Haunting-Adeline
the balls for it, but I couldn’t li my leg an inch if I tried.“What are you going to do?” I choke out, the stu er of my words in syncwith the beat of my heart.His hot breath fans across my cheek, and I feel the glide of his lipsalongside my jaw. I swallow, but I nearly choke from how dry my throat hasbecome. Those lips descend to the column of my neck, ski ering alongun l he pauses on the spot right below my ear.“I’m going to claim you,” he says, right before his teeth clamp down.My back arches involuntarily, repulsion and pleasure marrying in mynerves, sending misfires to my brain. All coherent thoughts escape from mymind as a result, leaving me with nothing but basic ins nct.He groans, his teeth piercing as his tongue laps at my flesh. My mouthopens, a silent scream suc oned away just as his mouth does the same,drawing in deep like he’s drinking the essence from my body. And then he’spulling back, dragging his teeth along my skin as he lets go, leaving the spotsmar ng with pain.My hands press into his chest for stability or to push him away, I am notsure. Though my ques on is quickly answered when ins nct coerces myhands to curl, gripping his hoodie ght and anchoring myself to him as ifhe’s my lifeline. When really, he’s the one who’s killing me.Severe shivers wrack my body when he licks a wet trail down to thejuncture of my neck. He pauses, and it feels like my body is hanging over apointed knife. I hold my breath, the an cipa on ra ling my bones.And then he’s bi ng down again, pulling an animalis c sound from thedepths of my chest. He does this, over and over, leaving a trail of bruisesdown my neck and across my shoulder.I’m breathless by the me he pulls away.“Good girl,” he breathes, his own voice airy. Somehow, that makes mefeel worse. I want him to hate it as much as I should’ve.I can’t explain why I do what I do next. I’ll ask God later. But in thatmoment, I’m so overcome with a tsunami of emo ons that I reach up andbite his cheek.Hard.Blood spurts into my mouth, but I don’t care, I just bite harder.Maybe I want to hurt him back. Give him a taste of his own medicine.Make him feel whatever I feel.
Regardless of the reason, he doesn’t take kindly to it. His hand wrapsaround my throat, pushing me back while he rips his face away. My headthumps against the wall, a dull throb radia ng from the spot.He’s squeezing ghtly, but I don’t care. I feel jus fied. If he kills me hereand now, at least I can say I le one last mark on him.He growls low, a sound of frustra on and something else that I can’t puta name to.I stare up at him, blood coa ng my tongue and trailing down my chin. It’sa small amount. I didn’t get the chance to rip his face to shreds like Iwanted. But the small dots of blood on his face leave me feelinginvigorated all the same.“I’m beginning to think you like to be punished, which means I’m justgoing to have to do be er.”Before I can react, he’s li ing me up and tossing me over his shoulderlike a sack of potatoes.“Fucker!” I snap, banging my fists against his back. I am not a potato.A sharp slap to my ass is his only response.He carries me down the steps, takes a le turn into the hallway anddown towards the sunroom. The en re me I fight, kicking and punching,but he acts like a bu erfly is a acking him.As if he hears my frustra ons, he says, “Baby, the wind can do moredamage than what you’re doing.”“Want to see my teeth again, asshole? I’ll keep making your face uglier.”“Keep telling yourself that, but we both know my scars make you wet,”he retorts, amusement coloring his words. I growl, frustrated by howfucking unruffled he is. And because he’s not en rely wrong.No, dumbass, he is wrong.More curses flood out of my mouth, but they’re cut short when he dragsmy body down his front un l my legs are wrapped around his waist, andhe’s cradling me to his chest.Oh, fuck this.I li my hands to scratch his face, maybe do a li le eye-gouging, butinstead, I just squeal. He swoops me backward, my stomach bo oming outas he sets me on the ground, flat on my back. He kneels before me, hisarms on either side of my head as he braces himself over me.
- Page 113 and 114: This was undoubtedly a crime of pas
- Page 115: I find myself curling deeper into t
- Page 118 and 119: Another flash of movement causes me
- Page 120 and 121: fear. But also from something else.
