The car hummed quietly as they left Eleanor's property, the evening shadows stretching across the road. Samantha sat in the passenger seat, hyper-aware of Marcus's presence behind the wheel and Kai behind her. The tension in the car was almost tangible, thick enough that even a human would notice it.
Marcus's expression was unreadable in her peripheral view, his centuries-old poker face perfectly in place. His hands gripped the steering wheel with unnecessary force - vampires didn't need to hold things that tightly. In the rearview mirror, Samantha could see Kai sprawled in the back seat, unusually quiet, staring out the window as the forest blurred past.
