As Lucian and Lily's footsteps left, an eerie silence fell over the basement. Samantha watched anxiously as the remaining vampires huddled together, their faces etched with hunger and fear. Marcus paced back and forth, his eyes darting between his coven mates and the bound form of Jake.
"We need to stay calm," Marcus said, his voice strained. "Lucian will return with blood soon. We just need to hold on a little longer."
But Samantha could sense the change in the air. The vampires' eyes grew more feral with each passing minute. Their fangs lengthened, and their fingers curled into claw-like shapes.
Dmitri was the first to break. He let out a guttural growl, his eyes wild and unfocused. "I can't... I can't control it," he gasped, before lunging at Isadora.
Marcus intervened, pulling Dmitri back. "Fight it!" he shouted. "You're stronger than this!"
