Chapter 2

"Hi there! Please sign in here to donate—"

I had barely parked and opened the back doors when five beefy, intimidating men piled into the van.

"Please form a line. One at a time, guys," I said politely.

"Just you by yourself, sweet cheeks?" a burly man with a nasty scar across his face asked, towering over me.

I gave a dumb nod.

Before I could blink, Scarface pulled a knife and pressed the cold blade against my throat. He gestured to the other four, who immediately slammed the van's windows shut and pulled the blinds.

What the hell?! A robbery?!

Before I could scream, another man slipped through the door. He looked completely different from the five thugs—much more refined. A stylish scarf covered the lower half of his face, he carried a slightly worn leather case, and a beautifully detailed silver wolf-fang pendant hung over his chest.

"Wait... are you guys robbing this place?" He stopped dead in his tracks, clearly bewildered by the crowd inside.

"You're not with them?" I asked, equally stunned.

"Tie them both up!" Scarface barked.

Within seconds, the mysterious guy and I were bound tight and tossed onto the floor at the back of the van. We stared at each other, utterly bewildered.

The kidnappers took over the driver's seat. The engine roared, and my freshly parked van sped off into the night toward parts unknown.

Talk about a plot twist. One second I was daydreaming about my delicious first taste of fresh blood, and the next, I was tied up like a Thanksgiving turkey next to a stranger in my own damn van.

I looked at the guy next to me. Even with his face half-covered, his sharp, striking eyes and dark brows practically screamed "stunningly handsome."

Since appreciating beauty is a basic human—and vampire—right, I decided to strike up a conversation.

"So... did you actually come here to donate blood?"

"...Are you actually a nurse?"

"Do I not look like one?" I mused, suddenly self-conscious. Had he seen through my disguise instantly?

"Not even close."

"Ouch. Fair enough."

"Don't you have any powers? How did you let yourself get captured so easily?"

My eyes widened. "Who the hell are you?"

The man mirrored my shocked expression. "You seriously don't know who I am?!"

"...Are you supposed to be famous?" I rolled my eyes.

"You've never heard of Van Helsing?"

Even with his hands bound behind his back, he managed to tilt his head, showing off his flawlessly chiseled profile. I realized we were probably close in age—he looked like he was in his early twenties. His skin was pale, almost translucent, with faint blue veins mapping beneath.

"Sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it."

"Unbelievable. Who gave you the Embrace? How have they not warned you about me?"

I deliberately ignored his first question. Before I left, Jasper had strictly warned me never to bring him up.

"Do you have a normal name? Maybe I'll recognize that."

"Vincent."

"...Nope, doesn't ring a bell."

Vincent's face darkened.

The van tore down the road. After a sharp turn, we realized we were far from the city. We were deep in the wilderness, surrounded by dense, towering trees, the moonlight flickering through the canopy as we sped past.

"What are you two whispering about back there?" one of the kidnappers barked, kicking Vincent's leg. "Shut up!"

Vincent's jaw clenched, his expression turning downright murderous. But he kept quiet, slowly scooting closer to me.

"What's your power?" he whispered directly into my ear.

"What power?" I asked, instantly on guard.

"Stop playing dumb. I know you vampires all have some sort of supernatural gift. What's yours?"

"I... I don't know! You don't awaken your power until you've tasted human blood!" I hissed back in frustration. Who could have predicted my flawless plan would get hijacked like this?

"How long have you been a vampire? And you've never tasted human blood?"

I nodded. "Not that long. But synthetic blood bags are so good these days, almost no one risks going after humans anymore..."

"So you decided to take matters into your own hands? Renting a blood drive van on Halloween... I have to hand it to you, that's insanely creative." He sighed. "Though technically, it's highly illegal."

I shrugged and gestured to our kidnappers with my chin. "Well, I didn't actually get to break the law, did I? You brought that case with you—can't you do something?"

"If I had a way out right now, would I be asking about your superpower?" Vincent sighed. He pulled his scarf down, fully revealing his stunning face. He leaned closer to me, an expression of grim determination on his face. "Do it."

"Do what?"

"Drink my blood. Let's make a bet. If your power awakens and it's actually useful, we might just get out of this."

"Are you serious?"

"Ask again and I'm changing my mind," he muttered, tilting his head back to expose the pale, smooth line of his throat.

I swallowed hard, let my fangs slide out, and bit down.