The Forgotten Blood God

Xavier barely recognized himself.

The moment his teeth sank into the deer's throat, something inside him snapped—an instinct buried deep, rising to the surface with violent, uncontrollable force. Warm blood filled his mouth, thick and rich, the metallic tang hitting his senses like lightning striking the earth. His entire body lit up with newfound energy, a rush so intoxicating it nearly brought him to his knees.

For the first time since his family burned, since he fled into the wilderness, since the hunger clawed at his insides—he felt whole.

His body stopped shaking. His breath slowed. The burning pain that had been tearing through his veins for days eased into something else—something powerful.

His heart thundered in his chest, but it wasn't from fear.

It was from something far more dangerous.

Satisfaction.

The hunger that had tormented him, the gnawing emptiness that had nearly driven him mad, was finally, blissfully, silenced.

But the power?

The power remained.

He could hear everything—the distant rustling of a fox in the underbrush, the whispered breath of the wind through the trees, the rhythmic pulse of Zander's heartbeat standing only a few feet away.

And gods above, he could feel it too.

He tore himself away from the deer's body with a gasp, staggering backward. The warmth of fresh blood still coated his tongue, dripped from his lips. He wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand, only to smear crimson further across his skin.

His chest heaved. His fingers twitched at his sides.

He had done it.

He had killed.

And for a fleeting moment, it had felt right.

His stomach twisted violently.

"What… the hell was that?" His voice was barely above a whisper, rough and ragged.

Zander stood there, arms crossed, his gaze steady. Unfazed. "That," he said, "was your first taste of what you are."

Xavier's pulse pounded.

He had expected disgust. Nausea. Horror.

But all he felt was raw, unfiltered power humming through his veins.

And that was far, far worse.

The walk back to Zander's home was different.

Xavier felt it in his bones, in the way his steps no longer dragged, in the way his body felt lighter, stronger, faster. His exhaustion was gone, replaced by something restless, something primal.

The world was clearer than it had ever been before. Shadows stretched longer, the scent of the trees sharper, the sounds of the night impossibly loud.

He clenched his fists, trying to focus, trying to shake the lingering rush that still coiled in his gut like a living thing.

Zander glanced at him as they walked. "You handled that better than I expected."

Xavier scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I tackled a deer and drank its blood, Zander. That's not normal."

"For you, it is."

Xavier's jaw clenched. "I don't want it to be."

Zander sighed. "You don't have a choice."

The words stung, but Xavier didn't respond. Because deep down, he knew Zander was right.

The hunger had controlled him. And what terrified him most?

For a moment, he had let it.

…By the time they reached Zander's house, dawn was creeping over the horizon. The cold morning air bit at Xavier's skin, but his body barely registered it. He had barely made it through the door before a voice cut through the quiet.

"You're back."

Xavier froze, instincts flaring before his mind could process the words.

Kayla stood in the doorway, arms crossed, her dark eyes watching him with a strange mix of curiosity and amusement. There was something sharp about the way she looked at him—like she already knew everything that had happened.

Zander sighed, rubbing his temples. "Go back to sleep, Kayla."

She ignored him, stepping forward, her eyes locked onto Xavier. "Did he do it?"

Xavier stiffened.

Zander exhaled through his nose. "Not now."

Kayla tilted her head slightly, never breaking eye contact with Xavier. Her stare burned through him, sharp, dissecting. Then, after a moment, she nodded to herself.

"You fed."

It wasn't a question.

Xavier tensed, his stomach twisting. "How do you—"

"I can smell it."

His breath caught.

Kayla wrinkled her nose slightly, but there was no disgust in her expression—only curiosity. "You still smell human, though. That's weird."

Xavier's jaw clenched. "I am human."

Kayla smirked, stepping a little closer. "Sure."

Something inside him snapped. "I didn't ask for this!"

Kayla shrugged, her gaze never wavering. "Neither did I."

Xavier stopped cold.

For the first time, he really looked at her—not just at her sharp, knowing eyes, or the way she carried herself with quiet confidence, but at the truth that lingered beneath her words.

She had always known.

Unlike him.

His throat went dry. "I…" The words caught in his throat, trapped between anger and something else.

Kayla sighed, shaking her head. "You'll get over it."

Then, instead of walking away, she did something unexpected. She stepped even closer, close enough that he could feel the warmth of her body despite the morning chill. She tilted her head up at him, eyes flickering with something unreadable.

"You're taller than I thought you'd be," she mused, her voice low and teasing. "I always imagined you'd be a little scrawnier."

Xavier blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

Kayla smiled, slow and lazy, a hint of amusement in her gaze. "Zander's told me about you. A lot. He always made it sound like you were this big, serious, 'tragic' hero. But really? You're just another lost pup."

Xavier's face burned. "I'm not—"

"Relax." Kayla reached out, her fingers ghosting over his wrist before pulling away just as quickly. "You'll get used to it eventually."

Xavier swallowed hard, his body still too aware of the way she had been standing just close enough to invade his space but not quite touching.

She turned then, but not before throwing one last glance over her shoulder. "And for the record? You don't smell that bad… yet."

With that, she disappeared into the next room, leaving Xavier standing there, dumbfounded.

Zander clapped a hand on his shoulder, the amused smirk on his face impossible to ignore. "Don't take it personally."

Xavier exhaled, rubbing his hands over his face. "She doesn't even flinch, does she?"

Zander chuckled, shaking his head. "She's stronger than she looks."

Xavier clenched his jaw.

He wished he could say the same about himself

…That night, sleep did not come easy.

Xavier lay awake, staring at the ceiling, every nerve in his body still buzzing with the aftermath of the hunt. The hunger was quiet now, but not gone. Never gone.

He could still taste the blood. Still feel the warmth of it on his tongue.

And worst of all?

Some part of him had liked it.

The thought twisted in his gut, made him feel sick, filthy, wrong.

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to breathe slow, steady.

He wouldn't be a monster.

He wouldn't.

But deep inside, something whispered to him.

Something ancient.

Something hungry.

He squeezed his eyes shut, muscles tensing.

For now, he could still pretend he was the same person he had been yesterday.

Even if he knew that was a lie.