Stuck in an Island with Twelve Beautiful Women
Chapter 1088

Chapter 1088: Chapter 1088

"Susan," he said quietly.

She turned her head, met his eyes.

Then she smiled wider.

That same, slow, eerie curve of the lips.

Like she had just heard the voice of something ancient and beautiful and had chosen to obey.

He backed away.

Sophie grabbed his hand. "It’s spreading faster."

That night, he couldn’t sleep. Again.

He sat by the fire long after the others had gone to their hammocks. Rose sat near him, silent. Not touching him, but close enough he could feel her warmth.

"You saw it," she said softly. "Didn’t you?"

He didn’t look at her. "I see a lot lately."

"You saw it choose Susan."

"I saw Susan change."

Rose leaned in, her voice low and thick with amusement. "It’s not a change. It’s an awakening."

"To what?"

She smiled again. "To who we really are."

"You’re not yourself."

"I am more myself than ever before."

He stood up. "I’ll fight it. Whatever it is."

She tilted her head. "You say that now. But the island... it knows you. It loves you. It’s just waiting for you to love it back."

He left her by the fire and walked to the far edge of camp. Grace stood there, looking out into the dark.

"I saw her too," she said without turning. "Susan. She’s gone."

Jude didn’t answer.

"There’s a pattern," Grace whispered. "Rose. Then Layla. Then Zoey. Now Susan. Each one gets... touched. Changed. Then spreads it."

Jude closed his eyes.

"How do we stop it?" he asked.

"I don’t know," she said. "But I think we’re running out of time."

Jude looked back toward the fire.

Rose was still sitting there.

Watching.

Smiling.

Natalie leaned against the smooth bark of the tree, her breath catching slightly as the mist of early evening curled around her bare shoulders. She had wandered away from the camp, needing time alone. The air felt charged, like the island was whispering in her ear, tugging her deeper into the unknown. Her thoughts kept circling back to Zoey’s smile that morning, too wide, too content, too... practiced. And Susan, who barely spoke but touched Natalie’s arm a little too slowly, her fingers lingering like they belonged there. It should have unnerved her. But it didn’t. It thrilled her.

She heard footsteps behind her, soft as rain. When she turned, Rose was standing there, all shadow and grace, the setting sun casting a halo around her hair. She didn’t speak, only stepped closer, her eyes drinking Natalie in as if she’d been waiting just for her.

"Hey," Natalie said, voice small but unafraid.

"You’re so beautiful in this light," Rose whispered, her fingers brushing Natalie’s wrist.

Natalie didn’t move. Something pulsed between them, slow, electric, ancient.

"I don’t know what’s happening," Natalie said, trying to keep her voice steady. "But I feel... strange. Different."

Rose’s hand cupped her cheek, her thumb brushing over her lower lip. "You’re waking up. That’s all. You’re finally seeing the island for what it is."

"And what is it?"

Rose leaned closer, her lips brushing Natalie’s ear. "Home."

Their mouths met before Natalie could think, fire sparking instantly. It wasn’t the first time they’d kissed, but it was the first time Natalie felt consumed. There was no hesitation in Rose, only hunger, slow and seductive and unstoppable. Natalie gave in completely.

When they returned to camp, Layla greeted them with a knowing smile, and Susan’s eyes glinted like moonlight on still water. Natalie walked past Jude without a word, her hand brushing over his arm, lingering just long enough to send a shiver down his spine. And when she turned, her smile matched Rose’s.

Later that night, Jude lay awake beside Sophie, his chest tight with dread. Natalie had changed. He saw it in her eyes, in the way she moved, the way she stared at Rose like she was her sun and sky. Sophie stirred beside him, her head lifting.

"She’s next," she whispered.

"She already changed," he replied.

Sophie sat up. "Then we have to protect the others."

But when morning came, Emma was gone. No one noticed until hours later when breakfast was nearly over. Stella thought she saw her near the lake. Grace said she’d gone to the forest. No one could agree. Jude grabbed his satchel and knife and prepared to head out, but Rose appeared from the trees with Emma beside her, their fingers entwined.

Emma looked radiant, flushed with color, her smile softer than usual. She kissed Stella on the cheek, hugged Grace tightly, and leaned into Susan’s arms with a sigh.

"I just needed some air," she said. "I’m fine now."

But Jude saw the way her gaze lingered on Rose. And when she laughed, it carried that same eerie melody that was no longer just Rose’s or Layla’s or Zoey’s. It was theirs.

By sunset, Emma danced barefoot in the clearing, her body fluid and uninhibited. She laughed when Rose lifted her up by the waist and spun her around. They moved like wind and water, perfect reflections of each other. The other wives clapped, cheered, joined in.

All except Sophie, who sat beside Jude, her fingers digging into the earth.

"They’re falling," she said. "All of them."

"I know," Jude said. "I know."

That night, Grace lingered by the river. She had been quiet for days, watching everything. She wasn’t like the others, she noticed the cracks. The smiles that came too easily, the way they finished each other’s sentences. The way they always stayed close now, always touched.

When Rose sat beside her on the riverbank, Grace didn’t speak. She only stared into the water.

"I’m not here to trick you," Rose said.

"I never said you were."

"You’re strong," Rose continued, her voice low and soothing. "So calm. The others admire you."

Grace remained silent.

"Don’t you feel it?" Rose asked. "The way the island watches us? It wants us to be more. It wants you."

Grace looked at her then. "And if I don’t want it?"