Harley’s P.O.V.

The silence after Henry left pressed down on me like a weight. I stayed on the cold stone floor for a long time, my knees drawn to my chest, my thoughts spiraling in cruel, merciless circles.

His words replayed over and over again, sinking their claws deeper with every repetition.

“You will grow old.”

“You will die alone.”

“He will move on.”

The truth of it hurt more than I wanted to admit. Carlos was a vampire, eternal and unchanging, while I, on the other hand, was a human, fragile, and bound to time. Wrinkles, weakness, and death would eventually come.

The image came unbidden in my head....