Marina's Awakening (Seduced By Shadows Book 2)

Chapter Nine

The girl in the mirror looks ready for a fairytale ball, but her eyes tell a different story—one where the big bad wolf is now just a lamb in a party dress. Staring at my reflection, I can’t help but think mirrors are more honest these days—gone is the predator’s gaze, replaced by a girl who’s all dressed up with nowhere to terrorize. I run my fingers over the delicate lace of the white dress I”ve chosen for the evening. It hugs my form in a way that”s both flattering and foreign to me. It accentuates my curves without revealing too much. It”s gorgeous, but it doesn”t feel like me.

In my old life, I”d have chosen something more revealing, less classic. Something to show off my killer legs and the flat abs I spent years training myself to maintain. I didn”t care about whose attention I got because at the end of the day I knew I could protect myself. But now, this feels so... fake. I know it”s for my own safety, but how do you cope with being stripped of what makes you who you are?

With a sigh, I pick up the mask Gabriel chose for me from the dressing table. It”s black and white, elegant yet mysterious. Holding it up to my face, I examine it carefully, trying not to dwell too long on the idea that everything about this entire situation feels strange and out of place. I should be marching in there to kick some ass and make them all regret the day they even considered harming a single hair on my head, but instead I”m sneaking in there with a mask on my face.

My gaze shifts to my face, and the soft lines and the absence of fangs serve as constant reminders of what I”ve lost. My lips, once stained with the blood of my prey, but at least that”s an easy fix. I place the mask back on the bathroom counter and pull a tube of lipstick out of my bag.

As I uncap the tube of crimson red lipstick, a sudden rush of memories floods my mind, almost knocking me off-balance. It”s like a movie reel playing in fast forward, stopping abruptly on one particularly vivid scene from my past life—a memory so sharp it”s as if it happened just yesterday.

The city was a sprawling maze of concrete and shadows, where darkness clung to every corner like a second skin. Tall buildings loomed overhead, their windows mere slivers of light in the enveloping gloom, and the streets below were bathed in a murky haze that seemed to swallow all but the most determined of sounds. It was the kind of night that made you question your own senses, where the line between reality and illusion blurred, and every fleeting shadow could be a threat—or a promise.

I remember prowling through the labyrinthine alleyways, my senses heightened, every sound amplified, every scent intoxicating. The air was thick with the mingling scents of stale garbage, damp earth, and something more primal, more intoxicating. It was the scent of fear, and it hung in the air like a thick fog, guiding me, drawing me closer to my prey.

My prey was a man, although I consider that quite a generous title. In truth, he was more of an animal that I was. He was a lowlife, preying on innocent women who had nowhere else to turn for protection. His kind didn”t belong in the world of the living, and as such, he deserved what was coming. Tonight, the tables had turned. Tonight, he was the one being hunted, and I was the hunter.

My fangs ached with anticipation, throbbing like twin heartbeats inside my mouth. They were my weapons, my tools of the trade. I could feel them lengthening, sharpening, ready to sink into flesh and draw forth the life-giving fluid that was my sustenance. Bloodlust burned in my veins, pooling low in my belly and spreading through my body like wildfire, every cell humming with desire to taste him.

The blood would taste so sweet tonight—so deliciously salty.

In my vision, I could see my eyes. They were cold now, positively ravenous, glowing in the dim light of the moon like twin orbs of amber. They were eyes that had seen many lives come and go, eyes that had witnessed both the beauty and the horror of human existence, and they held a wisdom—a cruelty—that was both ancient and timeless.

I wore a sleek, formfitting black dress that clung to my body. The fabric was soft and supple, molding itself to my curves with a familiarity that was almost intimate. It was a dress designed to seduce, to entice, to ensnare, emphasizing the dangerous allure that was my vampiric nature. The dress accentuated my toned legs, drawing attention to their length and their strength, and it whispered promises of things both forbidden and tantalizing.

The city was a symphony of sounds, each one a note in a haunting melody. But amidst the cacophony of distant sirens, the muffled conversations of passersby, and the incessant hum of traffic, one sound rose above all others—the rapid, frantic heartbeat of my prey. It echoed in the silence, a drumbeat of fear that resonated deep within me, fueling the primal hunger that gnawed at my insides.

He was close now, so close I could almost taste his fear in the air, a metallic tang that set my senses ablaze. A sly smile curled my lips, a predator”s smile, as I closed in on my quarry. My footsteps were silent on the pavement, a whisper against the city”s clamor, and every muscle in my body was taut with anticipation. It was a dance as old as time, a game of predator and prey, and I was the master of the hunt.

And then, just like that, I was upon him. He never saw me coming, never heard me approach. One moment he was walking alone in the darkness, lost in his own thoughts, and the next, he was in my grasp. My fangs sank into his neck with a savage satisfaction, piercing flesh and vein with an ease that was almost poetic. The taste of his blood was like a drug, rich and intoxicating, flooding my senses and igniting a primal hunger deep within me.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself as the memory continues to unfold with relentless clarity. The moment of the bite. It”s the tipping point—the moment that I”m both drawn to and repelled by. As the vision intensifies, my heart rate quickens, my chest tightening with a sudden, suffocating pressure.

