All Chapters of Primal Craving : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

How do I look away now that I have seen you? — Rachel Mennies. LUCIEN I was burning. Not just warm, feverish. My skin was slick with sweat, my muscles coiled tight beneath me, but I couldn’t focus on anything except the throb between my legs. I was in the forest. Barefoot. Naked. Hard. Gods… her. I caught onto her scent quickly. Lavender. My feet moved before thoughts caught up. I was hunting, but she wasn’t running. She stood there, back arched and chest bare to the night, her body bathed in moonlight like it belonged to the goddess herself. And she wasn’t scared. She wanted me. “Lucien,” she breathed, the sound curling into my ear like smoke. “Claim me.” I didn’t walk, I lunged. Grabbing her hips, I pulled her against me, grinding my cock against her bare skin as she let out the softest whimper, so fucking sweet I saw stars. She tilted her head, baring her neck like prey. I growled, dragging my tongue from her shoulder up to her jaw, sucking hard until I knew she’d bruise

“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” — Charles Addams. CAMELLIA Lucien. Of course his name sounded like an overpriced candle or a perfume ad. Because God forbid he be named Paul or Dave. “Clear the room.” Big, brawny men with tattoos curling across their arms and chests like Lucien’s own ink filed out immediately. Not a word, not a glance. Just silence and obedience that made my skin crawl. Lucien stood bare-chested, every muscle carved like stone, coiled and ready, the kind of body that radiated power without effort. His broad shoulders and thick, toned arms moved with predator-like precision, and his chest rose and fell under skin that hinted at both strength and raw control. He didn’t just whisper danger; he exuded it in every motion. I should have been intimidated, but I couldn’t look away. He stepped closer—close enough that our noses nearly brushed—and I felt the warmth radiate off him. He leaned in and sniffed my hair. “You used

I desire the things that will destroy me in the end. — Sylvia Plath CAMELLIA I was exhausted. “Good job, ladies!” I called, clapping lightly as the teen dancers caught their breath. Their giggles echoed through the mirrored studio, sweat gleaming on flushed cheeks. Pride shone on their faces, and that made every ache in my back worth it. Maybe this job wasn’t so bad after all. The music faded. I stretched, groaning as my spine popped. My ponytail was limp, leggings past. their prime, but I didn’t care. This place quickly became my safe place.Inside these walls, I was just the instructor helping teenagers move without shame. For the first time in days, that was enough. My brain had been politely ignoring everything from two weeks ago from the severed finger to Lucien’s sudden appearance and my deadbeat father’s bite mark that looked suspiciously canine. And mostly? That damn dog I was stupid enough to approach. No wonder white people die first in horror movies. “Same time nex

Nothing is more frightening than a fear you cannot name. — Cornelia Funke CAMELLIA Whoever said children were a blessing clearly never chased one through mosquito-infested grass at dusk. “Lilah, please” I hissed, pushing through the tall, itchy stalks, praying I wouldn’t lose sight of her tiny pink dress. She darted deeper into the field like a fairy on crack, completely unfazed by my yelling. Of course she didn’t hear me,she was deaf. It gave her the ultimate superpower of ignoring me without consequences. I finished work at the studio late, and since Lilah had to stay back with me, we missed the last bus home thanks to an impromptu team meeting that could’ve easily been a voice note. Whatever glow was left in the sky had long given up, leaving the world steeped in night sounds, and of course, The only shortcut home ran straight through grass tall enough to hide a very energetic six-year-old with zero sense of danger. I hadn’t taken that path in a while. The grass was now lon