Losing Control

A heavy gloom hung in the air, casting a shadow over the day. The sky was a dull gray, the clouds thick and looming. As I stepped outside, a strange unease settled in my stomach. It was as if something was lurking just beyond my perception. Perhaps it was the fact that my college days were now behind me, and the future lay uncertain before me. As I said goodbye to my parents at home, their usual warm and loving demeanor shifted into one of fear and hesitation. It tugged at my heart, making me wonder what they knew that I didn’t. Despite their efforts to hide it from me, I couldn’t shake off the feeling they were trying to protect me from something. And in that moment, I couldn’t help but wish that we didn’t have to leave town.

Bracing myself I grabbed my backpack and dashed toward the education building, trying to avoid getting drenched by the pouring rain. As I reached for my book bag, I realized I had forgotten my umbrella in the car. The rain showed no signs of stopping anytime soon, and I couldn’t risk going back to get it. I’d been practically living on campus this week, finishing up my final exams. Today was the last one at 5 o’clock, and all that was left was dropping off my thesis paper to Professor Simmons to officially complete my college career.

On my way to his office, I stopped by the bathroom to try and fix my soaked appearance. My auburn hair was sticking out of the ponytail I had hastily secured it in, and my black leggings were completely drenched. As I made my way down the hallway, I spotted Professor Simmons door with a mailbox labeled ‘thesis papers’ conveniently hanging next to it. With a sense of relief washing over me, I dropped my paper into the box. At just 23 years old, I was proud to have earned a Master’s degree in Education. My parents had promised to take me out to celebrate tonight, and I couldn’t wait to finally walk across that stage and receive my diploma. As I pulled up the hood of my jacket over my head (kicking myself for forgetting an umbrella), I couldn’t help but feel excited for what lay ahead in my future.

The campus buildings were all relatively close together, making the small campus feel even smaller. The main entrance was adorned with blooming flowerbeds and benches for students to sit and chat. The architecture was a mix of modern and historical, with brick buildings housing glossy classrooms and a sprawling library.

Thankfully, my car was just a short distance away from where I was. It didn’t hurt that my house was only 20 minutes away either. I’ve always been more of a homebody, having grown up with a sheltered upbringing. But that’s okay with me. My parents have always loved and protected me, constantly reminding me of the dangers that exist in the world.

Growing up, I never had many friends. We moved a lot, and my parents always said it was because of my dad’s job. They kept the details secret, so I never knew what he did exactly. During school, I would occasionally make friends, but we never hung out outside of school. I grew used to being on my own with just my parents for company. When it was time for college, I didn’t have anyone I was particularly close to that I would miss. My parents had always warned me not to get too attached to people since they wanted to move again once I graduated and got my diploma. I haven’t discussed my plans with them yet, but I’ve been thinking about finding a small school where I could teach. That way, my parents could travel without me and maybe I could even try dating. The thought made me laugh - my dad’s reaction would surely be priceless if I ever mentioned it to him.

He loved me and is very protective but I am an adult. I just needed them to see it. I’m hoping that finishing my degree will prove I am ready to go out on my own. Or at least give it a try.

The rain stopped after I dropped my thesis off. As I ran to my car I was able to dry off some. Pulling the keys from my pocket I got in. My little antique beauty is 25 years old but she runs like a charm, most days. The car is a vibrant shade of blue, the paint slightly chipped and worn from years of use.

I worked one summer to purchase this car all on my own and despite its age, the car still had a sleek and classic look, making me proud every time I saw it. I call her Barb so she knows she is special and won’t break down on me during a drive. After my book bag was placed in the passenger seat I headed home.

My stomach rumbled as I drove, so I stopped at McDonalds for a quick snack. My parents wanted to celebrate tonight, so I didn’t want to ruin their plans by telling them I had already eaten. After pulling into the parking lot, I sat in my car and ate. Suddenly, I heard a buzzing sound and realized it was my phone. I had left it on silent in my bag during my final exam and forgot to turn the volume back up. I tossed my food wrapper into the bag and placed it on the passenger seat. As I rummaged through my book bag, searching for my phone, I reminded myself that I needed to shower before celebrating with my parents since I had dressed comfortably for my exam earlier in the day.

