All Chapters of Marked by Midnight : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

34 Chapters

Chapter Twenty-one

ShawnI don’t knock.I never do.The door yields beneath my hand, very quiet and obedient, just like everything else in this estate is supposed to be.Except her. Eva stands by the far window, half-turned toward the fading light. The curtain slightly shielding her face, but I could still see. For a moment, I just watched. Not intentionally or consciously.It just… happens. Like something I was born to do. There’s something different.Or maybe there isn’t, and I’m only now noticing what’s always been there.Her hair is still in that braid.His braid.My jaw tightens before I can stop it, and I'm grateful she doesn't see me. I seethed with rage when I'd seen them together, now the same rage came boiling up, just looking at a damn braid. Pathetic.My wolf stirs, low and restless. Not pathetic. Ours.I ignore it. It was a surprise she hadn't turned around since I'd come in. Our sense of hearing is very great, but there she was, looking out, as if lost in th

Chapter Twenty-two

Eva I stood in front of the tall mirror in my room for longer than I should have, adjusting the simple navy blouse I’d chosen. It wasn’t anything special, but it felt strange dressing for dinner with Shawn. Not a date. Definitely not a date. Just… dinner. A business discussion over food. Nothing more.Still, my stomach fluttered with nerves I couldn’t quite name.I finally get the nerve, making my way downstairs to the dining hall, when the scent of roasted meat, herbs, and fresh bread hits me before I even reach the double doors. My steps slow down a bit. The table was enormous, and every inch of it seemed covered. Platters of perfectly seared steaks, grilled salmon, herb-roasted chicken, bowls of creamy mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables glistening with butter, fresh salads, baskets of warm bread, and what looked like wild rice pilaf mixed with nuts and dried fruits. There were even bowls of rich gravies and sauces on the side. It was

Chapter Twenty-three

ShawnThe light creak of the large mahogany door as I walk past it, away from the dining hall with Alice at my side, after she takes her weight off it, the echo of our footsteps now filling the wide corridor, pokes hard at me, testing my mood, despite being faultless. The weight of Eva’s words still sits heavy in my chest, that casual mention of Matthew twisting something sharp inside me. Dinner had been a mistake. I should have just kept it strictly business. Instead, I’d let myself hope for something quieter, something that felt almost… normal.When did normal ever happen to me?Hell, her existence in this space, is not even normal in the first place.“Shawn?”I stop in the middle of the hallway and turn to face Alice, keeping my expression cool and controlled even as my wolf paces restlessly beneath my skin.“When did you return?” I ask, my tone even.“Not long ago,” she replies, offering a small smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I came straight here w

Chapter Twenty-four

Eva “I’ll take that,” Matt says, standing half-bent over the table, reaching across to my side, and lifting the raw fish off my plate. Some things don't change, ever. I've always hated raw fish, something about the smell drove my appetite away every time. Being half wolf doesn't seem to change that little fact, and I thought it would.“Thankyou,” I say back, my voice an almost inaudible whisper, holding up my fork mid-air to allow him access. Yesterday, I was having a lavish meal. Today, I'm having a frugal one. Quite modest. “So… you're going to work today…” he continues, now sitting, and not quite finishing his sentence, giving me room to continue what I'd been saying before the fish incident. “Yes. I talked it over with Shawn at dinner yesterday, just like I told you I would.”Some minutes after Shawn had left my room yesterday, I'd gone out with Matt, for a casual stroll around the estate’s perimeters. We lightly discussed the topic, but mainly focused on how comfortable or

Chapter Twenty-five

Shawn I'm standing at a spot now, as Colin's car approaches, and I can see Eva sitting next to him. They are saying something to each other, but her eyes are on me, while Collins' are on her. Mr Carlos had returned alone not long ago, and beneath the anger I'd felt at the thought of him losing her, there was something else. Something I'm not quite familiar with, because I rarely cross paths with it.Fear.Why, though? I'm unable to tell.It had surprised me when he said she was riding back with Colin. Colin??How did they ever meet?I watch as he exits his side of the car, striding across in an almost-rushed pace to Eva's side, but she opens it up before he gets there, gracefully alighting. Satisfied, I turn around, march up the terrace and enter the mansion, all the while, purposefully slowing down my pace in hope that they catch up. The foyer's heavy doors click shut behind me, and it does little to nothing to ease the knot twisting in my gut. I continue unhurried, my boo

