Chapter 3
961 Words
Chapter 3
The next morning began like any other or at least, that was what Oxygen believed when she walked downstairs. Sunlight streamed through the large dining room windows, the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air.
Her father sat at the table reading through work documents. Heart was helping one of the house staff prepare breakfast. And Lewis…
Lewis sat quietly at the far end of the table.
The moment Oxygen entered the room, however, she noticed something strange. Lewis looked up, their eyes met briefly then he immediately looked away.
Almost as if he’d been caught doing something. Oxygen hid a smile, maybe she wasn’t imagining things after all. Maybe Lewis Darkmoore really did watch her when he thought nobody noticed. The thought shouldn’t have amused her yet somehow it did.
“Morning,” she greeted.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” her father replied.
Heart smiled warmly. “Sleep well?”
“A little.”
Heart laughed. “That’s better than nothing.”
Oxygen slid into her chair, for a brief moment everything felt comfortable like a family finally finding its rhythm again. Unfortunately, normal never lasted long around Lewis Darkmoore.
~
After breakfast, Heart decided to continue unpacking some remaining boxes. Naturally, Oxygen volunteered to help, she wanted time alone with her sister. Time to bridge the distance that years of separation had created.
Heart seemed happy about the offer.
Together they carried several boxes into the upstairs guest suite where Heart and Lewis were staying. The room was enormous.
Oxygen had begun collecting those whenever Lewis was involved.
“You’ve got enough luggage for an army," Oxygen joked.
Heart laughed. “You should see the rest.”
“The rest?”
“It’s still being shipped.”
Oxygen groaned dramatically. “Who needs that many clothes?”
“I do.”
“No human being needs that many clothes.”
Heart tossed a scarf at her. Oxygen caught it and laughed. For a little while, things felt easy. Almost like old times then Oxygen noticed something.
Several framed photographs sat inside one of the boxes. Curious, she picked one up. The picture showed Heart and Lewis standing together in front of an ancient stone building.
They looked beautiful. Perfect, even. Yet something about the image bothered her, she studied it carefully then frowned.
Heart noticed immediately. “What?”
“I don’t know.” Oxygen tilted her head. “Something feels strange.”
Heart walked over, glanced at the photograph then smiled.
“It’s just a picture.”
“Maybe.” Oxygen looked again.
Lewis stood beside Heart, hand resting lightly on her waist. The pose seemed affectionate enough. Yet somehow…
Distant.
Almost formal.
As though they were posing for strangers rather than sharing a genuine moment.
The observation made her uncomfortable so she pushed it aside. She was probably imagining things.
Hours later, Oxygen remained in the room helping organize boxes. Heart had stepped out briefly to take a phone call that left Oxygen alone.
Random household items, the work was surprisingly relaxing. Until disaster struck.
“Ow!”
A sharp sting shot through her finger. Oxygen immediately dropped the small decorative knife she’d been using to open a sealed package. A thin cut stretched across the side of her index finger. Nothing serious.
Just enough to hurt.
“Great.” She sighed.
A bright red bead of blood appeared, slowly trickling down her skin. Oxygen searched for tissues before she could find any—
The bedroom door opened. Lewis stepped inside and froze. For one confusing second, Oxygen thought something terrible had happened then she followed his gaze.
Her injured finger.
The room suddenly felt very quiet. Lewis stared at the blood, his entire body had gone rigid. The expression on his face was unlike anything Oxygen had ever seen before.
A chill crawled across her skin. “Lewis?”
No response.
His eyes remained locked on the blood. The tiny amount should have been insignificant yet his reaction suggested otherwise.
“Are you okay?”
Still nothing.
For a brief second, she thought his eyes looked different. No— that was ridiculous. She must be imagining things, Lewis suddenly blinked as if waking from a trance then took a single step backward. The movement appeared strangely deliberate.
“Oxygen.” His voice sounded rough.
Almost strained.
“Yeah?”
“You should clean that immediately.”
She stared. “What?”
“The cut.” His jaw tightened. “Clean it.”
The command surprised her. “It isn’t that bad.”
Lewis’s expression darkened. “You should still clean it.”
The intensity in his voice startled her. Without another word, he turned around and left. The door closed behind him.
Oxygen stood frozen, completely bewildered. “What was that?”
Lewis moved through the hallway faster than any human could have followed, every instinct screamed at him.
Run.
Leave.
Get away.
The scent lingered in the air, he could still smell it. Still taste it, a single drop of blood yet the effect had been catastrophic. Lewis gripped the stair railing so hard it cracked beneath his hand. The scent consumed his thoughts.
More powerful than anything he had ever experienced. More dangerous than anything he had ever experienced and that terrified him. For centuries he had existed among humans without difficulty, control was second nature, diiscipline defined him.
But Oxygen Stanford…
She shattered that discipline without even trying. The scent of her blood awakened something ancient inside him.
Something hungry. Something relentless. His fangs pressed painfully against his gums, Lewis closed his eyes. Forcing the hunger back into its cage, this couldn’t continue.
He needed answers, immediately because if things continued to worsen—
Someone was going to get hurt.
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