After searching for my phone, I saw that I had missed 10 calls from my mom and 15 from my dad. My heart raced with confusion and worry - they knew I was taking my final exam. A chill ran down my spine as I dialed my dad’s number first. It only rang three times before going to voicemail. I called again, but this time it went straight to voicemail without ringing at all. I tried calling my mom next, but her phone also went immediately to voicemail. Something didn’t feel right. This was not typical behavior for my parents. My stomach twisted at the thought of something being wrong. Without hesitation, I pulled out of the parking lot and drove left towards home. We lived in a rural area, with our nearest neighbor about 5 miles away. I sped down the road, making the usually 20-minute drive in just 13 minutes.

The car wheels crunched over the gravel driveway as I made my way home. The familiar sight of our house greeted me, but something felt off. My parents’ cars were missing from their usual spots. My hands trembled as I put the car in park and jumped out, my heart racing with a sense of unease.

As I approached the front door, my blood turned cold. The solid oak door that usually hung with a welcome sign was lying on the ground, its hinges broken and splintered. Four deep scratches marred its surface, resembling claw marks but unlike any I had ever seen before. A chill ran down my spine as I stepped over the fallen door and stood in the doorway.

My eyes widened in horror as I saw a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs, staining the pristine white carpet. Following the trail of blood with growing dread, I noticed more drops and smears along the hallway walls as if something had been dragged while bleeding out. Bloody hand prints adorned the walls leading upstairs, a macabre path to follow.

“Mom! Dad!” I called out in panic, my voice echoing through the empty house. No one answered, and the silence only added to my fear. With shaky legs, I stepped over the pool of blood on the floor and headed up the stairs. In my dad’s bedroom, he kept his guns for protection - something I desperately needed now.

Reaching the top of the stairs, I could see that everything was in disarray. Furniture overturned, belongings scattered everywhere - it was like a scene from a horror movie. Claw marks raked along the walls, deep and jagged. My breaths came in short gasps as I hurried towards my parents’ room, trying to make sense of this madness. What had happened here? Where were my parents?

As I reached into my jacket pocket to grab my phone, I realized with a jolt that I had left it in the car. Panic started to set in as I remembered we didn’t have a landline. If I wanted to call the police, I would have to go back and get my phone first. I hurried towards my parents’ bedroom, following the trail of bloody handprints on the walls. My heart raced as I placed my hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it. Locked. Without hesitation, I reached for the key above the door frame - something my dad has always done since I was little. It used to be a fun game to lock my parents out of their own room. But now, in this moment, it seemed like a lifesaver. As soon as the door was unlocked, I pushed against it with all my strength. Something heavy blocked the other side, but with the help of adrenaline coursing through me, I managed to push it open. My eyes took in the horror of the room - dressers overturned, bed broken in half, feathers and stuffing strewn everywhere. A noise startled me and my gaze landed on my mom crawling out of the closet.

My heart raced as I ran over to my mom, who was lying on the ground covered in blood. Her eyes locked onto mine with relief and fear. She was barely conscious, but her grip on my wrist was tight.

“Mom, what happened?! I have to get you help!” I cried out, tears streaming down my face.

She coughed up blood and took a shallow breath before speaking. “Baby, listen carefully,” she managed to say, her voice strained. “You need to leave. They’ll come back for you.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “No, Mom, I can’t leave you.”

But she held on tighter. “You have to. Before it’s too late.” She coughed again, her breathing becoming more labored.

I frantically scanned her injuries - three deep claw marks across her face and a large contusion on her head. Every part of me wanted to stay and try to save her, but I knew she was right.

“I can call for help! Please let me get you help,” I begged, unwilling to leave her behind.

But she held fast and repeated herself, determination in her tone. “Go, Willa. Save yourself.”

Tears streamed down my face as I cried out, “I can’t leave you!”

But my mother’s words stopped me in my tracks. She was struggling to speak, coughing up blood with each word. “Listen to me and listen carefully.” Her voice was weak but determined. “We wanted to protect you, baby, from all of this. We thought we had everything under control. Your father and I have kept secrets from you, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy in your life. You see, we come from two different worlds - we were enemies. I was a part of my pack while your father was a part of a different pack. Our orders were to never see each other again. We couldn’t bring ourselves to do it because we were mates.”

She paused, coughing up more blood before continuing, “We ran away together, hoping to escape our problems. But then you came along and we knew we had to keep you safe at all costs. You are the best thing that ever happened to us.”

But her grip on my hand tightened, preventing me from calling for help. “Please,” she pleaded, “you need to get away from here before they find you. Your father got away but they’re still after him. They’ll come back for you too.”

I looked down at her stomach and noticed it was bleeding even more than before. Desperately, I tried to apply pressure to the wound.

“Just let me help you,” I begged.

