Kelsey stood over Awa, his breath quickening, his chest heaving with excitement. The blood on his claws glistened under the moonlight, rich and dark. He lifted his hand to his mouth, his tongue flicking out to taste the crimson fluid that now coated his fingers. As soon as the blood touched his tongue, his eyes widened in shock.
Delicious.
A low, guttural growl rumbled in his throat, and an almost feverish look arose in his eyes. "What is this?" he muttered to himself, licking his claws with growing desperation. "I've never tasted anything like this before." The flavor—intoxicating, electric—sent shivers down his spine. He wanted more, craved it. His senses were on fire, driven mad by the taste of Awa's blood.
His gaze flicked back to Awa's prone form lying on the ground, the gash across her chest still fresh and bleeding. She was fragile, helpless, and the fear in her wide eyes was palpable. A sick grin stretched across Kelsey's face as he bent over her, his sharp claws hovering just above her skin.
"You know," he said, his voice low and thick with twisted pleasure, "if you become my woman, I'll let you live. I could even make you stronger, Awa." He leaned closer, his breath hot against her skin. "I can turn you into a werewolf, although forbidden, but it can save you from this pitiful human fate. What do you say? Wouldn't you rather live with me, bound to the power of the moon, than die here alone?"
He looked into her eyes, expecting to see fear, maybe even submission. But Awa's expression had changed. She wasn't trembling anymore; she wasn't pleading for her life. Instead, she had closed her eyes, her face calm, as if deep in thought, contemplating her options.
Is she actually considering it?
Kelsey's mind raced as he watched her, but what he didn't know was that Awa wasn't thinking of him. She wasn't contemplating his disgusting offer. No, her thoughts were far from the rooftop, far from Kelsey and his twisted desires.
In that moment of desperation, with the smell of blood still thick in the air, Awa's mind drifted to Forrest. His cold eyes, his strong, silent presence. The way he seemed to exude power without even trying. She closed her eyes tighter, imagining Forrest in that moment, his face replacing Stanley's in her memories, as if he were the one pulling her close in those intimate moments. The thought of Forrest—mysterious and handsome—stirred something deep inside her, something powerful.
Her heart started to pound, thundering in her chest like a stampede of wild horses. The feeling was intoxicating, a surge of warmth that coursed through her veins. Her breath quickened, her body responding to the mental image of Forrest in ways she couldn't explain. She imagined him closer, his hands on her, his lips near hers. Her face grew hot, and she could feel the heat spreading through her entire body.
What Kelsey saw was far different from what was happening in her mind. To him, Awa's closed eyes were an act of submission, a sign that she was surrendering to him. And then, inexplicably, blood began to drip from her nose—a slow, steady trickle that caught Kelsey's attention.
"What the hell?" Kelsey muttered, watching as Awa's nose bled. He frowned, confused by the sight. What was happening? He had barely touched her face, as she still needed to look good for him to get in the mood. His confusion deepened when he saw her chest rise and fall in rapid, uneven breaths. He didn't understand it—didn't know that the very thought of Forrest had ignited something inside her.
But something else was happening that Kelsey couldn't see. Awa's heart was no longer just racing—it was pounding with a strength and rhythm that felt supernatural. And with each beat, she felt a surge of power unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
Thump.
Her veins burned with intensity.
Thump.
Her limbs tingled, her fingertips alive with energy.
Thump.
Her eyes snapped open, glowing a vivid, unnatural red.
Kelsey took a step back, his arrogant grin faltering as he stared at her. "What the—what's wrong with your eyes?" His voice trembled with uncertainty, the confidence draining from his posture. Awa's pupils glowed like hot coals, piercing the darkness around them, and her entire presence seemed to shift, to darken. She no longer looked like a helpless victim.
Before Kelsey could react, Awa moved—her body surging with newfound strength. Her hand shot forward with unnatural speed, her nails elongating into sharp claws, and with a swift, precise motion, she plunged her hand into Kelsey's stomach.
The impact was immediate. Her claws tore through his flesh, her hand breaking through the skin and muscle, ripping into him and emerging from his back. Kelsey's eyes went wide in shock, a guttural scream tearing from his throat as the pain hit him like a sledgehammer.
His body jerked back, and he staggered, clutching his abdomen where Awa had impaled him. Blood poured from the wound, soaking his skin and dripping onto the concrete.
Awa stood, her eyes still glowing, her hand slick with Kelsey's blood. She watched him, feeling a strange sense of calm wash over her. This power—it was intoxicating. The pain in her own body seemed to fade as the strength coursed through her, growing with every moment. She hadn't just fought back. She had won.
Kelsey stumbled backward, his hands pressed against his stomach, desperately trying to hold in the blood that poured from the wound. His confidence, his cruelty—all of it vanished in an instant. He let out a choked cry, his face contorting in disbelief. "What the hell are you?" he gasped, his voice weak and shaking.
But Awa didn't answer. Her gaze dropped to her blood-soaked hand, her fingers trembling with the aftershocks of violence. Her mind buzzed, her senses heightened. And then, without thinking, without hesitation, she lifted her hand to her mouth.
Kelsey watched in horror as Awa licked the blood from her fingers. The taste—Kelsey's blood—hit her like a bolt of electricity, flooding her mind with clarity and purpose. It was unlike anything she had ever tasted before, rich and full of life. Her body shuddered with the impact, her senses sharpening with every drop she consumed.
She looked at Kelsey, who stared at her with wide, panicked eyes, his mouth hanging open in shock.
"Now I know what smells so good," Awa said, her voice calm but laced with dark satisfaction. She smiled, her lips curling as she licked the remaining blood from her hand, savoring the taste. "It's your blood."
Kelsey's face drained of color as he took another step back, fear now etched into every line of his body. He had never seen anything like this before, never faced a human who could fight back—and win.