Chapter 19Adrian
Chapter
Nineteen
ADRIAN
A s Selene disappears into the bedroom, I find myself lingering at the door, unable to leave. There's a weight in the air, something unspoken between us, something I can't quite push away. Perhaps it's her power, or maybe it's the allure of watching her, knowing that beneath her uncertainty and fear, she holds something far greater than she understands.
I step inside quietly, the floorboards creaking under my feet. She glances over her shoulder, her dark eyes meeting mine with a flicker of curiosity. "What are you doing here?" she asks, her voice soft but steady.
"I wanted to make sure you're comfortable," I say, leaning against the doorframe. "It's been a... difficult night."
She crosses her arms, the weight of everything hanging heavy on her shoulders. "Difficult is one word for it."
I study her for a moment, the way her body seems tense, but there’s a flicker of something else in her eyes—something deeper. Something calling to me.
"You're not like the others," I say, stepping forward, my gaze fixed on her. "You’ve lasted this long. That means something."
She gives a small, bitter laugh. "And what exactly does it mean, Adrian? That I’m prey you’re all fighting over? That I’m just another soul waiting to be claimed?"
I move closer, until I’m standing right in front of her. "It means you’re special, Selene. More than you realize."
Her eyes narrow as she looks at me, suspicion dancing across her features. "Why am I here, Adrian? What is this Hunt really about?"
I let out a sigh, contemplating how much to tell her. "The Hunt is... complicated. Each year, families like mine, like Ronan’s and Lucien’s, send one of us to participate. Those chosen to participate in the Hunt are from ancient families with power that’s been passed down for generations. The Hunt is a way for us to claim power and status within the Order. "
She listens, her gaze never leaving mine, absorbing every word.
"Then there are the others," I continue, my tone growing darker. "Warlocks who aren’t chosen but participate anyway. For them, the Hunt is just an opportunity to feed on souls. They don’t care about the politics or the power struggles—they just want the hunger satisfied."
Selene frowns, stepping back slightly. "Did you... did you take other souls?"
I nod, my expression unreadable. "Of course. It’s a natural part of the Hunt."
Her brow furrows as she processes my words, and I can see the conflict playing out in her eyes. She hesitates, her voice low and careful. "And what about my friends?"
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "I don’t know exactly who they are... but it’s very likely that their souls were claimed. By now, they’re... gone."
She winces, the tension in her shoulders tightening as she looks away. “Gone?” she echoes, her voice barely above a whisper.
I can’t tell if it’s grief, anger, or something else behind her reaction, but before I can say more, she speaks again, her voice tinged with bitterness. “Were they ever really my friends, though? Sometimes it felt like they didn’t care at all. They dragged me to that club, like I didn’t have a say. ”
"Friendship," I say softly, leaning against the wall, "is a human thing. Something I don’t easily understand. It’s... fleeting, isn’t it? Like everything else in your world."
She studies me for a moment, her brow furrowed in thought. "What happens to people after their souls are claimed?" she asks, and I can hear the unease in her voice.
I pause, considering how best to explain it. "They will remember that they had an amazing night of passion. That’s all. They’ll return to the human realm and live out the rest of their lives... but their ambition, drive, their lust, even... it will all be absent. They’ll just be... existing."
She laughs softly, though there’s no humor in it. "That doesn’t seem much different from how I’ve felt for most of my life." She looks at me with a faint, tired smile. "Maybe my soul’s already been taken."
I smirk, shaking my head. "No," I say, my voice growing softer. "I can see your soul, Selene. It’s there, buried beneath your foolish human self-doubt."
Her eyes widen slightly at my words, and I watch her, knowing I’ve just revealed more than I intended. I stop myself from saying what I’m really thinking—that when she fully comes into her power, she might be strong enough to challenge even the Order. I bite back the words, not ready to share that yet.
Instead, I take a step closer, closing the distance between us. "Your soul is still intact," I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. "But when you fully embrace your power... that’s when things will change."
Her breath hitches, and I can feel the tension between us rising, thick and electric. There’s something about her that pulls me in, something far deeper than just the Hunt. I reach out, my fingers brushing her cheek, and I can feel the heat radiating from her skin. She’s intoxicating.
She looks at me, confused by my tone, and I continue, sensing her curiosity. "I’ve observed humans for years, Selene. You form these connections—friendships, relationships, loves—and yet, they break so easily. One moment, you’re bound by some invisible force, and the next, it’s gone. Over something as simple as a word, or a misunderstanding." I shake my head, the frustration of it all bubbling up. "It’s absurd."
Selene frowns, tilting her head. "What do you mean?"
I push away from the wall, taking a few steps toward her. "You invest everything in these emotions, these... attachments. But they’re fragile, so easily torn apart. It doesn’t make sense to me." I pause, watching her reaction closely, fascinated by the way her face shifts from confusion to understanding. "Why do you humans cling to something so temporary? Why allow yourselves to care so much, knowing that it could all disappear in an instant? "
Her brow furrows as she thinks. "I guess... it’s because those moments matter. Even if they don’t last, even if it all falls apart... those moments of connection are what make life worth living."
