Chapter 20: Lost in the Hunger
Leo
It had been two weeks and all I could think of as I entered the human world was Ivy. I only wanted to feel her next to me. To feel her warmth but when our lips collided, I knew that I wanted more.
The taste of Ivy’s blood still lingered on my tongue, and the hunger roared within me like a beast awakened. The taste had rejuvenated me in a way I hadn’t expected.
My strength, which had worn out over the last few weeks, had surged back with the ferocity of a storm. I could feel the power coursing through me, as though I were whole again—recovered, renewed. I felt ten times stronger than I’ve ever felt.
But it wasn’t just the physical strength. There was something darker that had come to life, something raw, deep within me that wanted more. More of her, more of that blood.
I could almost feel the temptation clawing at me, urging me to sink my teeth deeper, to take her in a way that would bind her to me forever. I fought it, gritting my teeth, my body tense as if holding onto a fragile thread of control. I wanted to push myself back just before I lost myself in the sensation but the hunger was stronger.
The urge was primal, strong, unstoppable. My teeth sank deeper into her lip before I caught myself. ‘Stop. Now!’
I pulled away with a guttural growl, stumbling back as I fought against the overwhelming hunger. Ivy’s wide, startled eyes locked onto mine as she hurriedly draped a blanket over her bare body. The taste of her still lingered, tormenting me, but I forced myself to step away.
Her lips, swollen and marked, parted as she struggled to form words. Then I heard it—felt it.
The sound.
At first, it was faint—a rustling, a whisper in the air. But my senses sharpened, the scent following close behind. It was familiar, maddeningly so, but I couldn’t place it. A pup. A werewolf. Nearby.
I crossed the room in two strides, ignoring Ivy’s panicked gasp. My eyes scanned the moonlit garden below as I threw open the window. My instincts screamed at me to act, to protect what was mine. In the shadows, I caught a glimpse of someone fleeing, their figure melting into the darkness.
Without thinking, I prepared to leap after them.
“Leo!” Ivy’s voice cut through the haze, her hand catching my arm. “I’m just seeing you after two weeks, and now you want to do what? Leave? Just like that?”
Her anger stopped me mid-motion. I turned to face her, and my eyes landed on the faint bite mark on her lip. The hunger surged again, clawing at my restraint. I couldn’t stop staring, couldn’t stop feeling the pull toward her.
Funny how I couldn’t feel the darkness whenever I’m around her.
If nothing else, this confirmed the prophecy. Ivy wasn’t just my mate; she was my salvation. And no one—no one—would harm her, not even me.
“Leo...your eyes,” she whispered. Her voice trembled slightly, and I realized she was backing away from me. Her vibrant brown eyes, usually filled with warmth, now held something I hadn’t seen before: fear.
“My eyes?” I muttered, blinking rapidly, trying to rein in the beast. My Lycan side roared in protest, demanding I take her, claim her.
‘Mark her now. She belongs to us.’
Zander, my wolf, joined in, the combined forces crashing over me like a tidal wave. I staggered back, my hands gripping my head as if I could physically shove them away.
“Leo!” Ivy stepped closer, her voice gentle despite the chaos I knew she could sense within me. She reached out, her fingers prying my hands away from my temples. Her touch sent a calming warmth through me, and when she pressed her lips to mine, everything stilled.
The faint metallic taste of her blood on my tongue silenced the voices. It was as if her kiss had the power to subdue the storm inside me.
I stood there, unmoving, unwilling to start something I couldn’t control. But Ivy deepened the kiss, her hands threading through my hair as if she could anchor me to her.
When she pulled away, her breath mingling with mine, she looked into my eyes. Her gaze was so tender, so filled with love, that I felt like a pup under her spell.
And then, the exhaustion hit me like a blow.
The battles, the bloodshed, the weeks of running and fighting the darkness—it all came crashing down. My knees buckled, and I let her catch me. Only her.
“I’m here. I’ve got you,” she whispered, cradling me as though I were the most precious thing in her world. She led me to the bed, guiding me with a patience I didn’t deserve. I rested my head on her lap, her fingers weaving through my hair in a soothing rhythm.
As her soft humming filled the room, my eyes grew heavy. For the first time in weeks, I felt safe. I was finally home.
I didn’t know how long I slept, but when I woke, the bed was cold.
I shot up, my heart pounding. “Ivy?”
The room was eerily quiet. My gaze darted around, searching for her. The sheets were tangled, the faint scent of her still lingering in the air. Panic clawed at my chest as the shadows seemed to close in around me.
And then I saw it.
A figure at the edge of the closet, half-hidden in the darkness. My instincts took over.
With a snarl, I lunged, my claws slicing through the throat of the intruder. The body crumpled against the wall with a sickening thud.
A soft gasp froze me in place.
No.
My heart stopped as I turned, the haze of rage and instinct clearing from my mind.
“Ivy.”
She lay on the floor, her hands clutching at her neck, blood seeping through her fingers. Her wide, tear-filled eyes locked onto mine, and the world seemed to tilt.
“No, no, no...” I dropped to my knees beside her, my hands trembling as I reached for her. “I didn’t—”
Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
The sight of her like this, the scent of her blood mingling with the metallic tang of my own claws—it was too much. Memories of the past flooded back, of mistakes I swore I’d never repeat.
What have I done?