Chapter 7
Who am I?
I guess you’ll never know
Even in the dead of the night, I watch her. A silent shadow hiding amongst others, becoming one with the obscuring darkness slowly seeping through my corrupted soul, silently waiting for the right moment to strike so I can take and conquer.
Soon, it’s my time to finally own her soul and mind completely.
She’s a pawn in a game beyond our godforsaken town’s comprehension, oblivious to the looming danger and the horrors unfolding behind her, hiding in the shadows much like myself. Yet, unlike me, those horrors are veiled behind a theater curtain, as if this were merely a staged play captivating the public.
The unsettling problem is that no one fucking comprehends the full magnitude of Penumbra Crest, and the insidious corruption embedded within the five ruling families. Once, I might have cared about the innocent civilians caught amidst the crossfire, but now? I couldn’t care less, not after so many people lied to me. Countless articles have fabricated tales about me, spewing bullshit unworthy of my attention.
I might be ruthless with no fucks to give, but I’m not heartless.
The night is beautifully laid before me like a secret whisper sending soothing words of tranquility. The moon hangs in the sky, casting its silver-like glow through the windows and enveloping the room in scattered shadows.
Hidden in the shadows, I fixate on her slumbering form— so beautiful yet so tainted and twisted. She’s got spunk in her, evident in how she punctured the tire of my bike a while back when I was merely observing her from afar. I can’t deny that witnessing her vulnerability didn’t stir something primal within me, waking my cock to life from the sheer violence.
Her platinum locks cascade over the pillow beside her, framing her face as she rests on her stomach, arms hugging the pillow beneath her head. One arm holds a tattoo of a butterfly splattered in water while simultaneously drowning in it.
I allow my gaze to roam her form, every curve and contour calling to my desire. Clad in nothing but an oversized T-shirt, her figure is both alluring and achingly exposed, the fabric riddled up against her stomach and revealing her little panties.
Approaching the bed where she lies, my hand involuntarily reaches out to stroke her cheek. She stirs but does not awaken. A side glance toward the nightstand reveals the empty glass, its contents fully drained. My deed went unnoticed, the sleeping pill seamlessly dissolving in the water to erase all evidence.
She’s so easy to hurt like this, and the need to mark her as mine thrums through me like the deadliest drug, ready to consume every rational thought. With a knife in my leather-gloved hand, I trace a delicate line along her shoulder, pressing just enough to break the surface of her vulnerable skin. The sharp sting of the blade draws forth a crimson shade that makes desire flood my veins. Serves her right for puncturing my R1 bike. A hiss escapes between gritted teeth as the agonizing arousal coils deep within me. With my free hand, I apply pressure to the throbbing outline of my cock, squeezing painfully hard.
The need to inflict more pain makes me push the knife deeper into her skin, slicing a straight line, not enough to scar permanently but deep enough to coax forth trickles of blood down her shoulder blade. It’s intoxicating to observe how it smears her back, leaving her so fucking vulnerable and at my mercy.
Satisfaction floods my being, and I feel my cock pressing against the zipper of my jeans. She whimpers softly in her sleep, eyes fluttering, but she remains oblivious to what I’m up to. The arousal pulsating through my soul is barely manageable anymore, forcing me to take action as I put the knife in my pocket before swiftly unzipping my pants to take out my cock. A groan escapes my lips as I stroke the hardened length, watching her sleeping so peacefully like a little lamb, unaware of the predator beside her.
With each movement of my hand, a rush of euphoria floods my senses while I grit my teeth, taking in every curve and those goddamn panties. Carefully, I grab the hem of the fabric, slowly dragging it down her legs. I can’t help but fist her panties around my cock, my hips instinctively rocking against my hand. Fuck . My imagination runs wild, thinking about all the ways I want to devour her.
But it’s not time yet—not until she learns about who I am, and about the predator lurking beneath the surface, waiting to own her.
She will wish she never met me while kneeling before me, submitting to the one predator she never should have surrendered to.
A smirk spreads on my lips, soon overtaking my pleasure as I continue stroking my dick, craving the pain mixed with pleasure. I’m thrusting my cock into the panties wrapped around it, rocking my hips faster as my balls tighten with the need to come. With one look down at the blood I drew from her flesh, I picture her spread open, at my mercy and begging me to save her. But I won’t. Oh, how I wouldn’t save her.
Her scent envelops the space, and I inhale it, only now acknowledging how comforting it feels. That coupled with the sensation of her panties wrapped tightly around my throbbing length has me pumping my cock even harder. Soon, pleasure wreaks havoc over me, plunging me over the edge of madness as I come in her panties, ensuring that the fabric absorbs every drop.
I’m a little breathless by the time I’m done, not fully satisfied yet knowing I have to get going.
There’s a little devil awaiting punishment, and I thrive in the anticipation of the fear I’ll instill.
