I can’t do that!” argued Evonne. “I don’t need to kill. The nearest haven will have humans freely giving their blood.”
     “We aren’t going to anymore havens,” Gabriel said as he got out of the Jeep.
     Evonne followed him outside. A strong scent of smoke collided into her. He wasn’t taking her to kill a deer or some helpless animal, he was taking her to kill a human. The scent of smoke told her of a campsite nearby, the human, or humans, most likely asleep.
     She stopped walking. “No. I refuse to kill.”
     “Fine. More for me.” He continued walking toward the smoke’s origin.
     With fists clutched at her sides, Evonne headed after him. “These people are probably here to have fun. It might even be a family.”
     Gabriel faced her, the hate in his voice showing through. “Then stay here and go hungry. I’m not helping you beyond this point unless you do what I say.”
     She watched him head for the camp, moving into the surrounding woods. There was no way she could do this. Killing a human—that was the most evil act she could think of. This was the final leap from the edge. Taking a life just to survive wasn’t needed at this point. They had other options.
     Evonne’s jaw tensed as she entered the woods, following Gabriel.
     The campfire was nothing more than smoldering embers and few small flickers of flames. Nearby, two dome tents sat. Evonne crouched within the cover of the bushes. She lost sight of Gabriel moments before. Instead of searching for him, she waited.
     As she looked around the campsite, her eyes took in the setup; from the placement of the tents in relation to the edge of the woods, and the path leading to the river.
     A light moved within one of the tents. The flashlight beam bounced around as a human unzipped the tent and stepped out. The girl laughed out as the guy, still in the tent, joked about her getting lost. She zipped the tent closed and headed into the woods.
     Evonne’s eyes watched her carefully, picking up on all the sounds as she walked. The girl stopped. The bright flashlight beam moved from side to side. There was a slight hesitation in the human. This was the moment her fight or flight mechanism kicked on. She could detect something wrong, but her mind couldn’t justify the reason. Evonne found her lungs stopping all movement and her eyes transfix on the human as her new predator nature boiled to the surface.
     A rush of movement came from behind the girl. Evonne saw a hand wrap around the human’s mouth and an arm wrap around her body, pinning her arms down. Gabriel was already at her neck, his teeth tearing into her. The girl’s muffled screams lasted only seconds, but they were loud enough to alarm the other humans.
     Evonne’s eyes shot back to the campsite. A flashlight came on inside the other tent as the humans began to ask about the scream. She looked back at Gabriel and found the girl on the ground with him still feeding.
     The light from the flashlight moved around the edge of the camp. Two humans stood, looking for any sign of their friend. From the other tent, the guy finally emerged. They were couples—fellow students and friends from the same college. At least that’s what Evonne assumed, judging by the university sweatshirt blonde girl wore. This girl clung to the guy’s arm, not yet frightened by the noise she heard.
     The other guy called out the missing girl’s name. “Stacy!” He clicked on his flashlight.
     “She probably just saw a spider,” the girl said with a laugh.
     “Quiet, Amy,” he replied.
     Evonne remained concealed, her lungs still silent. She found Gabriel gone. The girl lay dead on the path, her throat viciously torn. There was no clean bite this time. He had to take the blood quick, ending her life within a minute from his initial attack.
     The other humans’ searching closed in on the girl. Throughout their search, Evonne listened to the conversation mixed in with the random calling of Stacy’s name. The guy on the blonde girl’s arm was named Jeremy, but the other guy’s name was never mentioned. They split up, the couple heading along the path, while the other human headed for the river.
     The nervousness Evonne imagined to feel was absent. All of her attention settled on the two humans who came close to discovering their friend. The flashlight beam scanned the path, finally landing on the motionless body. Evonne watched as the two humans ran to Stacy’s side. The girl, Amy, began to scream, while Jeremy knelt by Stacy, trying his best not to panic.
     “Get your cell phone and call 911,” Jeremy ordered.
     Amy didn’t budge. Her body shook and her mouth began to gabber nonsense. She threw her hands over her face, as though she refused to accept what she saw.
     “Amy! Snap out of it! Get your phone!”
     The girl forced herself to move. She grabbed the flashlight from her boyfriend and ran back to camp.
     She can’t call for help, Evonne thought. If she reaches that phone, SEVEN will come sniffing around. She willed herself to move. The girl was already in the tent, scrambling around for her phone. Evonne’s body focused on her. She entered the tent just as the girl flipped open her phone. Not sure what to do, Evonne threw her fist into the girl’s jaw. Her strength was more than she anticipated. The girl hit the ground, unconscious.
