Entangled in Eternity

The first light of dawn filters through the cracks in the old house, casting faint shadows on the walls. I stir, warmth surrounding me as I slowly wake, my body still humming from the intensity of the night before. My senses are overwhelmed by the familiar scents of Dante, Nikolai, and Lila—their bodies pressed close to mine in the narrow space we share on the bed, blankets pulled tight around us.

For a brief moment, everything feels safe. Calm.

Lila is the first to stir, her arm draped across my waist, her touch soft and soothing. Her breath is steady as she shifts beside me, a quiet murmur escaping her lips as she wakes. Nikolai, sprawled lazily on my other side, stretches out with a contented sigh, his hand resting possessively on my hip. I can feel his smile before I see it, that lazy, satisfied grin.

Dante, as usual, is already awake. He hasn't moved from his position at the edge of the bed, his eyes sharp as he watches the pale light creep through the room. His presence is steady, always vigilant, even in moments of peace like this.

I take a deep breath, savoring the quiet, the closeness we share. It feels so fragile, as if it could be taken away at any moment, but right now, it's ours. The memory of last night—of their hands, their mouths, their bodies—still lingers, and for a little while, I allow myself to sink into that feeling.

No threats. No danger. Just us.

"Morning, love," Nikolai mumbles, his voice husky with sleep. He presses a lazy kiss to my shoulder, his breath warm against my skin. "Sleep well?"

I nod, my lips curling into a small smile. "Better than I expected."

"Of course you did," he says with a smirk, giving my waist a playful squeeze. "I make sure of that."

Lila chuckles softly, still half-asleep. "And modest, as always."

Dante doesn't say anything, but his gaze shifts from the window to me, his eyes softening just a little. Even after all that has happened, he still looks at me like I'm something precious—something he isn't sure how to hold without breaking. It's both frustrating and terrifying at once.

I could stay like this forever—wrapped up in them, in the quiet morning—but I know better than to think this moment will last. The danger is still out there, lurking just beyond the fragile safety of this abandoned house.

Lila sits up first, her hair tousled as she stretches and glances toward the window. "We should get moving soon," she says, her voice soft but with an edge of urgency. "The rogues won't stay away forever."

Nikolai groans, rolling onto his back as if he can ward off the inevitable. "Always so practical, Lila."

"I'm being realistic," she replies, throwing him a look.

But it's Dante who stands up first, his movements quiet and controlled as always. He crosses to the window, his body tense again, as if the peace we've found in the night has already started to slip away.

"We can't stay here much longer," Dante says, his voice low. "It's only a matter of time before they find us."

Nikolai sighs heavily, sitting up and raking a hand through his hair. "Dante's right," he mutters. "We've been lucky so far, but we're running out of options. Sooner or later, we'll have to face the fact that this isn't going to end unless—"

A sound from outside cuts him off. It's soft at first, like the creak of an old floorboard, but we all hear it. My body goes rigid as every hair on the back of my neck stands on end.

"They're here," Dante whispers, his eyes narrowing as he steps away from the window.

A second later, the windows explode inward, shards of glass flying across the room as dark figures burst into the house. The rogues. They've found us.

Everything happens in a blur.

Lila is on her feet instantly, her eyes flashing as she moves with inhuman speed toward the nearest rogue. Nikolai is already baring his fangs, launching himself at two of them with a fierce growl. Dante grabs my arm and yanks me behind him, his body a shield between me and the chaos.

"Stay behind me," he growls, his voice sharp with command.

But before I can react, one of the rogues spots me. His eyes gleam with hunger as he lunges toward me, too fast for me to do anything but stumble backward, my heart racing with terror. I try to fight him off, but his grip is iron, dragging me toward him as his fangs flash in the dim light.

"Olivia!" Lila's voice cuts through the noise, but she's too far away, fighting off another rogue.

