Hunted, pt IV

The hours passed too quickly, the tension in Angie’s chest tightening with each minute. The industrial zone loomed in the distance, a collection of rusting steel structures, gutted warehouses, and empty roads, illuminated only by scattered streetlights and the occasional passing vehicle. Even at night, the area felt suffocating, a maze of forgotten architecture crawling with dangers that most didn’t survive long enough to speak of.

Angie followed Lumina and Kitten through the narrow alleyways, her senses sharper than ever, yet overwhelmed. The stench of the city—oil, chemicals, decay—felt as though it were crawling into her lungs, mixing with the steady, nauseating pulse of blood coursing through the veins of everyone nearby.

She hated it.

Every heartbeat was a taunt, every breath a reminder of how close she was to losing control. And it wasn't just the thirst. It was the way her senses strained at the edges of perception, noticing the smallest movements, the tiniest sounds that normal people would miss. Shadows seemed to shift where they shouldn't, and she caught glimpses of things that weren’t there. Or at least shouldn’t have been. Her claws itched to come out, her body ready for violence, as if it knew something she didn’t.

Kitten’s voice broke through the tension, pulling her back to reality.

"So," Kitten said with a sly grin, "this should be cake, right? We slip in, grab the goods, and split. No big deal."

Lumina shot Kitten a look, her expression as stone-cold serious as ever. "It won’t be that simple. There’s always a catch."

Angie nodded, keeping silent. Her mind was elsewhere. Every step felt heavier than the last, her heartbeat syncing with the thirst that crawled under her skin. She had thought she could control it—thought she could keep it at bay long enough to get through this job, but now she wasn’t so sure. The hunger was deeper now, clawing at her with a ferocity she hadn’t expected.

"Angie, you with us?" Lumina’s voice cut through her thoughts like a blade.

Angie blinked, snapping back to the moment. "Yeah. Just... focusing."

Lumina’s eyes narrowed slightly, clearly sensing something was off. But she didn’t press. Not here, not now.

The trio moved into position, crouching behind the dilapidated remains of an old shipping container, overlooking the convoy’s expected route. The street was quiet, too quiet, and Angie couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching them, something lurking in the darkness beyond the reach of the streetlights.

Kitten pulled out a small hacker’s deck, tapping a few buttons before nodding to Lumina. "Surveillance is down. We’re clear to move."

Lumina gave a sharp nod, signalling them forward. Angie followed, her muscles tense, her senses hyper-focused. Every breath of wind, every distant clang of metal set her nerves on edge. She could hear it—the rhythmic thrum of blood moving through the veins of everyone around her. Lumina. Kitten. The few guards stationed nearby. She clenched her fists, willing the hunger down, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. But it wasn’t easy.

As they approached the convoy’s position, the hum of machinery filled the air, followed by the low rumble of engines. A trio of armoured transport trucks rolled slowly into view, each one heavily reinforced, their cargo compartments locked up tight. Lumina held up a hand, signalling for them to wait.

Angie crouched beside her, the ache in her chest growing stronger by the second. Her eyes flicked to the guards, watching them as they moved to secure the area. She could see the pulse in their necks, the slight flush of warmth in their skin. It was maddening.

"Ready?" Lumina whispered, her eyes locked on the convoy.

Kitten gave an eager nod, already twirling a throwing knife between her fingers. Angie, however, barely heard the question. The hunger was all-consuming now, an insistent pressure that refused to be ignored.

"Angie," Lumina said again, a little louder this time. "Are you ready?"

Angie swallowed hard, her throat dry. "Yeah," she forced out, though her voice was tight, strained.

Lumina shot her another look but turned her attention back to the convoy. "On my mark..."

The plan was simple. Lumina and Kitten would engage the guards, taking them out quickly and quietly while Angie moved to disable the trucks’ engines. They’d take the cargo, disappear into the night before anyone even knew what hit them.

But as Lumina gave the signal, something shifted inside Angie.