     Evonne plucked the phone from her hand and twisted it, breaking its plastic casing and shattering its insides. There was really no need to destroy the phone, but in Evonne’s eyes, she saw the object as a threat. Grabbing the girl by the wrist, she began to drag her from the tent.
     The other human, once searching near the river, entered the campsite and froze. He stared at the strange blonde girl pulling his friend out of her tent. At first he thought this girl was Amy, based on her hair alone, but the clothing she wore was nothing like his friend would wear. This strange girl looked up at him. The human’s eyes shot to the edge of camp as he saw another person approach. Evonne looked, as well, and found Gabriel walking into camp, the fresh blood on his lips and chin telling her of his recent kill. Jeremy was dead.
     The human ran away from the scene and back toward the river.
     “Go after him,” Gabriel ordered.
     Dropping the girl, Evonne gave chase. If he happened to escape with what he saw, then it wouldn’t take SEVEN or her father long enough to figure out the truth. She had to get him back to camp so Gabriel can finish the mess he started.
     Evonne saw the flashlight’s beam bounce to a stop and ran to it. In the rush to flee, the human was still thinking rationally. He dropped the flashlight to throw her off his course and to easily blend into the dark forest. Evonne switched off the light and threw it away from the path, hearing it crash through the undergrowth. Her eyes scanned the woods. The moon’s light cast a cool blue glow on the area, helping her to see. The light, however, wasn’t enough for the human, yet she still couldn’t see him. She closed her eyes and allowed her other senses to step forth. The faint sound of rustling leaves came to her ears, followed by the human’s scent.
     Running once more, Evonne changed her direction, moving along the river. She heard a splash as the human entered the river. He ran through the shallow water, his mind recalling the nearest place to cross without swimming. Evonne headed into the river, as well. Though the water slowed her a little, she was still faster than the human.
     The human’s movements became frantic. He stumbled a few times, his shoes slipping on the slimy rocks. Evonne had no trouble keeping up. The agility within her surfaced as other instincts made themselves known. This human needed to die soon, and she was ready for his death.
     With her final strides, she caught up to him and grabbed the back of his shirt. She pulled with all her strength, throwing him into a large rock. He slumped in the shallow water as the breath left his lungs. In this moment, Evonne saw him as prey. All of her reservations with killing him shattered. Her body wanted only one thing—his blood. Grabbing him by his shirt once more, she lift him up, holding him against the rock. Her actions were instinctual as she closed in, her lips draw and teeth ready for the kill. She bit into him and pulled down, delivering two long gashes. The blood poured from him. Evonne closed her mouth over his neck and began to drink quickly. Under the rushing of his heart, the blood moved fast from his body and into hers.
     The human fought against her at first, then quieted down as his heart began to slow. Evonne listened to his dying body. She couldn’t stop if she wanted too. As his heart ceased all movement, the blood slowed until none left him. She found herself sucking at him as she wanted more. But without the heart to aid her, the blood eventually stopped. Evonne moved to the other side of his neck and delivered another bite. Though she found more blood, the amount wasn’t much to warrant the effort.
     Evonne stepped back. The human’s body slid to the water, slumping to the side. She stared at him.
     She did it. She killed him.
     But where was the remorse? This person before her was once someone who had hopes, dreams, and goals for life. Hours ago he was probably laughing with his friends. And now… But the blood within her awoke everything, the sensation greater than what the small feedings from earlier granted. This was how she was suppose to feel. There was no remorse for this human—there was only gratitude. His life gave her life. Even her heart fluttered back into existence.
     Taking in a deep breath of night air, her lungs shuddered. This was perfection.
     Her eyes drifted down to the human. The blood on his neck washed away in the water. Evonne placed her fingers to her face and found his blood on her lips and chin. She mentally pictured herself as she stood there.
     Monster.
     Kneeling down, she scooped up and handful of water and rinsed the blood from her face.
     Evonne stared at the human, once more, this time judging her own strength. She gathered him in her arms, amazed at how light he felt. She then headed for shore and back to the camp.

Gabriel waited. His eyes remained locked on the forest’s edge. At his feet lay the unconscious girl. He made no attempt to follow Evonne. This was her kill. If she messed this up, it would be her fault. He wasn’t here to hold her hand. She had to relearn her body on her own.
