Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women
Chapter 1076

Chapter 1076: Chapter 1076

He kissed her head, rocked her gently, trying to calm her. "It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. I won’t let it take you. I won’t."

They sat like that until dawn broke.

When they returned to the others, Jude held Sophie’s hand like she was his last breath. She didn’t smile anymore. She didn’t speak much. But she stayed close to him.

The others stirred slowly. Layla stretched lazily across the moss like a cat, flashing a sultry smile in Sophie’s direction. Zoey bit her bottom lip, glancing between them with mischief in her eyes. And Rose... Rose watched Sophie for a long time, and then smiled, like she already knew.

They didn’t say anything.

The day began in silence. A strange, fragile truce settled over the group. Jude suggested they go fishing, get away from the clearing, focus on something real. Most of them agreed.

Sophie stayed beside him, her fingers always touching his wrist or his shirt or his shoulder, like physical contact was the only thing tethering her back to herself.

The river was calm, glimmering in the mid-morning light. Scarlet, Emma, and Natalie tried to make light jokes while casting their nets, and for a while, the mood almost felt normal.

Jude and Sophie sat by the bank, pretending to sort through baskets while watching Layla, Zoey, and Rose across the stream.

They were whispering. Touching. Laughing too softly.

"They don’t sleep anymore," Sophie whispered. "I heard them at night. Walking. Chanting sometimes."

"Chanting?"

"It’s not words. Just sounds. Like... breathing but wrong."

He reached for her hand. "We need to find what’s causing this. Before it takes everyone."

"What if it’s too late?"

He shook his head. "No. If you could fight it, others can too."

She looked at him then, her eyes filled with tears. "I’m scared, Jude."

He leaned in, kissed her lips gently. "So am I. But I’ve got you. Always."

Later, when they returned to the camp, Jude noticed Emma staring at Layla with curiosity. The way Layla’s hips swayed exaggeratedly. The way she caressed her own neck while speaking. And the way Emma smiled back, hesitantly, drawn like a moth.

He pulled Emma aside briefly. "Hey, you okay?"

Emma shrugged. "Yeah. Just... Layla seems really confident lately. It’s kind of hot, honestly."

He nodded, trying not to panic. "Just be careful, okay?"

She laughed. "Careful? Jude, we’re all stuck together forever. There’s nothing left to be afraid of."

That night, Jude kept Sophie close in the treehouse. He didn’t let her sleep alone. She fell asleep in his arms, murmuring things he couldn’t quite make out. He held her tighter.

But just before dawn, he felt her body stiffen.

He opened his eyes slowly, breath caught in his throat.

Sophie was awake again. Sitting up. Smiling.

Not crying. Not broken.

Smiling.

Like Rose.

Jude didn’t move. He barely breathed.

Sophie turned her head toward the window, then slowly looked down at him.

And her voice, so sweet, so soft, whispered, "It’s so much easier when you stop fighting."

Then she laid back down, closed her eyes.

And fell asleep. Peacefully.

Jude stayed awake until the sun rose, his heart heavy and breaking.

Because the woman beside him was no longer the one he fell in love with.

And he didn’t know how many of them he had left.

The sun climbed lazily through the canopy, warming the forest floor and drawing long shadows from the tangled roots. Jude crouched by the edge of the stream, watching it glisten and twist around smooth stones like silver snakes. Behind him, Layla was humming, low, melodic, something that danced in the back of his mind. He tried to focus on the water, on the fish flickering beneath the surface, but the way she lingered close, brushing her fingers down his arm every so often, made it nearly impossible.

Sophie sat a little farther back with Zoey, both pretending to sort through baskets of gathered herbs and small fruits, though their eyes often wandered toward Layla. Or rather, toward her effect on him. Rose had gone ahead with Grace, deeper into the woods to scout the nearby cliffs. It had been Rose’s idea, she’d insisted the cliffs were changing again, and if they didn’t track the shifts soon, they might lose access to the southern trail entirely. She’d been unusually assertive that morning, and Grace followed her with an obedient smile that made Jude’s stomach knot.

It had been days since he and Sophie talked about what was happening to them, what had already happened to Rose, Layla, Zoey, and now, maybe Grace. Sophie wasn’t saying much anymore. She was watching instead, her gaze cautious and quiet, her touch gentler than before. Sometimes she still smiled at him the way she used to, with that secret softness that melted everything. But sometimes she didn’t smile at all. And when she didn’t, Jude felt like he was losing her again.

The breeze shifted. Layla leaned closer, her hand slipping along his side under the hem of his shirt. "You’re tense," she whispered, pressing her lips to his shoulder.

He looked at her. "We’re out here looking for the cause of what’s happening. Can you try not to distract me?"

She tilted her head, her hair brushing his cheek. "Maybe the distraction is the answer."

"Layla, "

She straddled him without warning, pinning him gently against the soft grass. "Don’t you trust me, Jude?" Her voice was low, almost pleading.

He didn’t move at first. Her hips pressed to his, her fingers tracing the curve of his neck. She kissed him slowly, and the hunger in her mouth was familiar now. Familiar and terrifying. Because it wasn’t just seduction anymore. It was control.

Sophie cleared her throat behind them. Jude gently pushed Layla back and sat up, his breath uneven. Sophie didn’t speak. She just gave him a look that said you don’t have to explain, but also you should have to stop before you lose yourself too.