DEAR VANESSA: Awakened, Haunted, Hunted

VANESSA WENDELL

I woke up to the soft light of morning slipping through the curtains. The sheets were tangled around my legs.

My body was sore in the sweetest way. A quiet reminder of how wild and perfect last night had been. His scent still lingered on the pillows. Warm. Familiar. Safe.

I reached across the bed, smiling, ready to pull Damian close for one more moment. But the other side was cold and empty.

My smile faded. I sat up slowly and blinked away the sleep. Something felt off. Too quiet. Too still. I pressed a hand to the place where he should’ve been. Only cold sheets met my touch.

Then I saw a suitcase. Neatly packed. Sitting by the door, like it had been waiting for me to notice.

My heart started racing.

“Damian?” I called out, but my voice barely rose above a whisper.

No answer.

Panic gripped my chest. My eyes moved quickly around the room. His watch was gone from the nightstand. His wallet. His black coat. All missing.

My eyes lingered on the packed suitcase. He was leaving. Maybe already gone.

Just then, the door creaked open.

Damian walked in, calm and steady. Like nothing was wrong. He was fully dressed. Black shirt. Dark jeans. Boots tied tight. Every part of him looked ready to walk away.

His eyes met mine.

“Damian?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Are you going somewhere?”

He didn’t speak at first. He just stared at me like he was trying to remember every detail of my face.

Then he said it. “I’m going back to my country. I leave today. I won’t be coming back.”

My heart dropped. “What?” I stood up, pulling the blanket around me. “Why? After everything we’ve been through? You’re just leaving?”

He nodded. Quiet. “It’s better this way.”

“Better for who?!” I snapped. “Because it sure as hell isn’t better for me!”

Panic spread across my face. “You said I wasn’t crazy. That what happened that night wasn’t just a bad dream. I’m changing, Damian. You said you’d explain everything.”

He looked down. “The changes will stop once I’m gone.”

“You don’t know that!” I said. “You don’t know what it feels like! I hurt Nolita. I almost killed her!”

His jaw tensed. “I know.”

“Then don’t leave me.” My voice broke. “Or take me with you. Please. I don’t care where you’re from. I just don’t want to face this alone.”

“We’ve talked about this already,” he said in a quiet voice.

“I don’t care!” I yelled. “I want you!”

He sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. He stepped forward and gently held my cheek, locking his gaze on mine.

“Vanessa, none of this should’ve happened between us.”

I shoved him hard. “How could you?” My voice cracked, my eyes filling with tears. “Four days, Damian. It’s been four days.”

“Do you blame me?” he snapped. “I didn’t want this. I tried to stay away. But you kept pushing. You wanted me to touch you.”

Before I could think, my hand flew across his face.

“Don’t ever…” My voice broke. My breath caught as I realized what I had done.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, trembling.

I turned and sat on the bed, burying my face in my hands as I cried.

He came closer and crouched before me. “I’m sorry too, Vanessa. I was only trying to protect you.”

“You’re not helping,” I said. My voice sharp.

He gave a small, broken smile. “The best way I can help, is by leaving.”

“You’re human, Vanessa. Fully human. I’m not.” He paused. “We can’t be together.”

I looked into his eyes. I saw the pain there. The regret. Worries, I wished he could talk about.

“You don’t have to lie,” I said bitterly. “If you want to toss me aside, just say it.”

“Vanessa, please…”

“I’m the one who’s not human anymore!” I cried. “I don’t even know what I am. I’m scared all the time. I don’t feel safe around anyone.”

“I’m so sorry,” he murmured, taking my hands. But his touch brought no comfort.

I thought I’d finally found peace. A safe place. The man who haunted my dreams was real. And now he was walking away, like it meant nothing.

“Fine,” I said, even though my heart was breaking. “Just tell me the truth. What really happened that night?” I looked straight at him. “Tell me how to stop all of this.”

He took a deep breath. His fingers brushed the side of my neck. I felt the spark. The same one that always came with his touch.

“That night in the woods,” he said. “It was me. I’m the one who bit you.”

My stomach sank. “No, it was that monster,” I said slowly, my mind spinning. “I remember it. The way it lunged at me. You ran in. You tried to save me.”

“I was trying to stop that beast,” he said. “But the only way I could protect you was to mark you. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

I shook my head. I was confused and scared. “Mark? What does that even mean?”

He stood up. His voice was tight. “Go get dressed. I’ll take you back home.”

I didn’t move. “What if it happens again?” My voice cracked. “What if I lose control and next time, I don’t stop?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver ring. He didn’t say much. Just pressed it into my hand like a farewell gift.

“Wear this,” he said softly. “If the change starts again, it might help control it.”

I looked down at the ring. It was cold. Heavy. Lifeless.

“Might?” I asked. My voice was sharp.

He didn’t respond.

My chest felt tight. I thought we were in this together. I thought he cared. Maybe even loved me. Now he was giving me a ring like it could fix everything?

I clenched it in my fist. My hands shook. Then I threw it.

The ring hit the wall with a sharp sound.

His head turned to it. Then he looked back at me. His eyes weren’t soft anymore. They were blazing.

His voice turned low. Dangerous. “Why did you do that?”

“I don’t want a ring. I want answers! I want you!” I whispered.

His face changed. Something dark crossed it. Anger I hadn’t seen before.

“You think this is a choice?” he snapped. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

I stepped back, scared.

He pointed to the spot where the ring had landed.

“That ring was the only thing that can keep you from a full shift. And you just threw it away like it meant nothing.”

Then his face went still. His eyes turned cold. He stared at me with so much anger, like I was someone he’d hated for years.

“Vanessa Wendell,” he said, his voice flat and hard, “I, Damian Virelia, sever the bond we share.”