“You can go right ahead, sweetheart.” With one hand on the wheel and a small wave, the bus driver hands back your card and dismisses you to the back.

Your hand wraps around a cold metal pole as you plop down into your seat, instantly feeling the pain in your feet and lower back start to fade away.

As you fight the urge to fall asleep right then and there, a sudden fight breaks out in the window across from you. Just average werewolf behavior. You hear the bus driver tsk under her breath — not a single hint of surprise on anyone’s face.

This world — basically just a floating rock in space — who would’ve thought it was filled with people who could turn into werewolves, or so-called people who live off others’ blood… vampires.

Vampires are an ancient species. Thousands of years ago — long before the 1900s — when the barrier between the supernatural and humans broke, vampires became the rarest of all due to their harsh living conditions.

By the 2020s, scientists concluded that there were little to no vampires left. With that, the population of humans and werewolves grew so much that even the president couldn’t tell them apart anymore.

⸻

What was supposed to be a calm ride home from work ended with you running for your life. Remember that weird guy who sat all the way in the back of the bus, hood up and hands stuffed into his pockets? Yeah — that’s the same guy who had you sprinting out of the bus by the third stop, simply because you didn’t know what he’d do if he got any closer.

Fear takes over your body, causing you to run mindlessly into the forest. No Wi-Fi, no signal, not even a flashlight to help you!

Two things: One, you lost the man. Two, there was a different one behind you. Your legs slow to a stop as you spot an oddly calm man making his way toward you.

Standing at least 6 feet tall, his hair is slicked back in a way that makes every strand look perfectly placed. His eyes are low… and red? Hunger practically screams from them. With each step, the crack of his Christian Louboutins echoes underfoot.

Your breath hitches softly at the sight of him alone — a single word might’ve come out as a scream. Your heart pounds in your throat. No way. He couldn’t be…

You’re proven right, because in a matter of seconds, a sharp stinging pain shoots through your neck. One hand holds your head firmly turned, while the other grips your waist tightly.