The shadows were breathing. I could feel them—close, too close.
I didn't blink. I didn't dare.
I stayed perfectly still, as though my bones would betray me if I moved. Something was near my neck. I didn't see it. But I knew.
And the mark? That damn thing on my wrist was burning now. It hurt like hell.
It pulsed like it had a heartbeat of its own. It was scary and confusing.
"Come out" I called out to an empty room. If anyone saw me they'd think I'm crazy but I wasn't alone. I knew I wasn't.
Er hann sá rétti? it said.
It's confirmed , I'm not alone. The shadows were having a conversation... no. An argument. A heated argument and I... just stood there, wondering if I had gone mad.
A figure approached me, slowly becoming real. My eyes locked onto the towering figure—an otherworldly presence with glowing amber eyes, shifting dark hair like the forest at midnight, and a scent of wild earth that seemed to command the very shadows around him. It was him I smelled earlier.
I found myself moving closer to him. The guy looked like he walked straight out of an ancient fantasy novel—glowing eyes, forest-at-midnight hair, and that same damn earthy scent like he rolled in moss and he said "Thoo ert broo-thur meen".... of course I didn't understand. I laughed and he seemed offended, slightly tilting his head.
"English please" I asked while holding in a smile and as he stretched out his hand to my face. He seemed too familiar. Before I can let him touch me, Draken runs into the room .
A quick glance at Draken and everything was gone. The shadows were gone. I'm so going to kill Draken. Draken tried to run, but I made my mind to break his legs tonight. He deserves all I'm doing.
I went Into the shower, not forgetting the figure that approached me. Not only do I have a mark but now his scent! I screamed in the bathroom and smacked my head a few times.
"What did he mean? What did he say? Ha! Curse you Draken!!" I screamed out. I heard Draken run.
The mark on my wrist was looking more visible and shiny. Is a bite meant to sparkle? and My scent...none of my colognes seemed to cover up the scent. I got infuriated and I decided to make life uncomfortable for Draken too. The little prick was trying to sleep. How naive.
After almost suffocating Draken with a pillow, I stared at my ceiling and thought. "why are you here anyway, Draken?" I asked. He said he didn't remember neither could i.
This is ridiculous. All what I could remember was the thing that stood in front of me...his eyes and hair. I need to know who he is and what he said to me.
"Thoo ert broo-thur meen" Draken said, like he read my mind.
There was silence. I turned like I had seen a ghost and Draken laid there like he didn't say anything suspicious.
"What was that" I asked
"nothin"
"What the hell do you mean nothing, you bastard?! Speak!" I yelled while staring at Draken like I'd strangle him at the slightest chance.
"You're my bride. That's what it means"
How did Draken know what the creature had said, how does he understand and why is he looking directly at my bite?
"I see. You have been marked—"
"Get out" I said and he stood up and left. He didn't even look back
"What does he mean by marked?! Who's a bride? I'm a dude! with a girl!
I paused mid-rant
Just because a tall, handsome, majesti—"
I was cut short.
It was here again. In this room. I felt his presence. The one who called me his bride was standing not too far from me but I wasn't sure.
"what are you doing here " I asked
He seemed startled. As he reappeared and I stood in his presence, I questioned a lot about myself.
He said a bunch of gibberish I didn't understand so I walked up to him and asked him to speak English. His smile faded. His eyes darkened and so did the room. I guess I wasn't the only one having a bad night
"I came to see the human I was fated to marry" he said in a deep, husky voice. He had a slight accent but I couldn't pick where it's from.
Marry? Who's marrying what? I thought
"You don't seem happy about it" I later said and he didn't lie. He bluntly Insulted me
"I am not interested anyway in you. You are too small and weak. You're a human. You think you're perfe..." I cut him off
"I'm also not interested in you. Behaving like you're a god. I have a girl. I'm not interested." I told him and he laughed. I got so upset. I asked him to get lost and before I could continue yelling, he vanished. I was left with his mocking laughter.
What the hell just happened? Why was he laughing at me? most importantly, where's my mark? it was gone. my mark was gone. Am I free from all this Bullshit? I better be.
I walked to my room and turned out the lights. For the first time in a few days, I was alone. I picked up my phone and saw a text from Draken. Of course he texted. I opened and
"you have been marked. Watch your back. Many things will come for you, all sorts of things. They'll try to mark you, just like I've tried to for years. See ya".
He said what? He has been trying to mark me? What do I look like?? I'm so going to destroy Draken at school tomorrow.
I decided to go to bed. I've had enough for one day but alas! it's already 4:24am! "I have class In a few hours!" I screamed while rolling in bed. I realised I hadn't picked out an outfit for today . I got up and selected the perfect outfit for a Monday morning. "Yay. it's Monday" I said in the most sarcastic way.
I got prepared and left for the campus by 7am. I got to the class after making a quick stop at Dr. Lucia's office and receiving early morning kisses.
But I couldn't find Draken anywhere. The fool keeps to time only when it's school.
It's almost 9am, our first class is about to start and still no sign of Draken. That's weird.
"Dear students meet.... I stopped listening and looked up in horror. He's here. But not as a shadow. This scent is stronger, more physical. I feel like I'm being choked. The lecturer kept talking and I slowly raised my head.
It was him. My "partner". Staring right at me.