Chapter Twenty-Six

Shawn I pace around for sometime along the space between the desk and the window in my private library, unable to retire yet. Eva's scent keeps flooding the entire building, and I try to convince myself the reason I'm here— just three rooms apart from her, and looking out through the window at intervals is for security purposes, other than my wolf's selfish need. The one she needs security from is me. Another scent hits my nose. Stronger this time. I don't miss out on the subtle smell of pain hidden in the mass of thick, sweet fragrance that has been gliding the air. Fuck it! I let my fingers run through my hair, grabbing hold and tugging, just enough to yank my sense back into place. Of course I turned her. What the hell am I doing here, letting her go through all of that by herself for the first time? I walk the short distance to her room,her scent dragging me deeper and embracing me, it makes my wolf howl internally.The door yields under m

Chapter Twenty-seven

EvaI wake up to the sound of a distant howl probably coming from one of the forests surrounding the Monteal estate. The room is still dim, with only faint light filtering through the curtains, making it bearable for me to open my eyes and slowly adjust to my surroundings.“You’re awake.” I jolt upright in bed, heart slamming against my ribs at the unexpected voice that my brain blurrily processes. My mind goes—Shawn. But it's only Danielle, standing near the foot of the bed, arms full of neatly folded laundry, already turning toward the dressing room.I sigh in relief. I'm not yet ready to see Shawn. Not yet. “Yes, I’m awake,” I say, rubbing my eyes, now fully conscious. “What are you doing so early, carrying laundry up and down like that?”Danielle glances over her shoulder and smiles, the kind of patient, slightly amused smile she always gives me. She nods toward the antique clock on the wall. “Early? Miss Eva, it’s almost noon. You’re the one who slept in

Chapter Twenty-eight

Shawn “Your hybrid is in heat,” Alice says, her voice breaking into what was once a peaceful silence.“I know.” I reply, punching away on my keyboard, grateful for the computer that served as a block. From here, I can't completely see her, unless I recline on my seat. Too bad, my back is already stiff from sitting here since dawn.“You don't even bother to hide it anymore.”“Hide what?” I ask, still not sparing her a glance, eyes glued to the monitor. Eva’s scent has been messing with me all day. It was bad enough at lunch yesterday, but by night it had gotten so thick I could barely think straight. I’d spent hours in this chair instead of my bed, fighting the urge to walk down the hall and push her door open like the other night. Even now it’s curling through the air, sweet and warm and way too tempting.The last thing I need right now is Alice being a thorn to my flesh right now. “That she's ‘your’ hybrid,” she replies, placing much emphasis on ‘your’.“Well

Chapter Twenty-nine

ShawnThe heavy quietness in the lounge is the kind that settles over the penthouse once it starts to get dark. I lie back in the wide leather chair, one leg draped lazily over the other, a glass of whiskey balanced between my fingers. The amber liquid catches the low light as I swirl it slowly, my mind drifting somewhere between irritation and the wine-dabbed low, constant burn that had been gnawing at me for days.The faint sound of the door opening makes me lift my gaze without moving much. Colin.He strides in casually, like he owns the place, a paper bag swinging lightly from his hand. He didn’t knock. He never does when he thinks he could get away with it.I watch him through hooded eyes, not bothering to sit up straight. “How the hell did you get in?”He shrugs, dropping the bag onto the side table as he approaches. “The door was slightly ajar. Surprised me, honestly. You getting careless these days, cousin?”I don't answer. Maybe I'm getting a little

Chapter Thirty

Eva I drag a chair over to the window and sink into it, pulling my knees up to my chest. My chin, resting lightly on my folded arms as I stare outside. The sky looks exactly the same as it has for nearly the entire time I’ve been here—perpetually cloudy, without ever raining, not even a droplet.My gaze drifts higher, genuinely puzzled by how a bright moon could shine almost every single night when the sun barely shows itself during the day.In Science class we'd been taught that the moon shines by reflecting the sunlight. Maybe in this world, it just doesn't count.For the past four nights, that moon had become my quiet companion.Somehow, I’d discovered it eased the heat stage for me. Since then, I’ve taken to sleeping on the balcony, letting the cool moonlight wash over my skin and dull the burning inside.A soft knock at the door pulls my attention away from my thoughts. Shawn? But Shawn doesn't knock. “Come in,” I call out, not bothering to move from m

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