Obsessed By Moonlight

The rising storm

The wind whispered through the trees, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. Elena sat on the edge of a fallen log, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she stared into the flickering flames of the small campfire. The heat from the fire barely touched her; she still felt cold, the kind of cold that sank deep into her bones and refused to leave.

Lucien sat beside her, silent and brooding. His jaw was clenched, and his dark eyes reflected the firelight as he watched the shadows dance around them. Every so often, Elena caught him glancing at her, as if to make sure she was still there, still breathing, still alive.

They had been on the run for hours, moving through the forest under the cover of darkness, trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and Damien. Now, they were hidden in a small clearing, far from the church and the tunnels—and hopefully, far from danger.

But Elena knew better than to believe they were safe. Not yet.

“How are you feeling?” Lucien’s voice was soft, but there was an edge of worry beneath the calm.

Elena shrugged, not trusting herself to speak. She felt… numb. Like a part of her had been left behind in that tunnel, buried beneath the falling stone and writhing shadows.

Lucien reached out and gently took her hand, his fingers warm and steady against her cold skin. “We’ll get through this,” he said quietly. “I promise.”

Elena nodded, even though she wasn’t sure she believed him.

Across the fire, Mia was sharpening her dagger with slow, deliberate strokes. The metallic scrape of blade against stone filled the air, a harsh, grating sound that set Elena’s teeth on edge.

“How long do you think we have before Damien finds us again?” Mia asked, not looking up from her weapon.

Lucien’s jaw tightened. “Not long,” he admitted. “He’ll be hunting us. But we’ve bought ourselves some time.”

“Not enough,” Selene said, leaning against a nearby tree with her arms crossed. She looked as calm and composed as ever, but there was a tension in her posture that betrayed her unease. “Damien’s not going to stop. You know that, right?”

“We know,” Elena said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Selene raised an eyebrow. “Do you? Because it seems to me like you’re all just sitting around, waiting for him to catch up.”

“What do you suggest we do?” Mia snapped. “March back into his lair and take him on ourselves? We barely made it out alive the first time.”

“Exactly,” Selene said. “Which is why we need a plan. A real plan. Not just running and hiding.”

“And what kind of plan do you have in mind?” Cassie asked, her voice soft but steady. She was sitting cross-legged on the ground, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Despite everything they had been through, she looked surprisingly calm.

Selene’s eyes glinted in the firelight. “We need to find the Source.”

“The Source?” Elena frowned. “What’s that?”

“The Source of Damien’s power,” Selene explained. “The Blood Moon gave him a boost, but it’s not the root of his strength. There’s something else—something older, darker. If we can find it, we might be able to cut him off from it. Weaken him.”

“And how do we find it?” Lucien asked, his voice skeptical.

Selene shrugged. “I have a few ideas. But it’s not going to be easy. We’ll have to dig deep, follow the old trails, maybe even consult some… questionable sources.”

“Questionable how?” Mia asked warily.

Selene smiled, a sharp, dangerous smile. “Let’s just say we’ll be dealing with things that make Damien look like a kitten.”

“Great,” Mia muttered. “That sounds just fantastic.”

Elena felt a knot of fear tighten in her chest. She didn’t like the sound of this. Not one bit. But what choice did they have?

“If it’s the only way to stop Damien,” she said slowly, “then we have to try.”

Lucien turned to her, his expression dark and conflicted. “Elena, you don’t have to do this. You’ve already been through so much—”

“I’m not going to sit on the sidelines while you fight my battles for me,” Elena said firmly. “We’re in this together, Lucien. All of us.”

Lucien sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know. I just don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t,” Elena said, squeezing his hand. “We’ll get through this. Together.”

For a moment, Lucien just looked at her, his eyes filled with something raw and vulnerable. Then he nodded, his grip on her hand tightening.

“Okay,” he said. “We’ll do this. But we’ll do it carefully. No unnecessary risks.”

“No promises,” Selene said with a smirk.

Lucien shot her a warning look, but she just laughed and pushed away from the tree.

“Come on,” she said. “If we’re going to find the Source, we need to get moving. There’s someone we need to talk to first.”

“Who?” Elena asked, getting to her feet.

Selene’s smile widened, and for the first time, Elena saw a flicker of unease in her eyes.

“An old friend,” Selene said. “Well… friend might be a bit of a stretch. But he owes me a favor.”

“Is he dangerous?” Mia asked.

Selene’s smile turned cold. “Extremely.”

Mia groaned. “Of course he is.”

Elena exchanged a glance with Lucien, her heart pounding. She had a feeling that things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.

And she wasn’t wrong.

As they gathered their things and prepared to leave, the wind picked up, rustling the leaves and sending a shiver down Elena’s spine.

Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled—a low, mournful sound that echoed through the night.

Elena took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves.

Whatever lay ahead, they would face it together.

And they would survive.

They had to.