Chapter 13

When the man opened his eyes, the glare of the sun's waning rays, which were penetrating the room through the window, was immediately overwhelming. He uttered a curse as he reached over and pulled the shade down, which cast a dim light throughout the room. His eyes quickly adjusted to the change in lighting. It's possible that sunset will be just as bright as sunrise. Sweat ran down his temples, armpits, and thighs as his naked body clung to the wet sheets that were underneath him. The lack of ventilation meant that the room was suffocated in heat, and the odor... Well, that was the one and only luxury. He took a deep breath, inhaling the musty smell of the stale air and allowing it to stimulate all of his senses. He raised his hands and stared at them as though he were seeing them for the very first time. The hands of a sculptor are characterized by having long, slender fingers and flawless skin. A producer as well as a murderer.

The blood had long since stopped oozing, leaving his skin dry and tacky. His palms were covered in crimson splotches, and the blood that had pooled in the creases of his hands had taken the form of intricate spider webs. He gave the remnants of the night a quick flick of his tongue and savored them, thinking back on how enjoyable it had been. While pressing his fingers to his nose, he inhaled the pungent odor and relived the adventure from the previous evening in a flurry of memories that caused his adrenaline to begin pumping rapidly. After only a few hours of sleep, his senses were fully awake, and his mind was refreshed and prepared for another day. Yet another night spent murdering.

Tonight, he would issue another stern warning to her. He was making progress toward his objective. In a few weeks, we will see the moon at its fullest. He did a quick check of his balance. As soon as he planted his feet on the ground, a searing pain shot up and down both of his calves. Soon, the intensity of the pain decreased to the point where he was able to stand, although a constant throbbing kept the rest of his body immobilized. He walked a few steps in order to get his muscles back to their normal state. The cramping eventually went away, and once it did, movement became much simpler. He strode over to the closet and quickly removed a steel hanger holding a black blazer and a pair of slacks. He stopped in front of the mirror and gazed at his own reflection for a moment before continuing on. Because of the reduction in swelling, his neck appeared to be normal. He looked exactly the same as he did the day before, the day before that, with the exception of the fact that he desperately needed a shave. Autumn came into his mind as he stared into his own eyes and his thoughts turned to her.

The night before, he'd gotten extremely close to her. In close proximity to the skeletal remains of one of his victims, which have now been located. The sight of the leftover carnage had aroused his appetite, and the fact that he was so close to her that he could touch her had prompted him to search through the night for another warm body. He had reached for his next victim while all the while seeing Autumn, smelling her, and burning for her with a fever that would not be extinguished by any means. Although he found satisfaction in his victims, Autumn was the only one who could truly satisfy him. She was aware of who he was, she was afflicted herself, and she could feel the pull. If only she hadn't put up such a strong fight against us! They existed in their natural state.

He cast a swift glance at the sheets that were stained with blood. Indeed, they were exactly what they appeared to be. What their destinies had in store for them. She was his, the very last female of her kind, other than her mother, who had long since passed the age when she could bear children. Only Autumn could guarantee that they would continue to exist. She was aware of it. Because of this, she had dared him and attempted to get away from him. However, he had been following her and keeping a close distance. At all times, be close. Now he was standing right in front of her, but she had no idea that he was there. The night before, he had been standing next to her the whole time, but she had been oblivious to it. Due to the efforts of Hunter Morrison. She was so preoccupied with her illogical search for deliverance that she had become oblivious to everything going on around her, with the sole exception of Morrison, the only man who could deliver her. Condemn her.

Not that he would ever allow either of those things to occur. She was his, and he had every intention of keeping her. Each murder served as a message, a constant reminder that he would not leave Autumn on her own. Regardless of how much she pleaded with us. Regardless of how hard she tried to avoid him, she was unable to do so. She was unable to run away. It was not their destined path. They were monstrous in nature. Hunters. Killers. They were the very last of their kind. No, this is not the final. The flow of their blood would not be stopped. He was going to make sure of it. It was instinctual for him to mate with her when the moon was in its full phase so that they could have children and ensure the survival of their species.

If only she weren't quite so incredibly stubborn. She boasted a strength that was comparable to his, which meant that he had to find a way to dominate her in some way. In this scenario, he would try to intimidate her by making her fear the reality that she had worked so hard to conceal. She detested who she was on a conscious level, but on a more fundamental level, she was a slave to her own desires just as much as he was to his. It was necessary for her to visit him. That is correct. It was required by nature. It was a matter of life and death. He grabbed the memento from the night before's kill while it was still warm. As he held the heart in his hands, he fancied that it was still beating, sending his victim's lifeblood throughout the body. Keeping the spirit alive and well. As long as he could kill his victims and take what he wanted from them, he didn't consider himself a heartless monster. Autumn was about to learn that he was not as heartless as she had believed him to be and that she would soon see the truth.

After he had finished putting his newly discovered treasure with the others, he proceeded to the restroom. After hanging his clothes on the back of the bathroom door, he shuffled across the dingy tile floor to the shower and turned it on. After a few moments, he stepped into the blazing spray and stood there as he watched the water at the bottom of the stall turn a blood red color. The evidence of the kill from the previous night went tumbling down the rusted drain with a gurgling sound that reverberated through his head and sped up the rate at which his heart beat. He raised his head and allowed the water to beat on his face, but he was oblivious to the stinging sensation it caused. He was unable to feel anything other than the gnawing sensation of hunger in his stomach, which informed him that it was once again time. It wouldn't be long until the sun went down, and he knew there was a warm body waiting for him somewhere. Towards the end of life Indeed, he was a monstrous person.