Page 13 of Dark Desire (Dark Souls Spin-off Short Story)

Chapter Seven

S taring up at the boundless black sky dotted with dying stars, I lay motionless on the cold slate roof tiles.

Focusing on keeping my breaths shallow and my pulse steady, I tuned out the soft breeze and the distant lapping of waves to listen to the rhythmic heartbeat below me.

The heart of the witch who thought she had escaped me once again.

Soon, she would realise she could never truly escape.

Now I knew her scent, I’d always be able to track her down again, sooner or later.

Planting the fae’s head in that bed, knowing she'd return to it at some point, was exactly what I needed to make her heart race and her pulse thrum so wildly it was impossible for my vampire senses to ignore.

Her fear ignited and fuelled my predatory instincts more than anything else.

Each beat of that heart belonged to me. From now on, only I controlled it.

When it was steady, it was because I allowed it to be.

When it skipped and raced, it would be because of the fear I evoked.

And when it finally stopped, it would by my hand.

I knew she had fallen asleep the moment her heartbeat slowed and softened, blissfully unaware of the deadly shadow lurking on the roof.

As I waited for her to drift into a deeper sleep, I gazed at the distant twinkling stars, wondering if they were watching me too.

People seem so captivated by stars, especially humans.

I didn’t understand it. To me, they were cold and indifferent.

They watched men be born, suffer, and wither into dust while they continued to burn brightly.

Humans die in the blink of an eye, yet they live on, painfully slowly, until their light finally fades.

Perhaps I was more like a star than a human.

Cursed to watch on while others lived happily, yet I felt no joy.

I closed my eyes and listened to each fragile beat slowing down.

I could almost hear the gentle breaths passing her lips, imagining the rise and fall of her chest with every whisper of life.

My jaw clenched. She didn’t deserve to sleep so peacefully, not while I had spent my whole life living in a constant state of uncertainty and lack of control.

Even as a child, I kept a knife under my pillow, afraid that the Slayers would attack while my eyes were closed.

Pulling down the devil mask I’d been wearing during the festivities, I sat up and cracked my neck.

With small, curved horns protruding from the forehead, sharp, angular cheekbones, and a menacing grin, this mask was nothing compared to my demon’s real face.

But she’d only see Ambroz again when I decided it was time.

Shifting carefully to avoid the roof from groaning under my weight, I climbed down onto the window ledge of her bedroom.

I’d already broken the latch when I left the rotting head hours ago, so it was easy to get inside.

When my boots touched the carpet, I frowned at the empty bed.

Taking slow, cautious steps around it to the other side, I saw her body on the floor.

Tilting my head to take in her sleeping form, my eyes wandered over black curls that had dried naturally, making them look soft and shiny under the dappled moonlight filtering through the window.

I stared at her face, losing myself to unwelcome desire at the sight of her parted lips, that freckle above them, her long, thick eyelashes casting shadows across her cheeks and the smoothness of her unscarred skin.

She was sleeping on her side, curled up in a ball beneath the duvet, with only her bare shoulders, arms, and face visible.

It was enough to give me the idea that she was naked beneath those blankets.

I swallowed the knot in my throat. My dick hardened. Rage boiled my veins.

I could so easily kill her. Wrap my hands around her dainty throat and strangle her.

Plunge my claw into her chest and rip out that callous heart.

Or sink my fangs into her neck and tear open her artery to watch her bleed out.

But none of that gave me what I really craved.

Her fear. Her suffering. It was all too quick. Too meaningless.

I moved closer and crouched down, towering above her with my enormous body. From the way her heart stayed slow and steady, I knew she was in a deep enough sleep for me to do what I had planned.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on her heartbeat, aligning it with my own. Using the small amount of demonic magic I possessed, I forced myself into her dreams, ready to turn them into her worst nightmares.

She was in a field of wildflowers, strolling amongst them with a radiant smile as her fingers brushed the petals. With each step she took, the flowers opened for her, and she threw her head back, smiling up at the bright blue sky.

