Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

THE HUNTER’S MOON

I wake to moonlight and the lingering taste of power on my tongue. My office is dark, but I can see everything with perfect clarity – each shadow, each subtle gradation of darkness. The night feels alive around me, almost like it’s pulsing.

Torrin is gone, but his presence lingers in the chilled air. Inhaling, I can smell his divine scent of magic and power. It’s almost musky, but there’s a hint of citrus. I touch my throat, finding the puncture wounds already healed to small, sensitive marks.

His claim on me.

Everything feels different now. I'm different now. I can feel it in every cell, every breath, every heartbeat that seems slower and stronger than before. The shadows in the room reach for me like eager pets, responding to my awakening power.

My phone buzzes – another text from Lisa:

Seriously worried about you. No one's seen you in weeks. At least let me bring over coffee tomorrow?

I stare at the message, trying to summon some feeling of connection to the life I held not long ago.But it all seems distant now, like looking at someone else's memories through frosted glass. My entire existence has changed over the course of a few days, and now there’s a disconnect to the old version of myself. No longer that sad, broken girl who lost her parents, I feel reborn. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance.

Movement catches my eye – a flicker of shadow by my window that feels wrong. The darkness there is... different. Foreign. Hungry in a way that has nothing to do with Torrin.

Every new instinct I possess screams danger.

I rise slowly from the couch, reaching for the shadows around me. They respond eagerly, gathering like a living, breathing cloak. Through my connection to them, I sense... others. Multiple presences moving through the dim lighting around my house .

Predators, but not my predator.

Run, my human instincts beg. But something inside me refuses to flee. This is my home, and I will not run from lesser monsters.

I pause at that thought, surprising myself. Who am I? Is this newfound confidence or am I just being a fucking idiot?

A voice cuts through the air – smooth, cultured, and completely unfamiliar. "Well, well. T he little Shadow-Kissed, all alone. How fortunate for us."

They materialize from the shadows like smoke becoming solid – three figures in modern clothes that do nothing to hide their inhuman nature. Two men and a woman, all bearing the same predatory grace as Torrin, but twisted in a more sinister way. Wrong . It feels wrong. Their power feels younger, rawer , more savage.

"Torrin's new pet," the woman says, her wicked smile showing delicate fangs. "We've heard so much about you."

I straighten my spine, letting the shadows swirl around me protectively. "I'm no one's pet."

The first vampire laughs – a cold, empty sound that makes my heart race. "No? Then why do you reek of his blood? His claim on you is obvious, little girl. Though it’s not complete, I notice. How interesting,” the words are like a pur rolling off his tongue.

They gather around me, circling now as theymove with inhuman grace. My heart beat steadies as I take in the situation I’m in, and I feel oddly calm. The shadows respond to my emotions, positioning themselves eagerly around me like guards dogs awaiting my command.

"What do you want?" I demand. “Get the fuck out of my house.”

"Want?" The woman's laugh is like nails on a chalkboard. Dry and gritty, making my ears cringe. "We want to hurt him , of course. Torrin has ruled this territory for far too long, enforcing his outdated rules, killing any who challenge him. But now..." Her smile turns cruel. "Now that he's given us the perfect weakness to exploit I think it’s about time someone forces him to step down."

"I'm not weak," I spit, not actually knowing if there’s any truth behind the words.

"Brave words," the third vampire finally speaks, his voice carrying a hint of Eastern European accent. "But you're still mostly human. Enhanced by his blood, yes, but not truly one of us . Not yet, and I’m afraid you won’t live long enough to find out what it’s like to be one of us."

"You're right," I say, and power thrumming through my voice. "I'm not one of you. I'm something else entirely, and I can assure you that you’ll soon regret coming here if you don’t leave in the next two seconds."

Before waiting for them to respond, I reach deep into the well of whatever is manifesting inside me – the place where Torrin's blood mingles with my awakening power. The shadows around us surge, responding to my call with eager violence.

