Obsession

Chapter 19

Nineteen

T he beguiling cage that was the mansion began to close in on Ren. The richly furnished rooms, once a symbol of grandeur despite the desolation, started to feel claustrophobic. She was always under the watchful eyes of the brothers, their gaze a constant reminder of her captivity.

It had only been a dream, hadn’t it?

She felt like they knew what was in her mind despite waking up in the room with only Callum in the bed beside her. She hadn’t snuck in to see Bastian, even though it felt real and the urge had been overwhelming.

She had wanted to taste him and feel his power flood inside her. She wanted to see what being claimed by him would really mean. To be able to feel the pain of loving him.

Her fear of that very same thing was always a constant reminder of her humanity though, and she held on to that thread like the last lifeline it was.

She would sit in the dining room while they sipped on their fluted wine glasses filled with the blood of some unsuspecting victim.

The taste of gourmet meals began to leave a sour note on her tongue, each bite a reminder of what she couldn’t decide was a missed opportunity or a terrible mistake.

The air was heavy with tension, as she sat with the brothers at the table.

The scent of old wood and the cold marble floor now laced with a hidden trepidation. Her senses felt like they were on overdrive. Sights, smells, and sounds in the mansion all grew sharper, startling her easily whenever things felt amiss.

Her eyes often caught the flicker of shadows on the periphery of her vision, and the once immaculate artwork now appeared as ruined bloody stains. She could smell death lingering in the air and it all left a pit deep in her stomach. A nausea that lived within her no matter what she tried to do to settle it.

The divine creations of masterful chefs turned to ashes in her mouth. Her ears pricked at the distant echoes of the brothers' conversations, the rustling of the wind outside, the solemn tick of the ancient clock.

She was well and truly fucked.