His Forbidden Cravings

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The rest of the afternoon felt strange. Oxygen couldn’t stop thinking about Lewis’s reaction. Every time she replayed the scene, it became more confusing.

Why had he looked at her blood like that?

Why had he seemed frightened?

And why had he practically fled the room?

None of it made sense.

By dinner, the questions were driving her insane. Unfortunately, Lewis wasn’t helping because he barely spoke at all. If anything, he seemed determined to avoid her.

Whenever she entered a room, he found a reason to leave. Whenever she approached, he became distracted. Whenever their eyes met, he immediately looked away. The behavior was impossible to ignore.

Even Heart noticed.

“Did something happen?” Heart asked during dinner.

Oxygen blinked. “What do you mean?”

“You and Lewis are acting weird.”

Across the table, Lewis remained perfectly still. Oxygen glanced between them.

“No.”

Heart frowned. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

The lie tasted strange because something had happened. She just didn’t know what. That night, sleep refused to come.

Around midnight, Oxygen finally gave up.

With a frustrated sigh, she left her bedroom. The house was dark, mooonlight spilled through the windows, everything felt peaceful. Until she stepped onto the second-floor balcony, someone was already there.

Lewis.

He stood alone overlooking the estate, hands resting against the railing. The cool night breeze stirred his dark hair. For a moment, Oxygen considered leaving.

“Can’t sleep either?” she asked in hesitation.

Lewis looked over his shoulder, surprise flickered across his face then gone instantly.

“No.”

Oxygen joined him at the railing, silence settled between them. Not uncomfortable. The stars glittered overhead, crickets sang in the distance.

Neither spoke.

Finally Oxygen broke first. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

Lewis stared into the darkness. “No.”

“Liar.”

A faint smile touched his lips, the first she’d seen all day.

“I see.”

“You practically ran away earlier.”

The smile disappeared.

Oxygen regretted the words, something shadowed his expression, he looked troubled. For several seconds, he remained silent.

Then—

“I apologize.” The sincerity surprised her.

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“Yes.” His voice softened. “I do.”

Oxygen studied him carefully.

Moonlight painted silver across his features. For the first time, he looked tired. Not physically but emotionally liike a man carrying burdens he couldn’t share. The realization stirred unexpected sympathy.

“What happened?” she asked quietly.

Lewis didn’t answer.

At least not immediately.

When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “Some things are safer left unexplained.”

The response only deepened the mystery.

Oxygen sighed. “Everyone keeps saying things like that.”

Lewis glanced at her. “Perhaps they’re trying to protect you.”

“From what?”

His gaze lingered longer than usual then he looked away.

“The truth.”

A chill danced across her spine before she could ask another question, Lewis straightened.

“I should go.”

“What?”

“It’s late.” He stepped away from the railing. “Oxygen.”

She looked up. For a brief moment, something intense flashed through his eyes.

"Why are you looking me like—"

He cut her off with a smile. "If I become braver enough to face you before, will I get marry to your sister?"

Oxygen froze.

"What do you mean before? Have we met? But I don't remember," she frowned.

Lewis nodded. "Right, just forget about what I said. Be careful, little."

"Huh?" She looked even more puzzled. "Hey!"

Before she could ask what he meant—

Lewis disappeared into the house, leaving Oxygen alone beneath the stars.

~

Far beyond the Stanford estate, hidden within the darkness of an ancient forest, another figure stood watching. The scent carried across the night wind, almost impossible to detect yet unmistakable.

The stranger’s crimson eyes slowly widened, recognition flashed across his face then excitement.

“So it’s true…” The whispered words vanished into the darkness.

A smile spread across his lips.

“The bloodline survives.”

As the wind howled through the trees, the stranger turned toward the distant lights of the Stanford estate and began walking.

Toward Oxygen Stanford.

Toward a future that would change the vampire world forever.

~

Going back to their room, Lewis stopped in front of the door then glanced where Oxygen was. He sighed deeply, cursing himself in silence because he was about to break their deal between her sister, Heart.

"How come you don't remember me, little? You were supposed to marry not your sister," he muttered to himself then forced himself inside the room.

There was Heart, who is waiting impatiently to him. She was looking at Lewis in disappointment like her trust got betrayed. Looking at the time in the wall clock, she stood up and walked to the desk where Oxygen hurt herself earlier.

"We had a deal, Lewis..." Heart pointed out. "You almost break your promise not going after to Oxygen's blood. She's my sister!"

"I'm trying... you know that."

"Then try harder! You could almost suck her blood earlier," her voice cracked.

Lewis ignored her, his thoughts go back to what happened earlier. She's right though, he made a mistake. Oxygen is becoming suspicious about them and his origin yet he cannot forced himself to stay away from her.

"What do you want me to do? Suck yours? Heart, we have an agreement but that doesn't mean you will stop me... you can't change her destiny. I only accept your dumb decisions because she was young but she's old enough to know the truth—"

"No! You cannot take her away from us! Not because you save her before you can claim her as yours! I already sacrificed myself, Lewis. Isn't that enough?" Heart's voice pleaded.

"She's the one who will be hunted not you..."

She gasped. "What do you mean?"

"Once she turns eighteen, every descendants of mine will look for her... that is why I asked you to go home because she needs protection, Heart. Not just from me but from my family." Lewis hardly explain, he wasn't supposed to reveal that to her because it will only trigger.

Heart falls in despair when she finds out, the only reason she distant herself from her sister is to protect her from Lewis. Regrets consumes her, memories from the past flashbacks in her mind. The day she met Lewis who is carrying her sister when the accident happened, when she decided to throw away her life as an exchange for Oxygen, when she hears her sister crying and screaming for her name after she woke up and when she witnessed her sister growing up without her side.

All of that goes in vain because of the man she chose to believe, the man who take her away, the man she married to...

Heart walked back towards Lewis, pulling his shirt. "You tricked me..."

Lewis lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Heart. But if you really want to save your sister..."

"Enough. I don't want to hear another lie from you, Lewis. You and your descendants should stay away from Oxygen! She is not yours!"

Lewis pulled her hands away from him then he stood up, walking away to the door. "It's only right because she already has my blood, Heart. Ever since your sister almost died, I am the one who is keeping her alive..."