The vampires hesitate, clearly not expecting this level of control. I feel their uncertainty and press my advantage, remembering everything I've ever written about predator and prey encounters. Sometimes the best defense is a strong offense.

"You think I'm his weakness?" Dark laughter bubbles up from a lost primal place inside me. "I'm his chosen. His match. His queen-to-be." The words feel true as I speak them, like blood memory confirming what I somehow always knew. They surprise me enough to make me drop my guard for a moment, but I get it back up before they’ve had a chance to gather their thoughts. "And you've made a terrible mistake coming here."

I lash out with the shadows, using them like whips of solid power. The female vampire hisses as one catches her across the face, leaving a burning welt. The others fall back, reassessing the situation they’ve inserted themselves into.

"Impossible," the first vampire snarls. "No mortal can command shadows like this."

"I told you I’m something entirely different – I'm not just mortal anymore. You’d have been smart to heed my warnings, but you were too wrapped up in your own quest for power." Magic courses through me, intoxicating and familiar. This is what I've been becoming, what all my dark stories were preparing me for. "I am Shadow-Kissed, chosen by night itself. And you are trespassing in my house."

The room grows colder as my power builds, shadows writhing with deadly intent. Part of me is terrified at what’s happening and what I'm becoming, at how natural this feels. But a deeper part exults in it, recognizing this as my true nature finally unleashed.

"She's bluffing," the woman says, but uncertainty colors her tone. "She can't possibly—"

The windows explode inward as another presence enters – vast and ancient and gloriously familiar. Torrin materializes from the maelstrom of shadow and glass, his power rolling through the room like an icy arctic wind .

"My love," he says casually, as if we're meeting for dinner rather than a supernatural confrontation. "I see you're entertaining guests."

Relief and joy surge through me at his arrival, but I maintain my defensive stance, not wanting to give these vampires an ounce of power over me.

"Just some uninvited visitors," I reply, matching his casual tone. "They seem to be under the impression that I'm your weakness."

His laugh is low and terribly frightening. "Did they now?" His eyes blaze with supernatural light as he turns his attention to our opponents, studying them before asking, "And what have you learned about that assumption?"

In response, the female vampire snarls and launches herself at me, moving faster than human eyes could track. But I'm not quite human anymore. My shadows react for me, solidifying into barriers that slam her back into the wall.

Torrin doesn't move to help me – he doesn't need to. He just watches with a proud satisfaction as I take out the threat myself.

The other two vampires attack together, trying to overwhelm us, but they're young, ruled by bloodlust and arrogance. Torrin dispatches one with minimal effort, while I use my shadows to pin the other. The female tries to flee, but darkness coils around her like living chains.

"Please," she begs as we step toward them, closing the gap between. "We didn't know she was this strong. We thought—"

"You thought you could use my chosen against me," Torrin interrupts, his voice deadly soft. "Thought you could hurt what is mine, but little did you know, I would choose my equal. She’s as capable as destroying every fiber of your being as I am." His lips curve upward, exposing his massive fangs before turning to me. "Elena, my little ghost – what would you like to do with them?"

The power of life and death hums through me. Part of me is horrified at how easily I've adapted to violence, at how natural it feels to hold these creatures at my mercy without knowing as much as their names. But a deeper part – the part that's always understood predators and their killer instincts – knows this is necessary.

"They need to serve as a message," I say, surprised at how cold my voice sounds. "Let others know what happens to those who threaten what's ours."

Torrin's eyes gleam with approval. " Ours ," he repeats, savoring the word. "Yes, I rather like that. Show me, little ghost. Show me what darkness has taught you. "

Drawing on instincts I didn't know I possessed, I reach deeper into my power. The shadows respond quickly, wrapping around our captives like deadly shrouds. I don't kill them – not directly. Instead, I draw on every dark story I've ever written, every nightmare I've ever crafted, and I pour it into them.

They scream as shadow fills them, as darkness rewrites them from within. When I finally release them, they're changed – marked by shadow in ways that will never fade, inky tattoos that now scar their skin.

