The cold air hit Aurora like a slap in the face as she stepped outside, her breath fogging in the dim light of the streetlamps. The night was too quiet, the silence almost suffocating after everything that had happened. She couldn't stop replaying the kiss with Zayne in her mind. It was still fresh, raw, electric. His words echoed in her head like a dark promise, but they were fading into something far more unsettling.
"We all burn."
Aurora shivered, pulling her jacket tighter around her as she walked, her mind a storm of confusion. The curse, the blood moon, the power that was awakening inside her—it was all so much to handle. She had thought she could just push it away, pretend it wasn't happening. But she couldn't.
The whispers followed her, shadows at the edges of her thoughts. She could feel them now—those eyes that seemed to always be watching, waiting for her to make a mistake.
"Not again," she muttered, trying to shake off the feeling of being hunted.
As she turned the corner toward her flat, she saw a figure standing in the shadows. The tall, imposing form of Zayne. He was waiting for her, as usual, but there was something different in the air tonight. His usual confident demeanor was replaced by an intensity that made her heart beat faster.
"Aurora," he said, his voice low and rough, like he had been waiting for hours. "You shouldn't be out here alone."
"I wasn't planning on staying long," she replied, her tone cool. She didn't want him to know how much his presence affected her. She had to keep control, especially now. "What's going on, Zayne?"
His eyes darkened, a flicker of something dangerous passing through them. "There's something you need to understand about the curse."
Aurora stiffened, already knowing what he was going to say. She hadn't been ready for it, not when the threat seemed so close.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice quiet.
"I've been watching you," he began, his voice growing even more serious. "The power inside you—it's dangerous. The curse is feeding off your emotions, off your connection to me."
Aurora took a step back, her heart racing. "What does that mean for me?"
"It means you're not safe, not unless you let me help you control it," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "You've seen the signs, Aurora. The way the world shifts when we're together. The curse—it grows stronger with every touch, every kiss. And if we don't find a way to stop it, we'll both be consumed by it."
Her chest tightened. "So what? I'm supposed to just ignore everything I feel? Pretend you don't make me—"
Zayne stepped forward, cutting her off, his fingers brushing her cheek in a gesture so tender, so painfully intimate, that it made her heart ache. His touch was a spark, igniting the fire inside her all over again.
"I'm not asking you to ignore what you feel," he said, his voice a whisper now, soft but intense. "But you need to understand that it's not just about us. This curse—it's ancient. And it's not just about love, Aurora. It's about power. About control. And if we don't stop it, it will take everything."
Aurora's mind raced, the weight of his words pressing down on her. The power, the curse, the danger—it was all real, and it was all tied to her. She couldn't run from it. She couldn't pretend anymore.
"Then what do we do?" she asked, her voice breaking slightly, the vulnerability she had been fighting creeping in.
Zayne's gaze softened, his hand cupping her face, tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to meet his eyes. "We fight," he said simply, his voice filled with quiet determination. "But you have to trust me, Aurora. We can't do this alone."
She stared at him for a moment, the weight of his words sinking in. She didn't want to trust him. She didn't want to need him. But deep down, she knew there was no other choice. The curse was coming for them both, and they didn't have time to waste.
"I don't know if I can," she whispered, her voice full of uncertainty.
"You can," he said, his lips brushing hers softly. "Because we're in this together."
The kiss was slow, gentle, but there was a promise in it—a promise of danger, of passion, and of a battle that was far from over. Aurora felt the power surge inside her once again, the curse awakening as their lips met, as their bodies pressed together. The fire inside her burned hotter, brighter. And for a moment, it felt like it would consume them both.
But it wasn't over yet. It was only just beginning.
As they pulled away, Zayne's eyes locked onto hers, filled with a mix of desire and warning. "Stay close, Aurora. The blood moon is almost here. And when it rises, everything changes."
End of Chapter 14.