CHAPTER 23
Victoria laughed, grinding her butt against Elias's crotch, her hands waving in the air, her mouth filled with the blood of prey animals. Elias caressed her breasts from behind, fumbling them with a mix of possessiveness and tenderness. Her laughter echoed through the forest, blending with the rustling leaves and distant bird calls.
Elias's eyes caught a movement at the edge of the clearing. He turned slightly and spotted a couple of campers making their way into the area. His eyes narrowed. He knew Victoria wasn't mentally prepared to hunt humans, the prey he considered the ultimate challenge. He didn't want to risk spooking her with such a suggestion, not yet.
"We should go," Elias said, his voice a low rumble. "Human campers at the far east."
"Aww," Victoria pouted, reluctant to leave. Her body still buzzed with the high of the hunt, and the thought of stopping now seemed unbearable.
"Don't worry," Elias said with a chuckle. "Give me your phone, and I'll put my number in so we can do this another time."
Victoria handed him her phone, her fingers brushing against his, feeling the spark that always seemed to jump between them. Elias quickly entered his number, his eyes flicking to hers with a promise of more shared hunts and forbidden thrills.
"See you another time, Victoria," he said, a wicked smile playing on his lips before he leapt into the trees, disappearing into the distance with an effortless grace.
Victoria stood there for a moment, the forest suddenly feeling much emptier without him. She shook herself, walking to the river to wash the blood from her mouth and hands. The cool water did little to calm the heat inside her, but it helped her feel more presentable as she made her way back to her car.
As she drove home, the memories of the hunt replayed in her mind, making her laugh aloud. She felt exhilarated, a wildness surging through her veins. She glanced down and noticed a smear of blood on her elbow she had missed while cleaning herself. Without thinking, she brought her arm to her mouth and licked it clean, savoring the metallic taste.
When she pulled up to the house, the sun was setting, casting long shadows over the driveway. She stepped out of the car, her heart still racing from the afternoon's events. The thrill of the hunt, the taste of blood, Elias's touch—it all felt like a fever dream, yet it was the most alive she had ever felt.
Victoria entered the house quietly, hoping to slip upstairs unnoticed. The hallway was dimly lit, the sounds of the evening routine drifting from the kitchen. She made her way to her room, her mind still buzzing.
Once inside, she flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. She pulled out her phone and looked at the new contact Elias had entered. A shiver of excitement ran through her. She felt a dangerous, intoxicating pull towards him and everything he represented. A life unchained, full of raw power and primal desires.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. "Victoria, are you in there?" Samantha's voice called.
"Yeah, Mom, just got back," Victoria replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
Samantha opened the door, peeking in. "How was your day, sweetheart?"
"Good, just... went for a walk in the woods," Victoria said, a secretive smile on her lips.
Samantha nodded, not pressing further. "Dinner will be ready soon. Come down when you're ready."
"Okay, thanks, Mom."
As Samantha left, Victoria's mind drifted back to the forest, to Elias, and the promise of more hunts. She knew she was treading a dangerous path, but the thrill was too enticing to ignore. The rules of her pack, the expectations—they all seemed so distant now. She was Victoria, a werewolf embracing her darkest instincts, and she craved more.
She thought she knew what it means to be truly alive but this feeling was different. And she wasn't about to let that feeling go.
For the next several days leading up to their birthday celebration, Victoria's behavior grew increasingly vicious, erratic, and even violent. Her temper flared at the slightest provocation, and her actions became more impulsive and aggressive.
One afternoon, the tension between her and her parents came to a head. "Dad, I need a new car as my birthday gift," Victoria demanded, her tone leaving little room for negotiation.
George sighed, trying to remain patient. "Baby girl, you know we're already spending a lot of money on your birthday celebration. The customs, the dress—it's costing nearly six figures. Maybe next month we can think about a new car."
"No, I need it on that day," Victoria insisted, her eyes flashing with anger.
"Victoria, darling," George said gently, stepping closer to his daughter. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but Victoria shoved him away, her claws extending in a sudden, violent motion. She slashed at his face, leaving a deep, bloody gash.
"Victoria!" Samantha screamed, rushing to George's side as he clutched his bleeding cheek.
"I made this fucking family!" Victoria shouted, her voice filled with fury. "Without the people I mingle with, you wouldn't even have the contracts to afford this house. It was through my influence with the parents of the friends I make that elevated your status in the pack. So if I say I need a new fucking car, I get one!"
With that, she stormed off to her room, leaving her parents in shock. Vera, who had been watching the scene unfold from a distance, was bewildered. She knew their parents spoiled Victoria, but she had never seen her sister act this spoiled or aggressive.
In the past twenty-four hours alone, Victoria had almost fought with Francesca after slapping her for wanting to wear the same color dress to the birthday party—a coincidence Francesca hadn't even known about. It was as if Victoria's usual confidence and dominance had twisted into something darker and more volatile.
As Vera stood there, trying to process what she had just witnessed, a message popped up on Victoria's phone, which she had left on the counter. The message read, "Can't wait to see you again," from someone named Elias.
Victoria suddenly appeared behind Vera. "Out of my way," she snapped, shoving Vera aside and grabbing her phone before storming back to her room. Vera watched her go, wondering what was up with her sister. Something about Victoria's recent behavior was deeply unsettling, and Vera couldn't shake the feeling that it had something to do with this mysterious Elias.
Victoria, however, was oblivious to the changes taking place within her. She didn't realize that the blood of prey animals she had tasted was altering her behavior, amplifying her aggression and distorting her sense of control. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of Elias and the intoxicating freedom he represented. The thrill of the hunt, the taste of fresh blood, and the wild abandon she felt in his presence were like a drug she couldn't quit.
As she paced in her room, Victoria's thoughts kept returning to the encounter by the waterfall. Elias's words echoed in her mind: "Those rules were made to keep us werewolves from reaching our full potential." She felt a shiver of excitement and a pang of longing. The traditional rules and constraints of her pack seemed increasingly irrelevant, replaced by a primal urge to explore the depths of her own power and desires.
In the days that followed, Victoria's volatility only grew. She lashed out at anyone who crossed her path, her mood swinging wildly between moments of euphoria and fits of rage. Her parents and friends walked on eggshells around her, uncertain of what might set her off next.
On the eve of their birthday celebration, the household was tense. Samantha and George were concerned about the escalating situation but felt powerless to intervene. Vera, meanwhile, kept a wary distance from her sister, unsure how to navigate the minefield that Victoria had become.
That night, Victoria lay in bed, staring at her phone. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anticipation, anger, desire, and confusion. She opened her messages and read Elias's words again: "Can't wait to see you again." She felt a rush of excitement, but also a growing sense of unease. What was happening to her? Why was she becoming someone she barely recognized?
As she drifted off to sleep, her dreams were filled with visions of the hunt, of blood and power, and of Elias's hauntingly familiar green eyes. She woke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding, and a single thought dominated her mind: she had to see Elias again.