her scent -+- miguel ohara -+- ~~~~Complete

7 🕸️Lingering shadows🕸️

I was still dazed, the scent surrounding me, suffocating and intoxicating. It clung to the air, growing thicker the closer I got. My thoughts were clouded, but I needed to focus—this could be the only chance I had to get answers, even if it meant leaving everything behind.

"Layla, shut yourself off," I said in a calm tone, but underneath it, I could hear the anger bubbling.

"Wha—" And just like that, she was gone. The voice-activated turn-off function was efficient, but it didn't ease my frustration.

The thick smoke that clouded the building's halls didn't help either. But I could make out a shape—a body. A female body.

"That has to be her," I muttered, my breath heavy as I made my way through the smoke.

The scent was growing stronger. It was unmistakable. This was her. Spiderluna.

I knelt down and flipped the woman over, my breath hitching as her features came into view. It was as if the world slowed. My stomach twisted with a strange mix of dread and something darker, more primal.

Thoughts of marking every inch of her pale, delicate skin danced in my mind. Of gripping her dark hair, of holding her down as I—

No. Focus.

The building could collapse at any moment.

I glanced around, trying to find a way out. The same window I entered was too far away now. Frustrated, I grabbed a chair and swung it at the glass, only to watch it bounce off. "What is this window made of, rubber?" I cursed under my breath, finding myself caught between trying to save her and wanting to tear down every obstacle in my way.

I couldn't stop. I had to get her out of here.

I grabbed a blanket from the couch, wrapping her up to keep her warm and shield her from the chilling air outside. I wouldn't let anyone else see her like this, torn and vulnerable. That was for me to see. And no one else.

I scooped her up, holding her bridal style as I made my way toward the window. But before I could get far, the building trembled beneath me. The fire had reached the gas lines.

Boom.

The explosion sent shockwaves through the building, and I lost my grip on her. She was hurled through the air, the blanket unraveling as she tumbled toward the ground below, flames licking at the debris still falling around her.

The world around me slowed. I could hear the screams of people evacuating, the desperate shouts of the other Spiders trying to assist.

But all I could focus on was her—falling.

I had to save her.

I launched myself after her, diving into the air. Below, I saw the others, their eyes widening as they looked up, watching me. The blanket fluttered in the wind, and I saw her—her torn, burned clothing—falling.

I was so close. So close.

Just a little more...

I reached out, wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her to me as she draped her arms around my neck. The air was sharp against my skin as I shot a web into a nearby building, swinging us both to safety.

We landed on the roof of a nearby building, and I carefully laid her down. My fingers searched for signs of serious injury, but there was nothing fatal. She was still alive.

Relief flooded me for a moment before the guilt returned. The others were finally making their way onto the rooftop. I stood, pacing, my mind already racing. The building I was in earlier was crumbling into the streets.

I could already feel the scolding from Jessica coming. It was only a matter of time.

I sat down beside her, watching as the others finally arrived, each one seemingly having their own way of scolding me in their head. Jessica was the first to speak.

"Miguel, that was really stupid of you to—"

"Layla, turn yourself back on," I muttered, cutting her off before she could finish her rant.

And, of course, Layla's holographic face appeared again.

Now I had two voices of reason to deal with. Jessica, Layla, both lecturing me at once. They were relentless.

None of them even looked at the woman who lay unconscious on the ground. I could feel the possessiveness crawling up my spine, itching for release.

"Are you two finally done?" I snapped, the tension in my voice unmistakable. They paused, perhaps realizing they were no longer getting under my skin.

"You better be, because we need to bring her to the med bay at the Spiderverse," I added, already pushing forward with the next step. "Move. Now."

I pointed down at the woman on the ground, and Jessica glanced at her, her eyes widening as the realization hit her.

"Wait..." Jessica's voice trailed off, disbelief evident on her face as she crouched down beside the unconscious woman. "Isn't this Spiderluna?"

I nodded, my voice low as I said, "Of course it is."

The weight of Jessica's stare didn't escape me, and I could almost feel her silently questioning me. But I didn't care.

I didn't care for her name, or her history, or even what she looked like beneath the tattered clothing. What I knew for sure was that the scent that kept haunting me—it came from her.

Her scent had become my obsession. And I couldn't explain it. I hadn't even known her for long—hell, I hadn't even spoken to her much—but something about her, something about that scent, had gotten under my skin.

I wanted more of it. I wanted to be close to her, even if it drove me to the edge. The way it pulled at me, how it seemed to cloud my thoughts, making everything else fade away... I couldn't deny that I needed it. I needed her.

And I wasn't going to let anything stand in my way.

"Let's go," I snapped, pushing down the possessive thoughts that threatened to take over.

Jessica and the others didn't need any more convincing. They nodded, and within moments, the familiar hum of the hexagonal portals surrounded us. I stood, lifting Spiderluna's unconscious form once again and pulling her into my arms. With a single glance at the others, the portal opened, and we stepped through.

The Spiderverse med bay awaited us, but I had no idea what awaited me on the other side. All I knew was that the moment her scent clung to me, nothing else mattered.

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