Chapter 7: First Hunt
524 Words
The night air outside Castle Malachai was cold and sharp, thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. For the first time since his capture, Ethan was taken beyond the dungeon walls. Yet this was not freedom—it was another chain, forged of blood and hunger.
A hunting party had gathered at the edge of the black forest. Torches burned crimson, casting the vampires in a grotesque glow. Each one carried blades etched with runes or claws bared for slaughter. Their eyes glowed like embers in the dark, filled with anticipation.
Selene stood apart, silent as a statue, her cloak billowing in the wind. Ethan was shoved toward her, his wrists bound in lighter chains. One of the guards sneered.
“Tonight, the half-blood earns his place. If he cannot feed, he dies.”
The horn sounded.
From the shadows, the prey was released: villagers—men, women, even children—dragged from nearby hamlets. Their screams tore through the forest as they scattered into the dark. The vampires leapt forward in a frenzy, their laughter mingling with the cries of the doomed.
Ethan froze, his heart thundering. He wanted to run to the villagers, to shield them, but the hunger inside him was merciless. The scent of their blood, the pounding of their terrified hearts—it raked at him until his knees shook.
A vampire guard snarled, shoving him hard. “Go, half-blood. Hunt, or be hunted.”
Ethan stumbled into the trees. Branches clawed his skin as he ran, every sound magnified—the rustle of leaves, the snap of twigs, the frantic pulse of human hearts. He caught sight of a man, older, limping through the undergrowth.
The hunger screamed louder.
“No,” Ethan growled, clutching his head, nails digging into his scalp. “I am not this. I will not—”
A shadow fell. Another vampire descended on the villager, fangs bared. Without thinking, Ethan lunged. His body moved with a speed that startled even himself. He collided with the vampire, knocking him aside.
The villager stared, wide-eyed, then bolted into the darkness.
The vampire hissed, baring his fangs. “Traitor!”
Ethan’s vision narrowed. His hands moved before his mind could catch up. He seized the vampire by the throat and slammed him into a tree. Power coursed through him—raw, savage. His fangs cut through his lips as they descended.
In a heartbeat, he sank them deep into the vampire’s neck.
Hot blood surged into his mouth, richer and stronger than anything before. His body convulsed, every muscle igniting with dark strength. The vampire shrieked, clawing at him, but Ethan held on until the body went limp and crumbled to the forest floor.
Silence followed, broken only by Ethan’s ragged breaths. He wiped his mouth, crimson dripping down his chin.
Selene stood at the edge of the clearing, watching. For the first time, her expression was unreadable—neither cruel nor amused, but… wary.
Ethan straightened, his eyes burning red in the torchlight. He had not chosen this path, but the truth was undeniable.
Tonight, he had hunted.
And he had won.
- Writer
