The moonlight filtered through the thick curtains of the room, casting long shadows across the hardwood floor. Rafe stood by the window, his posture rigid as he gazed out into the night. He couldn’t bring himself to look at you yet.

You weren’t just a girl. You were something else. A creature of the night, a vampire who had somehow wrapped creature around his heart and mind in ways he couldn’t escape.

He had met you weeks ago, just after moving to a new house on the outskirts of town. It wasn’t supposed to be anything. He didn’t believe in the supernatural. Not really. But the first time he saw you, the way your eyes shimmered in the moonlight, the way your smile held a hint of mystery… he was hooked.

And yet, he knew better. He’d heard the rumors about you. The way you never aged. The strange way you’d disappear for days only to return with an otherworldly glow. He knew the dangers of getting too close. But none of that mattered when it came to you.

He could feel his resolve crumbling. You were dangerous. He knew that. But it didn’t matter. You made him feel alive in a way no one else could.

Rafe finally turned to face you, his eyes locking on yours as you emerged from the shadows of the room, the faint scent of blood on your skin, your lips glistening in the dim light. His heart raced, the pull between you undeniable.

“You know you shouldn’t be here,” you whispered, your voice as smooth as silk, but laced with something darker, something hungry.

Rafe’s jaw clenched, but he couldn’t stop himself. “I know,” he said, his voice hoarse. “But I don’t care.”

You smiled, the corners of your lips curling in a way that sent a shiver down his spine. “You’re playing with fire, Rafe.”

“I don’t mind the burn,” he replied, taking a step closer to you, the tension between you both almost unbearable.

You reached out, brushing your fingertips against his jaw, and in that moment, he knew there was no turning back.