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5
PHOENIX
Rage boils within me as I overhear Tilly and her friend making plans for the night. A night out? In a club? With other men? The thought ignites a blazing inferno within me, consuming every rational thought.
How dare she? Doesn’t she understand she belongs to me now? I’ve watched, studied, and claimed her in the deepest recesses of my mind. She’s mine.
Blending into the shadows on this crowded campus is torture. The sea of bodies presses in on me, their mindless chatter grating on my nerves. This is exactly why I prefer the solitude of my trailer, surrounded only by the gentle hum of technology.
But she’s drawn me out here like a moth to an irresistible flame. I can’t tear myself away when the thought of her in another man’s arms makes my blood simmer.
The earpiece crackles with her laughter, that sweet, melodic sound I’ve committed to memory. Hearing it now, filtered through wires and circuits, is a poor imitation.I long to experience it in person, to have her look at me with those sparkling eyes.
“We should hit that new club downtown, Pulse, tonight,” her friend says, the words like a dagger twisting in my gut. “Maybe you’ll finally meet a guy worth your time.”
My fingers clench into fists. A guy? She needs no one but me. I’ll make her see that soon enough.
Using the tracking data from her phone, I follow at a distance, careful not to draw attention. She can’t know I’m here...not yet. But I’ll be watching. Always watching. Waiting for my moment to strike and claim what’s rightfully mine.
I slip into the coffee shop unnoticed, keeping my head down as I find a secluded table in the corner. From here, I have the perfect vantage point to observe my obsession.
Tilly settles on one side of the plush booth, tucking those endless legs beneath her as she leans over the table toward her friend. My breath catches when she tosses her hair over one shoulder, the silky strands shimmering like liquid bronze in the dim lighting.
“You’ll never believe what happened at the carnival the other night,” she begins.
Amy’s eyes sparkle with curiosity. “Spill, girl. Don’t leave me hanging!”
A pretty blush stains Tilly’s cheeks as she recounts the events from that fateful evening. “This total creep started hitting on me out of nowhere. Like, seriously gross and persistent.” She shudders.
“But then, out of nowhere, this crazy hot guy steppedin and knocked him out.” Her eyes sparkle as she describes me—yes, me!—with those two delicious words: crazy hot.
I fight back a satisfied smirk, committing every detail of her recollection to memory. The way her lips form those syllables, the slight hitch in her breath... it’s intoxicating.
“He disappeared before I could even thank him,” she adds with a disappointed sigh. “But I swear, I saw him in my coding class earlier. One second, he was there, and the next...” She trails off with a confused shake of her head.
Clever girl, always so observant. A shiver of excitement races down my spine, knowing she’s thinking about me, searching for me in every crowd. Soon, she’ll never have to wonder where I am again.
I smirk as Amy’s eyes widen, clearly alarmed by Tilly’s admission of seeing me lurking around campus. “Are you sure, Tills? It could just have been a coincidence.”
Coincidence? No, my brilliant girl is so perceptive—a quality I both relish and fear when it comes to my lingering presence in her life.
Her brow furrows in that adorable way, full lips pursing as she mulls over Amy’s words. “I know how it sounds, but I swear I’m not making it up. He was there, clear as day, and then just...poof. Vanished.”
Soon, her subconscious obsession will consume her entirely, mirroring the all-encompassing desire that blazes through my veins.
But I’m not ready to be known, not fully. Not yet. Allowing her to unmask me, to pull back the veil and gaze upon the truth of who I am... it’s a risk I can’t afford. At least, not until I’ve secured her fully in my grasp.
The thought of her in a club, surrounded by hordes of men desperate to fuck her, makes my blood run hot. A hunting ground for the sort of mouth-breathing degenerates who would dare lay their hands on my obsession. She’s too naive, too temptingly pure to fend off their advances. No, I need to be there. Watching, protecting her from the clutches of any other man.
However, since Tilly is already suspicious, blending in will be tough.
Unless...
A smile stretches my lips as a plan emerges in my mind. One of the masks from the carnival’s stock, something innocuous enough to let me move freely among the masses.
Yes, that’s it. I’ll slip away from the carnival, don my disguise, and become her silent sentinel. Not that anyone will miss me since I spend the majority of my time in my trailer. I will protect her from any piece of shit who would dare put his hands on my beauty. She may not realize it yet, but Tilly belongs to me.
And soon, she’ll have no choice but to accept that reality.
