She’d barely glanced at Chris as she rolled to her feet, rushing headlong into the woods, but the younger Vampire had been a gory mess, and she’d managed to nail the older Vampire. Her aim had been off; she’d meant to target him in the face but she’d been falling at the time.

Three bullets were left. She dodged trees, wondering just how long she had before they gave chase.

A screeching scream pierced the woods and it compelled her to run faster. The anguished sound implied she might have done more damage to Chris than she’d thought possible. Years of training had given her the ability to take in details quickly and retain them. What she’d seen of the younger Vamp hadn’t been pretty. She didn’t load her guns with standard bullets but instead ones designed to blow apart on impact to cause maximum damage.

Most of Chris’s jaw had been destroyed. It wasn’t a big loss if he wasn’t able to tear into her throat with his fangs. That would take a few hours to heal, since he couldn’t bite anything.

She turned her focus on where she was headed instead of what had just happened. The river was half a mile away. It might be her only chance at survival. She could hold her breath for at least a minute under water while the rushing current helped her put distance between herself and the bloodbags, and it would hide her body heat from their night vision.

The crack of a branch snapping from behind was the only warning before a heavy weight slammed into her back.

Pain exploded through her body where the Vampire impacted, then again when her chest struck the ground. He was heavy and she fought to breathe. Her limbs were shaking as she attempted to push up and roll him off. The gun wasn’t in her hand anymore.

“You’re going to suffer,” the master warned before his strong hands rolled her over to face him.

Fangs stabbed into the side of her throat and Kira screamed. The pain lasted only a few seconds before the numbing agent of his saliva dulled it. His jaw clamped down tighter and she knew it wouldn’t take long before blood loss killed her.

Dirt and grass imbedded in her fingernails as she clawed the cold ground, searching for the gun. He had her pinned flat, too strong to shake off. Every second he fed made her weaker.

Her thumb brushed cold metal and desperation kicked in.

He seemed too focused on draining her dry to pay attention to her movements when she clutched at the barrel. It took precious seconds to figure out where the grip and trigger were. A wave of dizziness distracted her focus but she wasn’t ready to die. Her arm felt as though it weighed a hundred pounds when she attempted to lift it.

I’m dying. Blackness threatened and the panic that swept through her drew the last bits of her strength, but she got the barrel against his body and fired.

She pulled the trigger over and over. The loud noises and the Vamp jerking from the impact of the remaining three bullets tearing through him slightly roused her. His fangs tore free of her skin before he slumped.

It was difficult to focus as another dizzy wave passed through her mind and the world began to spin. The heavy weight covering her didn’t move. When she pressed her hand to his chest, she guessed she’d gotten his lungs when she’d shoved the barrel against his ribs. The absence of breathing registered, along with the fact that he’d heal in a matter of minutes.

Kira had two choices. She could lie there until he recovered enough to finish her off when his wounds mended or do what it took to survive.

She pushed again but she was too weak to shove him off.

Fuck! Her eyes opened to stare upward. The full moon finally peeked from behind the clouds to glow brightly in the night sky. The sight was beautiful…

She made a decision.

She turned her head, even that slight motion difficult as her lethargic mind tried to shut down. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. They felt really dry all of a sudden and she took a deep breath as she drew on whatever strength she had left. She found the right spot as she stared at the Vampire’s white skin.

She didn’t possess fangs but her teeth bit deep as she pressed her open mouth against his throat. A part of her was revolted as she realized what she was doing.

The taste of blood slowly trickled into her mouth from the shallow wound but it encouraged her to bite harder. She wasn’t about to forget anything he’d said about what she’d become if he didn’t give her enough blood. It gushed out of him as she tore into his throat, almost choking her. Her stomach recoiled as she swallowed but she ignored it and began to suck, clamping her teeth down harder as her lips sealed around the wound.

More blood poured from him and she was hopeful that some of those dormant Vampire genes of hers would finally kick in.

Some of the lightheadedness faded and she actually felt his body shift a little as she continued pushing on him with her hands. He slid more and she rolled them to their sides with the help of her leg once it was free of his, bracing it on the ground. She released his throat and shifted lower, the scent of his blood strong in the air.

The bullet wounds started to weep a lot of blood and she knew he was recovering, that his heart had started beating faster. Her time was up.

She rolled the other way, releasing him. Her hand fumbled and she found the handle of the knife. It stuck in the sheath but she managed to get it free.

The Vampire gasped a deep breath just as she savagely plunged the knife into his chest. It took a lot of effort and the last of her strength to pierce bone.

It embedded deep and he stopped breathing, going limp under her.

She tried to remove the knife. Decapitating him would keep him down for good but her hands trembled and the strength wasn’t there. The blade seemed stuck. She tried to twist it to inflict more injury to his heart but it wouldn’t budge. She had become too weak. He’d start to heal around the blade and just pull it out when he became conscious. Time wasn’t on her side.

It was a struggle to get to her feet but she managed to do it. She stumbled with the grace of a drunk in the direction of the river. Spots appeared before her eyes and she knew it was a sign of pending loss of consciousness.

Each second counted as she kept going. The sound of the river became her only focus as she bounced off trees in her haste to reach it. Every step was difficult but she kept putting one foot in front of the other. The Vampire wouldn’t be down long.

The trees thinned enough to let her see a black mass ahead and she found the strength to jog slowly.

A shriek pierced the night behind her. The Vampire was obviously furious and probably coming after her again.