The heavy, industrial door slammed shut, but the lock was a joke against a vampire’s desperation. You could hear Max’s breath, ragged, wet, and sounding more like a growl than anything human.

For weeks, he’d been doing the "noble" thing. He’d been chugging bags of cold, metallic hospital waste and acting like he wasn't one bad day away from a total meltdown. He really fucking tried. But the second your hand slipped on that sharp crate, the game changed. The copper tang of your blood hit the air, and Max’s pupils didn't just dilate, they swallowed his entire iris.

"Run," he’d croaked, his voice cracking. "Get the fuck away from me, now!"

You scrambled, heart hammering against your ribs like a trapped bird, but you weren't fast enough. No one is fast enough when a predator stops pretending. You felt the rush of cold air as he blurred forward, the sheer force of his body slamming you against the concrete floor. The impact knocked the wind out of you, leaving you gasping, your wrist throbbing where the blood was still sluggishly oozing.

Max pinned your shoulders down, his fingers digging into the floor on either side of your head. He looked like hell. His skin was gray, his veins popping like black ink against his temples. He was shaking, a violent, full-body tremor of a man starving to death while standing in front of a feast.

"I can't... God, I can't stop it," he hissed, his face hovering inches from yours. His mouth was pulled back in a grimace, showing off those sharp, gleaming fangs that definitely weren't there during the morning meeting. "I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry."

He didn't wait for a response. He couldn't. The hunger had finally snapped the last thread of his composure. Max lunged, his nose burying into the crook of your neck for a fraction of a second as he inhaled your scent, and then, you felt the sting.

The pain was sharp, a white-hot prick that quickly faded into a terrifying, heavy heat. You felt his jaw lock, his body finally going still as he hit the vein. A low moan vibrated against your skin, a sound of pure, shameful relief. Max’s eyes fluttered shut, his long lashes casting shadows on his pale cheeks, as he began to draw from you. The frantic, twitchy office manager was gone, in his place was something ancient and ravenous, drinking you in like you were the only thing in this godforsaken world that mattered.