Chapter 4: the edge of anger
Cain's eyes snapped open, and for a second, he didn't know where he was. His body was tense, every muscle coiled tight, like he had been running for miles. He could still hear his heartbeat in his ears, but it wasn't his heartbeat. It was someone else's.
It was a thudding, desperate rhythm.
He shot up from the bed, his heart racing in sync with the sound. He could feel it, feel the pulse of blood running beneath soft skin. Too close. Too fast.
"Cain?" Elias's voice broke through the haze of hunger, rough and tired, but there was something else in it now — fear. "Cain, stop."
But Cain couldn't stop. Not yet. The hunger was burning him alive, clawing at his insides, demanding to be fed.
He stood, hands shaking as he gripped the edge of the table. The scent of blood — fresh, hot blood — filled the air, and it was all he could focus on. All he could think about.
"Cain!" Elias grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Not this time. Not again."
Cain snapped his head toward him, his eyes darker than they should be, sharp like a predator's. His breathing came in shallow gasps, barely controlled. He had to fight it. He had to.
The hunger was always there, waiting. But tonight, it was worse. It had been getting worse.
Elias's grip tightened on his arm, his voice a low growl. "You've got to control it. You promised, Cain. You promised we wouldn't be like them."
The words hit Cain like a physical blow, but they didn't stop the craving. Nothing could. His teeth were aching, and every inch of his body screamed to feed, to end the gnawing emptiness in his chest.