But as I lifted her shirt, I froze in horror. The same claw marks from the door were etched across her stomach.

My mother’s hand fell limply from my face as she spoke her final words. “Go now,” she whispered with her dying breath.

But I couldn’t leave her like this. She was bleeding out and I didn’t know what to do.

“I can’t leave you, Mom. Not like this,” I sobbed.

Her bloody hand came to my cheek, a weak but comforting gesture. “I will always be with you, baby. Now go.”

A haunting howl pierced through the silence of the room, causing my mom’s eyes to widen in fear and tears to well up in them. I frantically scanned the space but saw nothing amiss. “Honey, you have to go now!” she urged urgently.

“Mom, I can’t just leave you here!” I protested, feeling torn between staying to keep her safe and leaving to find help.

Suddenly, her eyes turned as black as night and her body began to convulse violently. My heart raced with panic as I realized she was having a seizure and needed immediate medical attention. Without hesitation, I sprang up from my seat and took a few steps back.

But then something strange started happening. The sounds of bones cracking filled the air and my attention snapped back to my mom. To my shock, she was transforming before my eyes into some kind of creature. I couldn’t make out what it was exactly, but it appeared to be a large, brown wolf.

Terrified, I let out a shrill scream as the wolf leaped out of my parents’ window and bounded into the backyard. I cautiously approached the window for a better look and saw that there were around ten other wolves emerging from the nearby tree line. My mind struggled to process what was happening - had my mom turned into a werewolf?

The massive wolf darted off into the woods with the others hot on its trail. My legs trembled as I tried to comprehend what had just occurred before my very eyes. What the hell just happened?

I sprinted down the stairs, my heart racing as I could hear multiple howls coming from the nearby forest. Clumsily, I fumbled with the key and tried to start my car to escape. But after turning the key multiple times, all I heard was a frustrating clicking sound. I hit the steering wheel in frustration, cursing under my breath at the universe for my bad luck. With no other options in sight, I got out of the car and tried to figure out what to do next.

Feeling overwhelmed with fear and confusion, I covered my head with my arms and broke down in tears. Why was this happening to me? I had never hurt anyone in my life, yet suddenly everything was falling apart. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, the howling and fighting stopped abruptly. My heart pounding in my chest, I froze for a moment before instinctively taking off running again. The road eventually ended and I found myself running into the dense woods, not knowing where I was going or if I’d ever find my way back.

After about thirty minutes of nonstop running, I had to stop and catch my breath. The adrenaline that had been fueling me was slowly wearing off and reality was starting to set in. Not knowing what else to do, I sat on a large rock in the forest and wrapped my arms around my legs, burying my face into my knees as tears continued to stream down my face.

How could I possibly move on from this? Both of my parents were gone - or at least that’s what I assumed since they hadn’t been there to protect me when everything went wrong. How could they keep so much from me? And why did my mom turn into a wolf? None of it made any sense and it left me feeling completely broken and lost. As if on cue, a twig snapped nearby and I snapped my head up in fear. But after looking around, I saw nothing and wiped my tears away with little success as they continued to fall endlessly.

A shiver ran down my spine as an unsettling feeling crept over me. I took a deep, shaky breath and slowly turned my head, my heart pounding in my chest. My blood ran cold as I saw five massive wolves emerge from the dense forest. Two of them were coated in what looked like fresh blood, their eyes locked onto me with a predatory glint. My feet instinctively began to back away, but I soon realized there was a fallen log behind me, trapping me in place. Panic surged through me as one of the wolves started to advance towards me, its teeth bared and growling menacingly. I stumbled backward, my heel catching on the log and sending me tumbling backward. The impact of my head hitting something hard made stars dance before my eyes, everything becoming hazy and distorted. Through the blur, I could see two more wolves closing in on me with deadly intent. As darkness overtook me, I knew that these ferocious creatures would be my downfall.

The pounding in my head was unbearable. I struggled to open my eyes, but they refused to cooperate. My body felt heavy and sluggish as I tried to move. I could feel the coldness of something against my head, and it provided some relief to the throbbing pain. With great effort, my eyelids fluttered open and I found myself lying on a hard surface. As I gazed up, I realized I was inside a small room that looked nothing like any place I had ever been before.

Taking stock of my surroundings, I noticed that the room resembled an old-fashioned dungeon cell. The walls were made of stone, with dim lighting making it difficult to see much beyond the bars in front of me. Slowly, I sat up and cautiously tested my ability to stand. After making sure my dizziness had subsided, I approached the bars to get a better look at where I was being held prisoner. The room was freezing cold and devoid of any human presence besides myself.

