ISADORA
We were in the forest. He was carrying Rafael, who was now playing with his long hair. Meanwhile, I was holding his free hand. I didn’t know where we were going, but he didn’t make me take off my dress. So, I felt like a princess. Every time the fabric danced in the wind, I felt it deeply. I felt beautiful.
But I had no idea where we were headed. I didn’t venture into the secluded part of the forest because many wild animals lived here, and everyone was forbidden to go farther because it was dangerous.
I had only reached the distant part of it… when I was looking for… Victoria.
And what I found was…
I looked up at Alejandro beside me. “Where are we going?”
But he only smiled. So I didn’t ask again and just focused my gaze ahead. But slowly, I saw something.
In the more secluded part of the forest, I could see…
People?
I immediately stopped and stepped back when I realized they were indeed people. A man about as tall as my husband.
Who is he?
What is he doing here?
“Don’t be afraid, Isadora,” Alejandro said, stopping as well.
One thing that changed in me was my sense of smell.
I knew the difference between the scent of a human and an animal. Humans… smelled sweet… enticing. The scent of animals wasn’t as pleasant to me, and the scent of a… monster…
…was the same as the man now walking towards us.
“Giovanni.”
Giovanni?
I stared at the man. When he got closer to us, he briefly looked at me. Our eyes met, and I noticed his eyes were an unusual color—golden. I had seen Alejandro’s eyes like this once before, only when he drank fresh blood from a human.
And they turned black when he was hungry—like me.
But he didn’t pay me much attention. He bowed to Alejandro and started speaking in a language I couldn’t understand.
“Here, cradle my son for a moment,” Alejandro said, carefully handing the baby to the man named Giovanni.
The man grimaced. “That is—”
Alejandro stared at him. “Per un momento soltanto, fratello.”
And the man obeyed. I immediately grabbed Alejandro’s arm in protest. But it was too late; the man was already holding my child. “I don’t know him, Alejandro,” I whispered.
He faced me and smiled. “He’s my younger brother, my love.”
Brother?
I looked at the man, who seemed to have a displeased expression. “But…”
“Our child is safe with him, Isadora.” And before I could protest further, he pulled me away. I didn’t know what to say, so I swallowed hard and let Alejandro have his way. Yes, that’s how much I trusted him…
We walked through the forest. I no longer knew where we were headed. But it didn’t take long for us to reach an area with fewer trees. There was an old house standing there, and…
“I used to stay here,” Alejandro said. I looked at the two-story house.
It was old—aged by time but still standing. Alejandro gently pulled my hand towards the door. It didn’t take long for us to enter, and if the exterior looked old, the interior was very…
“Beautiful,” I said. My eyes roamed around.
From the wooden furniture to the antique paintings, the interior was wrapped in an undeniable charm of the past. We walked slowly, the smell of wood and dust filling the air, but despite that, it wasn’t unpleasant. This place was well-maintained. It was clear it had only been abandoned not long ago.
“Giovanni lives here now. That man doesn’t know how to clean.”
I nodded. “It’s evident.”
I hadn’t finished looking around when he guided me towards the stairs. Even the stairs were smooth. As we continued walking, I couldn’t help but be entertained by his stories about how irresponsible his brother was, despite his age, as we walked. With each step, my perspective of the place seemed to change. When we reached the top, the beauty of the place stood out even more. I also noticed there were two doors in the hallway.
But again, I didn’t get to examine the surroundings much. We entered a room, and I was greeted by a beautiful room with a large bed in the center and curtains with floral designs. I couldn’t help but admire the detailed decoration of the room.
But it wasn’t just the bed that made the room beautiful. There were also artworks hanging on the walls, giving life and color to the surroundings.
“Is this your room?” I asked as I entered. I was ahead of Alejandro because, yes, the room was beautiful, but the books on the wall caught my attention more. I also wanted to learn how to read.
I heard the door close behind me. I remained standing at the foot of the bed, looking at the paintings on the wall. The space was wide, and…
I froze when I felt Alejandro’s lips on the side of my neck. His arms wrapped around my waist. “This is where I rest, Isadora,” he whispered, sending shivers down my spine—in an alluring way.
I gave him a smile as I felt the warmth of his lips on my skin. His kisses were gentle and careful. “I was right,” I replied. “That you were watching me.”
“You’re entertaining to watch, my love,” he said, and I closed my eyes when his tongue brushed the underside of my ear. “A fierce animal waiting for its prey… but as I watched you, I couldn’t help but think you were fiercer than me.”
I smiled slightly. “You’re very good with words, Alejandro,” I joked. “You probably charmed many women with that—oh right, you have a cult.”
He laughed softly. The warmth of his breath on my neck seemed to quicken my heartbeat, and his hands on my body seemed to heat my blood. “Perhaps, perhaps I have charmed many,” he whispered.
I swallowed hard when I felt his hand inside my dress, gently caressing my thigh. “Ra… Rafael… our child—”
“He’s safe with my brother, Isadora, don’t worry.” And I couldn’t respond. He turned me around quickly but gently, his lips pressing against mine urgently. I pulled away slightly, and instead of answering, the question in my mind was why I tasted the bitterness and sweetness of beer on his lips.
“Did you drink beer?” I asked suddenly, noticing the scent from his mouth.
“A little, at the church earlier,” he replied, and we kissed again. As I embraced him, he gently pulled my hair to control our movements. Though there was some pain, I liked the way he held me.
“Lie down,” he ordered, breathless and still holding onto my hair.
I didn’t know how I managed to follow his command, but I did so without hesitation. I knelt on the bed, his eyes fixed on me, watching.
He stood in front of me, his hands on the sides of my face. “Today, you will follow, my love. You will serve me,” he whispered against my lips. There was an emotion in his eyes I couldn’t understand. Longing? Excitement? I didn’t know.
I nodded, feeling intoxicated by his gaze. I undressed myself. “I’m thirsty, Alejandro.”
A small smile appeared on his lips. “Then I will quench your thirst,” he replied, and he immediately lowered his lips to my skin.
Moments later, I found myself biting his neck. I knew it wasn’t enough to satisfy me, but the taste of his blood was so sweet.
And when we were done, he taught me how to hunt. I learned to kill animals larger than myself, and even for a short time, I was happy with what I learned.
It was already night when we finished. We returned to the old house, where his brother was still playing with our child.
Rafael was full of milk. Where he got it from? I didn’t know. Alejandro seemed to be right when he said our child was safe with his brother.
We returned home quietly because at this hour, Andres’s men were patrolling. We returned safely… and I was happy.
I had never experienced such a feeling.
“The child is exhausted,” I said as I laid him in his crib beside our bed. “You didn’t tell me your brother liked children.”
He mentioned to me once that he had another sibling. But he also said that sibling was far away from us.
I had already changed my clothes. I might wash Alejandro’s gift tomorrow. It got too dirty earlier.
I faced Alejandro. But I was surprised when he suddenly kissed me again. My dress quickly tore, and when he pulled away, I stared at his gentle face. “Is there something wrong?” I asked. But he only shook his head and quickly pinned me down.
He showered me with kisses. Neither of us spoke, but…
…deep inside, it seemed he knew something I didn’t.
And it was bothering him.
I hope… I’m wrong.
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