Page 51 of Venomous Desires

But to both my relief and horror, he stayed there, not making any move toward me. He wasn’t planning to hunt me today, yet. And that meant this wasn’t the last time I’d see him.

Flashing lights blinded my vision. And in less than a minute, a car screeched in front of me. Yellow familiar Porsche. I should be relieved; ecstatic that I was saved. But that emotion never came. Instead, deep fear settled in my chest as the door of the car was slammed open, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

My vision was blocked by a familiar face, and I absently looked at him. His lips moved, and he said something, his hands holding onto my shoulders as he shook me, and I was engulfed in a warm embrace. At least that’s what I thought embraces should feel. Warm and comforting.

Yet, instead, more cold seeped through my skin, peeling through my epidermis and settling into my bones. I shuddered; Ivan’s hands ran down my back, rubbing my sides. His words adistant hum, and my eyes met a stranger’s over Ivan’s shoulder.

And this time, they seemed icier. Hungrier.

Chapter 18

The Prey

How are you feeling?” Someone said something. Words. They were real—and not imagination. Soft voice. Concerned even. And then something touched my face.

I flinched, moving away. It was dark. Darkness was gnawing at me. I wanted it to stop. I wanted everything to stop. More importantly, I wanted the trembling in my hands to stop. I felt like I were drowning. Something was holding me down. Killing me slowly. So slowly.

I was scared. And nothing was helping. He’d come back; his eyes screamed he’d be back.

“Sera?” My only reply was a muffled sob as I dug my palm against my mouth. “Talk to me, please.”

The voices grew louder, gentle but persistent. There, but drowned in the clatter of my terror.

I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t breathe. Iwantedto breathe.

To rip through my chest and squeeze out my lungs with bare hands. My heart pounded in my ears.

And when I thought I was reaching the bottom of thedark ocean, strong hands grabbed my shoulders and pulled me towards them.

I screamed, thrashing wildly. The darkness was closing in, suffocating me. I was drowning, being pulled under by unseen hands.

Panic surged through me like wildfire.

“Stop!” I gasped, clawing at the air, my vision blurring with tears. “Please, stop!”

“Sera!” The voice was louder now, more imperative. “It’s me. It’s Ivan.”

The name barely registered, lost in the darkness. The hands on my shoulders held firm, but not painfully. They were grounding, preventing me from spiraling further into the abyss.

“You’re safe,” Ivan’s voice broke through the haze. “He’s not here. He can’t hurt you.”

I shook my head frantically, unable to process his words. “He’ll come back,” I choked out between sobs.

“Look at me, Sera.” His tone was commanding but laced with concern. “Please, just look at me.”

With immense effort, I forced my eyes open. The dim light revealed Ivan’s face, tensed, his soft green eyes locked onto mine.

“I told you I won’t let anyone harm you,” Lips curled, my heartbeat slowed for a second as I stared at him. “Let me, please.”

I needed him to remind me we were in reality, and there were no monsters. There was no darkness; there was no ocean. And I was not drowning. I was at the shore instead of in the middle of the ocean, falling, sinking and sinking, and there was no bottom.

Gentle fingers ran along my jaw, and I flinched at the touch, recoiling and pulling myself away to look out the window as I took deep, calming breaths.

I had lost myself in the impulsive catastrophe of fear. And now that I was gaining my senses back, I realised how weak I had been acting.

Take a deep breath, Sera.

I reminded myself and felt Ivan still staring at me. I could see the flicker of his shadow in the windowpane. His jaw was clenched tight, and so were his knuckles. I swallowed hard. I should’ve felt contempt and relieved at his presence, but I was anything but that. Maybe it was the fear that made me paranoid to the point that I couldn’t look at Ivan the same. It was too much, and to my horror, I hadn’t forgotten Alina’s words, and neither his, as he practically gaslighted me into thinking he was my protector.