Just as the rogue's teeth graze my skin, Dante is there, tearing him away from me with terrifying strength. He slams the rogue against the wall, his movements swift and brutal. "Get to the car!" he shouts at me, his voice filled with urgency.

I run, my legs trembling beneath me as I dart toward the door. The chaos behind me fades slightly as I burst into the hallway. My heart pounds in my chest, adrenaline surging through my veins as I sprint toward the car.

A sharp pain slices through the arch of my foot, but I keep running, barely aware of the injury in the rush of fear and adrenaline. My only thought is to get to the car, to get to safety.

Before I can reach the car, I hear a door slam behind me as Lila and Nikolai emerge, their faces drawn with tension. Dante is right behind them, his face hard with anger as he throws one last glance back at the shattered windows.

"Go!" Lila shouts as she pushes me into the back seat.

Nikolai doesn't need any more prompting. He slides into the driver's seat and slams his foot on the gas, the car lurching backward out of the garage as we speed away from the house.

I collapse in the back seat, my heart still racing as I glance back toward the house, the broken windows disappearing into the distance. "That was too close," I whisper, my voice shaky.

"We're not going to make it if we keep doing this," Nikolai mutters, his knuckles white as he grips the steering wheel. "We can't just keep running, Dante. This isn't working."

Lila turns to look at me, her eyes soft with concern. "Are you bleeding?"

I shake my head, my hands still shaking. "I don't think so."

But then I feel it—a sharp, throbbing pain shooting up from my foot, the same place where I'd stepped on something sharp in my frantic rush to the car. I wince, lifting my leg slightly to glance down, and that's when I see the blood pooling in the floor.

"Oh," I whisper, my voice trembling. "I didn't realize…"

Lila's eyes widen, and in an instant, she's kneeling in front of me, her hands gently gripping my foot. "You stepped on something," she says softly, her voice calm despite the urgency in her movements. She carefully inspects the wound, her fingers pulling out a jagged shard of glass. The pain intensifies, sharp and unbearable as she works, and I bite down hard on my lip to keep from crying out.

"This is deep," she murmurs, her brow furrowing as she glances up at me. "I can heal it, but it's going to hurt. A lot."

I nod, my breath shaky as I try to brace myself. "Just do it."

Lila meets my eyes for a brief moment, her expression full of quiet apology, and then she leans down, her tongue gently tracing the wound. The pain hits me instantly, blinding and intense, like fire shooting up my leg. I gasp, my entire body tensing as the agony rips through me.

Before I can gather myself, the sounds of Nikolai and Dante's argument pierce the moment.

"See! This isn't working! You know we can't keep her safe as she is, Dante," Nikolai growls, his voice strained with anger.

"We're not turning her, Nikolai!" Dante shoots back, his tone fierce. "We don't get to make that choice for her."

"And if she gets killed because of us? What then?" Nikolai's voice trembles with frustration, his hands clenching the steering wheel. "She's not going to survive like this!"

"Neither will we if we keep fighting and crash the car!" Lila hisses, her voice sharp as she struggles to balance healing me and calming the men. "Focus!"

The pain in my foot burns hotter, Lila's tongue working over the wound, healing it slowly but agonizingly. My vision blurs, and a deep sense of anxiety washes over me. I try to speak, to say something to stop the argument, but the words won't come.

"Nikolai, we protect her, no matter what it takes. That means respecting her choice," Dante says, his voice tight with barely restrained fury.

"I am trying to protect her!" Nikolai's voice cracks, his anger giving way to desperation.

Lila's hand presses harder against my leg as she works to close the wound, her voice filled with frustration. "Can you both stop fighting for five minutes?"

But I can't hear them anymore. The heat of the pain, the weight of their argument, and the overwhelming sense of helplessness become too much. My heart pounds in my ears, my breaths come in short gasps, and before I know it, the darkness is creeping in, swallowing everything.

The last thing I hear is Lila calling my name, her voice a distant echo as my world goes black.