3

Elara's POV

The door creaked open again, and I braced myself for him. But it wasn’t Kain.

He stepped inside slowly, hands raised like I was some kind of cornered animal. There was something gentler in the way he moved. His eyes, a deep stormy gray, didn’t burn like Kain’s. They searched mine. “I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, voice low, like he knew loud noises might shatter me. “My name is Darius.”

I didn’t respond. My fists were still clenched, even though the ropes were gone. He crouched to my level, not daring to come too close. “You’re no rogue,” he continued softly. “And most importantly… you’re not supposed to be here.” I swallowed hard. My throat still burned from screaming. “Tell that to your brother.”

“You’re safe with me,” he said. And for some reason… I believed him. He offered a hand which i stared at in hesitation. Then I reached out and let him help me to my feet. His palm was warm which made my skin tingle where he touched it, and my heart kicked against my ribs.

I couldn’t look away from him. And he… he didn’t look away either. For the first time since I’d woken up in this place, the fear lifted just a little. Just enough for something else to creep in; curiosity. Trust. Maybe even...

BAM!

The door crashed open. Kain stood there like a thunderstorm had come to life. His burning eyes snapped to our hands.

Got it. Kain didn’t say a word when he entered. He didn’t need to. The rage burning in his golden eyes was louder than any scream. The way he looked at Darius like betrayal was a blade twisting in his gut; made the room feel smaller.

And then he lunged. I barely had time to react before Darius moved. He stepped in front of me like a human shield, his arm stretched back as if to hold me in place, protect me from the storm about to hit. “Don’t,” Darius said, voice low but steady.

Kain didn’t care.

They collided like thunder. Claws out. Teeth bared. Brothers locked in a brutal fight that sounded more beast than man. I stumbled back as they crashed against the walls, snarling, the sound of fists connecting with flesh, of bone cracking under pressure, echoing off the stone.

Darius was holding back. I could see it. He was trying not to kill. Kain, on the other hand, looked like he’d already decided this ended in blood. The moment Darius hit the ground, hard, I saw my chance.

I ran.

Bare feet slapping against stone. I didn’t stop to think. I didn’t look back. The fight raged behind me, the growls and shouts fading with each step, but I didn’t feel safer. Not really. Not when I could still feel Kain’s voice echoing in my head. “You’re mine.”

Whatever this place was, whatever they were: monsters, alphas, gods. I had to get out. Before something inside me forgot what it meant to be free.

I ran barefoot through the forest, thorns slicing into my soles. My heart was a wild drum in my chest, every crack of a twig behind me sounding too close, like someone or something was still following. The only thing that mattered was getting out. 

By the time I stumbled out onto the gravel road that led to my house, my entire body was trembling. My knees buckled, gasping for air like I hadn’t breathed in hours. I don’t even remember unlocking the door. One minute I was on the porch, the next I was inside, collapsing against the wall, sliding down to the floor with tears blurring my vision.

Rusty wasn’t there.

I pressed my palms to my face, forcing the sob back down my throat. I’d gotten out but I wasn’t free. Not really.

Because even as I sat there, safe in the dim light of my living room, I could still feel his eyes on me. Burning possessively. And somewhere deep inside… I hated that a part of me didn’t want to forget.

Oh Wait.

Rusty isn’t here and neither is Maya.

My heart sank. Maya: my younger sister was nowhere to be found. Her door was wide open, her bed untouched, the covers still neat like she hadn’t even slept in them. I knew instantly something was wrong. Maya was not the type to be up at the crack of dawn. She wasn’t a morning person, never had been. Lazy to a fault, she needed three alarms, two threats, and probably a promise of pancakes just to roll out of bed before noon.

She couldn’t have taken Rusty for a walk this early. No way.

I tore through the house, checked the kitchen, the backyard, even peeked under the porch where Rusty liked to nap on hot days. Nothing. Not a single bark or jingle of his collar, the house was quiet.

My chest tightened. Something wasn’t right.

I grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling as I scrolled through my contacts and hit Maya’s name. It rang once. Twice. Straight to voicemail. “Maya,” I said, my voice cracking with fear. “Where the hell are you? Call me. Please.” I ended the call and just stood there for a second, frozen.

First me. Now Maya.

I stumbled into Maya’s room and moved to the center, the floorboards creaking under my weight. Without thinking, I lifted the rug. What I saw beneath... A sharp object with a jagged metal handle was partially buried in the floor. Blood stained the handle and there were a few strands of human hair tangled in the bloodstained metal. My mind scrambled for answers. It was clear this had been used to strike someone, maybe even Maya.

My heart skipped a beat as my eyes caught something else, Maya’s necklace. The one I gave her for her birthday last year. its clasp slightly twisted as if it had been yanked off in a hurry. Kain couldn't have done this, he's with his brother doing some major extreme fist massage.  This wasn’t his handiwork. 

But if not Kain, then who? Who the hell had been in Maya’s room? Had someone come looking for me? Was someone out there trying to get me, using my sister as bait? 

The million-dollar question loomed in my mind, but the billion-dollar question was even worse. 

What the hell am I going to do now?