Victor's hand was around my throat—firm but not cruel—as he lowered me onto the cold marble floor, the contrast of temperature drawing a shiver from me. His lips crashed into mine, a desperate, hungry kiss that stole the breath from my lungs. His body pressed down over mine, skin on skin, hard muscle meeting soft curves, and the way he groaned into my mouth when I arched up to meet him—it wasn't just lust. It was need. Like he'd waited centuries for this.
"I need to feel you," he growled against my throat, dragging his teeth across my skin but not biting—not yet. "All of you."
He kissed his way down my collarbone, his tongue tracing the slope of my breast before sucking one nipple into his mouth. I gasped, one leg wrapping around his waist, pulling him closer, needing the friction—needing him.
"Please, Victor."
He looked up at me, eyes darker than night, pupils blown wide. "Tell me this isn't just a dream," he said. "Tell me you're really here with me."
"I'm here," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I want this. I want you."
He didn't wait. He slid his hand between my thighs, fingers stroking through the wetness there, teasing me open, his touch featherlight and maddening.
"You're soaked," he murmured, mouth brushing my ear. "From just a few kisses."
I whimpered, hips rising into his hand. He pressed two fingers inside me, curling them just right, and I moaned, shameless and raw. My back arched off the floor as his thumb found my clit, circling it slowly while he watched every reaction, every twitch of my lips, every breathy moan.
Then, he was gone.
I blinked up at him, confused, but before I could speak, he was pulling my leg higher, guiding himself to my entrance. The first thrust was deep and smooth, a groan rumbling from his chest as he filled me completely. My nails dug into his shoulders as he started to move—slow at first, deep strokes that hit something electric inside me, then faster, rougher, his name a chant falling from my lips.
"Victor—oh god—Victor, don't stop."
He gripped my hips and drove into me harder, his rhythm unrelenting, his control razor-thin. I wrapped both legs around him now, helpless to stop the building pressure low in my belly, each thrust sending shockwaves through my spine.
"You feel like heaven," he said, biting down on my lower lip, not hard enough to break skin—just enough to make me gasp. "Say you're mine."
"I'm yours," I moaned, not because he demanded it—but because I wanted it. Needed it. "Yours, Victor."
Something in him snapped. He flipped us over, dragging me on top of him, and I sank down, his hands tight on my waist as he guided me. Riding him sent sparks through my nerves, and I leaned forward, capturing his mouth with mine, bodies moving in a brutal, beautiful rhythm.
When I came, it was blinding—my vision blurred, and I cried out his name as the pleasure tore through me. He followed seconds later, growling against my neck as he spilled inside me, his arms locked tight around my waist like he never wanted to let go.
After, we lay tangled in each other, the sweat between us cooling in the night air, the silence between kisses warm and strangely soft.
HOURS LATER...
My eyes opened slowly, the darkness surrounding me, leaving me dazed and confused. I turned to find Victor sound asleep, resting on one arm and breathing deeply. I shook him gently. "Hey."
He stirred and blinked up at me, his eyes adjusting to the low light. "What time is it?"
Victor sat up, pushing his hair out of his face. There wasn't a clock around, and my phone was upstairs in my room. "Not sure, but we should probably get out of here before we're caught."
I nodded in agreement. He helped me to my feet.
We gathered up our clothes and quietly ran through the dark halls back to our rooms. But just as we reached the front door, a light flicked on down the hall, and a voice called out, "Hello? Victor, is that you?" It was Miriam, and she was coming this way. Victor and I exchanged frantic glances—any second now, Miriam would find us standing there, naked.
I grabbed Victor's hand and pulled him quickly behind me, up the stairs and into an empty room. Miriam called out for Victor one more time, but thankfully, she continued past the steps.
As soon as the coast was clear, we slipped out of the room, tiptoeing down the hall toward our rooms.
"Goodnight, Doctor." Victor leaned down and kissed me gently.
"Goodnight, Mr. Alcott." I said, closing my door. Theo was sound asleep on my bed as I rushed to the bathroom to wash off. Before I could climb into bed, a strange sound reached my ears. It was a low chanting, growing louder with every passing second. The wind howled outside, and I could see the same lights in the woods as the first night I arrived. But this time, the lights didn't move with the wind.
