Chapter Two - Crimson Temptation
1172 Words
❖ Midnight – Magnus’ Apartment
The rain had stopped.
But the air inside the penthouse was thick with something heavier—desire, restraint, danger.
Magnus sat in the shadows of the study, jacket discarded, shirt half-unbuttoned and clinging to his chest. The city lights reflected off the sharp angles of his face, but his eyes were closed, jaw tight, fingers gripping the armrest of the leather chair as if he were holding back a storm.
His fangs hadn’t retracted.
His body trembled, not from fear—but craving.
Her blood…
It still sang in him.
The hunger gnawed beneath his skin like a parasite.
He remembered the warmth of her neck beneath his lips. The way her breath caught. The softness. The taste.
She wasn’t just blood.
She was everything he’d buried.
And she was just down the hall.
“Still resisting?” Arnold’s voice broke the silence as he leaned casually against the doorway, arms crossed.
“Leave me,” Magnus growled, not opening his eyes.
“You’re shaking,” Arnold said, stepping into the room. “You’re in agony. I can feel it from here.”
“I said leave.”
“You’re not going to last another night,” Arnold warned. “You need to feed. You’ve already taken her blood once. The bond’s started.”
Magnus’ eyes snapped open, crimson bleeding through the blue.
“I didn’t take enough to form a bond,” he hissed.
“No?” Arnold smirked. “Then why is she dreaming about you?”
Magnus froze.
Arnold’s smile vanished. “I checked. She’s murmuring your name in her sleep.”
Magnus stood abruptly, shoving the chair back.
“I won’t use her like that.”
“She’s not some random human. She might be your mate.”
“I don’t believe in mates.”
Arnold narrowed his eyes. “Your body does. You nearly killed her because you couldn’t stop. And now you're suffering because you did.”
Magnus’s breath came heavy, uneven.
“She’s not ready,” he muttered. “I’m not ready.”
But even he didn’t believe it.
---
❖ Evelyn’s Guest Room
Evelyn woke to the sound of footsteps and low voices.
Her wrist was bandaged, her skin pale but warm beneath the soft blankets. The room was as luxurious as the rest of the apartment—glass walls, dark velvet, cool marble.
But it wasn’t comfort she noticed.
It was him.
She rose slowly, ignoring the ache in her limbs, and padded barefoot to the door. It was slightly ajar. Through it, she caught a glimpse of Magnus, his back turned, body rigid, voice like silk laced with steel.
She watched him speak to Arnold. She didn’t catch the words, only the look in his eyes—something broken. Something dangerous.
Then he turned.
Their eyes met.
She froze.
Magnus didn’t speak. Just stared at her with that unreadable, soul-cutting gaze. He looked like he was carved from frost and moonlight, but his eyes burned like fire. His shirt was undone, exposing the chiseled lines of his chest, the dark veins beneath his skin—veins that pulsed with hunger.
“Evelyn,” he said softly. Her name on his lips made her knees weak.
“I… I had a dream,” she whispered. “About you.”
Arnold arched a brow. “Told you.”
Magnus shot him a warning glance.
Evelyn stepped into the room, arms wrapped around herself.
“I saw you. Standing in fire. Alone.”
His expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes faltered.
“You said… you’d never hurt me,” she added.
Silence stretched between them.
“I won’t,” Magnus said finally. His voice was deeper now. Strained. “But you need to stay away from me.”
“Why?”
He stepped forward. Slowly.
Her heart pounded. Her body tensed.
“You don’t understand what I am.”
“Then show me,” she whispered.
---
❖ The Balcony – Midnight Wind
The glass doors slid open.
He brought her outside, away from Arnold’s watchful gaze. The wind tangled in Evelyn’s hair as she stared up at the vampire prince standing inches away.
The night pressed against them. So did something else.
“Tell me the truth,” she said. “Why did you save me?”
Magnus didn’t answer.
Instead, he reached out.
His hand brushed her cheek, and her skin ignited beneath his touch. Not with fear. But with longing.
“I should have killed you,” he said quietly. “It would’ve been easier.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No.” His thumb grazed her lip. “Because your blood sings to me. And I’ve spent centuries silencing that song.”
Evelyn trembled, but she didn’t pull away.
“I want to understand.”
“You shouldn’t.”
She leaned closer. “Then make me afraid.”
Magnus exhaled—shaky, pained.
And then he moved.
His hand tangled in her hair, pulling her close. Not roughly—but with command. His lips hovered above hers, and she could feel his breath—hot, hungry, shaking with restraint.
His fangs brushed her neck.
“You don’t know what you’re offering,” he rasped.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
That was a lie. She was. But something deeper pulled her forward.
“I won’t take from you again,” he said, teeth clenched. “Even if it kills me.”
“Why?”
“Because if I do… I won’t stop.”
And just like that, he let her go.
The cold rushed in. Her body missed his warmth instantly.
“Go inside,” he said. “Before I change my mind.”
She didn’t move. But he did—turning his back, fists trembling.
---
❖ Entrance Hall – A New Arrival
The bell rang.
Arnold answered the door with an annoyed grunt.
On the other side stood a woman. Draped in crimson silk, long silver hair cascading like water, and piercing violet eyes that glowed in the dark.
“Lilith,” Arnold said. “You weren’t invited.”
“I never needed an invitation, darling,” she purred, stepping inside with feline grace.
Magnus appeared in the hall, eyes narrowing.
“Lilith,” he said coldly.
“Still hiding in your glass tower, Prince?” she smirked. “Word travels fast. You bit someone.”
His silence confirmed it.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not here to report you. I’m here to help.” Her eyes flicked to Evelyn, who had just stepped into view. “Ah. Her.”
Evelyn stepped behind Magnus instinctively.
Lilith smiled.
“Lovely little mortal,” she cooed. “I can see why you cracked.”
Magnus stepped between them, shielding Evelyn.
“Leave.”
Lilith ignored him. “She doesn’t know, does she? What she is. What she carries in her veins.”
Evelyn’s eyes widened. “What…?”
Lilith’s smirk deepened. “Oh, pet. You’re not just his bloodlust. You’re his curse."
- Writer
