CHAPTER 3

ELARA

I recognized those golden eyes instantly…

They looked a whole lot like the one in my dream…

And that fact frightened me…

How could I have possibly been dreaming of a creature that I didn’t even know existed?

With shaky hands, I reached for the switch, omitted the red light switch, and turned on the warm one to be able to get a closer look at the creature.

The first thing I noticed when the lights came on was the chains binding him to the wall… thick, massive chains. I would need both hands and all the strength I can muster to be able to carry a small fragment of that chain.

It could be used to anchor a ship.

Slowly, my eyes followed the chain to the creature…

It was tall…impossibly tall.

Its claws were long and sharp enough to tear through human flesh without much effort, its body covered with hair, though it did nothing to hide the marks, covering its body.

Several lines ran across its body where incisions seemed to have been made and sealed again imperfectly.

IV lines fed into his arms, and monitoring wires traced along his body before disappearing into the humming machines stationed at a careful distance.

I studied his face, wolfish, undeniably so. The snout, the claws, the tail curling slightly behind him. And yet I couldn’t bring myself to call him a wolf. He was far too large, far too big in the most fascinating way possible.

And why, in God’s name, does it look like it’s smirking?

“Dr. Elara?”

I gasped, spinning to my left. Two other researchers stood in the room with me, both covered in full-body protective masks. I hadn’t even heard them come in, or perhaps I’d simply forgotten the rest of the world existed the moment those golden eyes found mine.

One look at them told me everything. They were terrified. Their breath came in shallow, controlled bursts, and they had positioned themselves at a careful distance, hands hovering instinctively near the weapons strapped to their thighs.

“Animals can sense hostility,” I said quietly, more warning than conversation, before turning back to the creature.

He was watching me.

Not them, me. With an attention so focused and unhurried that it almost felt personal.

And yet, strangely those golden eyes made me relax. Maybe because I had seen them every night for weeks, in dreams I couldn’t explain and couldn’t escape. Whatever the reason, I felt myself relax, almost involuntarily.

He seemed to notice.

His head dipped slightly, and then he inhaled slowly, a deep growl rumbling through his chest.

From the corner of my eye, one of the researchers shifted. The creature didn’t even flinch in that direction. Didn’t spare them so much as a glance.

It was as if they didn’t exist to him, as if I was the only one in the room worth acknowledging.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

My fingers tightened unconsciously around the tray I was carrying.

I should be afraid of this monster before me, everything about this situation demanded me to be, but what I felt instead was…

Drawn.

I was drawn to the creature.

I took a step forward even before I could realize I was moving.

A small sound followed, metal moving…

The chains, which meant the creature moved too.

“Hold position!” one of the guards said sharply and I froze.

The creature stared at me curiously, then tilted its head.

Could it be wondering why I stopped?

I took another step forward and another and the chains moved again, its body leaning forward, just slightly as far as the restraints allowed.

The distance between us closed and the air around me grew thicker.

Setting the tray down on the floor, I reached out, my finger trembling slightly, probably speaking out for the side of me that thought I was crazy as I reached out to touch the creature.

Due to its large size, I could only reach his legs, so I stroked one of it gently, watching his reaction to know if he hates it.

He let out a small grunt, followed by a sigh.

That’s a good sigh, I guess…

My finger went over to the scar on his leg and I traced my finger over it, feeling my chest tighten…

Why inflict such a wound on a living creature? This animal looks calm, so nothing justifies these scars all over his body.

“This must have hurt right?” I whispered, craning my neck to look at the creature and I found those golden eyes already staring at me.

“I’m so sorry…”

He grunted, almost sounding offended.

“What?” I asked with a slight smile, stepping back to pick up the tray and he whimpered at the loss of contact. “You don’t want me apologizing?”

He grunted again.

Still smiling, I lifted the tray to let him know I came bearing food, but something unexpected happened instead.

For a brief moment, I felt a strange warm sensation sweep through my body, making my skin feel a bit itchy.

I had to halt to take a deep breath and figure out what’s going on with me, but dark spots dotted my vision.

I wobbled, the tray slipping off my finger and crashing to the floor.

Suddenly, the alarm went off, barely audible at first. I blinked rapidly, my legs feeling weak as I crumbled to the floor.

"What is going…on…wi”

“System glitch,” I heard one of the researchers say.

But the word felt wrong. It doesn’t feel like something was wrong with the system, it felt like something was wrong with me!

The lights flickered once.

Twice.

The golden eyes never left me.

My head grew heavy… too heavy…

“Hey_” a voice said, but it sounded too far.

The creature moved again, closing in on me, though not violently.

Despite the restraint, despite the chains that should have held it immobile, it leaned forward, far too close to be considered possible or…

Safe.

My breath hitched, and the last thing I saw before darkness consumed me were those golden eyes staring at me directly in the face.