07 – THE UNKNOWN

POV: AIRYS

I found myself in the middle of darkness. Near the large window, an imposing silhouette drew my attention. Broad shoulders, bare skin illuminated by the faint light. He turned slowly, a glass between his fingers, his gaze fixed on me.

Earthy eyes that shimmered with an intense red. Predatory. Assessing. Hunting.

My chest rose and fell rapidly, as if something inside me knew I needed to run. But my feet wouldn’t move. Something about him called to me, pulled me in. In the next instant, he vanished.

A shiver ran down my spine when I felt the heat of his breath against the back of my neck.

“Run while you still have time.” His deep, hoarse voice vibrated against my hair, sending an involuntary tremble through my body.

I didn’t answer. I simply turned slowly, facing the man in front of me. The tension between us expanded. My hand rose hesitantly, touching his warm skin. My fingers slid across his firm chest, feeling every contour, every muscle that tensed beneath my touch.

His eyes glowed even brighter. The intensity radiating from him was almost suffocating and dangerous. Before I could pull away, his hand wrapped around my waist, firm and strong, pulling me hard against him. The heat of his body burned against mine, drawing us even closer.

My breath faltered.

“You have no idea who you’re messing with, little one.” He murmured, scraping his fangs across my lips before claiming them with raw force.

His kiss was brutal. Possessive. No hesitation, no softness—just pure dominance.

And I surrendered completely.

His touch burned, marking every inch of my skin. He lifted me into his arms effortlessly, as if my weight meant nothing. My body was against the sheets before I could even think.

His hands slid over my thighs, squeezing, exploring, and demanding. His claws scratched my sensitive skin, drawing a broken sigh from my lips.

My nails ran down his back, hungry for something I couldn’t name. My heart pounded hard, a frenzy I couldn’t control.

Heat. Desire. The intense sensation of something that consumed everything around it.

And I wanted more!

Hot, demanding lips moved against mine, famished. Strong hands traced paths along my curves, gripping my waist with a burning possessiveness. I sighed, lost, completely given over to that predatory presence that dominated me without effort.

My body reacted to his touch, every cell begging for more.

“You will be mine.” The hoarse, dark voice echoed in my ears, reverberating through my entire being.

Those words carved themselves into my mind like a permanent mark. I tried to open my eyes, but everything was foggy and distorted, as if my subconscious wouldn’t let me see his face.

I didn’t know who he was.

I only felt him. The woody scent, the suffocating intensity, the heat of a predator consuming me.

Then, everything dissolved.

I woke up with a start, my heart racing, my breathing short and frantic. The room was plunged into darkness, and a wave of confusion hit me hard. I touched my lips—I could still feel the taste of the kiss, the pressure of invisible hands on my skin.

It was just a dream…

Or was it?

My skin prickled as I realized I wasn’t alone.

There was someone there.

In the back of the room, standing among the shadows, a pair of eyes watched me. Earthy eyes that shimmered blood-red in the dimness. Exactly like in my dream.

I blinked several times as he took a step forward. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the room—slow, controlled, predatory. My body shrank back instinctively, my hands clutching the sheets as if they were my only protection.

“You…” My voice came out in a hoarse whisper, my mind still blurred between dream and reality.

The Alpha took another step forward, and my breath caught when the faint light revealed his face more clearly. His pupils were dilated, his expression unreadable. He leaned his body toward me, and my heart nearly leaped out of my chest as his scent flooded the room.

“Sweet dreams?” His fangs flashed into view, his eyes half-lidded and drenched in luxurious shades. Of course… He had caught the scent of my arousal, the aroma triggered by the dream with the stranger.

He inhaled deeply, as if absorbing my scent, and growled low beside me. The sound reverberated through my entire body—deep, heavy with something that sent shivers down my spine.

“Get up.” Daimon ordered, watching me with those burning eyes, analyzing every little reaction. Then he stepped back slowly, but not far enough for me to feel any less trapped under his presence. “Time for the second test, little rabbit.”

I swallowed hard, feeling every muscle in my body tense. My heart felt like a storm inside my chest, and I could barely think straight. The dream still lingered in my mind, blending with reality.

“Second… test?” I managed to ask, my voice weak and hesitant.

He simply looked down at me. My mind screamed for me to question him, but my body already knew it was useless to resist.

“Let’s go.”

With difficulty, I pushed the blanket aside and got out of bed. My legs were trembling, but I forced myself to take each step to follow him. The weight of his gaze still burned on me, as if he could see straight through my skin.

I was led through narrow, shadowy corridors lined with small yellow lights on the walls that cast distorted shadows across the stone floor. The smell of damp earth and iron filled the air. The farther we walked, the more my stomach twisted and fear took hold.

Something was wrong. The silence around us was absolute, broken only by the sound of our footsteps.

Was he going to kill me?

Finally, we reached a heavy double wooden door. Daimon pushed one side open with ease, and I was forced to enter. The space ahead was a large circular hall, illuminated by a faint light coming from an opening in the ceiling. In the center, there was a circle marked on the floor, made of symbols I didn’t recognize. Two hooded figures stood at the sides of the circle, but it was the woman in the middle who captured my attention.

She was beautiful. Her unusual eyes were so blue they looked like a starry sky on a clear night. Her gaze swept over me with curiosity before turning to Daimon.

“Lycan King, so this is the one from the Harvest?” Her voice was soft yet empowered with absolute authority. Her aura was incredibly strong—not quite as strong as the Alpha’s, but still frightening and intense.

“The chosen one…” The other hooded woman lifted her head in my direction. Her eyes were closed—she was blind—but her tone was identical to the first woman’s. “Ah, peculiar… A human.”