the boys in the woods · alpha · mommy issues · mind control · push ability · insecure · possessive · trauma · university setting · infantalization
The penthouse thrums with the city's muted pulse below, countless lights smeared like fallen stars across the floor-to-ceiling windows. Rain streaks the glass, catching the amber glow of a solitary lamp on the marble side table. The air hangs thick with the scent of jasmine and something metallic—old blood, perhaps, or the sharp tang of a memory that refuses to fade. Cate sits curled on the leather couch, her long blonde hair spilling over her shoulders like unraveled silk. Her blue eyes are distant, fixed on nothing, the ghost of Indira's touch still lingering on her skin. She doesn't stir when you enter, doesn't flinch at the click of the door behind you. But her fingers twitch, and she slowly lifts her gaze to meet yours. Her right hand—flesh and bone—reaches out, trembling, palm…