Page 9 of The Blood Moon Hunt

Her head falls back as she gasps, and in that instant, I see something shift. There’s a spark, a pulse of energy, and I feel it—power—surging from her into him. The man’s eyes darken, his body tensing as he drinks it in, like a starving man tasting his first meal in weeks. His face twists into something feral, a gleam in his eyes as he feeds off the woman’s climax. And she… she’s lost in it, her body arching, her cries of pleasure filling the clearing.

But then I see it. The moment it all changes.

Her eyes flutter open, and the light in them dims. The vitality that was there just moments ago slips away, like the flicker of a candle being snuffed out. She goes limp, still smiling, but there’s something vacant behind her expression now. Something…empty.

His clothing materializes back onto his body as if it was never gone, and he steps away from her, leaving her trembling on the ground. But she doesn’t even move. She just lies there, staring up at the sky with a glassy expression.

And that’s when the others descend.

The men from the crowd circle her like wolves, their eyes dark with hunger. She moans, her body reacting to their touch, but there’s something wrong—so wrong—about the whole thing. The pleasure she’s experiencingisn’t real. It’s forced, driven by whatever spell or magic they’ve cast over her.

My stomach turns, a wave of nausea rising as I watch them take her, using her body as if she were a toy. She’s clearly enjoying it, but the vacancy in her eyes… it’s like she’s not even there anymore.

“We need to go,” I whisper urgently, turning to my friend and grabbing her arm. “Lila, we need to leave. Now.”

But Lila just laughs, tossing her head back as if I’ve said something ridiculous. “Are you kidding? Babe, did youseehow hot that was?” She gives me a wide, excited grin. “I didn’t realize we were going to this sort of club, but I’m here for it.”

I shake my head, my grip tightening on her arm. “This isn’t a club. This isn’t what we think it is. We have to find Tessa and Evie, and we need to get the hell out of here.”

But Lila pulls her arm from my grasp, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “I’m not running off into the woods, Selene! Look at them! Look athim.” She points at one of the men, her gaze lingering on his broad shoulders and intense eyes. “Why would I leavethat?”

My heart pounds as I glance between her and the scene unfolding in front of us. She doesn’t understand. She can’t see what I see, can’t feel the wrongness radiating from these men, the darkness in the air. I’m tornbetween grabbing her and dragging her with me or running for my life.

But then… I see him.

Damien.

He’s standing just beyond the trees, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that makes my skin tingle. The world around me blurs for a moment, and all I can focus on is the pull—the overwhelming desire to run toward him, to feel his hands on me again. My body reacts instantly, heating up in a way that has nothing to do with fear and everything to do withwant.

Why do I want him? Why do I feel this way?

The question barely forms in my mind before I’m overwhelmed with the need to be closer to him, to let him claim me the way the others are claiming the women in the clearing. It’s insane, but it’s there, a craving I can’t ignore.

I take a step forward, my breath quickening as my eyes lock with his. But then—my friend’s voice yanks me back to reality.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Lila says, a mischievous grin spreading across her face as she shrugs off my hand and takes a step toward the men.

“Lila—wait!” I shout, but it’s too late.

She runs straight toward the group of men, laughing as they turn to her with the same feral hunger in their eyes. One of them grabs her instantly, pinning her to the ground before she even realizes what’s happening. Shegasps, but it’s not in fear. She’s enjoying it, just like the other woman.

Terror pulses through me, my heart thundering in my chest. I turn my gaze back to Damien, his eyes still on me, that unreadable expression frozen on his face. I feel that pull again—the desire to run to him, to let him catch me.

No.I can’t. I can’t let this happen. Whatever this is, it’s wrong.

I tear my gaze away from him, my heart aching from the effort, and I turn on my heel. With a deep breath, I run. I run as fast as I can into the woods, away from the clearing, away from Damien, and away from the nightmare that’s unfolding behind me.

Chapter

Seven

SELENE

High School

The cafeteria is always too loud. It feels like the walls themselves vibrate with the endless chatter of voices, the scraping of chairs, and the clatter of trays. I sit at the far end of the room, near the window, where the noise is slightly muffled. My book is open in front of me, the words on the page offering a temporary escape from the chaos around me.

I push my glasses up my nose and turn the page, trying to lose myself in the story. It’s a fantasy novel, the kind where the heroine wields power no one expects and wins against impossible odds. I imagine what it would feel like to be her—beautiful, confident, unstoppable. Not someone like me.

---