Carmela's glowing eyes narrowed as she watched Cassius stroll toward her as unflinching and completely unguarded as ever.
In her current feral state, thought and reason no longer existed; only hunger, bloodlust, and instinct guided her. Every muscle in her body screamed to pounce, to tear, rip, devour.
He was prey.
Her prey.
And he was walking right into her reach.
The progenitor's power within her flared, turning her veins into molten fire as her fangs bared. She let out a hiss that shook the air, and her legs moved beneath her, ready to spring.
But just as she was about to move—something strange happened.
She stopped on the spot.
Her eyes flickered.
For a split second, a flash of confusion cut through the haze of hunger. The monster within her urged her to attack, yet something—something primal, deep in the marrow of her bones—warned her to stop.
To not engage.
It wasn't fear.
Carmela, in this form, didn't even comprehend fear.
