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Running my hand down my stomach, a swell of satisfaction overtook me. Even with my belly full, I could still have more. Allowing myself to indulge in my primal senses, I scooped up another bag. Raising it to my mouth, my fangs pierced the tender synthetic skin. I savored the pop as the seal gave way. I swear a moan left me as my fingers squeezed every last drop of its contents dry.

I was on my sixth one, without slowing my pace, when the door swung open behind me. Instantly, I shifted, turning to face whoever had arrived. Bomani entered the apartment first, still in his usual attire of black slacks tied neatly with drawstrings. He tipped his head in my direction as he crossed the room and sat on the edge of my bed.

“Look at you, feeding like a true vampire,” he teased lightly.

Chuckling, I nodded. “Full-on Dracula right now. Instead of some pretty little human, I've just got these.” I ran a hand along my bloodstained lips. “No super charm needed.”

Kleitos came in after, laughing as he closed the door behind Bomani. He returned to the chair across from me and casually took another bag from the metal plate. “I’ve always wondered which one of these little ones inspired that old tale. The human realm is so observant, yet never quite in the right state of mind to accept the small truths.” He tore open another bag as he spoke, shaking his head like he was chasing a stray thought away. “Once I finish these off here,” he continued, glancing down at the remaining blood bag on the heated tray, “I want to head to the Night District. That’s where your mate said she saw them last. So best to be there.”

Nodding, I finished my final bag and finally felt that aching pool at the pit of my stomach. Tossing the soft skin aside onto the table, I looked up at Bomani. “Why are you always so quiet?”

Bomani shot me a pearly-white smile and shrugged. “What can I say? I’m more observant than loquacious. Would you prefer me to talk more?” he teased, his tone light and playful.

Returning his smile with my own, I said. “I’d like to get to know you. You seem like someone worth knowing. If you’ll let me.” I meant it, too. From the first night we met, he’d intrigued me. How did a beast like him end up bound to Arianna? She barely came up to his chest, yet he followed her without hesitation. If it wasn’t because they were bonded, then what did she have over him? These questions had spun in my head since the moment I first saw them together, but I’d never had the chance to ask. He was either in his hyena form… or under Arianna’s watchful shadow.

“What would you like to know?” His voice was deep but free of hostility; the words weighted in a way that made me lean in.

“Why are you in the vampire realm? Arianna said you both came from your own world. Is that… the underworld?”

Bomani’s head tilted slightly at my question. For a beat, he didn’t answer. His eyes flicked to Kleitos, then back to me, as if measuring how much he wanted to share. His fingers worked idly through the coils of his beard. “Fall—” he caught himself, his jaw tightening before he corrected, “I mean, Arianna, came here about seventy years ago. It was right after she’d taken her last sibling’s life… and she was drunk on power. And grief.” The air seemed to thicken with the weight of his words. “I’d met her before she had all that energy,” he went on, his voice quieter now. “She was a nurse during the war. Her eldest brother fought alongside me…” He stopped abruptly, his gaze dropping, as he’d said too much. A beat of silence passed. Then, with a small shake of his head, he straightened. “I’ll tell you more another time. For now, we should be moving. No sense wasting the night while we have it.” He stood from the bed, The shift in his energy was as deliberate as closing a door.

Kleitos had already finished off the remaining five bags from the heated plate. The table was littered with their empty skins, crumpled and glistening with streaks of crimson. Rising to his feet beside Bomani, he gave a short nod. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Following their lead, I snagged my cloak from the dresser. With practiced ease, I swung the fabric over my shoulders and pulled the hood low, shadowing my eyes. Bomani held the door for us, and I slipped in step behind Kleitos as we moved into the hall. It closed quietly behind us, and the three of us descended the stairs to the lobby.

Angelique was perched behind the wooden counter, her fiery hair pinned into a bun the size of a melon, stray tendrils curling loose to frame her face. Her corset-style dress mirrored the deep forest greens of the inn’s décor, though tonight her white tunic had been traded for a rich, earthy brown. She looked like the embodiment of a forest in spring. “Are you all coming back?” she called as we passed.

Kleitos halted at the door, forcing us to stop with him. He turned to face her fully, his smile polite yet laced with mischief. “I thought we agreed I’d let you rob me willingly, in exchange for you not asking how long I’ll be staying?”

Scoffing, she rolled her eyes, planting a hand on her hip. “That’s not what I’m doing. I’m gauging if I need to send housekeeping up before you return.”

