Bride Of The Night

Chapter 6

### **Chapter 6: The Hunger Within**

The days following Morpheus's command passed in a blur, an endless cycle of training, self-reflection, and growing unease. Lana found herself caught between two forces—her desire to embrace the power that was her birthright and the haunting fear of losing control over it.

The hunger never truly left her. It gnawed at her from the inside, an ever-present need that twisted her thoughts and clouded her judgment. Each time she looked at someone—a servant, a fellow vampire, even Ian and Emma—she felt the pull. It wasn't a craving for food, not in the way she had once known. No, it was a ravenous need for blood, for *life.* It was primal, insatiable, and it made her feel like a creature she didn't recognize.

And then there was Morpheus. Always in the back of her mind, always present, the connection between them growing stronger by the day. She couldn't deny it. Her bond with him wasn't just a tie created by his blood—it was a force that had embedded itself in her very being. Every thought she had, every step she took, it felt like Morpheus was always there, just beyond her reach, but somehow closer than anyone else ever could be.

Lana's eyes—lavender now, bright and sharp—were a constant reminder of this bond, of what she had become. When she caught a glimpse of herself in mirrors or reflective surfaces, she was always struck by how alien she looked. But it was the hunger in her eyes that terrified her the most. Every time her gaze flickered across someone else's, she felt the urge to rip into their flesh, to feed, to drain them of everything they were.

That gnawing, persistent urge—it was a fight she was losing.

***

Tonight, something felt different.

The palace was quieter than usual, as if everyone was aware of the tension that hung in the air. Lana had been kept in seclusion, isolated in her chambers. At first, it was for her own safety—Emma and Ian had been cautious about letting her venture too far, worried she might lose control. But as time wore on, Lana began to feel the walls of the room closing in on her. She couldn't be caged, not in the way they thought she could. She wasn't a child, not anymore.

With quiet resolve, Lana stood, pushing the heavy velvet curtains aside and gazing out into the moonlit night. The sprawling grounds below seemed peaceful, untouched by the darkness that churned inside of her. She needed to get out, to move, to feed.

The temptation was there, always. But tonight, there was something else. The hunger was sharper, more urgent, more demanding. The need to hunt, to taste blood, was a constant hum inside her body, but now it was a roar.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, trying to ignore the voice that whispered to her, telling her to go outside, to find something—someone—to silence the fire that raged inside of her.

She was a vampire. She was stronger than this. She *had* to be.

The door to her room creaked open, and she turned, startled.

"Ian," she said softly, her voice hoarse.

Ian stood in the doorway, his dark eyes scanning her with that usual intensity. But tonight, there was something more in his gaze. Something cautious.

"You're restless," he said, his tone low, like he already knew what she was feeling. "The hunger. It's getting stronger."

Lana didn't answer, but the way her hand clenched into a fist at her side betrayed the truth. Ian's gaze softened slightly, but it didn't lose its edge.

"You've been training. But you're still new to this. You're still learning control."

"I'm not sure I want to control it anymore," she muttered, her voice barely a whisper.

Ian raised an eyebrow, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. He was too calm. Too collected. "You have to. If you let the hunger consume you, you lose everything."

Lana stared at him, her lavender eyes wide, the intensity of her emotions barely contained. "I *feel* it, Ian. I feel it all the time, like a burning inside of me. The urge to feed—it's not just a need anymore. It's a part of me. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep it at bay."

Ian's expression shifted, something in his gaze darkening. "You don't understand what you're saying. If you give in to the hunger, if you lose control, you'll become *them*."

She froze at his words. "Them?"

"The feral ones," he continued, his voice hard, colder than she had ever heard it before. "The mindless ones. The *true* monsters."

Lana shook her head, stepping back, her breath coming faster now. "I'm not like that. I'm not like those things."

"You're right. You're not. Yet," Ian said, the finality in his tone making her heart lurch. "But you're getting close. And when you reach that point, there's no going back. You'll never be the same again."

Lana didn't know what to say to that. She didn't want to lose herself. She didn't want to be consumed by the beast inside her, the one that always whispered that it was just a *little* taste, that just *one* drop of blood would be enough to calm the storm in her veins.

But it never was.

The hunger was never satisfied.

"I need to leave," she said suddenly, her voice strained, as if she was breaking. "I need to go outside. To hunt."

Ian's eyes narrowed. "Lana, I can't let you—"

"I *have* to," she insisted, her fists clenched now, her entire body shaking with the force of the need. The pull to the world outside, to the blood that was waiting for her. "I won't hurt anyone. I just need to feel something real. I need to know that I can control it."

Ian hesitated, but then sighed, stepping toward her. "If you insist," he said, his voice resigned. "But you're not doing this alone. I'll accompany you."

Lana didn't argue. She needed to be out of the palace, away from the walls that felt like they were closing in. She needed the distance, the air, and most of all, she needed to know that she could fight the hunger.

***

The night was alive as Lana and Ian ventured out into the palace grounds, the cool breeze ruffling her hair, the scent of the night, of the woods and the distant river, mingling with the undeniable, intoxicating scent of *life*—prey, blood, the essence of everything she longed for.

She could feel it in her veins, stronger than ever. The scent of fresh blood. The heartbeat of a creature just beyond the reach of her senses.

It was here. Just beyond the shadows, just beyond the treeline.

Lana turned to Ian, her breath catching. "I can smell it. It's close. I need to go."

Ian held up a hand, his face hard. "Remember your training. Do not give in to the instinct. Control it."

Lana nodded, though her body felt like it was vibrating with hunger. She took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm, but it was harder than ever. Every instinct in her screamed to run, to chase, to *feed.*

And then, just as she thought she might lose herself completely, she heard a sound—a rustling in the bushes. A small animal, perhaps. A deer. Something easy. Something that would sate the craving, just for a moment.

She took a step forward, but Ian caught her wrist before she could move any further.

"No," he said sharply. "You're not ready. And that animal is not enough to feed your hunger, Lana. You need to face this before it consumes you."

Lana pulled her arm free, anger flashing through her. "You don't understand. I don't have time for this! I need to feel it! I need to *feed!*"

Her voice had grown louder, more desperate, and Ian's expression shifted to one of concern. "You're not ready, Lana. You can't fight this if you can't control it."

"I can," she whispered, but even as the words left her lips, she knew they were a lie.

The hunger would consume her.

And it would be too late to stop it.

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