfying our cravings and preserving their humanity.

As we approached Jessica and Blake, we could see the faint traces of desperation in their eyes, a hunger that couldn't be satisfied by the groceries we had in our cart. Blake's hands trembled slightly as she reached for a bag of chips, her gaze flickering towards the butcher section.

"We need to talk," Erin said, his voice low and urgent. We moved to a quieter corner of the store, away from prying ears. "We can't keep doing this, wandering around, trying to quench your thirst with regular food."

I agreed. "We have to find someone who can help us reverse this mess before the Deities find us. Maybe there's a way to control or mitigate these cravings."

Jessica interjected, her voice shaky. "I've been doing some research online, but nothing concrete. No one seems to know about this vampire hunger or if there's any way to reverse its effects."

Blake, who had been silent, finally spoke up. "I don't want to hurt anyone. I've been trying to control it, but the hunger is getting stronger."

"Just keep your head low," Erin ordered. "We don't need someone finding out they turned a Wiccan."

We finished shopping, getting enough meat for Blake, Jeremy, and I to maintain some semblance of normalcy. But as we left the grocery store, the weight of our situation hung heavy in the air. We knew that time was running out, and their hunger grew stronger daily. Our quest for answers had become a race against the inevitable, and we were determined not to lose our loved ones to our cravings.

The drive back home was tense, the silence in the car only broken by the occasional sigh or the engine's hum. The sun was now higher in the sky, casting a different shadow over our predicament. We knew we had to take action but were also painfully aware of the risks involved.

Back home, we gathered at the cabin, the groceries unpacked, but the tension was still thick. Erin and I had spent countless hours scouring the internet for any information about this mysterious virus or its effects. Still, our efforts had yielded little more than wild conspiracy theories and sensationalized stories. It seemed like we were on our own in this struggle.

"We can't keep waiting for answers that may never come," I said, breaking the silence over us. "We need to take matters into our own hands and find someone who can help us understand what's happening to Blake, Jeremy, and me."

Erin nodded in agreement. "We should start by reaching out to the Wiccan community. They might have encountered something similar or know someone who can guide us."

Jessica chimed in, her voice filled with concern. "But what if they can't help us? What if there's no way to control this hunger except turn them full fledge?"

"We won't know until we try," I replied. "And we can't just sit here and do nothing while we get worse."

Blake, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, her eyes filled with determination. "I don't want to hurt anyone, especially not my nana."

Jeremy nodded. "Me too, ironically."

My stomach growled, hungry for blood. I craved it so much that I felt like my gut and heart would rip from my chest. My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the floor, weak from starvation, but Blake drank the only blood we had left in the fridge, coating her lips, clothes, and fingernails.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Erin screeched.

"I'm starving," I wailed. My fangs yanked at my gums until they visibly plunged into my bottom lip.

"He's weak," Jeremy grumbled.

"Shut up," Jessica growled.

Erin yanked a chocolate bar from beneath his bed and tossed it my way. I ripped it open and took a soothing bite, feeling a mix of Caramel, chocolate, and peanuts melt between my fangs.

"That should keep your hunger occupied for a while, mate," Jeremy said. I nodded in response and crammed another bite down my throat.

Whatever we do, we don't bite anyone, and we don't tell Erin's father we have a bunch of bloodthirsty fledglings here on the property," Jessica's eyes flickered across the room at everyone.

"Understood," We agreed in unison. Even Erin agreed. My eyes flicked to the bed.

"Another one," I yapped through chews.

"As you wish, Your Highness," Erin said, reaching under the bed for another one. I ripped it open and sunk my teeth into it—this was the best I had right now.