He pursed his lips, then gave a single nod. “In that case, yes, send one. Have someone feed my steed out back. We’re traveling on foot tonight.” She returned his nod without another word. Kleitos turned back to the door and swung it open. A rush of winter air barreled through the doorway, cold enough to bite through my cloak. A shiver ran through me as I stepped out into the night, crossing the threshold into the frozen dark. I couldn’t help but feel, standing beneath the aurora borealis lights, that my life in Eari was shifting. Something in the air, cold and bright, whispered that nothing would ever be the same.

Kleitos didn’t give instructions once we stepped outside. The moment his boots met the crisp crunch of fresh snow, he tore through the frosted sheet like lightning. Even in human form, Bomani matched his pace, their twin trails streaking into the distance. For a second, I stood in momentary shock at the inn’s entrance. I wasn’t used to running like this in public. I only explored that side of myself with Valentina. A few people lingered near the entry, their eyes tracking the blur of Kleitos and Bomani vanishing into the night.

I didn’t give myself more than a heartbeat before launching after them. The cold air whipped against my face as I closed the gap, my hand stretching subtly to the side. A current of wind slipped from my palm, sweeping over our path, erasing the heavy footprints we left behind.

The forest was just as alive tonight as it had been the night before. The air crackled with the pulse of wildlife hidden behind the long shadows cast by the silver lanterns lining the trail. Their light flickered in and out, revealing only brief flashes of fur, antlers, and eyes watching from the dark.

The path soon began to climb, spiraling up the side of a mountain. Carriages rolled past us in the opposite direction, wheels groaning over the packed snow. We kept close to the edge, where the road narrowed, and the rock walls rose high above us. Shapes emerged from the stone: carvings of a woman etched deep into the mountainside. They were fleeting at this pace, but I caught enough to know they told a story. Someday, I’d come back to study them.

The climb ended as abruptly as it began, and we descended into the basin on the other side. That’s when the lights of the city bloomed across the horizon, spilling like gold into the dark. At its center loomed a statue as tall as the Christ in Rio. A towering woman of rusted metal stood at the city's center. Her figure swelled with child, and sorrow seemed etched into every fold of the weathered metal. She was the same woman as in the carvings, the same as the statues in our inn room. Only now, she was monumental, watching over the city with a grief that felt timeless.

Following behind Kleitos, we reached the city’s edge. Narrow timber and stone buildings rose from the cemented roads. The light here was scarce, just as on the trail that led us in, leaving shadows to creep and curl between the structures like living things. The streets themselves were paved in stone, but every wall, doorframe, and beam was wood. If fire ever touched this place, it would all go up in smoke.

Moving toward the city’s heart, we followed the looming figure of the statue overhead. The closer we drew, the more her magnitude dwarfed us. Cold rippled down my spine as I wondered, was this Ameega herself? The city bore her name… Would they truly give her such a place of honor?

The group slowed to a halt in the central square. The streets were alive with movement, crowded with people walking arm in arm or weaving through narrow lanes. None of them looked older than twenty in appearance, yet there was a sharpness in their eyes that spoke of something much older. Women wore corseted dresses layered beneath wool jackets, while the men moved in worn tunics and heavy cloaks. Nothing was extravagant, no silks, no jewels, just the warmth of necessity. The air carried its own perfume, a mingling of scents swirling together until they became something singular. If I had focused, I might have separated each one… but there was too much to take in. Too many faces. Too much activity packed into one place. For now, I let the city itself overwhelm me.

In a low voice, Kleitos said, “Welcome to Ameega, Alex.” His smile was faint but warm as he patted my back, looping his arm around mine to pull me into his side. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned Bomani closer until the three of us stood in a tight huddle. “I think it’s best we stick together for these searches,” Kleitos murmured. “I don’t want anyone caught off guard by one of these Elgutos.”

Bomani’s voice was strained but quiet. “I can search on my own. Feels like it’d be a better use of our time.”

“I don’t disagree that it could be faster, lad,” Kleitos replied evenly, his gaze locking on Bomani’s. “But after the massacre, my dear son’s mate, and your master, left in this city, it’s wiser to keep close. If we can prevent any more innocent blood from spilling tonight, we should.”

Kleitos’ voice smoothed over resistance before it had the chance to grow. Bomani’s brows knit together for a moment at the request but then relaxed. Cracking his neck with a slow roll, he nodded. “I see your point. No sense moving with brute force if strategy will do. I’m in.”

I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me, but if you think sticking together is best, then let’s. Where do we start?” My gaze swept the courtyard. The streets were crowded with Elguto, each one carrying a scent just different enough from the next to make my head spin.