❝In every man, there is a beast. Lexis doesn't have a beast...he is the beast.❞
In the year 2145, the world changed and a system designed by the supernatural took over.
Since many began to fear their fated partners, the tradit...
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❝Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.❞ - George S. Patton
J o r d y n✤T a m e
I WOKE UP in the middle of the night like a switch. It wasn't from a scary dream or sound...but just a cold, relentless set of loneliness.
I sat up on the stiff bed, my eyes flicking to the empty corner where Lexis had been.
He was gone.
I let out a shaky breath, the sound seeming louder in the stillness of the dark, cramped room. My stomach growled, and I grimaced, realizing I hadn't eaten since this morning.
I sank back onto the bed, battling with myself. Stay here, let the hunger gnaw at me a little longer, or get up and see if the inn had food or a kitchen.
Dragging myself off the bed, I slipped on my shoes, straightened my shirt, and stepped into the dark hallway. The lobby was empty, unnervingly so, and I glanced around, hoping for any sign of a person. But it was silent.
Suddenly, a soft distant vibration reached my ears. Music. Heavy bass, muffled by walls but persistent enough to draw me closer. My steps slowed as I found myself in a shadowed corridor I hadn't noticed before. My hand brushed the edge of the wall, guiding me forward as the music grew louder, pulsing through the air rapidly.
I reached the end of the hall and pushed open the door.
The room was alive with heat and movement. Red lights flickered and pulsed, illuminating the silhouettes of women dancing on raised platforms, some topless, their bodies moving to the beat. Others walked between tables, their steps confident and predatory, serving drinks to groups of men sprawled out in the booths. The scent of smoke and sweat mixed in the air and clang to my skin like a second layer.
My eyes swept over the room, taking it in piece by piece—the bar stacked with rows of glittering bottles, the haze of smoke curling lazily through the air, the laughter that felt just a little too heavy. It was overwhelming, and yet, somehow, I couldn't look away.
Then I saw them. Lexis' guards.
They were scattered across the room, sitting in groups, laughing loudly, drinking, and smoking.
I took a step back, the door pressing against my shoulder, but before I could make my escape, a voice stopped me.
"Jordyn?"
Damn it, Jordyn.
My stomach churned and I turned to see Danger weaving his way through the crowd.
"What are you doing out of bed?" he demanded when he reached me, his voice low but laced with something that felt like concern. "Why are you down here?"
I swallowed, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. "I was hungry," I said, hating how small my voice sounded. "I was just looking for something to eat. I didn't know this was here."
