Obsessed By Moonlight

A taste of darkness

That night, Elena tossed and turned, her mind racing with everything Lucien had told her. The bond was growing stronger—she could feel it, pulsing beneath her skin like a second heartbeat. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him: his dark, stormy eyes, the curve of his lips, the way he looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world.

But there was something else, too. A shadow at the edge of her mind. A whisper of something dark and ancient, calling to her.

She sat up abruptly, her breathing ragged. The room was bathed in moonlight, and everything felt too quiet, too still.

“Elena.”

She froze. The voice wasn’t in her head this time. It was real. And it was coming from outside.

Elena climbed out of bed and walked to the window, her heart pounding. She pulled back the curtain—and gasped.

Lucien was standing in the yard, his face partially hidden in the shadows. But there was something different about him. His eyes glowed faintly in the dark, and his expression was tense, almost… haunted.

Without thinking, Elena grabbed a sweater and slipped out the door, her bare feet silent on the cool grass as she approached him.

“Lucien? What are you doing here?”

“I had to see you,” he said, his voice rough. “I couldn’t stay away.”

Elena frowned. “Is something wrong?”

Lucien hesitated, and for a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to answer. Then he reached out and gently touched her face, his fingers cool against her skin.

“The bond is changing you,” he said softly. “I can feel it.”

Elena swallowed hard. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’re starting to feel the darkness,” Lucien said. “The hunger. It’s part of the bond—it connects us, but it also awakens something inside you.”

Elena’s breath hitched. “Is that why I’ve been feeling… different?”

“Yes,” Lucien said. “And it’s only going to get stronger.”

Elena’s mind raced. She had known that the bond would change her, but she hadn’t realized how quickly it would happen—or how intense it would be.

“Is there a way to stop it?” she asked.

Lucien’s jaw tightened. “There’s only one way to stop the bond—and that’s to break it. But if we do that, we’ll lose each other. Completely.”

Elena’s heart ached at the thought. The bond was dangerous, yes—but it was also what connected them, what made them stronger together. She wasn’t ready to give that up.

“I don’t want to lose you,” she said softly.

Lucien’s eyes darkened, and he stepped closer, his gaze intense. “You won’t. But you need to be careful, Elena. The hunger is powerful. If you give in to it, it will change you forever.”

Elena nodded, her resolve hardening. “I can handle it, Lucien. As long as we’re together, I can handle anything.”

Lucien looked at her for a long moment, and then he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

“We’ll get through this,” he whispered. “I promise.”

Elena closed her eyes, letting the warmth of his embrace wash over her. But deep down, she knew that things were only going to get harder from here.

Because the darkness wasn’t just inside her. It was all around them. And it was closing in.