Blood Beneath the Pines

Ava has spent over two centuries hiding what she is.

A vampire who refuses to feed on humans, she lives quietly on the edge of a small town, surviving on animals and isolation. School is torture - not because of classes, but because of proximity. The scent of blood, the closeness of people, the constant restraint. Every day is a battle she fights alone.

Then there's Liam.

The school's golden boy. The jock. The boy with a smile that hides deep trauma - a mother murdered by a vampire. He hates monsters, even if he doesn't fully understand why. And yet, he's drawn to Ava's quiet intensity, her distance, her sadness that mirrors his own.

As their connection grows, Ava's control weakens - not because she wants blood, but because she wants him.