[Phreya]

The iron tang of blood still coated the roof of my mouth, but it wasn't enough. It was never enough lately.

Usually, feeding brought a cold sort of peace—a silencing of the static. But tonight, my shadow had been restless. Every time I closed my eyes to focus on the kill, I didn't see the dark; I saw mismatched eyes. I felt the phantom heat of a body that shouldn't matter to me.

Damian Gallo.

Even now, walking away from the neon haze of the bar, my skin felt like it was humming at a ...