Kitten darted forward, moving with her usual grace, a blur of pink and steel as her knives found their targets with deadly precision. Lumina wasn’t far behind, her movements calculated and swift as she incapacitated two guards with ease.

Angie tried to move, to do her part, but her legs felt heavy, her body uncooperative. The scent of blood hit her like a tidal wave, filling her senses with a hunger so intense that it drowned out everything else. She could see it now—spilling from the wounds of the fallen guards, pooling on the ground, seeping into the cracks of the concrete.

Her vision blurred, her breath quickening. She couldn’t focus. Couldn’t think.

The hunger was winning.

"Angie!" Lumina’s voice rang out, sharp and urgent. "We need to move, now!"

But Angie didn’t respond. Her eyes were locked on the blood, her fangs bared, her instincts screaming at her to feed, to tear into the bodies and drink until the hunger was gone.

She took a step forward, her claws extending, her breathing ragged.

"Angie, snap out of it!" Kitten yelled, her voice distant, almost drowned out by the rush of blood in Angie’s ears.

But it was too late.

The hunger had taken over.

With a snarl, Angie leapt forward, her claws slashing through the air as she descended on one of the guards, her body moving on instinct. The man’s eyes widened in terror as she grabbed him, her fangs sinking into his neck before he could even scream. The taste of blood flooded her mouth, warm and metallic, and for a moment, nothing else mattered.

It was ecstasy. Pure, unbridled relief from the gnawing hunger that had tormented her for days.

But as the blood filled her veins, her mind began to clear. The haze lifted, and the realization of what she had done hit her like a freight train.

She stumbled back, her hands shaking, the man’s lifeless body crumpling to the ground in front of her.

"No... no, no, no..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Lumina and Kitten stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock.

Angie could feel their stares, the weight of what she had just done crashing down on her.

The hunger was gone, for now. But the cost...

She had crossed a line she couldn’t uncross.

And there was no going back.

The world around Angie felt as though it had slowed to a crawl. The weight of the man’s body crumpling before her was drowned out by the sound of her own heartbeat, still hammering in her chest despite the momentary calm that had settled over her. The blood—his blood—coursed through her, feeding the very thing she feared would one day consume her entirely.

And maybe, just maybe, it already had.

Lumina’s voice finally broke through the fog. It was quieter now, deliberate, as though she didn’t want to startle a wild animal. "Angie... What did you do?"

Kitten stood nearby, her usual swagger gone, replaced with something more fragile. She clutched one of her knives so tightly her knuckles had turned white. Neither of them moved. Neither of them dared to.

Angie’s breath hitched in her throat, and she staggered back from the corpse, her fingers still stained crimson. Her claws... they weren’t retracting. She couldn’t force them back. Her body was still in survival mode, still on edge as though it hadn’t realized the immediate threat was over.

The world snapped back to speed, the distant hum of the city returning like a deafening roar. Angie stumbled to the side, her back hitting the rusted wall of a nearby building. She couldn’t look at the body. Couldn’t look at her friends. Her vision swam, the familiar throb of the hunger replaced by a new feeling—guilt.

"I didn’t mean to..." Her voice was hoarse, the words coming out broken. She looked down at her hands, still slick with blood. "I didn’t—"

"We need to go." Lumina cut her off, her tone as cold as steel. "Now."

Angie blinked, trying to understand. The job—of course, the job. The convoy. The trucks. The mission they were supposed to finish before everything went to hell. She tried to focus, to get her mind back on track, but the sight of the lifeless body wouldn’t leave her.

"Angie." This time it was Kitten who spoke, her voice trembling slightly, but more grounded than before. "We’re exposed. If we don’t move, someone’s going to notice the bodies. We need to get out of here. Right now."

