Chapter 7

Lara’s POV

The rest of the day passed in a blur. No matter how hard I tried to bury myself in my books while in the classroom, I could not shake the feeling that eyes were on me. The giggles in the hallway, the smirks when I passed, the whispers just loud enough that I could hear every word. It all pressed on my chest like a weight I could not carry anymore. When the final bell rang, I  left the classroom without waiting for Jenna or anyone else to stop me.

Outside, the air was thick with mist. Streetlights glowed faintly in the distance, swallowed by fog. I wrapped my arms around myself, clutching my bag close to my chest as though a thief was behind me. My footsteps echoed in the empty street, each one sounding sharper, quicker, more nervous. Something about the silence unsettled me, but I could tell what it was. 

“Relax, Lara,” I muttered under my breath. It’s just your mind playing tricks.

But my body would not listen. My stomach churned. My skin prickled as though unseen eyes followed me. I sped up, glancing over my shoulder, but the street was deserted.

Then it happened.

A hand shot out from the alley, cold and firm against my face. A cloth covered my mouth before I could scream. The sting of chemicals in the cloth burned my nose, flooding my lungs. Panic seized me as I kicked wildly, thrashing, fighting with every ounce of strength I had. At this point, I could no longer move. My body was too weak to fight or even flinch. I knew I had no more strength within me. Then my vision blurred, my arms remained weakened, and the world spun into darkness.

When I opened my eyes again, the air felt damp and bitter. The rough edge of rope dug into my wrists and ankles. I was tied to a wooden chair, the floor beneath me gritty with dust. A single bulb flickered from the ceiling, buzzing faintly, throwing shadows against the cracked concrete walls.

My breath came fast, chest rising and falling in fear. “Where am I?” I muttered. I tugged at the ropes, but the more I struggled, the tighter they seemed.

“Finally awake?”

The sound of his voice made my blood freeze.

Reis stepped into the circle of light, tall, broad-shouldered, his lips curled in a smirk that was nothing like the boy I once thought I loved. His eyes were darker than I remembered, empty of warmth.

“Reis…” My throat was raw. “What is this? Untie me right now!” What the f**k do you actually want from me? I said with tears down my eyes uncontrolled. 

He squat in front of me, his grin widening as if he enjoyed watching me squirm. “You think you can run away after everything we shared? You think you can hide from me, Lara? No. You’re mine. You always have been. But you know what? You are too stubborn to accept this reality, he said while laughing like a monster. 

The venom in his words made bile rise in my throat. I turned my face away, disgusted. “I don’t belong to you”. I never did. You used me. That is all you ever did. “You are a Monster”! You don’t deserve anyone. You don’t…..

Before I could complete my last word, he slapped me so hard in anger that I went silent, my head ringing  like a bell only I could hear. He moved more closer, his eyes fixed on mine, blazing in anger. 

You are mine! It’s not optional, he said, grinning.

He chuckled, the sound sending shivers down my spine. You sound so sure of yourself, but I know you. I know the way you look when you’re begging to be noticed. I know the way you craved my touch. No one else will ever want you, Lara. No one but me. Just me alone.

The door creaked open behind him. My stomach clenched when another figure walked in. Taller than Reis, shoulders broader, his presence filling the room like smoke. The moment I saw his face, my heart stilled, as though I were lifeless. 

“Elijah…” The name slipped from my lips.

I had seen him in old photographs. Luther had spoken of him in hushed tones. The stepbrother who had died. The stepbrother whose death had destroyed Luther’s life. Yet here he was, alive, his sharp gaze settling on me with an unsettling calm.

He leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. So the little human knows me. Interesting. Luther really cannot keep his mouth shut. What else do you know? 

My voice trembled as I asked, Why are you here? What do you want with me?

Elijah tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a smile that never reached his eyes. “To show you the truth.”

Reis walked closer, brushing his fingers over my cheek as though I was a doll he owned. I flinched away, but his touch lingered. “Your perfect hockey hero isn’t what you think”. He’s not even human, Lara. He’s a beast. A murderer. 

“No.” The denial burst out before I could stop it. My head shook violently. “You’re lying”, I exclaimed bitterly. You’ll say anything to make me hate him.

Reis leaned so close I could see the cold hunger in his eyes. “He killed his own brother”. That’s why he was cast out. That’s why he hides behind hockey and icy glares. He is dangerous, and you are a fool for trusting him. Lara, I thought you were smart enough to know better, but you I guess you are just as dumb as I ever imagined. He said while laughing as though he had just told a joke. 

Elijah’s voice cut through, deep and sharp. “I should know. He killed me. Or at least, he thought he did.

My chest tightened painfully. My mind screamed that it was all wrong, but doubt dug its claws into me. Could Luther really…? No. No, I would not believe it. I would not.

Before I could speak, the atmosphere shifted. The air thickened, charged with an energy that made my skin prickle. My heart stuttered as a heavy sound echoed from the door at the far end.

Then it slammed open.

Luther stormed in, his body quaking with fury. His eyes glowed unnaturally bright, his chest heaving with every breath. His face contorted, his body twisting, snapping, reshaping. The sound of cracking bones and stretching skin filled the room. In seconds, where Luther had stood, a massive wolf towered, black fur bristling, fangs glinting in the dim light.

I gasped so hard my throat burned. My body trembled violently, and cold sweat broke out across my skin. His eyes. His eyes were still the same, Blue. Familiar. And yet those same eyes looked out from the face of a beast.

“You…” My voice broke, my words tumbling out like shards of glass. You lied to me?, I asked still in shock. All this time… you lied?… Tears blurred my vision, spilling hot down my cheeks. “I hate you, Luther”. I hate you so much right now. I cried out loud, my head bowed shame and disgust. He lied?, I whispered to myself in tears. Why, Luther? 

The wolf froze. His body stiffened, his eyes widening. A sound ripped from his chest, low and raw, like a wounded cry. My words had struck deeper than claws ever could.

Elijah laughed coldly from the shadows. “See? Even your little mate 

despises you”. And so do I, he said with an outburst of laughter, twisting into a smirk. I hate you more than anyone. “Oh, brother….. I hate you far too much”. He laughed again, the sound echoing like a cruel reminder. 

Luther lowered his head, his chest rising and falling with painful restraint. His claws scraped the floor as he growled, no longer at me, but at Elijah. In the next heartbeat he lunged.

The warehouse erupted into chaos. Wood splintered, chains rattled, the floor shook beneath their weight. Luther and Elijah clashed with savage force, fangs tearing, claws ripping. Blood sprayed across the concrete. Reis stumbled back, his eyes wide with fear, but he stayed close enough to watch.

I pulled at the ropes until they burned my skin, screaming Luther’s name. My heart tore in two. I did not know if I wanted him to win or if I wanted him to vanish from my life forever.

The fight raged on, and I sat helpless in the middle of it, knowing that whatever happened here tonight would change everything I thought I knew about the boy I had fallen for.