Page 26 of Insatiable

He stepped inside without a word, his presence consuming the room in an instant. He didn’t need an invitation—he belonged here. His eyes remained locked on mine as he moved closer, and I felt the air shift, grow warmer. “You don’t recognize me yet?” His voice was low, smooth, sending shivers down my spine.

I blinked, trying to place him. He felt familiar, but not like this. Then, his gaze dropped to my chest, his lips parting slightly.

My breath caught, as the memories hit me so fast it made my head spin. The night. The creature. Him.

“How?” I stammered, stepping back, my hands trembling. “How are you here?”

His smile deepened, slow and deliberate. “I left hell because of you,” he said softly, his voice like a caress. “This is my earthly form.”

I stared, trying to make sense of it. “But you were—”

“Different,” he finished for me, his voice shifting, darker now. “Yes, I was. But you… you pulled me back, Rose. You’re the reason I returned to this world.” His eyes gleamed, something primal flickering in them. “Do you even know what you’ve done to me? What I’ve been craving all this time?”

I froze, my pulse hammering in my ears. His presence pressed in as he took slow, deliberate steps toward me. I felt him before he even bridged the gap, his breath hitching as he leaned in closer, eyes burning with something raw, something that made it hard to look away.

"I’ve been through hell,” he rasped, his voice low and strained. “Everything was chaos. But through it all, there was one thing that kept me going.”

My heart pounded, everything inside me tightening. My body braced for his next words, for the truth he seemed ready to tear open.

“I love you,” he growled, the words jagged, each one a struggle. “I’ve loved you since that night. I’ve seen you in every shadow, tasted you in every breath. I love you in ways you’ll never understand.”

The force of it hit me—his need was overwhelming. This wasn’t tenderness. It was something feral, desperate, something that had festered in the dark.

“You’ve haunted me,” he breathed. “You’re the only thing that made sense in all that madness. And now that I’m here…”His voice dropped to a whisper as he closed the distance. “I’m never letting you go.”

His fingers brushed my cheek, gentle despite the storm in his gaze. “You’ve owned me since that night,” he murmured. “I’ll never stop craving you.”

My pulse raced. There was no escaping the intensity of what he had just laid bare. This wasn’t love as I had known it—it was something darker, wild, dangerous.

Before I could think, I surged forward, grabbing him, crushing my lips to his. The kiss was a fierce collision of breath and desperation. His cold, rough lips met mine with a low, guttural growl that vibrated through me.

“I love you too,” I whispered, the words spilling out before I could stop them. Exposed, real, unstoppable.

His gaze softened, though the intensity never faded. “You made me feel alive, Rose. Made me want to be something more than darkness.”

I pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, my fingers tracing the lines of his face, my heart still racing. “What now?” I asked softly.

A deep chuckle rumbled through him, sending a thrill through me. “You tell me. What do humans do on Halloween?” He tilted his head, curious.

I smiled, biting my lip as I glanced toward the window. “Well, they dress up. Pretend to be someone else for the night.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “I am pretending to be someone else, so does that count?” He gestured to his human form, confusion flickering in his gaze.

“I guess for tonight you can be yourself. So lose the human form,” I whispered, my fingers slowly unbuttoning the front of my dress. “It’s Halloween. No one will question it.”

Understanding dawned in his eyes, and a slow grin spread across his face. “They’ll think I’m one of them.”

“Exactly,” I whispered, feeling the corners of my lips lift. “You don’t have to hide. Not tonight.”

In one fluid motion, his human form melted away, revealing the creature I remembered from that night. His dark wings stretched behind him, his glowing eyes locking onto mine. But there was no fear this time. Just us.

Together, we stepped into the cool Halloween night. The streets buzzed with life, costumes swirling in a colorful blur. No one stopped to stare at him, or cast second glances. Instead, people tossed compliments his way, admiring the “costume.” They had no idea. I caught the flicker of unease in his eyes, a brief moment of tension in his jaw. But it was Halloween, and they just thought he was another creature of the night dressed up for the occasion.

We wandered the streets, me adjusting my witch’s hat, the cheap pointed tip wobbling in the breeze. My heels clicked against the pavement with every step, pressure building in my legs as my feet ached more. I shifted my weight, trying to ignore the sharp bite of the straps digging into my ankles. The discomfort rose until I let out a soft sigh, feeling myself slowing down. He noticed right away.

Before I could say a word, his arms were around me, one smooth, effortless motion lifting me off the ground. He cradled me against his chest like I weighed nothing at all.

I blinked in surprise, my breath catching. “I’m heavy,” I murmured, embarrassed by how easy it seemed for him.

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