The chanting grew louder still, sending a chill down my spine. What if those people from the town were out there? Or worse, what if that crazy old woman had followed us back here? I slammed the window shut, climbed into bed, and eventually fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. The chanting faded into the distance as I drifted off.
I woke up bright and early to meet with Mr. Alcott Senior and follow up on how he had been over the weekend. After taking care of Theo, I brought him with me to my office and placed him in the playpen I had set up. Just as I was settling in to work, Roy knocked at the door and informed me that Mr. Alcott wouldn't be joining me today. He was spending the day in bed with Mrs. Alcott.
I thanked Roy, chewing the end of my pen in thought. I hadn't planned for a free day, so I left my office and overheard two maids gossiping. Curiosity got the better of me, and I hid in the shadows to listen.
"I saw them together in her room yesterday, Patty. She has to be sleeping with him, but who could blame her? Honestly, he is a very attractive man." They both giggled, their heads huddled together as they made sure no one was nearby.
"Leann, stop it before someone hears you. I did see him follow her out of the dining hall after dinner. They probably went to his bedroom to make love, like in the movies. She's such a lucky woman."
My appetite vanished as I listened to them snicker and laugh about me. Turning around, I walked back to my office, trying to shake off the discomfort.
When I returned to my office, Victor was waiting for me.
"Good morning, Mr. Alcott."
"Good morning, Doctor. How did you sleep?" His voice sent a shiver down my spine, the memory of last night flooding back.
Victor closed the distance between us, and my heart started pounding. "Um... I slept... I think... I slept well, thank you." I felt a mixture of guilt and embarrassment, remembering what had happened the previous night. Despite his many opportunities to stop me, I had crossed that line anyway.
Even without touching me, I felt weak just from being this close.
"I hope you'll be able to maintain some level of professionalism around me after last night." He was teasing me, and I could tell it was only going to lead to more trouble.
"Ha-ha, very funny," I replied, trying to play it off.
Victor leaned in closer, and for a brief moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. But he stopped just inches away and smiled, leaving me disappointed.
Before he could say anything, I closed the gap between us, crashing my lips into his. He went silent, caught off guard. I pulled away, grinning ear to ear. "I'd hate for someone to catch us all alone." I gently pushed him toward the door, before he could say anything else.
Several hours later, I stepped outside for some air. I overheard a maid mumbling to herself about taking sheets to the guest house. Curious, I hurried over to her and offered to help. Without hesitation, she handed me some sheets and thanked me as we walked off toward the guest house.
"I'm Louise, by the way, but you can call me Lou. Can you believe I've been here only two days, and there's already so much to do? I mean, I have to change the linen every day, make sure the wash is dry before nightfall, and now, they're sending me to change the sheets at the guest house. I'm so exhausted," she said in one breath, her words rushing out.
I made a mental note to befriend Louise. She might have some useful gossip. "Do you hear things at night? Last night, I thought I heard strange chanting."
Louise looked around, her face growing serious. She stopped walking. "I've heard it too. It's the devil's language—they're chanting. Something's wrong here, though. I can feel it like the house itself is alive."
I nodded, a sense of unease creeping up on me. "You sound afraid, Louise."
"Lou," she corrected, her voice low. "And yes, I'm terrified. But my mother's sick, and I need the money." She seemed to want to say more but didn't. We continued walking toward the guest house in silence.
When we reached the door, Louise pulled out a large key and opened it with one hand. The inside of the guest house was dark, thick black curtains covered the windows. I froze as I spotted a grand piano in the living room, a feeling of dread washing over me.
Louise grabbed my arm as we climbed the stairs to the second level. She knocked on the first door we came upon, and it creaked open eerily, revealing an empty room.
"Let's do this quickly," Louise said, walking toward the bed.
As she placed the linens down, I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering. I looked over at Louise, who had stopped moving. She was staring at something in the corner of the room, her eyes wide with fear.
"Lou, what is it? What do you see?"
She backed away from the bed slowly. "You don't see it? Standing there in the dark?"
