Page 26 of Drenched

The creature stepped toward me. The air grew colder, but heat pooled low in my stomach. My body stayed frozen, trapped between fear and something I didn’t want to name.

He crouched in front of me, his eyes never leaving mine. The storm outside faded to a distant roar. It was just us now.

He reached out, his fingers, fluid and solid all at once, brushed my cheek. The touch was cold, but it burned through me. His fingers slid lower, following the line of my jaw, lingering at my throat where the marks throbbed. A shiver rippled through me, not from the cold, but from him.

His gaze softened, curiosity flickering in the depths. His thumb traced the edge of my lip, slow and deliberate. My breath caught. I wanted to pull away. I wanted to lean in. I stayed locked in place, heart pounding so hard it hurt.

He leaned closer, his face near enough that I could see the faint shimmer of light across his skin. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing as if studying me, as if claiming me.

When he spoke, his voice wasn’t sound. It was a vibration inside me, low and resonant.

“You are mine.”

The words slid through me, dark and possessive. My body responded before my mind could catch up. Heat spread through my veins, overwhelming, dizzying. His fingers traced down my throat, brushing the edge of my collarbone. My skin prickled, every nerve on edge.

He leaned in further, his face just inches away. The storm’s cold breath slipped between us, but his presence filled the space, drowning out everything else. I felt his power, ancient and inescapable, curling around me like an unseen net.

His lips almost touched mine, so close that I could feel the chill radiating from him. My own lips parted, a tremor shaking through me. He didn’t close the distance. He held me there, suspended in the unbearable space between want and fear.

His eyes flickered, something unreadable passing through them. His fingers tightened against my throat, not enough to hurt, but enough to make my pulse quicken. The marks under my skin burned hotter, as if answering his touch.

Then, just as slowly, he drew back. His fingers trailed away, leaving my skin aching for contact. His gaze lingered on me, dark and possessive.

And then he melted away, his form dissolving into mist and storm. The chill faded with him, but the sensation of his touch stayed, seared into me.

I collapsed forward, my palms hitting the floor, blood sticky beneath my fingers. My body trembled, heart still racing with a mix of terror and something dangerously close to desire.

Once I steadied myself, I looked down. Blood soaked my hands, my clothes. The horror slammed into me. A scream tore free,raw and jagged. It echoed off the walls, twisting into something unrecognizable, something that didn’t sound like me anymore.

The room shook suddenly. A loud boom rattled the floor. I turned my head. Flames flickered under the door, casting orange light that twisted with the shadows. Jaime’s signal. The distraction we planned if everything went to hell.

My heart pounded. I forced myself up while the world spun around me. Smoke curled under the door. The heat pushed at my back. There wasn’t much time.

I grabbed my backpack from the corner. I didn’t care what I left behind. I just needed to get out. I stumbled to the door and yanked it open. Smoke rushed in, stinging my eyes, choking my lungs.

Downstairs, I saw them. Trevor, Jaime, and Kim. They stood at the bottom of the staircase, half-lit by the fire. Their eyes widened when they saw me. Blood-covered. Wild-eyed. A walking nightmare.

Trevor’s voice came out low, sharp. “Where’s Jonathan?” His eyes scanned me, taking in the stains and chunks of meat on my clothes.

“He’s… he’s gone.” The words slipped out, barely louder than a whisper. My mind spun, trying to process what happened. Trevor’s face twisted in horror, snapping me back to reality.

He grabbed my collar and yanked me close. “Gone? What did you do?”

“It wasn’t me!” My voice cracked. “Something else… in the room. It killed him.”

Jaime pulled Trevor back. His eyes darted to the blood on my face, then to the flames creeping closer. “We need to go. Now.”

Kim nodded while her voice shook. “If the villagers find us, “

“We’re dead,” she finished. Her eyes darted to the fire, to the growing smoke. “We have to move.”

Outside, voices shouted through the storm. I saw them through the cracked window. Tanya, Sebastian, and the villagers. They ran toward the inn.

Jaime pointed to the back. “The lab window. It’s our way out.”

We squeezed through the window, one by one. Mud sucked at my feet when I landed. Jaime’s hand grabbed my arm, steadying me.

“We’re close. Keep moving.”

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