- Page 122 and 123: My strangled scream pierces the air
- Page 124 and 125: I roll my eyes. “Because I manipu
- Page 126 and 127: “Addie, he could s ll be here. We
- Page 129 and 130: Chapter 12The Shadowhere’s anothe
- Page 131 and 132: ones aren’t iden fiable. I imagin
- Page 133 and 134: But no one is there, despite the pe
- Page 135: The video restarts. I snarl, the cr
- Page 138 and 139: Rushing over, I grab the swinging s
- Page 140 and 141: Switching to the other note, it tak
- Page 142 and 143: I li my hand and flip him the bird.
- Page 144 and 145: It’s not un l a er I take a hot s
- Page 146 and 147: in the world to happen—my body is
- Page 149 and 150: Chapter 14The Manipulatoraya put so
- Page 151 and 152: They treat it like a concert to avo
- Page 153 and 154: release a shaky breath.I have a cho
- Page 156 and 157: Chapter 15The Manipulator’m compl
- Page 158 and 159: I gasp, my eyes widening and snappi
- Page 160 and 161: “Mm,” he growls in delight. “
- Page 162 and 163: the hallway I came from.I bolt thro
- Page 166: Above him, the stars are twinkling
- Page 169 and 170: “Do you know what these mean?”
- Page 171 and 172: seeing. What I’m feeling.Slowly,
- Page 173 and 174: rips through me.I’m screaming. I
- Page 175 and 176: I can never let Daya see those mark
- Page 177 and 178: “No,” I say finally, refraining
- Page 179: “They’re going to be a problem,
- Page 182 and 183: She doesn’t know I’m hiding in
- Page 184 and 185: me she gets scared, my li le mouse
- Page 186 and 187: Chapter 18The ManipulatorNKNOWN: Yo
- Page 188 and 189: The phone lights up with an incomin
- Page 190 and 191: As if I wasn’t already burning up
- Page 192 and 193: “Fuck. Off!” I shout, enuncia n
- Page 194 and 195: But the tape doesn’t mask the sou
- Page 196 and 197: Gently, he scrapes his teeth over t
- Page 198 and 199: My eyes close against the sensa on,
- Page 200 and 201: Being consumed by him feels like dr
- Page 203 and 204: Chapter 19The Shadowdon’t regret
- Page 205 and 206: Sighing again, I pluck the pack of
- Page 207 and 208: Addie’s great-grandmother could
- Page 209 and 210: She snorts. “You really think I
- Page 211 and 212: are ever taken seriously anyways, w
- Page 213 and 214: Immediately, he dives for cover, pu
the balls for it, but I couldn’t li my leg an inch if I tried.
“What are you going to do?” I choke out, the stu er of my words in sync
with the beat of my heart.
His hot breath fans across my cheek, and I feel the glide of his lips
alongside my jaw. I swallow, but I nearly choke from how dry my throat has
become. Those lips descend to the column of my neck, ski ering along
un l he pauses on the spot right below my ear.
“I’m going to claim you,” he says, right before his teeth clamp down.
My back arches involuntarily, repulsion and pleasure marrying in my
nerves, sending misfires to my brain. All coherent thoughts escape from my
mind as a result, leaving me with nothing but basic ins nct.
He groans, his teeth piercing as his tongue laps at my flesh. My mouth
opens, a silent scream suc oned away just as his mouth does the same,
drawing in deep like he’s drinking the essence from my body. And then he’s
pulling back, dragging his teeth along my skin as he lets go, leaving the spot
smar ng with pain.
My hands press into his chest for stability or to push him away, I am not
sure. Though my ques on is quickly answered when ins nct coerces my
hands to curl, gripping his hoodie ght and anchoring myself to him as if
he’s my lifeline. When really, he’s the one who’s killing me.
Severe shivers wrack my body when he licks a wet trail down to the
juncture of my neck. He pauses, and it feels like my body is hanging over a
pointed knife. I hold my breath, the an cipa on ra ling my bones.
And then he’s bi ng down again, pulling an animalis c sound from the
depths of my chest. He does this, over and over, leaving a trail of bruises
down my neck and across my shoulder.
I’m breathless by the me he pulls away.
“Good girl,” he breathes, his own voice airy. Somehow, that makes me
feel worse. I want him to hate it as much as I should’ve.
I can’t explain why I do what I do next. I’ll ask God later. But in that
moment, I’m so overcome with a tsunami of emo ons that I reach up and
bite his cheek.
Hard.
Blood spurts into my mouth, but I don’t care, I just bite harder.
Maybe I want to hurt him back. Give him a taste of his own medicine.
Make him feel whatever I feel.
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