I squinted at the spot she was looking at, but saw nothing. My gaze dropped to the floor, and my heart sank when I saw the unmistakable shape of claws.
My scream caught in my throat just as the door flew open, and standing in the doorway was Victor. We both looked at the corner, but whatever had been there was gone.
"Ayana, it's dangerous here, remember? The house needs repairs. It's not safe like last time."
Louise ran out of the room before I could say anything, and I followed after her, but she was already too far ahead. I couldn't keep up with her in the heels I was wearing. When I finally made it back to the manor, Louise had disappeared, and I rushed to my room, closing the door behind me.
What had I seen in the dark? Was it real? Or had the darkness played tricks on me?
Theo was curled up on the bed, fast asleep. I snuggled close to him, trying to shake off the unease that lingered. I eventually fell asleep, but was soon woken by Louise standing over me, shaking my arm.
"Louise, are you okay?" I asked, blinking sleepily.
"You saw it too, I know you did." Her eyes were wide with fear.
"I honestly don't know what I saw, Lou. I was scared, and it was dark." I tried to reassure her, but she was trembling.
Before she could say more, the bell for dinner chimed. She ran out of my room without another word.
I met Roy at the foot of the stairs as he was leaving the kitchen. "Roy, can you bring my dinner to the office? I'm not feeling well today."
He nodded silently and went back to the kitchen.
Later that night, as I was leaving my office with my dirty dinner plate, I ran into Louise again. She was crying, her linen scattered across the floor. I quickly caught the plate and saved some of the linen from falling. She cursed softly, picking everything up, but then looked at me with desperate eyes.
"Miss Delaney, please tell me I'm not crazy. Tell me you saw that thing in the room with us. It didn't feel right when we first went in—it felt like we had entered a lion's den."
I could feel her panic rising. She was clinging to me, waiting for me to say something, but what could I say? That I had seen it too? That I was sure I wasn't hallucinating?
"Who's going to believe us, Lou? How do we even begin to describe what we think we saw?"
Her eyes filled with tears, and she turned away in silence, picking up the remaining linen.
"Mr. Alcott is sending me off to clean the guest house tonight. If I don't return, please tell my brothers." Her voice cracked.
Suddenly, her eyes went wide, and she froze, staring at something behind me.
When I turned around, I saw Roy standing in the entryway, watching us.
"Is everything alright, ladies? Do you need assistance?" His hands were clasped behind his back as he stepped forward.
Louise bolted, disappearing before I could say anything.
"No, thank you," I replied, my voice tight. "I'm just returning this to the kitchen and heading to bed."
Roy took the plate from my hands, smiling eerily. I thanked him again, my heart pounding, and walked away. Something strange was going on here—besides the woman in town with her odd warnings, the claws in the dark, and the strange bruises I'd noticed on my body.
Maybe I should talk to Victor about it, but I was worried he might change his mind about my position here and send me packing.
With one last glance over my shoulder, I ascended the steps to my room, tiptoeing past Victor's door.
Theo had already been fed and was asleep by the time I climbed into bed. I placed my phone on the bedside table and pulled the covers up to my chin.
As I drifted off to sleep, strange images filled my mind—a figure, a stranger, smiling at me. But it wasn't a comforting smile. I was afraid. His mouth moved, but no sound came out. His fangs pierced his lower lip.
No, it was just a bad dream. I could wake up anytime I wanted. But as I turned my back to run from him, my robe was yanked off, and I crashed to the floor with a thud.
I fell out of bed, gasping for air, when the door flew open. Victor rushed in, shirtless, and knelt beside me.
"Ayana, are you okay? I heard you yelling for help."
"Just a nightmare," I mumbled, trying not to stare at his chest.
Victor smirked, realizing he was shirtless, and quickly pretended to cover himself.
"I better get back to my room before you devour me again."
I froze, stifling a laugh as he slowly backed out of the room.
"Goodnight, Mr. Alcott."
Once his door clicked shut, I grabbed my phone and scrolled aimlessly through my apps, trying to shake the strange events of the night from my mind. Eventually, I fell asleep again, but my dreams remained filled with the unsettling image of that stranger.