Caleb's breath caught in his throat.
The body—the person—was still alive.
A weak, rasping breath escaped their lips as they twitched on the pavement. Blood pooled beneath them, soaking into the cracks of the street. Caleb took a slow step forward, his heart pounding.
He couldn't think. Couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
His stomach twisted violently. The scent of blood was overwhelming, thick and suffocating, calling to him in a way that made his skin crawl.
"No. No, I won't."
He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to focus on the body in front of him. It was a man—middle-aged, clothes torn, face pale. His chest rose and fell in uneven, shuddering gasps.
Caleb dropped to his knees beside him, panic gripping his chest. "Hey—hey, can you hear me?"
The man's eyelids fluttered. His lips parted, but no words came out. His breaths were shallow, his skin clammy.
Too much blood.
Caleb's hands hovered over him, unsure what to do. He needed help.
His fingers fumbled for his phone, but the moment he pulled it out—
The man's hand snapped up, grabbing Caleb's wrist.
Caleb flinched.
The man's eyes locked onto his. Wide. Wild. Filled with something raw and desperate.
And then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he rasped out three words:
"It's not human."
A chill ran down Caleb's spine.
Before he could respond, the man's body spasmed—then went completely still.
Silence.
Caleb's breath hitched.
No. No, no, no—
He pressed his fingers against the man's neck. No pulse. His chest wasn't rising anymore.
He was gone.
Caleb yanked his hand back like he'd been burned, his breath coming fast and uneven. His entire body trembled.
What the hell had just happened?
"It's not human."
The words rang in his skull like a death sentence.
And then—
The sound of footsteps.
Caleb's head snapped up.
A figure stood at the end of the alley, half-shrouded in darkness. Watching.
A tall man. Broad shoulders. A long coat draped over his frame. And even in the dim light, Caleb could make out the gleam of a badge.
The sheriff.
His sharp eyes flicked from Caleb to the body—then back to Caleb.
The blood. The body. Caleb, kneeling beside it.
His expression darkened.
Caleb's stomach dropped.
"Shit."