I laugh, a quiet, cynical sound. "Worth living? When they cause so much pain?"
"Yes," she says firmly, surprising me with her conviction. "Because without them, what’s the point? Life would just be... empty."
"Empty," I muse, stepping even closer. "Interesting. I’ve always thought that humans fill their lives with meaningless things to avoid that very emptiness. You consume, you distract yourselves, you pursue fleeting pleasures, all to avoid the void that’s always waiting. I’ve watched it happen, over and over again."
She bites her lip, clearly uncomfortable with how much I seem to know, how I’ve been watching from the outside, trying to make sense of something I was never part of. "You sound like you’ve spent a lot of time observing us."
"I have," I admit, my voice low. "Humans fascinate me. I’ve studied your kind for centuries, trying to understand your motivations, your desires. I’ve seen you break your own hearts, sabotage your own happiness, and for what? To avoid loneliness? To find meaning in something fleeting? I still can’t make sense of it."
Her eyes soften, and she takes a step toward me, closing the distance between us. "You might not understand it," she says quietly, "but that doesn’t mean it’s not real. Just because it doesn’t last forever doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter."
I tilt my head, intrigued by the way she’s defending something I’ve always dismissed. "Is that why you let them drag you to that club?" I ask. "Because those friendships, however flawed, meant something to you?"
She looks away, and I can see the pain flicker in her eyes. "Maybe. Or maybe I just didn’t want to be alone. Maybe I thought if I went along with it, they’d see me... really see me."
I study her carefully, sensing the vulnerability beneath her words. "And did they?" I ask softly.
She lets out a bitter laugh. "No. I don’t think they ever did."
I watch her closely, the way her body tenses, the way her lips press into a thin line. She’s holding onto something—some kind of regret, some kind of loss—and it makes me curious, even more so than before. There’s so much more to her than she lets on, and it’s not just her power. It’s the complexity of her emotions, the way she clings to hope even when she’s been hurt. It’s... fascinating.
"Do you think I care?" I ask suddenly, surprising even myself with the question.
She blinks, startled. "What?"
"Do you think I care about any of this? About you?" My voice is softer now, almost a whisper. I’m curious, truly curious, to see what she thinks.
She stares at me, unsure of how to respond. "I... I don’t know."
I take a step closer, my voice lowering even further. "Maybe I do. Maybe you’re the first human I’ve met who’s made me want to care. That’s... new for me."
She shivers slightly at my words, and I can see the effect I’m having on her. It’s intoxicating, the way she responds, the way her body reacts to my proximity. But there’s something else too, something more. I find myself wondering what it would be like to truly understand her, to understand these human emotions that have eluded me for so long.
"And what about me?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper now. "Do you care about me?"
I tilt my head, considering her question, and then I smirk, leaning in just a little closer. "I think... I could."
Her breath hitches, and I feel the tension between us grow, thick and palpable. There's something here, something undeniable. And for the first time in centuries, I’m not just curious. I’m... invested.
"And when I fully come into my power?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly, "Will you care then?"
I pause, my gaze locking with hers. I can feel the weight of her words, the promise of what’s to come. "When you fully come into your power," I whisper, " you’ll be something this world has never seen before. And I’ll be right there, watching every moment."
Her breath catches, and I know I’ve said too much, but I don’t care. The tension between us is electric now, and I can feel the pull of her power, even in its infancy.
"Adrian..." she murmurs, her voice trailing off, as if she doesn’t know what to say next.
I lean in closer, my lips brushing against her ear. "Your soul is still yours, Selene," I whisper. "Buried beneath all that human doubt. But when you finally claim it... when you finally accept who you are... I’ll be there to see it."
The air between us feels thick, charged with something more than just magic. I can feel her pulse quicken, the heat radiating from her skin as she steps closer, drawn to me despite herself.
For the first time, I feel something I haven’t felt in centuries—an understanding, a connection that goes beyond the Hunt, beyond the power I crave.
And for a fleeting moment, I wonder what it would be like to lose myself in her.
For a moment, her eyes lock with mine, and I see the vulnerability there, the uncertainty mixing with desire. She steps closer, and I can feel her body heat against mine, the tension snapping taut between us like a thread ready to break.
The air feels heavy, charged with something unsaid, something inevitable. I can feel her pulse quicken under my fingertips as she looks up at me, her lips parted slightly as if she’s about to say something, but no words come.
The moment lingers, stretching out, thick with possibility.
I lean in, my breath hot against her skin, my voice low. "You’re not prey, Selene," I whisper. "You’re so much more than that."
Her eyes darken, and I can see the pull in them—the need, the desire. The distance between us shrinks until there’s nothing left, and for a moment, I forget about the Hunt, the warlocks, even the Order.
It’s just her.
Just us.
And I know, deep down, that there’s no turning back now.