Page 18 of Monstrous Grave

Fuck. The fantasy has my cock hardening once more.

I can practically feel the anger intermingled with the fear that courses through her.

With one final glance at her figure, I lick her blood off my knife, loving the sweet taste of her, before I turn away and enter the shadows into the unknown.

Until the reaper and his victim cross paths once more.

Chapter 8

Arcane

Age 19

My earliest memory is that of utter darkness, a vast expanse where emptiness weighed heavily on me like a stone. I used to believe I was born into that obscurity, enveloped so completely that I became one with it. My tattered room back at the orphanage was my sanctuary; I’d huddle beneath the sheets, yearning for all the bad to seep away.

It never did, but with time, I learned to adapt.

At nine, Kaiden entered the orphanage after losing his only living parent. He became my sole companion, and despite carrying his own burdens, he was a beacon in the void, saving me from myself countless times. Two years later, a couple sought to adopt a young boy to raise as the heir to their business empire. They found Kaiden, but he refused to leave me behind. Since we’d become inseparable, Mr. and Mrs. Grimaldi had no choice but to adopt me too.

Kaiden and I only grew closer over the years, our bond deepening to the point of obsession. But wasn’t it normal for siblings to share such an intense connection?

During stormy nights, when the thunder rolled through the sky, he’d sneak into my room through the slippery balcony, holding me close. Sometimes, we’d intertwine our fingers, seeking solace in each other’s touches. Other times, we’d merely lie together.

But as time passed, his possessiveness over me only intensified, his mood worsening along with the bruises as he spent more time with our dad and his shady business.

Ever since he did those things a year ago during our hide-and-seek game in the forest clearing, I’ve found it impossible to maintain a normal sisterly demeanor. He always makes me blush, stirring a tempest of emotions within me, leaving my hormones in disarray.

That’s why I have to keep my distance—I can’t be near him without feeling all hot and flustered, my mind consumed by memories of that time. The physical response he evokes in me still leaves me breathless, my panties drenched with uncontrollable arousal from the intensity of his gaze.

I’m startled by the approaching footsteps, sending my heart jumping inside my ribcage. A woman clad in a uniform enters, the clicking of her high heels reverberating through the marble walls. Her hair is pulled back into a tight bun as she fixes me with a disapproving glare.

“What’s wrong with you lately?” Mom asks as she steps beside me where I sit by the kitchen island, staring down at my bitten nails.

How could I possibly tell her what’s wrong? Every. Fucking. Thing.

I meet her gaze, noting the charcoal accents around her eyes and the tint of blush on her cheeks—her makeup is impeccable. The Grimaldis don’t accept anything less than perfection.

“She’s just her usual grumpy self.” Kaiden’s voice echoes from the doorway as he enters the kitchen in just a pair of pants.

His chiseled, well-defined body is on full display, showcasing those muscles he always works so hard on, and I nearly choke on my saliva as I take in the sight of him. He’s a perfect wonder, and he fucking knows it. With blond hair looking like honey in the sunlight, he sports a calculated grin that would make any person fall for him. A sour taste lingers in my mouth as I avert my gaze, hating the fact that he’s my brother.

It’s been a couple of months since I turned nineteen, and the intensity with Kaiden has only grown. He’s a menace existing in the same place as me, making me squirm everywhere I go.

Is it normal to feel such maddening lust for your foster brother?

The sour taste in my mouth becomes worse as Kaiden smirks at me, his gaze piercing through mine. I need to get out of here. I can’t breathe, can’t think, can’t fucking exist when he’s near. I feel like I’m going to drown any second, and there’s no hope of saving me.

Mom’s voice snaps me back to the present. “There’s a gala we have to attend tomorrow,” she announces with a firm tone. “You both must attend. The other four powerful families of Penumbra Crest will be there, and we have to uphold the utmost respect and status.”

Each word is lodged in my windpipe while threatening to choke me if I dare speak back.

I need to get out of here.

“Of course,” I mutter absentmindedly, heading toward the hallway.

All I can think about is the desperate need to escape his presence. He drives me to the point of madness without even realizing it, and I need to gather my thoughts. Quietly slipping out of the manor, I grab Mom’s car keys despite not having a driver’s license. I wasn’t allowed one like Kaiden, but that didn’t prevent me from sneaking out and teaching myself to drive with a friend from school.

There aren’t many police patrolling the affluent areas of town, especially not at this hour. Even if I were caught, my parents would easily buy me out of trouble, though their disappointment would be my price to pay.

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