Preface

PREFACE

My heartbeat drummed in my ears, each thud echoing through my skull. Something had bitten me. I'd felt its sharp teeth sink into my ankle. Blood trickled from the bite, pooling into the grass near my foot. A screeching noise filled the air, followed by what could only be described as the beastly sound of a roar.

What the hell was happening?

I pressed the blanket firmly against the wounds on my arm. They ached, but I noticed the bite on my ankle didn't.

Which didn't make sense.

Weaving my fingertips through the cool damp grass, I attempted to center myself. Dark spots collected at the edges of my vision. I was on the verge of passing out. As I pulled in a deep breath, the scent of wet earth mingled with the sharp, metallic scent of my blood. The desire to vomit rolled through me.

Another loud roar—this time sounding more cat-like than the one before—sounded from somewhere close.

What was that? Where was Lorenzo?

I twisted to glance behind me, but a wave of dizziness slammed into me from the movement. Saliva pooled in my mouth and the darkness feathering the edges of my vision intensified. My body felt foreign. It was heavy and weighted.

However, I could feel warmth, too, pulsing through my veins, spreading from the bite on my ankle. My eyes fluttered shut, and I struggled to open them again. The warmth was lulling me to sleep.

Either that, or I was dying.