     The girl by his feet began to wake.
     Evonne stepped into camp, carrying the dead human in her arms. She approached Gabriel and dropped him to the ground. She stared at Gabriel and saw no approval over her first kill.
     The girl pulled herself to sit, her eyes landing on the body of her friend. Once again, she became hysterical. She looked up at Evonne and Gabriel, pleading as tears welled within her eyes.
     “Don’t kill me,” she sobbed. “Please! I don’t want to die!”
     Evonne found herself annoyed at the girl’s voice. She wanted her to shut up.
     “Kill her,” Gabriel said, void of all emotion.
     “I don’t need to kill her,” replied Evonne, the high from her earlier kill already subsiding. “I’ve already had my fill of this. You’ve proved your point.”
     “I haven’t proven anything to you yet. Kill her.”
     Evonne had no interest in this girl. It was Gabriel her teeth wished to rip into. “I’m not killing her.”
     The girl jumped to her feet and ran from the camp.
     Gabriel’s eyes remained on Evonne. “If she reaches someone and tells them what she saw, then your father and his men will descend upon this place. And if he happens to find you…”
     Evonne’s jaw tensed. Marching out of the camp, she headed after the girl. She picked up her speed once entering the woods. The girl stumbled more than the guy she previously chased. It was very easy to catch her. With a strong hand, Evonne grabbed a handful of the human’s blonde hair and pulled hard. The girl fell onto her back. The quickness of the attack left her body stunned. As Evonne began to drag her back to the camp, the struggling girl became too terrified to scream.
     Evonne threw the human at Gabriel’s feet. “You do it.”
     Glancing languidly at the girl, his eyes returned to Evonne. “She isn’t mine. I have killed my two already.” Reaching down, he grabbed the girl by the hair and forced her to stand. He then tilted her head to the side, presenting her to Evonne. “It is easy to kill in the heat of a chase. But to kill slowly, this is what truly frightens you.”
     Evonne glared at him. The hatred she had from the earlier argument was overshadowed by the anger she now felt. She hated him.
     Finally taking the girl from his hold, Evonne stared at Gabriel for a moment longer and felt teeth extend. She pulled the girl close and bit into her. The girl’s sobbing increased as she fought to free herself. Evonne closed her eyes and drank faster. She wanted this to be over.
     The girl’s crying stopped. Her body grew calm. The blood slowed. Evonne didn’t even notice the heart fluttering into silence. Following her to the ground, she continued to drink. The hunger was smothered once more.
     Evonne withdrew and sat back, her eyes locked on the girl. She sensed Gabriel’s presence as he walked out of the camp. She refused to follow.
     This girl was not that different from her. But perhaps that was the only thing they had in common: humanity. Evonne ran her fingers over the girl’s forehead, brushing the hair from her face. This kill she didn’t thank—the gratitude was absent as she felt only pity.
     Gabriel returned, dragging the bodies of the other two humans. He began to place them in their appropriate tents. Evonne forced herself to stand and took the girl’s wrist, then followed Gabriel’s lead by placing her in the tent. She stood off to the side and watched as he removed a pillowcase and wrapped it around a stick he pulled from the pile of kindling. Stirring it in the smoldering embers, the linen caught fire. He then stepped into each tent. Evonne saw the orange glow as the fire latched onto the first flammable objects. The flames grew as it searched for more fuel to feed its own hunger.
     Gabriel discarded the makeshift torch in the last tent and headed away from the camp. Evonne followed him, looking back several times to see the glowing within the tents increase. The smell was already reaching her. The burning scent of the melting synthetic fabrics, the thick smell of the ignited blankets, and the sour odor of blistering flesh, all blending into a single, heavy scent.
     Evonne got in the Jeep. She said nothing as Gabriel turned on the engine. She closed her eyes and allowed the rough road to serve as her only comfort. Her mind couldn’t grasp what just happened. There was no romantic side to this. It was life or death, survival or withering away. This was the gruesome truth to her new existence.
     The Jeep headed onto the smooth main road. Evonne finally opened her eyes. She still refused to look at him. She hated this—all of this. Nothing could be done to end it now. The suffering was just beginning. And the root of all this new pain sat beside her, perhaps reveling in the lesson he just taught her. But she saw no teachings within what just happened. The night proved only one thing: Gabriel was the most callous creature she had ever known.