Chapter 5

The room was silent, the kind of quiet that lets you sink into sleep without a care in the world. Cassy was tucked under her duvet, her breathing soft and even. Everything felt normal—until it didn’t.

A prickle ran down her spine, as though someone was watching her. Her eyes snapped open, her heart lurching in her chest. And there he was.

Bryan.

He stood at the foot of her bed, his eyes fixed on her like he’d been standing there for hours.

Cassy sat up so fast, she nearly smacked her head on the headboard. “What the hell?!” she hissed, yanking the duvet around herself like armor. “How did you get in? I locked the damn door!”

Her gaze darted toward the door. Still closed. No signs of forced entry.

“Do you have a spare key or—” she started, turning back to him. But he was gone.

Her breath hitched. She whipped her head around, scanning the room. The shadows in the corners seemed darker, deeper, as if they were alive. “What the hell?” she muttered under her breath, sliding off the bed. She crouched, checking under it like some horror movie rookie. Nothing.

A soft breeze kissed her skin, cold and unwelcome. Her curtains fluttered, and her head snapped toward the balcony. That’s when she saw him again. Standing there, staring at her.

Her voice wavered between anger and fear. “How the hell did you get out there? You were just—” She stopped herself, swallowing the rising panic.

Bryan didn’t answer. He just stood there, shirtless, the moonlight casting shadows over the sharp planes of his body. His silence was unnerving.

“Bryan,” she barked, trying to sound braver than she felt, “leave my room right now!”

He didn’t budge.

Sucking in a frustrated breath, she marched toward the balcony, pulling her arms tightly around herself for warmth. Sliding the door open, she stepped out. The cold hit her like a slap, biting into her skin and making her shiver uncontrollably. She wrapped her arms around herself tighter, trying to fight the chill. “How are you not freezing?” she snapped, her teeth chattering.

Bryan didn’t answer. He just stood there, shirtless, the moonlight casting shadows over the sharp planes of his body.

The way he looked at her wasn’t normal. It was consuming, overwhelming—like he was stripping her bare with his gaze alone.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered. She tried to sound angry, but it came out more like a plea.

His eyes didn’t waver, and the longer he held her gaze, the harder it became to breathe.

She wanted to look away, to shake off the strange hold he had on her, but she couldn’t.

His eyes glowed faintly as her skin burned under his gaze.

Her instincts screamed at her to run, to scream, to do something—but her body betrayed her. She couldn’t move, couldn’t even blink.

His features seemed to shift under the moonlight. The sharp angles of his face became too perfect, too ethereal.

And then, in a heartbeat, he was in front of her. She hadn’t even seen him move.

His gaze dropped from her eyes to her lips, lingering there like a caress.

Cassy’s breath hitched, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it.

His hands slid lower, pulling her tightly against him. She moved feverishly against him, a soft whimper escaping her lips.

Then his hands drifted down from her waist, slow and deliberate, brushing against her bare thigh through the thin fabric of her nightgown.

His touch was cold—so cold it sent a shiver up her spine—but the fire it ignited beneath her skin burned even hotter.

He kissed her neck, then her cheeks, his lips leaving trails of heat wherever they lingered.

She breathed heavily, pleasure coursing through her, her mouth slightly open as she gasped for air.

“Bryan,” she chanted his name, her voice a whisper as it brushed against his ear.

With a groan, he pressed his forehead against hers, his breath mingling with hers in the still night air.

His hands slid under her panties, slow and teasing, his touch igniting a raw intensity inside her. She shuddered as his fingers found her, already slick and wet.

He plunged a finger into her, and she closed her eyes, a deep moan spilling from her lips as waves of ecstasy wracked her body.

Her body trembled, not from the cold, but from the sheer force of the sensations he pulled from her.

“You want me, don't you?” Bryan murmured, his voice a low growl that sent a thrill racing through her. It wasn’t a question—it was a declaration, raw and unapologetic.

Her body responded before her mind could catch up.

“Yes I do.“ she nodded.

Bryan’s lips brushed against hers, soft and tentative, promising everything and demanding nothing.

But then he jerked back, a pained whimper escaping him.

Cassy’s eyes flew open, and the sight made her blood run cold. Bryan was on the ground, blood pooling around him, his face twisted in agony.

She screamed, the sound tearing through the night, but it did nothing to stop the nightmare unfolding in front of her.

A man—or something that looked like one—stood over Bryan. He was cloaked in darkness, his long trench coat and hood obscuring every inch of his body. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make out his face. It was like looking into a void.

In his hand, he held a wooden stake, its tip slick with Bryan’s blood. Slowly, methodically, he raised it again, the motion deliberate and merciless.

“Stop!” Cassy shrieked, her voice cracking with desperation. Fear clawed at her throat, choking her. She tried to move, to run, to do something, but her legs felt like lead.

The man—or monster—didn’t even glance her way. He brought the stake down, aiming at Bryan's heart.

“No!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face. Her entire body trembled, her chest heaving with sobs.

And then, just like that, she woke up.

Her eyes flew open, her chest rising and falling in ragged gasps. She was back in her bed, drenched in sweat and shaking like a leaf. Tears streaked her cheeks as she hugged herself, trying to convince her racing heart that it was just a dream.

But it felt so real.

Too real.