Feeling overwhelmed by fear and confusion, I retreated back to the corner of the cell and curled up into a fetal position. Questions raced through my mind - why was I here? How had I ended up in this place? But no answers presented themselves.

Suddenly, there was a faint sound of a door opening down the long hall, causing me to flinch. Squinting against the light that poured into my cell, I turned away from the door. Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, growing louder with each step. Although I was tense with anticipation, I couldn’t bring myself to move from my safe corner.

Eventually, the footsteps came to a halt right outside my cell door. The jangling noise of keys being inserted into a lock filled the air, followed by the creaking of an old rusty door being opened.

The sound of a door opening snapped my head up. There stood a man, probably in his late twenties, with the cell door open. I was taken aback by his demand for me to come over to him. I didn’t know this guy and had no idea what his intentions were. If he wanted something from me, he could come get it himself. I remained unmoved.

“Listen here, girl. Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” he said. “I have orders and I must follow them, one way or another. So please, make this easy on me.”

“What’s the point? I have nothing left. Just kill me or leave me alone,” I responded, my voice surprisingly small. I wasn’t sure if he could even hear me.

“You won’t have to die if you just come with me. No need for any harm.” He continued talking about an Alpha and how they would decide what to do with me once he returned. I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at him; he sounded a bit crazy.

But despite his words, I refused to move from my spot on the ground. The man let out a frustrated groan before trying again.

“Please, just come with me. I don’t want to force you.” With a long exhale, I pushed myself up off the ground and attempted to walk towards him. My legs shook uncontrollably and I stumbled halfway there before my arms caught me around the waist. I looked up to see that it was the man who now held me in his arms. He tried to steady me before releasing his hold.

“Are you alright now?” he asked genuine concern in his voice.

I simply nodded my head in response.

“Okay then, we need to hurry before the Alpha returns. He wants to see the prisoner as soon as possible,” he explained. “I wouldn’t normally care, but I feel like I should help you. The Alpha and I have been friends since childhood, so maybe I can put in a good word for you and try to get you some leniency.”

I looked at him, still unsure of what was going on. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand,” I whispered as we walked down the hall.

“Oh, my apologies. I’m Eldric, also known as El the beta,” he introduced himself. “And the Alpha’s best friend, if that means anything to you.”

“I appreciate your kindness, but I just don’t see how any of this makes sense,” I replied honestly.

Eldric gave me a puzzled expression, mirroring the confusion on my own face. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying.”

“I could say the same to you,” I grumbled in response.

“You she-wolves are so complicated. They should write a guidebook on how to handle all of you.” He was teasing me, and I couldn’t help but crack a small smile.

His words slowly began to sink in. “Wait, what are you talking about?”

“Forget it, it was nothing. I know you females don’t like being compared to one another.” He rolled his eyes as we climbed the stairs from the cell room.

The rest of the way was quiet, and I welcomed the break from conversation. This day had been exhausting, and I probably looked even worse than I felt. Eldric led me outside once we reached the top of the stairs.

“The Alpha wants me to take you to the courthouse.” Eldric seemed hesitant to share this information with me.

I simply nodded, still trying to figure out who or what exactly an Alpha was. Was it referencing the Greek alphabet? A silver Ranger rover was waiting for us outside of the prison. Eldric placed me in the backseat before taking his place behind the wheel. As we drove, I took in the scenery outside. It was mostly wooded areas with sporadic clusters of houses before trees dominated the landscape again.

Suddenly, my gaze landed on the door handle. The car wasn’t moving very fast; I could easily open the door and jump out. It might hurt a little, but maybe it would be better than facing whatever was ahead of me. I glanced at Eldric, who was focused on driving and paying no attention to me. If I knew any better, I would say he was either talking to himself or constipated.

I gave Eldric one last pleading look before pulling on the handle of the door. It wouldn’t budge. I tried again and again, even using my feet to push against the door. “What’s going on? Let me out of here!” I begged, my voice rising in anger as tears streamed down my face.

“I’m sorry, but I had to activate the child locks,” Eldric explained matter-of-factly, continuing to drive without any sign of remorse.

“Please, I don’t belong here. I don’t know why I’m here!” I protested, struggling against my restraints.

“Unfortunately, the Alpha has a strict policy for traitors,” Eldric said with a shrug, making eye contact with me through the rearview mirror before I quickly looked away.

“I’m not a traitor! Let me go!” I yelled, kicking the back of the seat in frustration.

