5| Left in the Hands of My Kidnapper

LILIANA

My blood was rushing, my breath shaky, and my whole body felt frozen in this weird warmth. Before I knew it, I was sitting on Ethan’s lap—his hard, muscular lap. Why was I even thinking about that?

Does he work out? Ethan can't even stand on both feet, so how the hell did he get his legs this firm and… comfortable? My face heated up at the inappropriate thoughts running through my head. I quickly shook them off.

“Why the hell did you come back?” Ethan growled. “I told you never to show your face around me again, didn’t I?”

Still sitting on his lap, I pushed against his chest, trying to glare at him. “You think I wanted this?! It’s your fault! If it weren’t for you, those damn wolves wouldn’t be after me!”

Ethan was pissed? Seriously? Shouldn’t I be the one who's mad here? How dare he blame me! I tried to get off his lap, but before I could, I heard footsteps from different directions. Not just one or two, but a lot. The thick, overpowering scent of wolves filled the night air.

My heart dropped at the sight in front of me. A pack of wolves surrounded us from all sides. Their eyes burned with aggression, fur bristling, and low growls vibrating through the air like an unspoken threat.

Ethan stopped his wheelchair, his grip around my waist tightening. He was holding onto me like he was trying to protect me. But that was impossible. Ethan hated me.

“W-who are they?” I whispered in panic.

“I was just about to ask the same thing,” Ethan muttered, his voice low and sharp with caution.

We were in an area ruled by rogue wolves, but I never thought it would be this bad.

Among the massive, menacing wolves, one figure stood out. He had a strong stance, sharp eyes like blades ready to cut down his prey. But… he wasn’t strong enough to be an Alpha. Probably just a Beta. I had no clue which pack they belonged to, but one thing was clear—they weren’t Ethan’s wolves.

Ethan clenched his jaw, his grip on me tightening. Even though he was sitting still, I could feel the tension in his body.

“Well, well, look who we have here, wandering around in a dump like this. Ethan Darnell! You seriously came here just to hand yourself over?”

“So, you were targeting me?” Ethan hissed. “You picked the wrong prey.”

“That’s not for you to decide.” The Beta tilted his head mockingly, completely unfazed by Ethan’s words.

He gave the order, and his wolves lunged at Ethan. My panic shot through the roof.

“Can you wait for me here?” Ethan whispered in my ear, his voice carrying the weight of a promise he wasn’t about to break.

I snapped out of it, a shiver running down my spine. I quickly got off his lap and backed against the damp wall. I didn’t have the courage to watch. This wasn’t a fair fight. They could rip Ethan apart. He didn’t even have a wolf. But despite that, he faced the pack head-on from his wheelchair, completely unfazed.

“How dare you lay a hand on my Alpha!” a deep voice roared.

From the shadows of the alley, Sanders appeared in his wolf form, launching himself into the fight, forcing the rogues back to create distance between them and Ethan. His furious howl shook the night. But even with Sanders there, it wasn’t enough. They wouldn’t make it out of this alive. My mind spiraled with worst-case scenarios.

One of the wolves managed to strike Ethan, tearing through his arm. Blood poured from the deep gash. Sanders hesitated for a second, torn between attacking and protecting Ethan.

“We need to get out of here, Alpha!” Sanders urged.

“Take Liliana with you,” Ethan ordered. “I can handle myself.”

“But Alpha—” Sanders hesitated.

And then, instead of following Ethan’s command, he did something else entirely. Using whatever strength he had left, Sanders threw Ethan onto his back and bolted—leaving me behind.

Those bastards!

The Beta wolf grinned, flashing a row of sharp fangs. “Let him go!” he barked at his pack before turning his cold gaze toward me. “Instead, we take the girl. He’ll come to us for her.”

Everything happened so fast. The Beta lunged at me just as I tried to run. I screamed in terror. My body felt weightless as he picked me up like I was nothing more than a feather.

Tears streamed down my face as I was thrown onto his back, and in a blink, we were speeding through the dark, wet alleyways. The air was freezing against my skin, the sound of pounding paws echoing through the narrow passages. I looked back, desperate, hoping for a miracle—hoping Ethan would come back for me.

But the farther we ran, the more that hope faded.

“Let me go!” I screamed desperately. “What do you want?! I have nothing to do with Ethan Darnell!” I kicked, punched, and thrashed with everything I had. I didn’t care if I fell and broke every bone in my body. I just wanted to escape.

But they were wolves. Smart. Fast. Ruthless. My resistance meant nothing. I was already exhausted by the time they slowed down and finally stopped.

A large van sat waiting on the outskirts of the black district.

Without warning, the Beta tossed me inside like I was a piece of luggage. My body slammed against the cold, rough metal floor. Pain shot through my shoulder and down my arm. I coughed, struggling to breathe, while the doors slammed shut behind me.

Shit. I think I broke a rib.

I coughed violently, pain ripping through my chest.

Darkness swallowed me. The only thing I could hear was my own ragged breathing. I fumbled around, trying to find anything that could help me escape. Nothing. Just emptiness and fear clawing at me.

I swallowed hard. I had to get out of here. I couldn’t just sit around waiting for something worse to happen.

Faint voices drifted from outside.

“Did you report to the boss?”

“Of course. Ethan Darnell was never the target. It was always the girl.”

Then silence.

The van engine rumbled to life, and I felt it start to move.

Where the hell were they taking me?! No!

Those bastards—they really did kidnap me!

I panicked. Meanwhile, Ethan had just left me behind like that! That asshole was even worse than these kidnappers!

Ignoring the pain in my chest, I kicked at the van walls as hard as I could. Suddenly, the van screeched to a stop. My whole body jerked forward.

Panic rose in my throat.

The doors flew open, flooding the space with blinding light. My eyes stung. I shielded them with both hands.

“Let me go!” I shouted. “I have nothing to do with that bastard Ethan—”

A man in military boots stepped forward and struck me. Hard.

Darkness swallowed me whole.