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By evening, my eyes were heavy with fatigue, yet my mind remained ablaze with the enthusiasm of discovery. As I prepared to do more work, a knock on my locked door interrupted my solitary pursuit.
The Sheriff stood outside, his expression a mix of weariness and resignation. "Special Agent Evelyn, we need to talk."
With a reluctant sigh, I allowed him entry, bracing myself for the conversation that awaited. He was about to come and try to brainwash me but I wasn’t going down without a fight.
***
At around 9 p.m., I started waking up slowly. The room was dark, with just a sliver of light peeking through the curtains I hadn't completely closed. I still had a lot of work to do on this case. Feeling the need for a change of clothes and the comfort of a real bed, I decided to step outinto the night. I would head back to my hotel and get a proper night's rest. The station’s couch was getting more uncomfortable each night, and whoever was waiting for me out there would have probably moved on.
My brain needed a reset after surviving on coffee and enduring the discomfort of that crampy couch for three consecutive days. Though an officer had kindly offered to drop me off at my hotel this evening, I declined. I didn't want anything from them. If they were going to continue treating me like an outcast, I felt it was better if I maintained my independence. Besides, the hotel wasn’t too far from the police station, and the presence of patrolling officers provided some assurance.
The night enveloped me, a blanket of shadows that mirrored the opacity of the town's secrets. The distant hum of the city became the soundtrack to my solitary journey, a steady rhythm against the sound of my footsteps on the pavement.
As I neared the halfway mark, a prickling sensation crawled up my spine, a subtle alert that I wasn't alone. Glancing over my shoulder, I scanned the empty street, seeking confirmation of the unease that tingled in the air. The silence was broken only by the distant sounds of the city, and the dim glow of streetlights cast long, eerie shadows. Every step felt like a deliberate march into the unknown, and the mysteries of Harmony Grove seemed to echo in the stillness of the night.
I increased my speed, the steady tapping of my shoes echoing the rapid thumping of my heart. Shadows played tricks around me, making the darkness feel more ominous and heightening my vulnerability. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine as I pushed myself to walk even faster. I could hear footsteps behind me, although no one seemed to be there.
The pursuing footsteps echoed persistently, bridging the gap between me and an unseen threat. Panic clawed at the edges of myconsciousness as I fumbled for the reassurance that my firearm typically provided. A sudden realization froze me in my tracks—I had left it behind in the chaos of the police station.
Dread coiled in my stomach, an unwelcome companion to the mounting fear. The weight of the unknown pressed against me, a force sending chills down my spine. Each step became a desperate plea for escape, the shadows closing in as the intruder narrowed the distance.
In the ominous silence surrounding us, the echo of my hurried breathing competed with the thud of my racing heart. A dim streetlight flickered overhead, casting erratic shadows that seemed to mock my vulnerability.
As I turned a corner, the narrow alley swallowed me whole, the oppressive darkness obliterating any hint of escape. The footsteps behind me quickened, their menacing cadence amplifying my desperation. Fear gripped my throat, constricting my ability to vocalize the mounting panic within.
I hurriedly approached the hotel, hoping to shake off the unsettling sensation. Yet, the footsteps behind me hastened, echoing with ominous intent. Instincts heightened, an internal alarm signalling potential danger.
I increased my pace, persistence outweighing fear, a shadow materialized beside me, and a sudden scream tore through the quiet night.
My heart pounded in my chest as I spun around, eyes widening with alarm. The figure that had been tailing me now stood before me, shrouded in darkness. The scream had been my own, a raw release of fear and terror, shattered the stillness of the night.
CHAPTER 11 | THE REVELATION
ALEXEI’S POV
Istill had a lot of convincing to do here in Harmony Grove, and letting the agent declare the curfew only meant one thing: she would be trespassing on the most important right the vampires in Harmony Grove have. The vampire Council won't like that. In fact, they would do their best to bring her down.
Agent Evelyn is not wrong, she just lets her passion for humanity override her decision, which would have been great in a sane place that doesn't have blood-thirsty supernaturals. My sister was still missing, and now being the Mayor meant I had been tasked with protecting the humaninvestigator too. She was about to unknowingly set off a chain of events that even she couldn't control, and I had to stop her.
The Sheriff had told me she had been spending the nights in the police station, so I picked up my car keys and made my way there. There would be few police officers in the station now, especially since many officers were out patrolling to limit the options of the killer.
When I got in, I pushed open the door of her office. Her things were still sprawled over the desk, but the woman herself was missing, and somehow, I knew she wasn't in another part of the station. I returned to reception to speak to the officer on duty.
"Where is Special Agent Evelyn?" I asked, and she yawned before answering me. Everyone is tired, but we can't afford to rest, at least not now that our lives could be snatched at any time.
"She left like a minute or two ago; she wants to sleep in her bed today. Poor woman"
I nodded in appreciation before deciding to walk the same path. The hotel she was staying at wasn't far from here, and I knew I would catch up with her very soon. I broke into a slow jog, with my thoughts everywhere.
A loud scream interrupted my jog, and the voice sounded like it belonged to a woman. I started running inhumanly fast in the direction of the scream. Turning a dimly lit corner, an unsettling scene unfolded before my eyes. Agent Evelyn was being choked by a hooded person. Panic surged through me as I recognized the imminent threat to her safety.
Without hesitation, I sprang into action, driven by my primal instinct to protect her. The shadows embraced my form as I closed the distance, fangs bared, and senses attuned to the impending confrontation.
The hooded figure tightened its hold on Agent Evelyn, her struggle against the unknown adversary etched in the desperation of her movements.
Launching myself at the assailant, a guttural growl escaped my throat. Fangs extended, I sank them into the hooded figure's neck, tearing through flesh with visceral ferocity. The metallic taste of blood saturated my senses as the assailant writhed in pain, my actions fueled by an unrelenting desire to protect Agent Evelyn.
The struggle reached its climax; the assailant's grip on Agent Evelyn loosened as the life force drained from their body. My focus shifted entirely to Agent Evelyn, whose terrified gaze met mine as the hooded threat crumbled.