“Calm down. We can’t have you turning while we’re in the car. That could be dangerous for both of us,” Eldric reasoned, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove faster.

“You’re insane! None of this makes any sense. What are you even talking about?” I screamed in exasperation. This Eldric guy was completely crazy.

I watched as we pulled up to a large brick building with concrete steps leading up to two imposing oak doors. The words “Silvermoon Courthouse” were written in big white letters above the entrance. A few people were standing outside, engaged in conversation. The car came to a stop and my heart pounded with fear and confusion as I awaited my fate inside that foreboding building.

“I apologize, but we have arrived. Please listen to my advice and behave properly. If the Alpha deems you worthy, he may allow you to join the pack or perhaps work off your punishment.” Eldric parked the car and came to open the back door where I sat. His words echoed in my mind as I tried to make sense of them. What did he mean by “Alpha”? The only Alpha I knew of was a fraternity at school. Maybe Eldric was still stuck in his frat boy days. And what did he mean by “play nice”? I shouldn’t even be here; if they let me go, I would run away without looking back.

Eldric helped me out of the car and the bright sunlight hit my eyes. I hadn’t realized how tinted the windows were until now. He led me into a building that looked like a miniature courthouse. Where were we? I had lived in this town my whole life and had never seen this place before, or any of the places we passed on the drive here. Where were these people taking me?

I walked ahead of Eldric as he guided me inside. My body trembled even more than before. People stared and whispered as we passed them, making me feel humiliated and small. To add insult to injury, Eldric had handcuffed me when I got out of the car. If I didn’t die today, I would surely try again tomorrow because this hell was not something I could bear. How could I continue living as a prisoner without my parents? Why was I brought here against my will?

The large oak doors loomed in front of us, guarded by a stern-looking man who nodded to Eldric as we approached. With a slow creak, one of the doors opened, revealing a grand lobby beyond. My heart sank at the sight of more people inside. Eldric led me through the bustling room and towards a door labeled ‘courtroom’. As he opened it for me, my nerves spiked and I could feel every eye in the room turn towards us.

The room itself was a stark contrast to what I had expected. Instead of a traditional courtroom with rows of benches and a podium for the judge, it resembled more of a high-end conference room. A small group of individuals were scattered around, all stopping their work to observe us as we entered.

My face flushed with embarrassment under their intense scrutiny. I kept my eyes downcast as Eldric guided me to a chair in the center of the room.

“This is where you will sit,” he said, gesturing to the chair. He retrieved a key from his pocket and proceeded to remove the handcuffs, allowing me to sit down.

“But first, I have to restrain you,” he continued, holding up what looked like heavy-duty cuffs. “These are laced with hyssop and will prevent you from changing during the hearing.” My heart dropped at the thought of being physically restrained during such an important moment. I couldn’t help but tense up as Eldric secured my arms to the chair, leaving me feeling vulnerable and exposed in front of the small audience watching our every move.

Confusion crossed my face once again as I responded, “What do you mean? Who would change their clothes in the middle of a room?” I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to strip down in front of others. Were there strippers here or something? I rolled my eyes as he finished cuffing me.

“We can’t have any wolf transformations in here. You could cause serious damage and then the Alpha would have to punish you.” He stepped away once the restraints were secure. Did I hear that correctly? My jaw dropped open.

“Eldric, right? Listen, no offense, but this is all illegal. You can’t keep me here. You’re not the police. You sound like a crazy person. So if you don’t mind, I’d like to leave.” Irritation was starting to set in as I sat there longer. My emotions were shifting from sadness to anger and annoyance towards this whole situation.

Eldric regarded me with a look of confusion. “Sweetheart, we are the police in this country. Well, we call ourselves guards or patrol, but that’s how things work for werewolves where I come from. What pack did you say you belonged to?”

“You’re out of your mind. Country? Did you just say country? Where the hell am I?” My frustration was mounting.

“I’m not sure if it’s safe for me to tell you yet. Maybe I’ll go check on the Alpha.” Eldric walked over to a man with shaggy black curls. They exchanged nods as if they knew each other.

“Where is he?”

The man looked at Eldric, then turned his gaze towards me. “He should be arriving soon. He had some other business to attend to first, but we don’t like leaving things undone around here.” He chuckled and added, “Just like his father.”

Eldric nodded his head in agreement. I sat in the chair looking down at the cuffs on my wrist trying to see if there was a way to get them off. Maybe I could ask to use the restroom and escape out of a window or something. My head is pounding. I could use a Tylenol or something to help with the pain. I could feel myself becoming weak and I had no clue as to why. Had I lost blood or something when I hit that rock? Raising both hands to my head I could feel a knot. As I touched it I jumped a little, it was very sore.