Discarding her panties in a secluded corner, far away from her unsuspecting gaze, I slip through the unlocked window and meld into the shadows once more, biding my time until the effects of her sleeping pills in her system wear off.
——————
Trees surround me as I stare at her delicate figure standing in the kitchen, biting her lip with a determined expression that instantly sends fire roaring through my veins, raging and fighting the urges within the beast inside me. My gaze fixates on her with such intensity that I half expect the window to explode into hundreds of broken shards under the weight of my piercing glare.
Her eyes, a unique blend of azure and cobalt, reminiscent of a tranquil ocean, hold flickers of warmth that transform into a fit of raging anger, coursing through the nerves zipping through my brain.
The ebb and flow of emotions within those orbs create a mesmerizing dance, and as her gaze falls upon the windowpane, her face visibly drains of color. A delicately, vulnerable hue that makes my blood scorching hot, fighting the urge to break inside her apartment once again, if only to feel those very eyes bestow upon me.
Such a beautiful, fucking delicate thing, terrified of the words written on the glass.
She’s a deer caught in the headlights on the Autobahn, needing to flee but unable to. If they freeze, the predators won’t see them, right? But that’s all wrong. There is no saving those deer on the road, nor is there any saving her from me .
There never was. Especially not now when I’ve gotten my chance to see the blood trickle from her and feel her close to me.
She comes closer to the window, her short platinum hair brushing against her shoulders. Everything about her draws me in, like a moth to a flame.
Her figure defies the ideals in this world, and that’s exactly what makes her so irresistible, from her not-so-flat stomach to her thighs and generous curves. Her face, devoid of any makeup, is beautiful no matter the flaws, and the lines in her face are a masterpiece waiting to be explored. She stands at my height, eye to eye, at five feet ten inches.
Observing her leaves a physical craving within my body, making me unable to move, transfixed by her sheer aura. The terror is evident on her face, and a smile stretches my lips as I observe her. She’s completely oblivious to the fact that I’m out here, staring at her, having been following her for days.
Having her panties wrapped around my cock.
Despite being an intelligent woman, she sure as fuck isn’t very smart when it comes to her own safety. It infuriates me to see her overlook potential threats, knowing that other predators can zone in on her, stealing what’s mine .
Now, she’s looking out the window, obviously not seeing anything, which has her turning her back to me with a small huff that makes her eyebrows scrunch.
Cute .
Making my way through the trees, I round the corner to get a better view of her when she enters her bedroom again. Through the creaks in the curtain, I notice her unsteady legs, trembling with the fright that must be paralyzing her.
I’m once again hidden away in the darkness, not ready to reveal myself to her just yet. A thunder rumbles through the sky which has her figure tensing in distress. Personally, I fucking love the mayhem and chaos that comes with nature’s eruption in the sky.
She stands before the mirror, taking in her appearance. The beautiful slice marring her flesh, creating a crimson hue of something wonderful, meets my gaze as I look in the mirror’s reflection along with her. She still doesn’t know that I’m here, and that makes something spark within me, a potent desire and yearning to hold her and have her close to me again. The need is so overwhelming that it feels as if my insides are on the verge of tearing apart, consumed by a torrent of visceral sensations, and I feel my cock twitching. Touching myself in her presence was far from enough.
I retrieve the knife tucked into my jacket pocket, feeling its weight in my leather-gloved hand. My gaze locks onto the crimson liquid gleaming across the silver surface, and I find myself fixated, consumed by an obsession. I crave her fucking blood and agony like a parched wanderer seeking an oasis in the desert.
Why didn’t she obey the orders to meet me? Anger seeps through my bones at the thought of it, and I cling to the memory of her whimpering in her sleep as I let my knife glide against her back. The mere thought satiates my thirst, the same torrent of emotions erupting inside me like an active volcano.
For too fucking long I’ve wanted her, watched her from the shadows.
Now, it’s finally time for retribution.
I grab my phone, sending her the image of the corpse I found lying in the Valentis’ truck. I’ve had my eyes on them for years, ever since they took her in.
Satisfaction grates through every cell in my body as I remember the thrill I got from Arcane’s fear when she saw the guard’s body in the refrigerator room.
Her body visibly stiffens as she stands in her room, shoulders rising, and I know that if she held something in her hand, it would clatter to the floor. Her uncertain gaze is locked on the phone as I send my next message—a warning and threat for daring to defy me.
For that alone, she deserves to be punished, but not in the way I usually punish my prey. No, she deserves something that will leave her begging for mercy, with hands tied behind her back and my cock deep in her throat until tears slip down her cheeks.
Fuck. The fantasy has my cock hardening once more.
I can practically feel the anger intermingled with the fear that courses through her.
With one final glance at her figure, I lick her blood off my knife, loving the sweet taste of her, before I turn away and enter the shadows into the unknown.
Until the reaper and his victim cross paths once more.