Chapter 39

Third POV

The mark burned like fire beneath their skin. It started as a dull warmth, a presence they barely noticed, but now—it was unbearable. Like molten iron searing into their flesh, a pain that clawed at their very souls. Romeo gritted his teeth, his knuckles white as he braced himself against the wall. Every muscle in his body trembled, the unbearable heat radiating from the mark on his chest. His breath was ragged, his shirt damp with sweat.

"What the hell was happening? "

Across the room, Venecia collapsed onto the couch, her hands gripping the spot where the mark pulsed viciously. Every inch of her skin felt hypersensitive, her heart racing with an unfamiliar ache—an ache that only intensified the moment Romeo stepped away from her. They didn't understand it. Neither of them did. Liana and Damien watched in growing horror.

"Dude, what's going on?" Damien asked, his brows furrowed with concern. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

Romeo barely managed to lift his head. His vision swam, his body feeling heavy, foreign. "I—I don't know, man," he panted, voice hoarse. "Help me... water... I can't—ughh... fuck..."

Damien didn't hesitate. "Shit, hold on. Liana—"

"I've got Venecia," she said sharply, already kneeling beside her. Venecia's skin was burning to the touch, her nails digging into the fabric of the couch as she arched slightly, her breath hitching. Like she was being consumed from the inside.

"I need—" she gasped, chest rising and falling rapidly. "I don't know what's happening..."

But she did.

Deep down, she could feel it. Something dark, something ancient and twisted was clawing its way to the surface. It wasn't just pain—it was hunger.

And it wanted Romeo.

*******

The Hallucinations Begin

That night, sleep was impossible. Every time Venecia closed her eyes, she saw him. Romeo. His hands on her skin, his lips tracing fire along her throat. His breath hot against her ear as he whispered her name like a prayer. She felt everything—his touch, his weight, the way their bodies fit together as if the universe itself had crafted them for this moment. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, closer—

Venecia's eyes snapped open with a strangled gasp.

Her body was flushed, pussy aching, and the mark throbbed violently. She pressed her hands over it, desperate to silence the unbearable sensation, but it only made it worse.

Across the hall, Romeo was experiencing the same torment. Visions of Venecia haunted him. The scent of her skin, the taste of her lips—everything felt too real, too vivid. His body burned with need, his mind drowning in the overwhelming desire to be with her, to be inside her. His fingers trembled as he ran them over the cursed mark, his breathing shallow.

"This is fucking insane," he muttered, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. But the moment his foot touched the floor—

Agony.

A piercing, soul-crushing pain shot through his body, forcing him to his knees. A broken groan tore from his throat as he clutched his chest, gasping for air.

Venecia let out a strangled cry from the other room, as if mirroring his suffering.

It was getting worse.

******

Seeking Isolde

Liana and Damien knew they had to do something. "This isn't normal," Liana whispered, her hands clenched into fists. "We need answers. Now." "Yeah?" Damien scoffed. "And where the hell are we supposed to find those? Google 'why are my friends cursed and horny'?"

She shot him a glare. "I know someone." His face twisted in confusion. "Who?"

"Librarian Isolde."

Damien paled slightly. Of course. The mysterious librarian woman who had long been whispered about someone who knew things no ordinary person should. It wasn't easy sneaking out. But they did. And when they finally arrived at the old cottage hidden deep within the woods, the air felt heavy. Thick with secrets. The door creaked open before they even knocked.

Isolde was waiting.

"You're late," she said simply, her green eyes gleaming in the dim candlelight. Liana swallowed. "They're in pain. It's getting worse." Isolde nodded knowingly, gesturing for them to sit. "The curse is awakening."

Damien stiffened. "The fuck?". A slow, eerie smile stretched across Isolde's lips. "They are bound by something ancient. Something inescapable." She poured a dark liquid into a small glass and set it in front of them. "The pain... the hallucinations... the hunger—it is the curse's way of forcing them together."

Liana's stomach twisted. "Then how do we stop it?"

Isolde tilted her head slightly. "You don't."

