Serpentine Desires

The prey

A week since I stumbled out of his bathroom with ragged breaths and a hammering heart. My head was a tangled mess, and I could barely manage to stay upright, let alone process what had just happened. Somehow, I survived the next half hour, though I could hardly recall the details. Judas had dismissed me for the night by the time I was done, but there was a cold distance in his demeanour. He didn't look at me, and I didn't see him after that.

Kyle drove me back to the dorm; it was already past nine. My mind was still racing, and the silence in the car felt suffocating. As soon as we arrived, I bolted to my room without looking back. That night, I collapsed onto my bed in my partially wet jeans and flimsy sweater, too drained to even change. Only then did it hit me that I'd left my jacket back at his place.

The thought of it made me feel terrible. I realized I had doubted his blindness, which felt like something a human shouldn't do. Just because someone didn't appear vulnerable didn't mean they weren't. There was no reason for him to pretend—no one wanted to feel helpless, especially not a man like him. Vulnerability didn't suit him, but that didn't mean it wasn't there, hidden beneath the surface.

I lay there, staring at the ceiling. And to my horror, my mind drifted to him. A man who shouldn't be named. His hunter eyes spearing to me, like was looking at me and then he wasn't. The man who sounded like poison and evil. Before I knew it, my heartbeat was accelerating. His eyes. His face. His chiselled jaw. His sinful body. What was I even thinking? Why was I even thinking about him? This was not normal, cause no man had made me feel this way- so terrorised and enticed.

The night blurred, and I didn't sleep. I couldn't. Whenever I closed my eyes, his mocking, teasing, intense eyes haunted me. This was definitely not normal. I had known him for two days, and here I was thinking of him. My mind churned with confusion and frustration.

Why him? Why now? I tossed and turned, trying to shake off the persistent thoughts. His grin, so infuriatingly predatory, replayed in my head. The feminine side of me admired his beauty, but the sane and rational side of me reminded me of all the layers he wore. It was harder to look inside him. and believe me when I say he was dangerous. My conscience was never wrong.

I sighed running a hand through my hair. This was pointless. I needed to sleep. I needed to get him out of my head. But the more I tried, the stronger his presence became. It was as if he had taken up residence in my thoughts.

I couldn't escape him. I couldn't ignore him, no matter how irrational it seemed.

******

The first rays of dawn began to filter through the curtains. I took a deep breath feeling exhausted. Alina was still snoring when I showered and changed into a pair of black fleece leggings and a black sweater. Grabbing my books, I stuffed them into the bag with unnecessary tantrums. I laced up my boots and grabbed my brown puffer jacket. It was colder than yesterday, a woollen cap and scarf would come in handy.

By the time Alina shifted in her sheets, I was ready for the university. I ignored my mind for a while and rummaged through my drawer. Where was my lip gloss? Did I lose it again? Letting out a sigh, I grabbed my least favourite one and applied a decent layer before grabbing my bag and making my way to the cafeteria. I was early, giving me enough time to have breakfast which I usually skip.

Nothing special though. Scrambled eggs with cheese and plain pancakes. After having breakfast, I started walking towards the university. It was not that far, just a few minutes away. As I took a turn, I felt it. The unmistakable chill ran down my spine.

It had been a week since I felt I was being watched. All while I ignored the feeling of being followed. Maybe it was just my imagination or paranoia. Lack of sleep actually.