Chapter 18: Progeny
"What do you feel about me?" Corven asked, his voice low, almost tentative as the firelight flickered across his face.
’So the system wants us to get closer...? I already know what it wants,’ he thought, the glowing notification still lingering in the corner of his mind.
’But I’m going to do it right. Not just because it told me to—but because I want to.’
His gaze locked onto Rose’s glowing eyes, their crimson hue dancing in the warmth of the flames.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked, chuckling softly. Her breath was warm against his skin, carrying the faintest scent of blood and something sweeter—faintly floral, like lilac after rain.
"It’s just odd, isn’t it?" he replied, voice calm but honest. "Our bodies respond oddly... like they know something we don’t, despite us barely knowing each other."
He gave a short laugh, half awkward and half amazed.
"And I’m a new vampire as well, so I don’t know if this is normal." His grin widened just a little, amused by his own uncertainty.
Rose smiled and leaned into him, resting her head gently against his chest. Her fingers curled near his ribs, listening to a heartbeat that pulsed slower than it once did.
"I get what you mean... I feel drawn, somehow."
Her words came out as a soft confession, delicate and uncertain. Then she lifted her hand to brush her fingers gently along his jawline.
"To you..." she said simply.