Page 43 of The Blood Moon Hunt

I chuckle softly, a sound full of dark promise. "All good things must come to an end eventually," I say, leaning down to brush a feather-light kiss across her lips. "But fear not, my sweet Selene. This is merely the beginning."

My fingers continue to stroke through her slick folds, teasing and tormenting without providing the friction she craves. "You're going to be a good girl and rest now," I instruct firmly. "Recover your strength. Because soon, very soon, I will have you screaming my name again and again until it's the only word you remember."

I punctuate my words with a sudden thrust of two fingers deep inside her, curling them just so to hit that spot that makes her seeing stars. Her hips buck wildly,seeking more, but I withdraw abruptly, leaving her empty and aching.

"No," she starts to say but I cut her off with another stern command, my eyes glinting with amusement and something darker.

"Silence, siren. You will obey me."

I rise from the bed, my movements fluid and predatory. From the nightstand, I retrieve a small vial filled with a shimmering liquid. With deliberate slowness, I uncork it and pour the contents into a glass of water, watching as the concoction fizzes and bubbles.

"This is a special tonic," I explain, handing her the glass. "It will help soothe your overwrought nerves and ensure you sleep peacefully... for now."

Selene looks uncertain, but her exhaustion and lingering pleasure haze likely render her too pliable to resist. She takes the glass, downing the strange brew in a few gulps.

As the potion takes effect, a soft, dreamy quality settles over her features.

I watch intently as the potion works its magic, Selene's eyelids drooping heavily as drowsiness washes over her. A contented sigh escapes her parted lips, her body relaxing into the mattress.

"Much better," I comment approvingly, setting the empty glass aside. "Now, get some rest."

With that, I turn to leave, pausing only to glanceback at her slumbering form. A faint smile plays on my lips as I admire her peaceful expression, her chest rising and falling with slow, even breaths.

Tomorrow, I will begin to unravel the mysteries of this intriguing creature.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

SELENE

The darkness presses in around me, suffocating and heavy. The manor is gone, replaced by the walls of a dimly lit bedroom. My bedroom. I know this place—the faded posters on the walls, the cluttered desk piled with books I’d read a hundred times to escape reality. It smells faintly of vanilla from the candle I always burned, an attempt to make the space feel warmer than it was.

I’m not alone. He’s here.

Ryan.

He sits on the edge of my bed, his presence filling the small room. He’s wearing the hoodie he always wore, the one that smelled like cedar and cheap cologne. His hair is a mess, the way I used to like it, and he’s looking at me with that crooked smile that once made my heart race. But tonight, it doesn’t. Tonight, it’s wrong.

Because I know how this ends.

The dream shifts, pulling me deeper into the memory. It’s the night I finally told him I was ready—or thought I was. We’d been together for months, and he was my first everything: first kiss, first date, first person I let past the walls I kept so carefully constructed. I thought he’d be the one, the one who’d see me, accept me, want me.

“Are you sure?” Ryan asks, his voice low, almost hesitant. He’s leaning toward me, his hands resting lightly on my hips. We’re both sitting on my bed, the covers bunched beneath us. My heart is pounding so hard I can barely think.

I nod, trying to steady my breathing. “Yeah, I... I’m sure.”

His smile widens, and for a moment, I think everything will be okay. He kisses me again, slow and soft, and my nerves start to melt away. I let myself believe this is right, that I’m finally stepping into the world everyone else seems to belong to so easily.

But then his hands start to wander, and the nerves creep back. I freeze when his fingers graze the edge of my waistband, a jolt of fear shooting through me.

“Wait,” I whisper, my voice trembling. He stops, his brow furrowing as he looks at me.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, his tone patient but tinged with something else—something I can’t quite place.

I take a deep breath, my hands twisting in the fabric of my blanket. This is it. I have to tell him. “I’ve never done this before,” I say quickly, the words tumbling out in a rush. “I’m... I’m a virgin.”

The air shifts, heavy and suffocating. Ryan’s face changes. The warmth in his eyes flickers, replaced by something colder. He leans back slightly, putting distance between us, and the silence stretches like a chasm.

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