In my crouched position, I was mostly hidden among the tall grass as I observed her like a wild animal stalking its prey.

I smirked as I used my influence to manipulate her dream.

The sky darkened, rolling clouds gathered overhead, and the first lightning strike made her flinch.

She paused and looked around, frowning at the sudden change in weather.

A single raindrop landed on her cheek. She raised her hand to wipe it away.

Then another fell. And another. She gasped, her head darting from side to side to find shelter.

The slow rhythm of her heart increased as she ran across the field towards the woods.

I rose to my feet, glaring at her through the devil’s mask.

As she approached the first tree, she stopped, turning back to gaze at the torrential rain pounding down on the solitary figure of a man dressed head to toe in black. Her eyes went wide. Her pulse quickened. I smirked behind my mask. The first taste of her fear on my tongue was fucking delicious.

I moved.

She ran.

Her head whipped around every so often to check if I was still pursuing her. She ran faster, her movements growing clumsier as she did. She fell into the dirt, her whole body now completely soaked, and tried to scramble to her feet. I didn’t waver. I increased my pace to match her racing heartbeat.

Her scream rippled through the air, causing a surge of adrenaline to rush through my veins.

She grabbed a log from the ground, which I could only assume she would try to use as a weapon.

I let out a vicious laugh because, in her dreams, she had no access to her magic and was as helpless as a human.

This also meant I couldn’t kill her, but I didn’t need to—yet.

Suddenly, her body vanished from sight, and I paused, tilting my head this way and that, searching for her rapid pulse.

She was hiding behind a tree to my left.

I took slow, deliberate steps, stomping on twigs to make as much noise as possible.

Her breathing was erratic, which only heightened my excitement. And to my dismay, my arousal.

As I neared the tree, her arm shot out, a heavy log clenched in her fist. Before it could strike my head, my vampire speed kicked in and I grasped it in my own fist. I cocked my head menacingly down at her, and she let out a gasp.

Her hazel eyes were filled with horror as they locked onto the devil’s mask, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath against her black dress.

Raindrops trickled down her skin, forming paths that disappeared between her generous cleavage.

I growled at the way my cock throbbed when her eyes met mine.

The sound was enough to remind her she was in danger.

Letting go of her grip on the log, she ran away from me, sprinting as fast as she could, which stirred my demon’s desire to hunt.

Another piercing scream that fed my soul escaped from her lips when she saw me no longer walking but chasing.

Hunting her down and closing the distance between us quickly.

She tripped and face-planted in the mud, and in a moment, I was on top of her.

She squirmed onto her back and struggled against me, her fists pounding into my solid chest and her legs kicking out uselessly as I straddled her waist and glared down at her.

Grabbing her wrists, I slammed them on either side of her head into the dirt, causing her to pause.

She blinked, breathing heavily as she gazed up at the mask with those fucking eyes full of fear.

But as soon as they connected with mine, I saw something else flickering in those honey-coloured eyes. Desire.

“Green eyes,” she breathed, staring at me as the rain pounded against my back, sheltering her from the onslaught. Her fucking voice. It was so goddamn husky and sultry. A shiver rippled down my spine. “You're just a dream.”

My response was a low growl, my body infuriated by the effect this woman had on me.

I released one of her wrists and clasped my hand around her throat, feeling the throb of her pulse beneath my fingers.

She gasped as I tightened my grip, her face flushing and straining as she struggled for air.

Her pulse surged, terror and desire warring within her as her free hand gripped my wrist, trying to loosen my hold.

I bit back a hiss through gritted teeth as her wide, frightened eyes begged me to release her.

God, I wanted to hurt her, to break her, to destroy her.

But at that moment, all I could think about was fucking her. And that wasn’t the plan.

I loosened my grip on her neck, holding her in place but allowing her to take an overdue breath, because if I pushed her too far and she died in her dream, my spell would be broken and she’d wake the fuck up in real life.