As our eyes met, I became aware of the small things happening around us: the drip of rabid drool hitting the ground, the lines of blood smeared across my cheek. Then Ruth stepped back and took a breath. “Vampire!” The cry echoed off the woodshed, carrying over the rain, as Ruth turned to flee. Behind me, the rabid shrieked in response, and my vampire nature surged up with a roar. I lunged forward on instinct. Before the girl could take a single step, I was in front of her, slamming her back into the wall, fangs bared to their fullest. Ruth screamed. “Shut up!” I snarled, even as I caught myself from lunging forward, from driving my fangs into her slender throat. The vampire within howled a protest, urging me to bite, to kill. Shaking from holding myself back, I glared at her, curling my lips from my teeth. “That was you by my room last night, wasn’t it?” I demanded. “I thought I heard someone on the stairs.
