SIA’S POV

I should’ve taken Maya more seriously was the first thought that I had when I stepped out that morning.

Not because anything obvious had changed for me but because everything now feels odd and… off.

The second thought was about how Maya could never find out about the first thought.

But other than that, everything felt wrong and majorly off.

It's like the texture and the ambience of the world had been arranged whilst I was asked and no one bothered to tell me.

Even people on the street felt louder than they should’ve been.

I frowned as I walked.

“Okay,” I muttered to myself, subtly adjusting my bag strap. “You’re being paranoid again.”

Normal day, that’s what I told myself.

Classes, errands and picking up a cheap too good to go bag.

All normal.

Except–

The fact that something kept brushing against my awareness like I was being watched from somewhere I couldn’t locate.

I stopped briefly at a bus stop mirror and checked myself once more if that voice would say anything.

But nothing I guess, so I head to my class.

What I didn’t notice was the faint shimmer around me almost like those two men like they had their own light fixtures.

Something that should’ve been normal to me for years all over a sudden, nothing felt right again.

.

.

.

I didn’t know I was marked for an attack.

At least, not yet.

I just knew the day felt wrong and instead of bailing, I stayed till midday and convinced myself that all was fine.

Almost everything I guess.

I was walking past the edge of the old forest near the love garden when the first sound came to me.

A snap on one of the branches on the floor.

I turn around slowly.

“…Hello?”

Nothing answered me as the things in the forest answered me instead.

I barely had time to step back before something massive hit the ground right in front of me.

A tall shape covered in fur and standing on two legs was staring right in front of me, making me doubt my eyes.

It's almost like an animal but not fully yet, truly a work of art for the makeup artist responsible for this.

But as another dropped down in front of me with another and another, I started having second thoughts.

Why were they snarling?

My breath caught.

“What the–!”

Fucking hell!! Those people weren't bluffing, werewolves are real!

But they don't look like wolves in documentaries, they were with humanoid structures but had exposed fangs and claws.

And let's not even get started with the drool and saliva.

And even worse, they were all looking at me like I was their prey.

Maya where the fuck are you?!

They were looking at me like a decision they couldn’t quite agree on and I'm praying desperately that I live.

I try to back away but stop immediately when one growls at me.

A third werewolf steps forward slowly, making me freeze.

“Okay,” I whispered to myself. “This is not real at all.” I try to deceive my mind.

But as they circled me with slow steps, and sniffing the air with confusion, I backed away slowly while they're distracted.

But I know my heartbeat is loud, too loud and I'm sure they know this too.

One of them stepped closer to me as its eyes narrowed and it inhaled deeply in my direction.

Then something like recognition hits his eyes as immediate aggression goes loose and they move at me, all at once.

They are too fast for me to even track their movements and try to dodge with my bare eyes.

I stumbled back.

“Wait–wait–!”

But they didn't wait at all as one lunged at me so I turned around and ran..

Branches whipped my arms as I pushed through the forest with angry pants from the werewolves behind me.

I didn’t look back, I couldn’t as I know I'll die if I waste any time.

Something grabbed the air behind me making me stumble to dodge it but I tripped and fell to the ground hard.

I rolled instinctively, expecting claws or teeth on my skin but nothing came at all.

The forest felt oddly quiet, too quiet but I stayed on the ground breathing harshly.

“…What…?”

I'm panting as the forest goes silent like it was all my hallucinations as the footsteps and growling disappear entirely.

I slowly lifted my head to see the forest devoid of any trace of werewolves.

It's almost like they don't exist and we're never heard of in the first place.

My breathing shook as I stared around.

“…Okay,” I whispered. “Okay, that’s– that’s hallucination level stuff.”

I pressed a hand to my chest to see my heart is still racing but since it's just here, then it had to be a hallucination from the start.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to stand.

“This is stress,” I said firmly to convince myself. “This is stress and lack of sleep and–and some weird life decisions.”

I turned away from the forest quickly and walked back to the main road.

I reach it eventually and find my discarded bag as my breathing slowed and became normal now that I'm back in crowds.

By the time I reached the street near my apartment block, I was almost convinced I was fine.

Almost.

And then I saw him.

A tall man standing a few meters ahead, watching me with interest.

I stopped immediately as I felt like something about him didn’t fit the environment.

He stepped forward slightly and I felt it.

That same pressure from earlier on with the werewolves only stronger and more focused from him, directed to me.

My instincts screamed at me to step back and run away but I didn't.

I couldn’t explain why.

“Are you okay?”

His voice was calm and placid as he asked me a question.

I frowned in reply.

“…Do I know you?”

He didn’t answer me immediately but instead, he narrowed his eyes at me like he's checking something.

“I saw you yesterday,” he said. “You make it home safely I see.”

I blinked with confusion.

“What?”

Yesterday?

I thought back quickly but I came up with nothing at all.

Except for the alley incident, nothing came up.

And it couldn't be him, this person's 6ft. The alleyway man was 7ft and steadily approaching 8ft.

Practically a giant.

“…I think you’ve got the wrong person,” I said carefully to him as he studied me more.

My grip tightened on my bag strap.

“…Who are you?” I asked slowly.

RHYDSTORM’S POV

Something is very wrong with this mortal.

