My heart pounded like a war drum in my ears. I kept stepping back, faster and faster, but my knees were beginning to give out. The temperature around me dropped drastically, making my whole body shiver. My breath came in sharp gasps—I knew I had to run, but my body felt frozen in place.
They weren’t human.
Whatever they were, I knew one thing for sure—I was being hunted. And it was because of the child growing inside me.
“What... do you want from me?” My voice cracked as I spoke.
They advanced with silver eyes and sharp claws, watching me like I was prey. Just before they could get any closer, something shifted.
The atmosphere changed.
Tension surged through the air like invisible lightning. A hot gust of wind burst from the far end of the parking garage, slamming into the strange men and forcing them back a step by sheer force.
Then came heavy, deliberate footsteps.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
“I warned you... stay away from her.”
His voice rumbled like thunder held back by storm clouds. Cold. Flat. But powerful enough to press down on my chest and make my knees want to buckle.
I turned quickly. A tall figure stood at the end of the garage hallway. The flickering neon light cast shadows across his broad shoulders. His glowing golden eyes pierced through the dimness.
Caelan.
He walked toward us, slow but steady, and each step seemed to shake the ground. The five men—who moments ago looked terrifying—now stood stiff and panicked, fear etched into their expressions. The shift was undeniable.
One of them swallowed hard. His face paled, his eyes restless.
“Duskborne...” he whispered, almost inaudibly.
Caelan’s aura intensified. The energy he radiated was like a massive force field—unseen, but utterly oppressive. The strangers retreated one by one, like lesser creatures bowing before a king.
“She carries my blood,” Caelan said, his voice dropping lower but still brimming with threat. “Touch her, and you know what happens next.”
None of them answered. Not one dared look him in the eye. Without another word, they turned and vanished into the shadows of the parking garage, their footsteps hurried—like a storm retreating.
I stood frozen. My whole body trembled. What were they?
What is he?
One thing was clear—they were not human.
I turned my eyes to Caelan as he approached. There was something inside me responding to him—a warmth that spread through my body, as if his presence awakened something within.
He walked slowly toward me. His eyes still sharp, but now... there was something else flickering in them.
“Are you hurt?” he asked quietly.
I shook my head. Words failed me. Everything that just happened had left me speechless.
There were so many questions racing in my mind. But only one made it past my lips.
“Who... are you, really?”
Caelan stopped a few steps away. The parking lights glinted off his golden irises.
“I’m the father of your child,” he answered—and it was the last thing I expected him to say.
“I don’t think you’re going to give me a real answer, so I’ll be leaving now.” I didn’t want to stay near him for too long. Honestly, there was something strange happening within me whenever he was near. His scent—it made me want to get closer, to stay near him. But beyond that, my curiosity burned with questions about who this man truly was.
“You can’t leave, Sierra,” he said calmly.
I frowned. “Why not? Why can’t I go?”
“Per the agreement. While you’re carrying my child, you’re to stay with me. Think about it, Sierra. You’re safer with me. I won’t let them hurt you,” he said with force, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“Wait—why should I do that? I already told you—I’ll carry this baby, but I want nothing to do with you.”
“Why are you being so stubborn? Don’t you realize what’s happening to you? You think I don’t know every change you’re experiencing right now?”
Thump.
My heart skipped a beat.
How could he possibly know?
I looked at him—our eyes locked. For a moment, time seemed to stop.
“What do you mean by... changes?” I asked, my voice trembling, not from cold—but from fear of what he might say next.
Caelan stepped closer. Close enough for me to smell his scent again, that same warm, primal scent that made me restless. That made me want to get closer. But I stood my ground.
“You think it’s normal to hear sounds through soundproof walls?” he asked, voice low but sharp. “You think ordinary humans can smell things that intensely?”
He leaned in closer. His eyes narrowed.
“Or... have you felt something else strange?”
He knew. He knew everything that had been happening to me.
I turned pale, my tongue tied.
“My blood flows through your veins now, Sierra. The seed—my child—is already merging with you. That’s why your senses are reacting. Come with me, and I’ll ease your suffering.”
I stared at him silently, before finally mustering the courage to speak.
“I’m still trying to process all this, Mr. Caelan. I don’t know what you are, but... how exactly do you plan to ease my suffering?” I asked, staring straight into his intense eyes.
“Like this—” he said, suddenly grabbing my wrist.
And instantly, the noise in my ears vanished. The overwhelming scents—gasoline, oil, and more—disappeared like they were never there. My senses dulled, and it felt like relief.
“This—?” I looked at him, confused and overwhelmed.
“With me, you’ll be calm. You’ll be able to live your life in peace. But the moment you leave my side, the moment our bond breaks, everything will come crashing back,” Caelan explained in a calm tone. But there was something in his gaze that made me uneasy.
I stared back at him. His hand on my wrist radiated warmth—not just physical warmth, but something deeper. It reached into my bones and calmed the storm inside me.
The noises, the static, the sharp smells—all gone. For the first time in a week, I felt normal again.
I swallowed hard, steadying my voice.
“You’re saying... all of this is happening because I’m carrying your child?”
Caelan nodded slowly, never looking away.
“You carry my seed. And your body… it’s adapting to the bloodline inside you. You’re no longer just a human woman, Sierra. And as the days pass, those changes will only grow stronger. It’ll hurt. It’ll drain you. It might even break you. I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle it on your own.”
My breath caught.
“This is insane,” I whispered, completely lost.
“I know you’re confused. But I can’t explain it all here,” he said. “If you agree to the contract—if you stay with me—I’ll tell you everything.”
I stood there, trapped between the truth I didn’t understand and the man whose presence both terrified and comforted me.
***
Aksara