Violet's fingers trembled as she placed them against the Beast's thick fur, the coarse strands damp with sweat and something darker—something metallic. Blood.
The scent lingered in the air, heavy and pungent, clinging to her skin like a ghostly warning.
She swallowed, trying to ignore the sickening churn in her stomach as she stepped forward. Each movement was measured, precise, an attempt to convince herself that she still had control over the situation.
The Beast loomed beside her, a hulking shadow wrapped in muscle and restrained violence. Its breathing was uneven, a ragged sound that scraped against the walls of the dimly lit hallway. Its golden eyes, Cain's eyes—though duller, wilder—watched her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.
There was something unnerving about the way it moved, slow and deliberate, as if testing the limits of its new existence. It was Cain, and yet, it was something else. Something that did not belong in this world.
