Page 26 of When Death Whispers

Hudson moves closer, his presence solid and grounding. “Okay, so what do we do?”

I shake my head, unable to answer. The flicker could be nothing. Especially after experiencing a power outage last night. And it’s the middle of the day, so the room is well-lit anyway, barely space for shadows.

And still…despite all of thishemanaged to surprise me in the shower earlier. It’s safe to say we can’t discount anything.

But the cold creeping down my spine tells me it’s something more. It’s not quite the foreboding shiver of dread that usually comes whenhe’s around.

“Stay close to the light,” I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper. It’s the only thing I can think of, the only rule that’s ever worked. Even if it’s daytime and seems like the silliest thing.

But Hudson nods, his jaw tightening, completely serious and not at all questioning my sanity. For now at least. “Got it.”

The next few minutes stretch on forever. We stand there, unmoving, watching the tiniest shadows in the corners like they might spring to life at any moment. My ears strain for any sound, but the silence presses down heavier with each passing second.

Then I see it. A shift, barely noticeable, in the corner by the door. Like the shadows are… thicker. Moving.

“Hudson,” I hiss, my hand shooting out to grab his arm. He follows my gaze, his body tensing as he sees it too.

“That’s him,” he whispers, and for once, his usual cocky confidence is gone, replaced by raw fear.

But it isn’t my monster. I don’t know how I know, but I do. The shape is different, less defined, more fluid. And the feeling in my chest isn’t the suffocating dread that comes withhim—it’s something else. Something curious. Watching. Something that tugs at me in a strange familiar way, like it’s part of me.

Before I can say anything, the shadow shifts again, and this time, it’s unmistakable. A pair of eyes—ice blue eyes, uncannily similar to my own, but glowing—blink into existence, hovering in the darkness. They fix on me, unblinking, and I feel a strange pull, like they’re looking straight through me.

“What the hell is that?” Hudson breathes, his voice tight.

“I… I don’t know,” I stammer, my throat dry. My mind races, trying to piece together what this could mean. My stalking monster never had eyes like that. And he’s never simply watched. He’s always attacked, always tried to take me. This… this is different.

The eyes blink out, leaving the corner in darkness again. The room feels lighter, like the pressure in the air has lifted, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re not alone. That we’re being studied.

Hudson turns to me, his expression unreadable. “You know what that was?”

I shake my head, my stomach twisting. “No. But it’s nothim.”

“Great,” he mutters, dragging a hand through his hair. “So now we’ve got two monsters to worry about?”

I don’t answer. I can’t. Because the truth is, I’m not sure this one’s a monster. Not yet.

10

I stay cloakedin the shadows for a long time, watching her sleep.

She sleeps like a creature unbothered by the nightmares clawing at the edges of her world. It’s maddening and beautiful. The rise and fall of her chest steadies the worst parts of me, yet stokes others.

But eventually, the quiet breaks. She stirs. Shifts. And the moment she rises from the bed, the tether tugs tighter, insistently urging me to follow.

So I do.

I drift through the house like shadow smoke, slipping from her room and materializing in the kitchen once more—right where she first called me into this world.

She’s not alone.

That golden-haired boy is back. Hobson or whatever ridiculous name her human pet answers to. I curl low in the corner of the kitchen, watching them with growing interest, my hunger sharp.

And hunger.

My arrival shifts the air. The lights flicker. My Beholden tenses like she senses my presence.

Good.

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