Chapter 3

A gasp left my lips, and I shoved at his chest. Hard. My palms hit solid muscle, but I didn’t stop pushing until he finally let go. My hands shook as I pressed my palm to the wall, my legs shaky.

“I’m not… I’m not anybody’s.” I swallowed, my throat tight, my chest hammering so hard it felt like it might crack open.

I had to get out. Away from him. Away from this place.

He stepped forward like he didn’t give a damn about personal space, his breath hot on my skin.

“You feel it.” His golden eyes flickered, locked onto mine.

I gritted my teeth, my fingers curling into fists. My nails dug into my palms. “I don’t feel shit.”

Lucian’s lips curled, but it wasn’t a smile. His jaw clenched like he was holding something back. Anger? Disgust? Whatever it was, it burned in his golden eyes, flickering over my face.

I tried to step sideways, but he moved with me. Closing the distance. Blocking me in. My breathing was too fast, my pulse hammering in my ears. I needed to get out. Now.

My fists uncurled, and before I could stop myself, I swung.

My knuckles cracked against his jaw, but it was like hitting stone. The pain shot through my fingers, but I didn’t care. I didn’t wait to see his reaction—I shoved him, hard, and bolted.

I barely made it three steps before something crashed into me from behind.

A force like a truck slammed into my back, and I hit the floor hard. Air burst from my lungs, my cheek scraping against the cold surface. Pain exploded up my side, my ribs screaming from the impact.

I clawed at the ground, trying to scramble up—

A boot pressed down on my spine, shoving me back down.

I gasped, my fingers shaking as I tried to push up against his weight.

“Run again,” Lucian growled. “See what happens.”

I twisted under him, trying to kick free, but he only pressed down harder, pinning me. The pressure on my ribs made it harder to breathe. My heartbeat slammed against my chest in a frantic, panicked rhythm.

“Get off me!” My voice was hoarse, shaking. I kicked wildly, struggling, but he didn’t budge.

Lucian took a sharp breath, and then suddenly, his weight lifted.

I sucked in air, trying to roll over—

But his hand fisted in my hair, yanking me up.

A scream ripped from my throat as he dragged me up by my scalp, forcing me onto my feet. My nails clawed at his wrist, at his fingers in my hair, but he didn’t let go.

I barely had a second to steady myself before he shoved me back against the wall.

Pain shot through my spine, my head knocking against the hard surface. My whole body jolted from the impact, my breath catching as my vision spun.

I gasped for air, my hands trembling as I pressed them against the wall behind me, trying to stay upright.

Lucian stepped closer, his golden eyes dark and burning.

“You’re not listening,” he said, his voice low, rough.

I shook my head, choking on a sob. “Please. Please, I don’t— I just want to go home. I won’t tell anyone. I swear—”

His fingers closed around my throat.

A choked sound left me, my hands flying up to grab his wrist.

Lucian’s grip wasn’t tight enough to crush my windpipe, but enough to make my pulse hammer in fear. Enough to make my body scream for air even though I could still breathe.

His jaw was tight, his breathing slow and controlled. “There is no home,” he said, voice sharp, cold.

Tears blurred my vision. I dug my nails into his skin, trying to pry his hand off me, but he didn’t move. My legs shook beneath me. “Please,” I whispered. “I don’t want to be here.”

Lucian’s lips curled, but there was no amusement. Just harsh, dark anger.

“You don’t get to choose.”

I shook my head frantically. “No. No, I don’t belong here! I’m not—” My voice cracked. “I’m not like you.”

His fingers flexed around my throat, and I choked on a breath, panic rising in my chest like fire.

Lucian leaned in. His breath was warm against my skin, but his voice was ice.

“You think you’re human?”

I stilled. My pulse hammered against his fingers, my lungs burning from how hard I was breathing.

My lips parted, but no words came out.

Lucian’s grip on my throat loosened, just slightly. His fingers dragged down, his palm pressing flat against my collarbone.