Silence.

Damien clenched his jaw. "That's not an answer."

The Isolde chuckled. "Oh, but it is." Her gaze turned sharp, piercing through them. "To stop the pain, they must give in. Completely."

Liana's breath caught.

"They need to—"

"Yes," Isolde interrupted, lips curving. "It's part of the curse's activation. If they resist, the pain will only worsen. Their bodies are being pulled together because that is how the curse feeds. It grows stronger with their surrender." Damien's fists tightened. "So what? You're saying they have no choice?"

Isolde's eyes darkened. "No." She leaned forward, her voice lowering to a whisper. "The moment they give in—the curse will take root. And once it does..."

She sat back, smiling faintly.

"There will be no escaping it."

*******

Breaking Point

By the time Liana and Damien returned, it was too late.

Romeo and Venecia were curled on opposite sides of the same room, their bodies trembling violently. The pain had escalated to an unbearable degree—it felt like they were dying. Romeo was gasping for breath, his hands fisted in the sheets as if trying to anchor himself. Venecia's nails had drawn blood from her palms, her entire body arching in agony. Every nerve burned. Every inch of them screamed for release. For each other.

And then—it happened. Romeo's eyes met hers. Venecia's lips parted. A raw, desperate need surged between them, overpowering all reason.

And in that moment—

They gave in.

Romeo reached for her, and the second his fingers brushed against her burning skin, a sharp gasp tore from her lips. It was as if a dam had broken, the unbearable pain of their mark melting into something darker, something hotter. His hands roamed her body with the same urgency that clawed at his own soul, his grip firm, desperate, needing her closer.

Venecia responded just as feverishly. She grabbed at his shirt, yanking it over his head, her nails raking over his chest as though she could dig her way beneath his skin. Her own body trembled, not from fear, but from the sheer intensity of the force pulling them together. Every inch of her ached, burned, craved him.

He crushed his lips against hers, and the taste of him—heat and something dangerously addicting—made her dizzy. Their kiss was not gentle, not sweet. It was all-consuming, filled with a hunger neither could deny. Teeth clashed, tongues tangled, and with every movement, the pain of their curse twisted into pleasure so deep it made Venecia moan into his mouth.

"More," she breathed, her voice shaky as she pulled him closer, her body arching into his.

Romeo's fingers traced the mark on her skin, and the moment he did, a violent shudder wracked through both of them. The burn turned electric, running through their veins like wildfire. He groaned against her throat, his breath hot, his control slipping by the second.

Venecia let out a sharp gasp as he pressed her against the bed, his weight pinning her down in the most intoxicating way. His lips trailed along her jaw, her neck, his tongue flicking against the sensitive spot just above her pulse. She whimpered, fingers tangling into his hair, pulling him closer, needing him closer.

"Fuck, Venecia," he muttered against her skin, his voice thick, ragged. "I need you—I can't—"Then don't stop," she begged, her body arching into his, her nails digging into his back as if she could anchor herself in him. "I need this. I need you."

The words shattered whatever restraint Romeo had left. He tore away the last of her clothes, his hands roaming her bare skin, memorizing every inch of her as if he were afraid she would slip away. Venecia's breath hitched as he pressed against her, their marks searing, burning, connecting them in a way deeper than just flesh.

Their bodies moved together, frantic, needy, desperate. Each touch, each moan, each thrust sent them spiraling further into the depths of their curse. The pleasure was unbearable, the kind that bordered on pain, the kind that made them lose all sense of reality.

And as they reached the edge—

The room darkened.

A sharp pulse of energy rippled through them, a force so powerful it made Venecia cry out, her back arching violently as the mark on her skin glowed. Romeo groaned, his body tightening as if something unseen had taken hold of him.

Then—silence.

The pleasure, the pain, the fire—it all faded into a chilling stillness.

Venecia's breath came in shallow gasps as she clung to Romeo, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Something had changed.

Something had awakened.

And neither of them could escape it now.

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What do you think? I tried to make this chapter more passionate.