The Growing Obsession

The hunger...

It's different from the thirst for blood I've always known. This is deeper—twisting inside me like an unseen force, demanding, insatiable. It pulls me toward him, toward Liam.

I tell myself I'll stay away. I make the promise each night as the fortress settles into silence, as my clan drifts into their restless slumber. And yet, I find myself here again, moving like a shadow through the woods, drawn to him by something I can't name.

I keep to the trees, watching. Liam is there, seated on a fallen log, his gaze fixed on the rippling water as if searching for answers beneath its surface.

I shouldn't be here.

But I can't leave.

Liam sighs, running a hand through his dark hair. "You can come out now."

I tense. He's noticed me. Again.

I step forward, feigning casualness, though my body remains taut. "You're getting good at this."

He tilts his head, studying me with that sharp gaze. "Or maybe you're getting worse at hiding."

I smirk. "Doubtful."

Liam chuckles but doesn't look away. "You always come here at night. You avoid daylight. You move too fast sometimes—faster than you should." He pauses, his tone dipping lower. "And I feel like I should be scared, but I'm not."

I swallow hard. "Maybe you should be."

Liam considers that for a moment, then leans back against the log, a small smirk playing at his lips. "Or maybe I just don't scare easily."

I shake my head, amused despite myself. "Is that a challenge?"

He shrugs. "Maybe."

I shift my weight, watching him closely. "Most people wouldn't be so calm about this. What if I told you I was dangerous?"

Liam hums as if weighing his response. "Then I'd say danger has never looked quite like you before."

The words are smooth, teasing, but there's truth beneath them. He doesn't fear me, and that should worry me more than it does.

I exhale slowly. "You don't ask many questions, do you?"

"I do," Liam corrects. "I just don't expect real answers."

That catches me off guard. "And you're okay with that?"

He tilts his head. "I think some people are meant to be mysteries."

My chest tightens. You have no idea.

It becomes silent for a moment in time.

The night hums around us, crickets chirping, leaves swaying and the drawn silence, as I try to convince myself to leave. To turn away before I do something I can't take back.

Then, I catch it.

The faintest scent of blood.

It's subtle, but to me, it's overwhelming. My body reacts instinctively, hunger roaring to life with a force that almost knocks me off balance. I clench my fists, my nails biting into my palms, forcing myself to breathe through it.

I can't lose control. Not here. Not now.

Liam shifts, and I see it—his hand, a fresh scrape across his knuckles. It's nothing. A wound so insignificant he probably hasn't even noticed it.

But I have.

And it takes everything in me not to lunge.

I tear my gaze away, jaw tightening. "You should be more careful."

Liam blinks at me, confused. "What?"

I nod toward his hand. "Your knuckles."

He glances down and shrugs. "Ah. Got into a… disagreement."

 "With who?"

Liam smirks. "Jealous?"

I scoff, but it's forced. I shouldn't care. I don't care. But something about the idea of someone else hurting him ignites a protectiveness I don't understand.

"Just curious."

Liam exhales. "A guy at the pub. He was being an ass."

My brows lift. "So you punched him?"

"I punched him after he threw the first swing," Liam corrects. "I'm not completely reckless."

I shake my head. "You seem reckless to me."

Liam grins. "You don't even know me."

I open my mouth to argue—but stop. Because he's right. I shouldn't know him. But somehow, I feel like I do.

I need to go. Now.

I step back, forcing distance between us. "It's late. You should go home."

Liam watches me, curiosity there in his eyes. He doesn't push, but I can tell he wants to.

"Will I see you again?"

The question hangs in the air.

I don't answer. I just turn and disappear into the night.

...

Lucian raises his voice as soon as I slip through the fortress gates. "You think I haven't noticed?"

I freeze.

Lucian steps from the shadows, his golden eyes narrowed. "You reek of human."

My stomach tightens. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lucian huffs a humorless laugh. "Right. You think you can just sneak off every night, and no one will notice?"

I say nothing, my mind racing for an excuse, but Lucian steps closer. "Lord Marcus is getting suspicious."

A chill slithers through me. If Marcus finds out—

"You think he won't figure it out?" Lucian presses, eyes sharp. "He already suspects something. He ordered me to watch you."

Anger flares in me. "So now you're his lapdog?"

Lucian growls, grabbing my wrist in a tight grip. "I'm trying to save your life, Aria. Whatever you're doing—stop. Before it's too late."

I yank my arm free. "I can handle myself."

Lucian shakes his head. "Not against Marcus, you can't."

His words land like a blow, but I don't let it show. Instead, I turn away, my mind spinning with too many thoughts, too many warnings.

But one drowns out all the others.

I'll see Liam again. No matter the cost.

Suddenly, I hear it—a whisper so faint it could be the wind. But it isn't.

"She's getting careless."

I spin, but there's nothing there. Just the darkness of the fortress walls and Lucian's narrowed gaze.

"What is it?" Lucian asks, following my glance.

I don't answer. A cold dread slithers down my spine.

What was that?

A distant howl cuts through the night, low and guttural, vibrating through my bones. Not a wolf. Something else. Something wrong.

Lucian's eyes darken, his body tensing. He hears it too.

The whisper returns, closer this time. A voice that shouldn't exist.

"She doesn't belong to you."

My breath stills, my pulse hammering against my ribs. The shadows shift at the edge of my vision, and for the first time, I realize—I'm being hunted.