Chapter 16: The Return of a Shadow
Across town, Noah Riley set his phone on the kitchen island, his knuckles white. The "animal attack" story was a thin veil, one that the local police used when they couldn't explain why two healthy boys had been drained of every drop of blood in their bodies.
The front door creaked open. It didn't swing; it glided, moved by a hand that knew exactly how to bypass a deadbolt. Noah didn't turn around. He didn't have to. The scent of the Blue Ridge woods—and the metallic tang of fresh, human blood—preceded the guest.
Noah moved in a blur of motion, vamping into the foyer. He froze when he saw the figure leaning casually against the doorframe, bathed in the moonlight.
"Missed me, old friend?"
Ethan Matthews stood there, looking exactly as he had in 1867, save for the modern leather jacket. His raven-black hair was windswept, and a cruel, familiar smirk played on his lips.
"Ethan," Noah growled, his eyes darkening to a near-black. "What are you doing here?"
"Aren't you going to invite me in, Noah? Where are your Virginia manners?" Ethan asked, tilting his head.
"No. I won't," Noah snapped, grabbing the edge of the door to slam it shut.
Ethan’s hand shot out, stopping the heavy oak door with effortless strength. "Now, now. It’s rude to keep a guest on the porch. Especially one who traveled so far to see you."
"You did it," Noah said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, guttural level. "Alexander and Jackson. You killed those boys, didn't you?"
Ethan let out a sharp, barking laugh. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about. I just arrived."
"Two kids are dead, and you pop up out of the shadows ten minutes later? Don't lie to me, Ethan. I know your signature."
"I could say the same about you," Ethan countered, his grin widening to reveal the tips of his fangs. "Isn't it odd? The brooding Riley boy moves to a sleepy town, and suddenly the local athletes start turning up as husks in a cave."
"I'm not that person anymore," Noah hissed, stepping closer until they were inches apart. "I haven't taken a human life in decades. I’ve changed."
"You haven't changed. You've just gone dormant," Ethan snorted, his eyes flashing with malice. "You're still a monster, Noah. You're just a monster playing house. And I see you've found a new toy to play with. That Katherine girl."
Noah’s vision tunneled. "You've been following me?"
"I promised I would have my revenge for Leila ," Ethan whispered, the smirk vanishing. "I told you, if I ever found you again, I’d take everything you loved. Just like you took her from me."
"I never meant for Leila to die, Ethan! I loved her!"
"She loved me," Ethan spat, his voice trembling with a century of fermented rage. "You were just the shiny new thing she wanted to play with. If it weren’t for your foolish self—walking back into your parents' house like a moron, the hunters never would have found us. She’d still be here."
"If I could change the past, I would," Noah said, his shoulders sagging with the weight of the memory. "I would give anything to bring her back."
"Really?" Ethan asked, his tone suddenly mock-thoughtful. He straightened his jacket. "Then maybe you won't mind if I introduce myself to Katherine. Don't worry, I won't kill her. That would be too quick."
"Don't touch her," Noah warned, his fangs fully descending. "I'm telling you, Ethan. Stay away from her."
"Is that a threat, buddy?" Ethan chuckled, stepping back into the night. "Maybe I don't want to drain her. Maybe I just want to charm her. I want to see the look on your face when she realizes what you really are—and chooses me anyway. I want you to know exactly what real heartbreak feels like."
"Katherine would never fall for someone like you," Noah said, his voice trembling.
"Why? Because she’s 'sweet'?" Ethan laughed, a cold, hollow sound that echoed through the trees. "You don't even know her, Noah. You've known her for three days, and you’re already acting like you're in some epic romance novel. You’re pathetic."
"I know her well enough to know she’s better than us," Noah replied.
Ethan just grinned, his image beginning to blur as he prepared to move. "We'll see. Friday night, right? Don't be late for your date, Noah. I’d hate for her to be sitting all alone... waiting for a stranger to knock on her door."
With a sudden gust of wind, Ethan was gone, leaving Noah standing in the doorway, the scent of blood and old betrayals lingering in the cold Virginia air.