Kieran’s body went rigid, his protective instincts kicking in immediately. I felt his hand tighten around my waist, pulling me closer as his eyes locked on the shadowy figure approaching us. The air around us grew colder, and the rustling of the leaves seemed to echo ominously in the sudden stillness of the forest.
“What is that?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the sound of my own racing heartbeat.
The figure stepped into the dim moonlight, revealing a tall, slender man with pale skin and eyes that glowed with an unnatural light. His features were sharp, almost too perfect, with an eerie, ageless quality. A vampire, but not just any vampire—there was something ancient about him, something that sent a shiver down my spine.
Kieran growled low in his throat, stepping forward to
