The Storm Within

The storm raged outside, howling against the walls of the safehouse, rattling the windows like a beast demanding entry. Inside, Helena lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, but sleep refused to come.

Her mind was a battlefield—torn between reason and emotion, between fear and something far more dangerous… longing.

Xavier's words still clung to her, whispering in her ears like a promise she wasn't sure she could accept.

"Someone I would destroy the world for."

She had heard many things in her life—threats, lies, oaths sworn in desperation—but nothing had ever shaken her like those words. Because she knew they weren't empty. Xavier meant them. He would burn everything to keep her safe.

Her fingers curled into the sheets.

Was she a fool for hesitating?

She had been so afraid of what she was becoming, of what her bloodline meant, that she had refused to let herself believe in the one thing that had been constant—him. He had been there through everything. Protecting her. Fighting for her. Choosing her.

She sat up suddenly, pressing a hand to her chest, feeling the rapid beat of her heart.

She had to tell him.

Her bare feet touched the cold floor as she slipped out of bed, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders. The hallway outside her room was silent, the candlelight flickering softly against the stone walls. She hesitated in front of Xavier's door, her fingers brushing the handle.

Would he be asleep?

Would he even want to see her after she had left him standing there, his heart laid bare?

She closed her eyes and took a breath—

A faint tap at her window made her freeze.

Her head snapped toward it, her pulse spiking. The storm outside was wild, rain slamming against the glass, but something felt… off. The wind carried whispers that weren't just the howling of the storm.

She turned away from Xavier's door, moving cautiously back into her room. Her breath fogged slightly in the air—why was it suddenly so cold?

Lightning flashed, illuminating the window—

And then she saw it.

A single red rose.

It sat on the windowsill, impossibly dry despite the rain, its petals dark as spilled blood. A slow, creeping chill slid down her spine.

No.

She stepped forward, hesitant, her fingertips hovering just over the glass.

Another flash of lightning—

And in the brief burst of light, she saw the reflection of a figure standing in the tree line.

Silver eyes gleamed back at her, cold and calculating.

Lucian.

Her breath hitched.

He had found her.

And he was waiting.

She stumbled back, her heart slamming against her ribs. The room suddenly felt suffocating, the walls closing in.

No, no, no—

A shadow passed under the door.

Her stomach twisted. She spun toward the hallway just as the candlelight flickered unnaturally. The flames bent, as if something unseen had moved past them.

He wasn't alone.

The hunt had begun.

And this time, there would be no escape.