Angie nodded weakly, still unable to fully grasp what had just happened. She pushed herself off the wall, her legs feeling like they were made of lead, but she moved. Somehow, she moved. Lumina and Kitten flanked her, neither one speaking another word as they slipped into the shadows and away from the scene. They didn’t stop running until they reached the safehouse, tucked away deep in the sprawl, hidden behind layers of decaying infrastructure and forgotten streets. The safe house was dimly lit, just enough for the trio to see each other’s faces, but it didn’t offer any comfort. Kitten paced the length of the small room, her tail flicking in agitation, while Lumina sat on the arm of the couch, her sharp eyes fixed on Angie, who leaned back against the far wall, arms crossed tightly over her chest, her usually playful expression replaced by a grim seriousness. The silence had stretched on for too long, an oppressive weight that pressed down on all of them.

Finally, Kitten stopped pacing and whirled around to face Angie, her voice cutting through the stillness. “So when were you going to tell us? Or were you just planning on waiting until you completely lost control?”

Angie’s ears flattened against her head, her jaw tightening. “I wasn’t going to lose control.”

“You already have!” Kitten snapped, taking a step forward. “You killed someone tonight, Angie! And we were right there, watching it happen!”

Lumina raised a hand, trying to stay calm despite the rising tension. “Kit, let her explain.”

“Explain what?” Kitten spat. “That she’s been hiding this from us for days? Maybe longer? You think she’s going to say something that makes any of this okay?”

Angie’s eyes flickered toward Lumina, then back to Kitten. Her throat felt dry, and for a moment, she wasn’t sure how to respond. “I wasn’t trying to hide it from you—”

“You did hide it,” Kitten interrupted, her voice sharp. “Don’t act like you didn’t. You knew what was happening, and you kept it from us.”

“I was trying to figure it out!” Angie’s voice rose in frustration, her claws flexing reflexively at her sides. “I didn’t want to drag you both into it until I was sure.”

Kitten scoffed. “Yeah, well, we’re ‘dragged into it’ now, aren’t we?”

Lumina, watching the back and forth, finally stood up, her voice calm but firm. “Angie… we’re your team. We’ve been through a lot of crazy shit together. You know that. So why keep this from us?”

Angie exhaled, looking away for a moment as if the answer might be somewhere in the shadows of the room. “Because I thought I could fix it. I thought I could manage it without... this happening.”

Kitten’s voice softened, just a little. “And how’s that working out for you?”

Angie winced. “Not great,” she admitted, her eyes flicking to the floor. “But I didn’t want to hurt either of you. I figured if I stayed away... if I kept it under wraps... it wouldn’t come to this.”

Lumina stepped closer, her eyes narrowing slightly in thought. “How long has it been, Angie?”

“A few days,” Angie admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “A week, maybe. Since the stalker attack.”

Kitten’s tail lashed angrily. “A week? And in that time, you didn’t think it was important enough to mention?!”

Angie’s eyes flared, the guilt and frustration bubbling to the surface. “What was I supposed to say? ‘Hey guys, guess what, I might be turning into a bloodthirsty monster, but don’t worry, I’ll figure it out’? Would that have made it better?”

Lumina shook her head, stepping between Kitten and Angie to defuse the escalating tension. “We would’ve helped you,” she said softly. “We’re in this together, Angie. You know that.”

Angie sighed, the weight of it all finally crashing down on her. “I know… I just didn’t want to be this. I didn’t want to be something you’d have to worry about. I thought I could control it.”

Kitten crossed her arms, her tail slowing its irritated flicking. “Well, news flash—you can’t do this on your own. And we’re not letting you. So whatever this is… we’ll figure it out together. But no more secrets.”

Angie looked between them, her chest tight with emotion she wasn’t used to showing. Slowly, she nodded. “No more secrets.”

Lumina gave a small smile, placing a hand on Angie’s shoulder. “Good. Now let’s figure out how we keep you from going full vamp before it’s too late.”

Kitten snorted, though her expression had softened. “Yeah, because this sprawl’s only big enough for one drama queen, and that’s me.”

Angie couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. Despite everything, despite the darkness gnawing at her from within, her friends were still here. And for now, that was enough. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, the small weight lifting ever so slightly from her chest. Lumina’s hand remained on her shoulder for a moment longer before pulling away, her steady presence a quiet reassurance. But even with the tension easing, the room still felt thick with unspoken worries.