Page 19 of Nightmare Island

Eve guides me out of the kitchen, up steps to the third floor to a balcony, not far from my room. Even with the descending sun, the view steals my breath away. The island spreads out before us—vibrant, lush forest and flowing mountains cradled by the bluest sea. It’s paradise, or it would be if it weren’t a prison with wild Alphas.

“This is our side of the island,” Eve explains. “Sten rules the other half.”

“Sounds like a charming neighborhood,” I murmur sarcastically.

“You just have to abide by a few simple rules, and you should survive,” she says, emphasizing the last word in a way that sends chills down my spine.

“Well, that sounds ominous. What’s next? Don’t feed the Alphas after midnight?”

“Never go into the woods alone late at night. If you must go, don’t travel alone. If you’re about to come into heat, for gods’ sakes, tell us and stay away from the men.”

I swallow hard. “Anything else?” I ask.

Eve’s gaze meets mine, deadly serious. “Never, ever challenge Ghost’s authority. The last Omega who did… well, let’s just say the crocodiles ate well that week.”

A chill runs down my spine, and in a flash, I’m back with Jarl, feeling small and powerless and so, so afraid. But I’m not that girl anymore. I force a smirk, even as my heart races.

“Got it. Don’t poke the bear. Or the wolf, in this case. Any other fun island activities I should know about? Volleyball with severed heads, maybe?”

Eve doesn’t smile at my joke. Instead, she tugs at my arm, her grip just shy of painful.

“Come on,” she says, her voice urgent. “I need to get back to my chores, and you’re expected to attend the celebrations tonight. You can help them set up the tables down behind the mansion. I will join you as soon as I finish helping Mara.”

She grins, and I join her down a hallway leading away from my room until we reach the end, where there’s a dark descending staircase.

“At the bottom and down a long corridor, head out the door. Then you’ll be outside. I’ll be in the yard.”

With a small shove in the back, she rushes back to the way we came from the kitchen. Strange girl.

I turn and take my first steps down when a faint murmur of voices reaches me from behind. Turning back around, I catch a glimpse of Eve pressed up against Ghost.

Her hands are all over his chest.

He tilts his head to the side, staring at her, that damn skull mask making it impossible to read his expression. Eve’s saying something I can’t hear, but when Ghost drags his hand down her hair, bunching it at the back of her head, a pang of… something… strikes my chest.

I feel like I’m witnessing a private moment, yet I can’t look away. I have no feelings for this man. Sure, he saved me, but Eve has scars. Did he do that to her? He leans in, whispering in her ear, and as Eve’s gasps, I quickly pull back.

A wave of… is that jealousy? No, it can’t be. Who the hell cares what Ghost does or who he does it with?

As the voices die away, followed by footsteps coming my way, I slip into the shadows and rush down the stairs, not wanting Ghost to think I’m spying on him. My heart pounds in my ears as I dart down the dark staircase, Eve’s urgent instructions echoing in my mind. Louder footsteps in the hallway above spur me on.

The stairs seem endless, spiraling down into darkness. My hand trails along the cold stone wall. I tell myself I’m just going to help outside, to get to know some people. It’s not because I can’t shake the image of Eve in Ghost’s arms. It’s not because I care. It’s not.

At the bottom, a long, dimly lit corridor stretches before me to my right. Shadows dance on the walls, cast by flickering torches. It’s like something out of a gothic novel, and I expect to see a monster lurking in the corners.

“None of those here,” I mumble to myself. “Just bloodthirsty werewolves. Much better.”

Hurrying down the corridor, my steps sound around me. Finally, I reach a massive door made of thick wood and iron. I grasp the handle, cool metal against my sweaty palm, and wrench it open with all my strength.

The last rays of sunlight of the day hit my face as I step outside. I’m blinded. Then my eyes adjust, and I’m faced with a wall of dense forest. The trees loom over me, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers.

The door slams shut behind me with a resounding boom, and I jump, my heart leaping into my throat.

“It’s just a door. A very loud, very ominous door.”

As I step back, something feels… off. The woodland presses up against what should be the back of the mansion. But what I’m seeing isn’t the elegant, if run-down, building I was in moments ago. It’s a wall of stone stretching up into the darkening sky, and on either side of me it curls around, forcing me to go one way only… into the woods.

My stomach drops, a cold weight settling in my gut. This isn’t right. This isn’t where I’m supposed to be. Did I take a wrong turn? Or did Eve mislead me?

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