Page 35 of Bitten Shifter (The Bitten Chronicles #1)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Everyone in the room turns to look at me. Weapons are drawn, and the shifters instinctively form a protective barrier around Merrick and me. It’s almost comical—the notion of guarding against a vampire that fast. He is long gone, but their instincts won’t let them relax.

I keep my eyes on the screen, watching until the vampire leaves. He places something on the arm of the sofa, then blurs through the hallway and out the main doors. In a flash, he’s gone. I stop the recording and turn off the TV.

“I’ve sent the footage to the war room server,” I say, my voice tight.

“Is this the vampire who came to the Facility? The one hunting you?” Merrick asks.

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“I have his scent,” Riker says from behind me, his voice low and grim.

The shifters exchange uneasy glances. Even they look rattled, and I don’t blame them. The Alpha Prime’s mate is being stalked by a psychopathic vampire. Human First decided to toy with me, and he responded by wiping them out in a gruesome bloodbath.

It’s a message. A warning.

I feel hollow and cold, as though all the blood in my body has drained away. My mouth is dry, and my heart pounds so hard it feels as though it might crack my ribs. Exhaustion drags at me, but it’s the smell that pushes me over the edge.

The scent of raw, mutilated human flesh is suffocating. My head spins. The shifters might be able to tolerate it, but I’m not built for this. It’s too much.

It’s way too much.

“What did he leave?” someone asks, breaking the tension.

Riker steps carefully through the carnage, his boots squelching on the blood-slick floor. He tilts his head, examining the object on the sofa’s arm. When his green eyes flick back to me, his expression is troubled.

“What is it?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Riker glances at Merrick. Without a word, they have an entire silent conversation—raised eyebrows, subtle nods.

Whatever it is, it’s bad.

“Two squads, take Lark back to the van,” Merrick growls.

It feels like I’m being dismissed, a child sent to bed while the adults deal with something unspeakable. Frustration flares in my chest.

“What is going on? What did he leave?” My gut churns with the certainty that this ‘gift’ is meant for me—and I’m not going to like it.

“You don’t need to see this, Lark,” Merrick says. “You are swaying on your feet. We will talk about it later.”

I frown, shaking my head, unwilling to leave.

“Trust me,” he says, locking his gaze onto mine.

Trust him. I force myself to nod. I don’t want to undermine him in front of his people. “Okay. Later,” I say, my voice hollow.

With a final glance at Merrick, I follow the four shifters assigned to escort me out, another four trailing close behind. Riker catches up quickly, falling into step beside me as we head back to the van. Human authorities arrive just as we round the corner, their vehicles flooding the street. I’m relieved to be leaving the chaos behind.

Inside the van, my thoughts spiral as I shrug off the heavy jacket and place it across my lap like a weighted blanket.

“What did you see, Riker?” I ask quietly.

He does not answer immediately, his jaw tight as he stares out the window.

“Riker, please. What did you see?”

He glances at me, lips pressing into a thin line. “We will talk about it later,” he says, tone evasive.

“Tell me now,” I insist, my voice trembling. “Please.”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “There was a driving licence.”

“A driving licence?” My brow furrows. “Whose?”

He hesitates, shoulders stiffening. When he finally looks at me, his expression is resigned. “Lark,” he says softly, “it was Paul’s.”

“Oh.” The word escapes me in a whisper. “Do you think the vampire got him?”

Riker shrugs. “Probably.”

The vampire wouldn’t have Paul’s driving licence if he hadn’t taken him. “So that’s where he went. He didn’t just run off. He was taken, or he is already dead.” Bloody Paul.

I stare at the van’s ceiling, my mind spinning. The vampire went after Human First because they abducted me, messed with his hunt, and ruined his fun. He went after Paul because he gave them my name. Is this vampire clearing my slate of enemies, or is he simply enjoying the carnage?

I don’t know, and I don’t want to try to understand the mind of a serial killer.

“Do we know who he is? The vampire?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady despite my frayed nerves.

Riker looks at me carefully, jaw tightening. “Not yet. But we will. We have got pictures, and I’ve got his scent. He won’t stay hidden for long.”

I nod, locking away the chaos swirling inside me. I’m not sure how to feel. Paul is no longer my responsibility; he gave up that right when he betrayed me with Dove and sold me out to Human First.

What he has done is unforgivable. Is he even worth saving?

No, he’s not.

Yet guilt cuts through me like a blade. I don’t know if I can live with myself if I let him suffer and die. Unlike Paul, I can’t lie, cheat, or switch off my emotions at will. Even though I hate him for what he did, a tiny, broken, and battered part of me will always care.

“What will Merrick do?”

Riker exhales through his nose, shoulders lowering slightly. “This is tied to you, so Merrick will go after the vampire. Not to save your ex,” he adds, meeting my gaze. “Merrick couldn’t care less about him. But he will do it for you—to keep you safe. He knows that if anything happens to Paul, it will hurt you. And hurting you? That’s not something Merrick will allow.”

He knows Merrick so well.

I pull the heavy coat tighter around me, trying to quell the trembling in my hands. “Why is this so hard?” I whisper.

Riker’s demeanour shifts, sympathy crossing his face. “Because you’re a good person, Lark. You care, even when you don’t want to.”

I bite my bottom lip, holding back a surge of emotion.

“We will figure this out,” he continues. “We will find out who this vampire is, where he’s hiding. And then we will sort it—if you give us the chance.”

I nod, my throat too tight for words. “Thank you,” I manage after a moment, my voice hoarse.

Leaning my head against the cool window, I close my eyes and let myself shut down, piece by piece, until there’s nothing left but the muted thrum of my heartbeat.