Elenaās POVāIām picking you up in ten minutes, Elena. No excuses,ā Lexiās voice buzzed through the phone speaker, sharp and playful.I glanced toward the tall window of the mansion. The pale morning light filtered through silk curtains. My thoughts lingered on Silas how heād left last night without offering more than a few vague words and a glance that felt like a goodbye.I hadnāt seen him since the kiss.I didnāt regret it. But the way he pulled away after it haunted me,but at least he didn't look disgusted.Still, Lexi wouldnāt let me rest.āAlright,ā I said softly, pulling my jacket over my shoulders. ā Give me ten minutes .āTen minutes turned to eight when Lexiās car pulled into the long gravel path with a speed that made Miss Claire flinch from the porch. I waved apologetically as I jogged out, the cool air biting my cheeks.Lexi leaned out of the driverās seat window, her platinum hair pulled into a messy bun, sunglasses too big for her face. āYou look like someone just broke
Silasās POVThe wind howled through the trees, sharp and cold as it cut against my skin. I stood at the edge of the forest, staring at the tall, dark shape of the castle in the distance.It stood hidden deep in the Carpathian Mountains, far away from any human city or road. Mortals didnāt even know this place existed. And even if they did, most would never dare to step near it. But this castle wasnāt new to me.I had shed my blood on those stone floors,I had broken bones fighting in its cold courtyard. And within those high, ancient walls, I had learned what it meant to kill.What it meant to survive!I took a slow step forward, my boots crunching on the frozen gravel,ice covered the path. The tall black gates in front of me swung open before I could even reach them. the one inside already knew I had arrived.He always knew.The heavy door creaked open as I stepped into the grand hall. Shadows hung in the air like smoke. Dust didnāt settle here and time didnāt seem to touch this pl
Elenaās POVThe mansion was too quiet.I wandered from room to room, barefooted, the hem of my long sweater brushing my thighs as I clutched a cup of lukewarm tea Iād forgotten to drink. I hadnāt seen Silas since our kitchen conversation. And now, he was gone again.āSilas?ā I called softly.Nothing.The shadows seemed deeper tonight more haunting. The wind outside howled against the windows, like it was warning me of something. I paused by the main hallway and noticed a door I hadnāt seen before. It was large, old, made of dark wood and marked with a faint symbol that looked like it had been carved .Something about it pulled me in I reached for the handleāāElena.āI froze that voice,that cold, controlled voice that somehow still made my chest flutter.I turned around slowly and found Silas standing behind me, half in the shadows, dressed in black like always. His face was unreadable. Only his eyes held intensity emotions that made my heart stutter.āDonāt ever try to open that
Elenaās POVThe old grandfather clock in the mansion hallway struck midnight. A deep, echoing sound that made the silence in the mansion feel heavier than usual.I hadn't been able to sleep.Not since that woman and man Lilith and Lucario came and vanished into Silasās room like they owned it. Their presence had set my nerves on fire.And Silas? He hadnāt spoken to me since last night. No teasing remarks,no faint smiles,not even a glance.I found myself pacing the hallway outside my room like a ghost, waiting for something to happen⦠until I heard the sound of water running in the kitchen.I followed it,I don't know why I did that but maybe it was the need of seeing Silas again.There, in the dim light of the kitchen, Silas stood at the sink, he was shirtless, washing his hands. His back muscles moved with an unnatural grace, and for a second, I forgot every reason I was mad at him.He looked tired,paler than usual and worn.I stepped in quietly, but he noticed me right away. He alw
Silas's POVI sat at the edge of the bed, one hand gripping the armrest, the other clenched into a fist so tight my nails had sliced through skin. The pain had grounded me but barely.Every nerve in my body burned. My throat was like swallowing a pit of fire. I hadn't fed in over two weeks far beyond what was safe, even for me. And last night⦠I had nearly lost control.Elena.I could still taste her on my tongue. Sweet. Innocent,warm. Like sunlight after centuries of darkness.I hated myself for it.She didnāt even realize what I was,what I truly was. And yet she trusted me enough to sneak into my room, to check on me like I was human. That trust burned worse than the thirst ever could.I sat there lost in my thoughts trying to ignore the burning feeling of hunger in my body when the door opened without permission.Only two people dared do that.āSilas,ā came the voice that was cold and very familiar.I didnāt have to look up,I knew the scent of jasmine, old paper, and death any
⣠Elenaās POV⣠I slammed the door behind me, my chest heaving,my heart rattling like a trapped bird in my ribcage. Silasās voice still echoed in my ears , his voice was low, rough, and sharp with warning. It hadnāt just been anger,it was pain. Something had been breaking behind those cold, glacial eyes. I leaned against the hallway wall, trying to make sense of what just happened. He had flipped me to the bed. He had looked at me like⦠like he wanted me. No, hungered for me. But then he stopped,He backed away as if my very presence could kill him. The image of him slumped by the window burned into my mind. Sweat glistening on his temple, his shirt clinging to his body like second skin, his harsh and erratic breathing. Iād never seen Silas like that. The Silas I knew or I thought I knew was sharp, composed, untouchable. This Silas looked like a man at war with himself. I pressed my fingers to my neck. There was nothing there. No bite,no mark. But something about his closenes