"Go," I command, and my voice echoes with power. "Tell the others what you saw here. Tell them the Shadow-Kissed has awakened. Tell them what happens to those who dare to threaten Torrin or myself."

They don’t hesitate to flee into the night, leaving us alone in my once again quiet office. For a long moment, neither of us speaks. I'm trembling with an overload of power brought to the surface, with the realization of what I've just done. I marked them for life. They’ll spend every day for the rest of their lives looking at the scars I’ve forced onto them and the unease I’ve instilled within them.

Torrin pulls me into his arms, his pride and desire palpable. "My beautiful monster," he murmurs against my hair. "Do you understand now? Why I chose you? Why I knew you were meant for this? "

"I understand everything," I whisper, and it's true. All the pieces of my life suddenly make sense – my attraction to darkness, my ability to write about monsters, my comfort when the sun sets each evening. "I was always meant for this. For you ."

"Yes." His hand slides into my hair, gripping possessively. "You were never just weak, Elena. You were always meant to be my queen. My equal in all things."

"Those vampires," I say, thinking of their twisted power. "They were different from you. Wrong somehow. I felt it before I even saw them."

"Young ones, turned too quickly and left untaught. They give in to bloodlust and madness because they have no anchor to their humanity." His smile is soft as he watches me. "You and I will be different. We'll rule through power and choice, not mindless violence."

"We?"

"Did you think I was going to let you go after that display?" He chuckles darkly. "You've proven yourself more perfectly than I could have hoped. The way you commanded your shadows, the way you marked them..." His eyes blaze with light. "You're ready."

My heart skips. "Ready for what? "

"For everything. For the final transformation. Your true becoming." His hand slides to my throat, fingers tracing the marks he left before. "No more games, no more holding back. Tonight, you’re mine completely."

Instead of fear, I feel only anticipation. I’ve spent my entire writing career preparing myself for this. I just didn’t know it.

"Yes," I whisper, offering my throat. Offering everything .

His smile is devastatingly sexy. "Then let us begin."

Torrin sends a burst of power out of his hand, aiming it at my bed. In one motion, the broken class is expelled from the plush comforter and thrown to the ground. He lifts me, walking me over the broken glass before he lays me on top of the mattress.

I’m almost giddy with relief as he tugs my soft grey pajama pants down, leaving my bottom half in nothing but black lace panties. His eyes darken as he takes me in, licking his bottom lip as his eyes land on the growing wet spot on my panties.

“So eager to be fucked and drank from,” Torrin growls, his voice low and feral. “Such a good fucking girl, Elena.”

My lips part at his words, but I’m speechless. This ancient predator have a dirty mouth, and I’m obsessed with it. “ You like that?” I finally ask, moving my hand to rub my clit over my panties for him.

He removes his clothes swiftly, faster than my eyes can keep up, and he’s suddenly standing before me naked. My eyes widen with surprise when I see his cock and how massive it is. I’ve been with some bigger men, but this… this is otherworldly. Not only is his body sculpted like a god, but he’s hung like a fucking god.

Sliding my panties to the side, I press a finger inside of myself, plunging as deep as my small fingers will go. It feels so good, but my pussy is begging to be filled by something bigger. By him.

Torrin leans forward, tugging on my shirt before helping me out of it by sliding it over my head. I hadn’t been wearing a bra, and now the thin fabric of my panties are the only thing between us. His eyes travel my body, taking in every inch of me before beginning his feast.

“Touch me,” I beg quietly when I’ve decided he’s taking a little too much time studying my body. “Please.”

His eyes travel back up my body, meeting my eyes with a ravenous hunger I haven’t seen from him yet. “There’s no going back,” he warns, but I can see him straining to maintain control. I’m not sure he’d be able to stop here if I told him no .

“Do it,” I confirm, giving him all he needs to lose himself.

In one swift movement Torrin rips my panties clean off my body, leaving me bare and exposed to him.

