Page 8 of Demon Seed
"One foot after another," I whisper to myself, the sound of my voice immediately swallowed by the vastness around me.
Something shifts in the forest behind me. I freeze, every muscle tense, every sense alert. The Forbidden Forest certainly lives up to its name. With every step, a feeling of dread consumes me, warning me to depart before danger finds me.
I know I'm not alone.
I catch that prickling sensation at the nape of my neck for the third time since I left Vesper's castle. Eyes on me. Watching. Waiting.
I spin around, my hand instinctively reaching for a large stone on the ground. Nothing but ancient trees and dancing shadows greet me. But I know better.
"Show yourself," I command, my voice steadier than I feel.
Silence answers. Then, a rustle of undergrowth to my left. I turn slowly, deliberately, and finally see him—a massive black wolf, his amber eyes meeting mine without fear or aggression. He stands partially concealed by a prehistoric oak, his midnight fur blending with the shadows. He makes no move toward me.
“Who are you?” I whisper.
The wolf blinks once, slowly. There's an intelligence in those eyes that unsettles me—and yet, strangely, I feel no threat from this creature. Instead, I sense… protection? Guidance?
I take a cautious step forward. The wolf remains still, watching.
“Why are you following me?” I say, releasing the stone and letting it fall to the ground. The wolf's ears twitch at the sound of my voice. “Are you going to help me find my way home, or did Vesper send you to bring me back? Please tell him I'll return tomorrow.”
As I journey deeper into the Forbidden Forest, the wolf follows at a respectful distance. But I don’t get far before I feel another presence.
Through the darkness, I see a black cloud of smoke crawl toward us like a living thing, tendrils reaching out as if testing the air. I step back, my hand instinctively finding the wolf's coarse fur.
"What is it?" I say, though I know he can't answer me. Not in words, anyway.
The smoke thickens, coalescing into something almost solid at its center. My breath catches as two pinpricks of crimson light appear within the darkness. Eyes, watching us with cold intelligence.
The black wolf presses against my leg. He doesn’t seem frightened–but I suspect he knows who it is.
Suddenly, recognition catches up to me—Vesper.
"You followed me," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
The cloud ripples, almost like a shrug. It brushes against my skin, cool and familiar—the sensation comforting and unsettling.
"I had to." His voice is everywhere and nowhere. "You can't escape me, little moon.”
I clutch my heart with a sudden, electrifying realization, and an overwhelming wave of understanding crashes over me. The undeniable truth pulses beneath my fingertips. We are already connected—two hearts beating as one.
I take a step back, but his misty form simply flows around me, enveloping me in a gentle embrace that I can feel but not touch. "I'm not asking permission," I tell him, squaring my shoulders despite the tremor in my hands. "I need to see my family. They must be worried about me.”
The cloud darkens slightly, condensing until I can almost make out the outline of his face. “They know where you are and are already planning to separate us. I can’t allow that.”
“I just need to say goodbye,” I declare, although my voice holds little conviction. I have no intention of staying away forever. I can’t. The thought of life without my mate feels like a fate worse than death.
Vesper shakes his head. “Not yet, Selene. Before the next full moon, we’ll go together.”
Vesper
Ipress my forehead against the doorframe, my voice trembling as I plead with the unyielding barrier of wood instead of meeting Selene's gaze. It's been a torturous three hours since she barricaded herself inside.
"Selene," I implore, injecting every ounce of desperation into my voice. "No one here would ever harm you. They wouldn’t dare defy you. You are their queen, and all must kneel before your power."
The oppressive silence taunts me, but I can feel her presence like a charged current beyond the door. She's listening, even if she's silent.
"Cassian may look terrifying with those teeth, but he's practically a librarian. All he ever does is read. And yes, Morrigan's laugh is unsettling, but she only uses it when she finds something genuinely amusing. She’s looking forward to having another female around.” I pause, wondering if humor might reach her where reassurance fails. "In fact, I think she’s already planning the wedding."
