The hot water streamed down my back, but I barely felt it. I'd been standing under the spray for… I didn't know how long. Time didn't seem real anymore. Everything felt surreal, like I was stuck between two realities and neither one wanted to claim me. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, letting the water wash through my hair, hoping maybe it would rinse away the memories too.
I opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the sting of water. My fingertips drifted to my neck. I already knew what I'd find. I'd looked at it dozens of times since I returned to my room, but it still shocked me every time.
Two tiny marks. Perfectly spaced. No swelling. No scabs. No bruising. Just… there. Like they had always been a part of me.
I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself, padding quietly to the small mirror above the sink. My dorm room was cold, and I hadn't turned on the heater, but I didn't care. I wiped the mirror clear and stared at myself.
I didn't look any different, which was a surprise to me. My eyes were still brown. My skin still clear and pale from the cold autumn air. My lips still had that tiny split from biting them too much when I was anxious.
But I felt different.
I leaned in, pulling the towel slightly to the side. The mark stared back at me, innocent yet terrifying.
What did they mean?
A shiver ran down my spine and I stepped back. The air felt wrong—like it was heavier than before. I glanced at my window. It was closed, locked even, but I could swear I felt a draft. I turned around slowly, towel clutched to my chest, heart hammering.
I wasn't alone.
Nobody was there, but the feeling was undeniable. Like eyes on the back of my neck. Like a predator watching from just out of sight. My breath caught, chest rising and falling too fast. I hurried into my clothes—leggings, hoodie, boots—then grabbed my phone and keys and slipped out into the hallway.
I needed to breathe.
It was past midnight. The dorm was quiet. Shadows clung to every corner, but I didn't stop moving until I was outside, the cool air smacking me in the face like a slap. It cleared my head a little. Not much. But enough.
I was paranoid. Nothing would happen here. I was safe here.
My feet knew where to go before my brain did.
The campus ice rink was down a short path behind the gym. It was closed at this hour, but the side gate was always stuck open if you pushed hard enough. No one ever came here at night. That was why I loved it. It was mine.
I didn't waste any time when I got in. I laced up my skating shoes, and the second I stepped onto the ice, I felt some of the tension melt from my shoulders. As if I had stepped into a completely different dimension.
The silence was beautiful. Perfection.
It was just the soft scrape of my blades.
The cold nipping at my cheeks.
I allowed myself to glide. One push. Then another. Faster. Smoother. As I had been taught since I was a little girl. I closed my eyes, the wind burning my face, and for a moment—I felt like I could outrun everything. The fear. The memories. The mark.
I opened my eyes. Then they widened.
He was standing at the edge of the rink.
I gasped and stumbled, my heart lunching painfully. My balance slipped and the ice greeted me hard, knocking the breath from my lungs. I pressed my palms on the cold surface as I scrambled to sit up, heartbeat going wild in my chest.
He stepped onto the ice without hesitation. No skates. Just boots. And he moved like the laws of gravity didn't apply to him. Smooth. Effortless.
My breathing grew shallow as he approached.
His coat flared behind him slightly, his dark eyes locked on mine. No longer glowing red. Just… a metallic silver. Beautiful and terrifying.
He stopped in front of me, hovering like a monster in a child's nightmare. Slowly, he knelt. My muscles tensed, ready to run, but frozen all at once. He reached out slowly, like he didn't want to scare me.
His fingers brushed my chin. Cold and rough.
"You came here to feel safe," he said softly. "I could feel it."
My voice failed me.
"You're scared of what's happening to you. That's normal. You should be." His eyes searched mine, as though trying to read something that wasn't written yet. "But you're also drawn to me. You don't understand it. You will soon."
I swallowed hard, mustering the last ounce of courage I could find. "What did you do to me?"
His eyes darkened. "I saved you."
"You bit me."
"I marked you."
My breath caught.
"You are mine," he said. His voice was a whisper now. "And I am yours."
"No," I whispered back, shaking my head. "I didn't ask for this."
"Neither did I."
His words stunned me. There was something in his tone. Almost… sad.
"It wasn't supposed to be this way... but I don't regret that it is."
My lips parted at his words. What did he mean by that? How could he claim me against my will? How could he not regret something like this?
"Who are you?" I breathed out.
"Whoever you need me to be. Yours."
He leaned in, and I didn't stop him.
His face was so close. Too close. My lips parted as I closed my eyes, breath caught in my throat.
Then—
Nothing.
The air was still.
I opened my eyes, looking around.
He was gone.
Not a sound. Not a trace.
Just the cold wind across the empty ice… and the thunder of my heartbeat in my ears.