Chapter 2

Elena's POV

I was still fast asleep when I heard voices, faint and distant, as if they were drifting through my dreams. They didn't sound familiar, and in my half conscious state, I felt confused. Slowly , I forced myself awake.

The first thing I saw made my heart jolt—four eyes staring down at me. Two women stood at the bedside, their faces completely unfamiliar.

My gaze darted between them, panic rising in my chest. A scream tore out of me before I could stop it. I shot upright , scrambling out of bed, and backed away from them.

My breathing came fast and heavy. "Who are you?" I demanded, my voice shaking. My eyes swept the room, wide and frantic. "Where am I?''

The two women exchanged a look I couldn't quite read, something between hesitation and knowing, but neither of them spoke.

Memories of the previous night suddenly hit me. I remember the stranger with those piercing green eyes, his voice, his kiss, and the way he struck my neck.

My chest tightened. Panic surged through me. "Oh God.... I've been kidnapped."

My breathing grew uneven as I backed farther away from the two women. My eyes darted around the room, searching for a window, a door, any way out. The walls felt too close, the air too heavy.

"What did you do to me?" I demanded, my voice breaking. "Where am I? Why am I here?"

The women exchanged another look, silent. That silence only made my fear worse.

I pressed a hand against my chest, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. I shouldn't have gone to Jason's. I shouldn't have run into that man. What had I gotten myself into? First I found out my boyfriend of two years and my best friend were cheating behind my back. And now... I'd been kidnapped. This wasn't the kind of Christmas anyone would wish for.

"Luna, please calm down." One of the women finally said.

I frowned, confused. Luna? Who the hell is that?

I knew I couldn't stay here another second. I had to get out. Forcing myself to breathe, I turned sharply and spotted the door. I glanced once more at the women, who still stood frozen in place. Something about them unsettled me, but I didn't have time to figure it out. I ran to the door, yanked it open— and immediately bumped into someone.

I looked up and saw him. The man from last night. At first he looked surprised, then his expression shifted to relief.

"You." I whispered, backing up in fear. "Y...you kidnapped me." My hand flew to my neck, trembling at the memory of how he had struck me.

"I'm sorry, Elena. I didn't mean for things to happen this way. I had no other choice." He tried approaching me but I moved back fearfully, desperate to keep my distance. I don't even know how he knew my name.

"Please." I muttered, tears threatening to spill. "I... I promise I won't tell anyone. I won't go to the police. Just let me go. I beg you." My voice cracked. "Just let me go."

"My parents aren't rich, but I'll pay whatever you want. Just don't hurt me." Tears poured down my face.

"Leave us." He said to the two women. I'd almost forgotten that they were still there.

"Yes, Alpha." They said with a bow before leaving.

I didn't even know what I was thinking, but seeing that opening, I had to take my chance. I tried running away but he instantly caught me with the speed of lightning. He held me tightly by my waist while I screamed, cried, kicked, trying to break free.

"Let me go! Please, let me go!" My voice broke as my body weakened. Soon, I stopped struggling, sobbing in defeat.

"Please calm down, Elena. I promise I won't hurt you, I'll never do that." The man said, but I didn't believe him.

"Just let me go. I want to go home." I cried.

I heard him sigh deeply. "I'm sorry, Elena. As much as it breaks my heart to see you like this, I can't let you go. You're my only hope."

None of his words made sense to me at all. How can I be his only hope when I don't even know him? Is he some sort of sick psychopath? The thought alone only terrified me even more.

"Let's do this first, I'm going to slowly put you down, but you have to promise me you won't try to run away again." He said calmly.

I feared this man might be mentally unstable, so to protect myself, I nodded quickly, pretending to agree. He set me down slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.

He stared at me, but I was too afraid to even meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry for doing this, Elena. I know you're afraid and confused right now, but I promise I'll explain everything to you in due time. I want you to know that I'll never hurt you, you don't have to be afraid of me. Please, trust me."

He sounded so genuine, so I slowly raised my head to meet his gaze. His eyes held no lies in them, rather they looked sad and held this longing I couldn't understand. Still, I couldn't bring myself to trust him at all.

His hand slowly reached for my face and I instinctively moved away. He hesitated, then withdrew his hand.

"You must be hungry." He said with a faint smile. "The bathroom's over there." He pointed in the direction of the bathroom. "You can go freshen up and I'll have the maids bring you some clothes and also prepare something for you to eat."

Still, I said nothing.

He looked like he wanted to say something more, but he didn't. "I'll come see you later." He turned to leave, but when he got to the door, he suddenly paused and turned around. "By the way, my name is Kael." He said before leaving.

The moment the door shut, I ran to it and tried the handle. It didn’t budge. He had locked me in.

The glimmer of hope I had vanished. I sank to the floor, buried my face in my hands, and wept bitterly.