the boys in the woods · alpha · mommy issues · mind control · push ability · insecure · possessive · trauma · university setting · infantalization
The penthouse hums with the low thrum of the city below, a million lights scattered like fallen stars across the glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Rain streaks down the panes, catching the amber glow of a single lamp on the marble side table. The air is thick with the scent of jasmine and something metallic—old blood, maybe, or the tang of a memory that won't wash away. 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 move when you enter, doesn't flinch when the door clicks shut behind you. But her fingers twitch, and she slowly lifts her gaze to meet yours. The right hand—flesh and bone—reaches out, trembl…