"Young," he uttered, the single word resonating from his lips as our gazes locked, and the stare seemed to stretch on endlessly. "What's your name?" His aura engulfed me, instilling a sense of fear that made me shiver uncontrollably as his piercing gaze bore deeper into mine. "Annalise," I managed to respond, my voice quivering. ''Annalise.'' Almost as if testing it on his tongue, and then he mumbled it slowly as if trying to commit it to memory. Without warning, he lunged at me, sinking his teeth into my marking spot.