“Eldric, can I use the restroom? And also, I really-“ my words died in my throat as a strange sensation washed over me. All sound seemed to disappear from the room, and a chill raced down my spine, causing hairs to stand on end.

Eldric acknowledged my request with a nod and excused himself from his conversation with another guy. He walked back over to me and pulled out the chair next to mine, taking a seat. “He’s here,” Eldric whispered to me, his voice barely audible.

I could hear commotion from outside the closed doors - shouting and perhaps some yelling. One voice stood out to me; it sounded familiar. But why would I know anyone here? The noise abruptly stopped and my heart began to race.

The doors behind me were flung open with a loud bang, causing my heart to jump into my throat.

I immediately turned my head to face the source of the commotion, my heart racing in my chest. A tall, muscular man stood in the doorway, his voice booming with authority and anger. It was a deep, husky tone that sent shivers down my spine and made my mouth water involuntarily. But as soon as I registered this thought, I scolded myself for finding him attractive. This man sounded like a psycho - what was wrong with me? Was he going to harm me? I could feel fear taking hold of me, my breathing becoming erratic and my head spinning. Eldric, who had been sitting calmly beside me moments ago, jumped up into a defensive stance.

“Saxton! Calm down,” Eldric pleaded, trying to reason with the angry man at the door. “I’ve talked with her. She’s not what you think she is.”

“You’re defending her?” Saxton roared back, his eyes blazing with fury. “She was with the rouges. She deserves the same fate!”

Eldric’s jaw tightened as he tried to explain himself. “No, that’s not what I’m doing. Technically, she was passed out and being transported by them. We did bring her here after all.”

“Move out of my way,” Saxton spat, pushing past Eldric aggressively. “You know the punishment for any traitors we come across. Not to mention she is a part of Highlawn!” His voice dripped with disdain as he pointed an accusing finger at me. The weight of his words hit me like a punch to the gut - I had no idea what was happening or why I was suddenly caught up in this dangerous situation

Whispers swirled around the room like a dark fog, suffocating and consuming. I wanted to tell him to kiss my ass and let me go, but I was frozen in fear. The room fell silent as Eldric’s voice ceased, leaving an eerie stillness in its wake. My head spun with confusion and fear, threatening to send me into unconsciousness at any moment.

Suddenly, the chair I was sitting in was harshly spun around, causing me to fling to the ground. Struggling against the restraints of my handcuffs, I weakly attempted to push myself back up. But before I could gather my bearings, a strong hand gripped my upper arm in a painful hold. With a cry of pain, I was forced onto my feet and another hand wrapped tightly around my neck. Panic surged through me as I stared into a pair of deep blue eyes that almost appeared black but filled with rage.

The man’s grip tightened on my throat, cutting off my air supply until my vision started to fade. Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, the hand was suddenly gone. Gasping for air, I felt someone behind me, and then a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind, holding me close against their chest. For a brief moment, I felt safe - but then reality hit me like a ton of bricks, and panic set in once again.

Wrenching myself out of his grasp, I found myself staring into a pair of deep brown eyes that seemed strangely familiar. A hand reached up to stroke my cheek gently and a surge of electricity shot through me at the contact. Confusion clouded my mind as I pulled away from him mentally, trying to make sense of what had just happened. This man had just tried to kill me moments ago.

My throat burned from his grip and my head was still spinning as I pushed away from him with all the strength I had left. I needed to get away from this dangerous man, no matter what it took. But he was relentless, pulling me back into his embrace and growling possessively as he cupped my face in his hands. “Mine,” he uttered with a primal tone that sent shivers down my spine.

A deep growl filled the room and I realized that everyone was watching us. Desperation overtook me as I pleaded for someone to help me, tears pouring down my face and blurring my vision. Struggling against his hold, I begged him to let me go - but he only growled louder, showing no signs of relenting.

In a panic, I managed to break free from his grasp and make a run for the door. But my body betrayed me, weak and unsteady from the ordeal. As I stumbled towards the exit, my feet tangled beneath me and I fell hard on something solid. Before I could even process what had happened, I found myself cradled in strong arms, looking up into the eyes of the man who had just tried to kill me. His eyes were now black pools of darkness, shaking with some unknown emotion.

“F-uck,” he cursed under his breath before everything went black. The last thing I felt was the vibration of his growl before slipping into unconsciousness.