The Hunger Between Us

Draven’s POV

She refused to eat.

I stood near the fireplace, watching her, arms crossed, waiting. The room was quiet except for the low crackling of the fire, the warm light casting shadows along the stone walls. Reyna sat stiffly on the bed, her back straight, her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to make herself smaller.

She was being stubborn. That much I already knew. But she was also afraid—of me, of this place, of the things she didn’t understand yet.

I exhaled slowly.

“I won’t repeat myself,” I said, my voice calm but firm. “Eat.”

Reyna’s lips pressed together, her fingers curling into the fabric of her dress. She didn’t look at me, but I could see the way her throat moved as she swallowed. She was hungry—I could hear the way her stomach clenched in protest. I had sharp hearing, sharper instincts. I knew what she needed before she did.

And yet she fought me.

My jaw tightened. She was making this harder than it needed to be.

I took a step closer. She tensed immediately. The flickering firelight danced over her features, soft and delicate but marked with defiance. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders, still tangled from sleep, and her lips—full, trembling slightly—parted as if she was going to say something but decided against it.

The mate bond was there, lurking beneath the surface, pulling me toward her. It had been there long before she ever set foot in this castle. I had known about her for years, watched her from the shadows, kept my distance even when everything inside me screamed to claim what was mine.

I should have left her alone. I tried to.

But the world wasn’t safe for her—not when she was mine. Not when I had enemies.

And now she was here, where she belonged.

“Why am I here?” she asked suddenly, voice quiet but steady.

Her gaze finally met mine. It was a mistake.

The moment our eyes locked, something shifted between us. She sucked in a sharp breath, and I felt the pull—raw, undeniable. Her pupils dilated, her heartbeat quickened, her body reacting to something she didn’t understand yet.

I clenched my fists.

She wasn’t ready for the truth.

“Eat first,” I said, stepping closer.

She stiffened but didn’t move away. She was scared, but she was trying to be brave. I almost admired that.

Almost.

I picked up the tray from the table and placed it beside her on the bed. She flinched at the sudden movement but didn’t push it away. I sat on the edge of the bed, close enough that she would feel my presence, close enough that I could reach out and tilt her chin up if I wanted to.

I wouldn’t.

I shouldn’t.

“Eat, Reyna,” I commanded. This time, my voice left no room for argument.

She exhaled shakily, then hesitantly reached for the bread, breaking off a small piece and putting it in her mouth. She chewed slowly, her hands trembling slightly.

Good.

I leaned back slightly, watching her. “See? That wasn’t so difficult.”

Her gaze flicked to me, frustration flashing in those dark eyes. “Why do you care if I eat?” she muttered.

I didn’t answer right away.

Because I needed her alive. Because I had taken her from the world she knew and placed her in mine. Because no one else could have her, and I wouldn’t let her waste away in front of me.

Instead, I shrugged. “Would you rather starve?”

She hesitated, then shook her head.

Satisfied, I stood up, adjusting the cuffs of my sleeves. “Good. You’ll eat every meal that is brought to you. You’ll rest. And you will stay here.”

She frowned. “For how long?”

A muscle in my jaw twitched. “As long as necessary.”

I turned to leave, but her voice stopped me.

“What did you do to me?”

I froze.

She didn’t know. Not really. She could feel it—she was already reacting to the mate bond, the way her body submitted to my presence without her understanding why—but she wasn’t ready for the full truth.

I glanced at her over my shoulder. “Rest, Reyna.”

Her expression hardened, but there was a flicker of something else beneath it. Confusion. Maybe even something she didn’t want to acknowledge yet.

I stepped out, closing the door behind me.

I had to keep my distance.

Because if I didn’t…

I wouldn’t be able to let her go.

I lingered outside the door longer than I should have, fingers flexing at my sides. Her scent clung to me—warm, sweet, laced with something I couldn’t name but

already craved. It was stronger now, the bond awakening between us, threading through my veins like a slow-burning poison. Mine. The word echoed in my

mind, vicious and unrelenting. I had spent years resisting this pull, convincing myself I could ignore it. That I could leave her untouched. But now, with her so

close, her heartbeat thrumming like a whispered invitation—I wasn’t sure how much longer I could.

I exhaled slowly, pressing a hand against the doorframe. Distance. Control. Restraint. I had lived by those rules for centuries, wielding them like armor. But

Reyna—she was undoing me. Every glance, every breath, every stubborn act of defiance chipped away at the discipline I had spent lifetimes perfecting. She

didn’t understand what she was to me. Not yet. But her body did. The way her pulse quickened when I stepped too close, the way her breath hitched when our

skin brushed—it was already happening. She could fight it. Deny it. Hate me for it. None of it would change the truth.

She was mine. Mine.

And soon, she would know it too.

But for now I had to stay away, she doesn’t even know why I took her.

Her 21st birthday and she was celebrating with friends unknowing to her that danger was lurking around. This was my way of protecting her.

Even though she didn't understand it yet.