“You think this is normal?” he murmured.

I didn’t understand… until his hand moved lower.

Over my ribs and to my side and a sharp pain shot through me, and I winced—

And then I felt it.

The heat.

Not from his touch, but from inside me.

A deep, burning warmth under my skin, pulsing like a second heartbeat, like something was trying to break free.

Lucian’s eyes burned into mine. “You feel it, don’t you?”

I squeezed my eyes shut. No. No, this was a trick. A mind game.

“I’m human,” I forced out, my voice hoarse, tears blurring my vision. “You’re lying.”

Lucian let out a slow, sharp breath. He tilted his head slightly, watching me with something close to pity.

“Not anymore.”

The world tilted.

I couldn’t breathe.

Lucian stepped back, his hands dropping to his sides. His expression was blank, but his voice was low, quiet.

“You were never human, Evie.”

My stomach twisted. My entire body felt too hot, too tight, like my skin didn’t fit right.

I shook my head. “You’re lying,” I whispered.

Lucian’s jaw flexed. “Am I?”

I hated the way my chest ached. The way my arms felt too warm. Too restless. The way something inside me knew he wasn’t lying when I didn’t want to believe it.

Lucian took a sharp breath. “You ran through the woods like you’d been doing it your whole life. You knew he was behind you before you even saw him.” His golden eyes flickered. “You felt it.”

A shiver crawled down my spine.

Lucian kept going.

“And that dream?” His lips curled, but it wasn’t a smile. “The one you kept muttering of wolves chasing you? They weren’t hunting you, Evie.”

My breath hitched.

“They were calling to you.”

My hands was shaking. My whole body was shaking. I pressed a hand to my head, sucking in sharp, frantic breaths. My vision blurred.

Lucian took another step closer.

“You think this is some game?” His voice was sharp enough to cut. “You think I chose this?”

I stumbled back, but the wall stopped me. I was trapped. My breath came in fast, panicked gasps, my lungs screaming for air as I looked into Lucian’s darkened eyes. “You think you’re human?”

His fingers shot out, wrapping around my wrist and I tried to pull back, but he yanked me forward, pressing my palm against his chest.

The heat slammed into me like fire.

A choked gasp ripped from my throat. My knees nearly buckled as something inside me responded—something deep, wrong, twisting under my skin like it was waking up, like it was burning.

I tore my hand away, stumbling back. My chest heaved, my vision swimming. “What the hell was that?”

Lucian took a sharp breath but he didn’t answer. Instead, his golden eyes flickered past me, over my shoulder.

His jaw clenched hard.

And then, voice cold as stone—

“Then I guess you’ll die not knowing what you truly are.”

My stomach dropped at his words. My head spun hard, and my breath caught in my throat.

Lucian’s grip on my arm was bruising as he dragged me back down the hall. I fought, twisting, kicking at the floor, my breath coming in ragged sobs, but it didn’t matter. He was too strong.

“Let me go!” I choked out, my throat burning raw from all the screaming. “Please, I won’t—I won’t tell anyone, I swear—”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t even try to slow down.

My nails clawed at his wrist, but he just yanked me harder, forcing my legs to move. My heart pounded, my stomach twisting with dread as the door to the room came into view. No. No, no, no—

Lucian shoved the door open and threw me inside.

I stumbled, barely catching myself against the bedframe. My whole body shook as I turned, my pulse hammering in my ears.

Lucian stood in the doorway, his golden eyes dark and burning into me as they locked onto mine. His jaw was clenched tight, his shoulders stiff.

“Don’t try to escape again,” he said, voice low and came out as a growl and a shiver ran down my spine.

Then he began to close the door shut.

My stomach dropped, my head spinning hard, and when I looked past him, standing in the far hallway was that man—Ronan.

He was watching. His eyes flicked to mine, frowning.

I rushed forward, my hand reaching, my lips parted, but before I could beg, before I could say anything, he turned and walked away.

Leaving me alone.

Trapped.

With a monster.