I'm right here looking at her as I stand perfectly still beneath the illusion wrapped around my body while she's only staring at me with suspicion.

No recognition or instinctive fear at seeing my horns or my monstrous wings.

Just pure irritation at my presence.

That shouldn’t be possible, I know humans always forget about us after they see us, but my glamour was on the other night.

She shouldn't have been able to see me, yet she did.

The human mind blurs any supernatural thing they see into dreams and fragmented memories because their minds would literally break from trying to understand our world.

Immortals were never meant to exist beside mortals for too long, that's why their brains protect themselves by forgetting or attributing it to hallucinations.

Yet this woman saw me in partial demon form last night with my horns, hooves and feathers out.

In my full fledged naked self yet now she doesn't seem to know me?

And somehow she still remembers enough to feel wary around me.

Not clearly enough, but enough to not stay too close to me.

That alone is strange.

If she's who I suspect she is to me, my glamour and my illusion magic should not do anything to her.

But now?

Now my glamour is working on her like it would any other human.

I watch her eyes carefully as she studies my human appearance.

Six feet tall with a dark coat.

I have no horns, infernal markings or anything monstrous to give myself away.

Just another man on the street.

Interesting.

A slow wave of relief settles into me as I realize she's just like any other living, breathing mortal to me.

Maybe I was wrong, maybe she isn’t my mate after all.

Thank the infernal realms for that!

The last thing I need is some paranoid mortal attached to me for all eternity, and so close to the Accused games too.

Especially one that punches really hard first and thinks later.

She tightens her grip on her bag as she takes another step back.

“…Who are you?” she asks again carefully.

I tilt my head slightly, studying her face as I can now see her in good light compared to last night.

She's a pretty little thing.

With sharp eyes, a pouty mouth and…

Oh by all of hell!

She still smells so devastating to me.

Even beneath all of the city smoke and cheap perfume all around, her scent curls right into my lungs like warm honey and untouched sunlight.

Like something in its purest and most pristine form.

Untouched.

Mine–

No!

I stop that thought immediately, absolutely not!

Maybe the scent and my starvation is what had confused me yesterday because I was still not fully enough.

That has to be it.

Incubi aren’t exactly known for rational thinking when half feral from hunger.

Still…

There’s still one sure way to confirm it.

A terrible idea forms in my head almost instantly making me smile slowly.

“Oh, this is going to be very funny.”

“What?” she asks immediately as she takes a step back fm me.

I crouch slightly until we're eye level making her instinctively lean back.

I don't even need to look at her at all, but I want to see her face when she realizes she has no other choice but to do my bidding.

Call it payback for the punch from yesterday.

“Relax,” I murmur softly to hrr. “I just want to test something.”

“That sentence has literally never ended well for women.”

But she can't move from where she is because she's already enthralled.

I nearly laugh.

By the gods, she’s difficult.

I already pity her future mate.

I let a thread of compulsion slip into my voice anyway, it's not one that would hurt her, but it's enough to… sway her will to mine.

“Kiss me,” I command softly as the magic unfurls instantly between us.

Normally this is the part where most of not all mortals go glassy-eyed and cooperative.

Instead–

CRACK!

Her palm slams across my face so hard my head actually jerks sideways in shock.

I blink in stunned silence as I wonder if I was still asleep or if another demon is playing a prank in my dreams.

Did she just–

“You absolute creep!” she snaps at me

Oh…

Oh, that’s new.

I catch her wrist before she can storm away, as she turns to look more startled than angry now.

“Ah, ah,” I say slowly, tightening my grip lightly. “Second time’s the charm, babes.”

She smiles at me, which makes me surprised.

For one beautiful, terrifying second, I think she’s finally affected by the compulsion.

So she's just putting it out huh?

Then her knee drives directly into my groin as a numbing, excruciating pain detonates through my entire body.

A strangled snarl rips out of me as I let go of her, stagger backwards and nearly collapse onto the pavement.

“FUCK–!”

Agony.

I see stars, they are white, searing and leave me feeling a red brand sear of agony deep in my soul.

My vision blurs as I clutch myself with genuine horror.

Did she just attack and try to erase my future children?!

I wheeze sharply into the ground before turning, and glaring up at her while she straightens her coat with satisfaction.

She's actually winking at me?

But beneath all my pain and anger–

Comes the realization of what just happened to me.

Compulsion doesn’t work on mates.

Not fully or truly, but completely.

She wasn't compelled yesterday, she's also not being compelled today.

My stomach drops in horror and terror.

No–

No, absolutely not!

You have got to be kidding me.

I stare at her in disbelief while she glares down at me like I’m sewage that learned how to speak and disturb her day

“You’re insane,” she flatly tells me to my face.

Mate.

The word echoes inside my skull like a curse ringing over and over.

A mortal.

An annoying and really violent mortal–

She's my mate.

Oh bloody Infernal hells!

She turns to leave as I don't know what comes over me but panic flashes through me before I can stop it.

“Wait!”

She pauses mid step and looks back at me over her shoulder with pure disgust and irritation.

And for the first time in the centuries omy life–

I have absolutely no idea what to do next.

But seeing as she's still a student in campus, maybe I could join her in class to try and explain it all?