I smile slowly, letting just a hint of my fangs show. The glint of sharp teeth catches the dim light, making his eyes widen in surprise. Despite his shock, he doesn’t back down. Instead, he sneers, trying to mask his fear with bravado.
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the pounding of Angie’s heart. The sound is deafening to me, a frantic rhythm that underscores the tension in the room.
His sneer falters for a split second before he swings at me, his fist aiming straight for my face. With supernatural speed, I catch his hand in mid-air. The force of his punch is nothing to me. I squeeze his fist, feeling the bones crunch and shift beneath my grip. The sensation is familiar, a grim reminder of the strength I wield.
He screams, the sound raw and piercing, as he collapses to his knees. His face twists in agony, and sweat beads appear on his forehead. Angie’s gasp cuts through the air like a knife, and she covers her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide with shock.
“You will never touch her again,” I say, each word deliberate and cold as ice. “Do you understand?”
Hank’s face drains of color, and he nods frantically, his terror plain as day. His bravado is gone, replaced by sheer panic. I release his hand, watching unemotionally as he cradles it to his chest, whimpering like a wounded animal.
“Get out,” Christie says, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and relief. “And don’t ever come back.”
Hank scrambles to his feet and stumbles out the door, not daring to look back. The silence that follows is thick, the tension hanging in the air like a storm about to break.
Angie collapses into a chair, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “I didn’t know what to do.” She leans over, bracing her elbows on her thighs and putting her head in her hands. “I’ve been so scared. I couldn’t figure a way out.”
Christie rushes to her side, wrapping her arms around her sister. “It’s okay now. You’re safe.”
I stand back, watching them. The sight of Christie comforting Angie stirs something deep within me—a reminder of why I do what I do. Despite the darkness that comes with being a vampire, there is a light I can still bring into the world. Protecting those who cannot protect themselves, ensuring justice where there is none—that is my purpose.
Angie looks up at me, her eyes red from crying. “What are you?”
I smile softly, the human gesture feeling almost foreign to me after all these years. “A friend. And someone who cares.”
Christie looks up, her eyes filled with gratitude. “Thanks, Sloane. I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
