A chill crept down my spine as an uncontrollable urge seized my body. Valerie collapsed before my eyes, and my vision went red. These bloodsuckers had found us, but they would not leave us alive. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I launched myself at our attacker with preternatural speed. My teeth sank into the vampire's neck before I knew what I was doing. Warm, sweet blood gushed into my mouth, more delicious than I could have imagined. I clamped down, determined not to release my iron grip until the monster was no more. Its struggles weakened beneath me as I drained every last drop. The other vampires looked on in horror as their companion perished. My tongue probed my mouth and I winced, startled by the sharp points of my canines. In that moment everything felt surreal. I didn't know what had happened.

My heart raced as I gazed across the room and saw expressions of shock and horror spreading across their faces. Confusion clouded my mind as I struggled to understand what was happening. Slowly, I lowered my eyes, and to my dismay, I saw that my normal nails had transformed into glass-like talons. A scream of terror escaped my lips before I could stop it. Just then, I heard hurried footsteps, and Ivailo burst into the room, his golden eyes widening at the bizarre scene before him. As all eyes turned to me, I trembled uncontrollably, desperate to understand how I had become this monster. The silence was deafening as we all stared at one another, the tension hanging thick in the air.

The gang of vampires, once intent on destroying every last werewolf, now seemed obsessed with only me. Their eyes glowed crimson as they swarmed in my direction, their movements a blur of speed. I stood frozen, my mind blank with terror.

Suddenly, an exquisitely handsome man with moon-pale skin grasped my arm, his firm grip like marble. His hypnotic scarlet eyes gazed into mine, filled with compassion. "Come with me," he urged in a musical voice, attempting to whisk me away to safety.

The sharp teeth of Ivailo's wolf form tore through the vampire's arm as if it were made of soft marshmallow fluff, not flesh and bone. I gasped in shock as warm blood sprayed across my face. Before the dismembered arm could hit the ground, Ivailo was at my side, grasping me protectively in his arms.

"Don't you dare lay another finger on her!" he growled, fangs bared and hackles raised. With a fierce howl, he signaled his pack to attack. Wolves of all colors and sizes emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with rage. With snarls and snaps of powerful jaws, they descended upon the vampires. The night erupted into chaos as the two supernatural forces collided in a frenzy of claws, teeth, and blood.

I was whisked away through the twisting caverns of the cave, led by Ivailo down corridors I had never explored before. We arrived in a small chamber, sparse except for a simple bed and a few candles flickering on crude stone shelves. This must be where Ivailo retreated to rest between battles. He gently laid me down on the coarse woolen blankets covering his bed, his calloused hands surprisingly tender. "Wait here," he murmured, his brow furrowed with concern. Then with a swirl of his cloak he was gone, returning to the ongoing fight raging elsewhere in the caves. I stared up at the cracked stone ceiling, listening to the faint echoes of combat, wondering what fate awaited us. Though the room was chill and foreign, I felt comforted and protected knowing Ivailo had brought me to his own private sanctuary.

I sucked in a long breath, gathering myself before analyzing the strange changes to my body that had materialized out of thin air. My tongue darted out, lapping the warm, metallic blood from my skin. With each drop, vigor surged through my veins, invigorating me. It was as if I had shape-shifted into a vampire. But how could that be when I knew next to nothing about those mythical creatures of the night? My mind raced, struggling to make sense of it all. Every one of my senses felt heightened and alive, from my sharpened vision that pierced the darkness to my sensitive hearing that detected sounds no human ears could. I was no longer just an ordinary girl. Power and instinct thrummed through me, though I had no clue how to control or understand them. All I could do was accept that something supernatural had unlocked this new side of me.