“I love how your pussy glistens for me in the moonlight,” he says, his voice throaty as he swipes a finger through my folds, coating it in my arousal. He groans when he slides easily with no resistance. “I can already tell you’re going to take me so well.”

Leaning over me, Torrin climbs onto the bed, spreading my legs wide as he nestles himself between them. He brings his face to mine, crashing his hungry lips to mine while one hand trails down my body, quickly finding my pulsing clit. I gasp into his mouth as he rubs slow, firm circles over it, giving him the perfect opportunity to plunge his tongue into my mouth. Our tongues tangle in a heated kiss, and we moan against each other while he works to draw an orgasm out of me. The tightness in my stomach grows quickly, and I try to hold onto it for just a moment longer, but when he pulls away from my mouth and flicks his tongue over my peaked nipple I fall apart, completely unraveling under his touch. I cry out, letting my back arch off the mattress as I come for him.

As my orgasm peaks and begins to come down, he moves his mouth even lower, covering my clit with it while two of his fingers explore along my center, gliding around in my arousal for a few seconds before he gives me what I need. Torrin plunges his two large fingers inside of me while he laps at my clit, sucking and devouring me. The adrenaline of not knowing if he’s going to prick me with his fangs drives me over the edge again, and I come again.

This time, I scream his name as he pumps in and out of me, forcing an orgasm so intense I feel like I’m going to explode. Stars form in my vision around us as rays of moonlight cast through the broken window, illuminating us.

“Good girl,” Torrin praises me as I come down from my second orgasm. He positions himself between my legs and lines his cock up with my entrance, and then he sinks into me with one thrust.

“Oh God,” I whimper, getting lost to the feeling of him stretching me. “That feels so fucking good.”

Taking both of my wrists in one of his hands, Torrin raises them above my head, pinning them there while he buries himself inside of me. His rhythm is slow at first, and then he speeds up as his eyes darken, and without him saying so, I know he’s losing control. A small part of me feels afraid, but he came to my rescue so quickly. He doesn’t want to hurt me.

Torrin’s thrusts become brutal, but I need more. He leans into my neck, licking and trailing kisses over it and across my cheek, letting his soft breaths whisper against my ear. My eyes flutter as the sensory overload, and I instinctually expose my neck to him. Torrin doesn’t hesitate to scrape his fangs along my neck between kisses.

I want to reach for him, but he has both of my hands still pinned in place. I’m completely at his mercy as he gets lost inside me. A sharper prick of his fangs has my breath hitching in the back of my throat, and the moment I jump is the moment he chooses to sink them inside of me, all the way this time. Last night wasn’t nearly as deep, but this is all the way in. It’s so much more primal feeling. It’s so much more intense.

Pain stabs through me at first, but it’s quickly overrun by a tsunami of pleasure. It pulses through me, taking over every cell in my body as he drains mouthfuls of my blood. Torrin grunts and moans as he drinks me, maintaining his hard thrusts. My mind becomes so overrun with pleasure that I can no longer see or think straight, and I should be concerned that Torrin is possibly feeling the same way and may be too far gone to stop before he kills me, but I can’t bring myself to care. I’m completely lost to the pleasure.

A third orgasm hits me out of nowhere, and I’m screaming, squirming to get free of his hand so that I can claw at his back, but he keeps me there. Just when my orgasm hits its climax, Torrin pulls his mouth off of me to cut his own wrist with his fangs, pressing it to my mouth as blood spills from his skin. He immediately returns his fangs to the puncture wounds in my neck, plunging deep into me again.

I open my mouth for him, letting the blood trickle into my mouth. Euphoria hits, and now that my wrists are free, I use my hands to grip his arm, pulling it into my face so that I can drink more of him. He lets out a roar as we come together, high on bloodlust and the exchange of power happening between us. Torrin empties himself inside of me, using my pussy to milk every last drop out of his cock.

We’re both panting and sweaty as we stare into each other’s eyes, feeling completely overwhelmed by what we’ve just experienced. If every time is like this, I’ll never get enough of him. I’ll never be able to stop.