I watch as my fangs pierce his skin, sinking deep into the tender flesh of his neck. The instant the blood fills my mouth, a shock wave of horror courses through me. My eyes widen, locking onto my reflection in the mirror, where the predator”s gaze is now my own. The woman in the mirror is a monster, a creature driven by primal urges and savage instincts.

My hands start to tremble uncontrollably, the tube of lipstick slipping from my grasp and clattering onto the countertop. The room feels like it”s closing in on me, the walls narrowing as if to trap me in this haunting vision. My breaths come in short, shallow gasps, each one a struggle as I fight to fill my lungs with air.

”No, no, no,” I mutter to myself, my voice barely above a whisper, a mantra to ground me, to bring me back to reality. But the panic continues to swell, spreading outward until my entire body shakes. I can feel it building within me, a swelling pressure that”s almost unbearable.

The memories and emotions collide, overwhelming my senses. The taste of his blood, the rush of power, the sheer brutality—it”s all too much. The weight of what I was, what I could become again, presses down on me like a ton of bricks. How could I have ever thought this was the normal, preferable way to live? All of the disgusting, horrible things I did as a vampire now seem like the acts of an animal—a soulless creature driven only by its instincts and nothing else. No matter how I tried to justify it back then, I killed people.

I can barely think straight as my vision blurs around the edges. The floor beneath me feels unsteady, shifting and rolling like some sort of boat caught out at sea. I press my palms against the cool surface of the bathroom counter, trying to anchor myself, but it”s like trying to hold onto a handful of sand as it slips through my fingers.

My legs feel weak, threatening to give out beneath me. I sink to the floor with my back against the wall, pulling my knees to my chest in a feeble attempt to shield myself from the onslaught of memories. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, hot and stinging. I let them fall, allowing myself this moment of weakness because I don”t think I”m capable of anything else right now.

The panic attack rages on in a storm of emotions that I can”t escape. It”s a visceral, gut-wrenching fear that claws its way out of my chest like a living creature intent on taking over my mind and body, making me feel small and powerless. My heart feels like it”s about to leap out of my chest, each beat a painful reminder of the beast that lurks within me, waiting for the chance to break free.

Through the haze of my panic, a voice breaks through, distant and muffled at first, but growing louder and clearer with each passing second. It”s Gabriel”s voice, calling out to me, grounding me in the here and now.

”Marina? Marina, can you hear me?” he asks, his tone laced with concern, pulling me back from the edge of my terror-induced abyss.

I try to respond, to reassure him that I”m okay, but all that escapes my lips is a choked sob. The reality of my situation crashes down on me once more—the fragile balance I”m trying to maintain between my human self and the vampire I once was.

There”s a loud crash, a splintering sound of wood giving way, and then Gabriel bursts into the room. ”Marina? What happened? Are you okay?” He rushes toward me, his movements quick but gentle as he kneels beside me, taking in my trembling form.

”I... I saw... I remembered,” I manage to stammer out, my voice shaky and weak. Tears continue to stream down my face, blurring my vision as I look up at him.

He reaches out, his hands hovering over me for a moment, as if unsure how to touch me without causing more harm. Then, slowly, he gathers me into his arms, holding me close to his chest. I can feel the steady beat of his heart against my cheek, a rhythmic sound that starts to calm me, pushing back the storm inside me, driving away my fear and replacing it with something else. Something warm and comforting.

My muscles unclench one by one, releasing the tension they were carrying in their tight coil. His scent fills my nose as he pulls me closer, enveloping me completely. It”s the smell of home, the scent that has become so familiar to me over these past few days, and it grounds me even further, helping to settle the storm inside me.

”Take a deep breath,” Gabriel instructs, his voice low and steady, soothing.

I choke out words between sobs, my words muffled against his shirt. ”I was a monster, Gabriel. How can you even look at me?”

He pulls back slightly, his hands framing my face as he looks into my eyes with unwavering intensity. ”Marina, listen to me,” he says firmly, his voice laced with conviction. ”We”ve all done things we”re not proud of. That”s not who you are anymore. What matters is who you choose to be now, in this moment.”

”But it”s so hard,” I whisper, feeling the weight of my past pressing down on me, threatening to drag me under. ”I don”t know how to be this new person.”

Gabriel smiles, stroking my cheek softly with his thumb. ”You”ll figure it out,” he reassures me. ”It will take time, but I know you can do it.”

His words help to steady me, and I nod my head slowly in acknowledgment. ”Thank you,” I mutter. I don”t trust myself to say more without losing it again, so instead I lean forward, burying my face against his chest as I fight back another round of tears.

He holds me tightly, not saying anything else for a long time, allowing me the space I need to pull myself together before we venture out into the world again.