76

Seventy six

*Rafe*

I ran towards the voices crying for help despite Connor calling me back.

I dropped to my knees beside them, my heart breaking at their suffering. They were human, fragile and innocent, caught in a war they didn't understand. I reached out, my hands trembling as I tried to assess their wounds.

"Rafe," Connor said softly, his voice heavy with sorrow. "Their injuries...they're too severe. There's nothing we can do."

A sob tore from my throat as I gathered the girls into my arms, their small bodies shaking with pain and fear. I knew Connor was right, but I couldn't accept it. I couldn't let them die, not like this.

blood.

"Please, help us," the older one begged, her voice ragged with pain. "It hurts so much."

I reached out to stroke her singed hair. "Shh, it's going to be alright. I'm going to help you." But how? Medicine and bandages would do little for wounds this severe. Only one option remained - the bite. It would heal them, but at the cost of their humanity.

I