Dakota was still holding Cooper's tiny hand when she felt something change. His fingers had been resting weakly against hers, but they suddenly tightened around her hand with enough strength to make her look down at them, and when she raised her eyes to his face, she noticed the change in his breathing.
His chest was rising and falling faster now, each breath becoming heavier than the one before, and the peaceful expression that had settled over his face disappeared. Dakota frowned and leaned closer, studying him, but before she could ask what was wrong, his eyes slowly changed, the familiar color draining away as a deep red spread across them.
"Cooper?"
He did not respond. His small body jerked beneath the blanket, his fingers tightening painfully around hers as a low sound rumbled from his throat. Dakota barely had time to understand what was happening before Cooper suddenly lunged forward and sank his teeth into her arm.
