Page 37 of The Blood Moon Hunt

I laugh, a quiet, cynical sound. "Worth living? When they cause so much pain?"

"Yes," she says firmly, surprising me with her conviction. "Because without them, what’s the point? Life would just be... empty."

"Empty," I muse, stepping even closer. "Interesting. I’ve always thought that humans fill their lives with meaningless things to avoid that very emptiness. You consume, you distract yourselves, you pursue fleeting pleasures, all to avoid the void that’s always waiting. I’ve watched it happen, over and over again."

She bites her lip, clearly uncomfortable with how much I seem to know, how I’ve been watching from the outside, trying to make sense of something I was never part of. "You sound like you’ve spent a lot of time observing us."

"I have," I admit, my voice low. "Humans fascinate me. I’ve studied your kind for centuries, trying to understand your motivations, your desires. I’ve seen you break your own hearts, sabotage your own happiness, and for what? To avoid loneliness? To find meaning in something fleeting? I still can’t make sense of it."

Her eyes soften, and she takes a step toward me, closing the distance between us. "You might notunderstand it," she says quietly, "but that doesn’t mean it’s not real. Just because it doesn’t last forever doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter."

I tilt my head, intrigued by the way she’s defending something I’ve always dismissed. "Is that why you let them drag you to that club?" I ask. "Because those friendships, however flawed, meant something to you?"

She looks away, and I can see the pain flicker in her eyes. "Maybe. Or maybe I just didn’t want to be alone. Maybe I thought if I went along with it, they’d see me... really see me."

I study her carefully, sensing the vulnerability beneath her words. "And did they?" I ask softly.

She lets out a bitter laugh. "No. I don’t think they ever did."

I watch her closely, the way her body tenses, the way her lips press into a thin line. She’s holding onto something—some kind of regret, some kind of loss—and it makes me curious, even more so than before. There’s so much more to her than she lets on, and it’s not just her power. It’s the complexity of her emotions, the way she clings to hope even when she’s been hurt. It’s... fascinating.

"Do you think I care?" I ask suddenly, surprising even myself with the question.

She blinks, startled. "What?"

"Do you think I care about any of this? About you?"My voice is softer now, almost a whisper. I’m curious, truly curious, to see what she thinks.

She stares at me, unsure of how to respond. "I... I don’t know."

I take a step closer, my voice lowering even further. "Maybe I do. Maybe you’re the first human I’ve met who’s made mewantto care. That’s... new for me."

She shivers slightly at my words, and I can see the effect I’m having on her. It’s intoxicating, the way she responds, the way her body reacts to my proximity. But there’s something else too, something more. I find myself wondering what it would be like to truly understand her, to understand these human emotions that have eluded me for so long.

"And what about me?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper now. "Do you care about me?"

I tilt my head, considering her question, and then I smirk, leaning in just a little closer. "I think... I could."

Her breath hitches, and I feel the tension between us grow, thick and palpable. There's something here, something undeniable. And for the first time in centuries, I’m not just curious. I’m... invested.

"And when I fully come into my power?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly, "Will you care then?"

I pause, my gaze locking with hers. I can feel the weight of her words, the promise of what’s to come. "When you fully come into your power," I whisper, "you’ll be something this world has never seen before. And I’ll be right there, watching every moment."

Her breath catches, and I know I’ve said too much, but I don’t care. The tension between us is electric now, and I can feel the pull of her power, even in its infancy.

"Adrian..." she murmurs, her voice trailing off, as if she doesn’t know what to say next.

I lean in closer, my lips brushing against her ear. "Your soul is still yours, Selene," I whisper. "Buried beneath all that human doubt. But when you finally claim it... when you finally accept who you are... I’ll be there to see it."

The air between us feels thick, charged with something more than just magic. I can feel her pulse quicken, the heat radiating from her skin as she steps closer, drawn to me despite herself.

For the first time, I feel something I haven’t felt in centuries—an understanding, a connection that goes beyond the Hunt, beyond the power I crave.

And for a fleeting moment, I wonder what it would be like to lose myself in her.

For a moment, her eyes lock with mine, and I see the vulnerability there, the uncertainty mixing with desire. She steps closer, and I can feel her body heat against mine, the tension snapping taut between us like a thread ready to break.

The air feels heavy, charged with something unsaid, something inevitable. I can feel her pulse quicken undermy fingertips as she looks up at me, her lips parted slightly as if she’s about to say something, but no words come.

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