CHAPTER 6

ELARA

Walking into the lab with my mind scattered and unfocused turned out to be a terrible decision, one I began to regret almost immediately. My thoughts were everywhere except where they were supposed to be, drifting back to things I had no business thinking about, especially not in a place filled with fragile glassware and volatile chemicals.

It showed.

Within a short span of time, I had already broken two chemical containers without meaning to. That was when it finally sank in, if I didn’t get myself together, if I didn’t hickey on my neck covered with makeup and concentrate, I might end up causing something far worse than a few broken bottles. I could ruin the entire experiment… or worse, set the lab on fire.

The CCTV in the resident hallway showed that Janet had only left for a few seconds before I woke up, so there is no way Jade could have done that, not that I suspect him.

“Do you have the D4 result rea_”

Jade’s voice trailed off the moment his eyes landed on the wastebin. It was filled with broken glass.

Without meeting his gaze, I reached for the printed sheet beside me and held it out to him. “Here.”

That single sheet of paper had cost me more effort than it should have. I had repeated the same test five different times, each attempt ending in frustration, slipping concentration, and yet another broken bottle. It was exhausting, physically and mentally.

Jade didn’t take it immediately.

There was a brief pause before he slowly reached out, almost hesitant. When he finally took the paper, his eyes flicked back to my face, studying me more closely than I liked.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded, though the motion made my head feel heavier than it should have. My head throbbed faintly, a dull pressure building behind my eyes, but I ignored it.

Pushing past the discomfort, I slid off the stool, intending to grab the next blood sample I was assigned to analyze. I told myself I just needed to keep moving, to keep working, and everything would settle back into place.

But the moment my feet touched the ground, the floor beneath me tilted or maybe it only felt that way. My vision blurred, the room tilting slightly as dizziness swept through me.

I staggered.

My hand reached out instinctively, searching blindly for something, anything to hold onto, and thankfully, it found Jade.

Before I could lose my balance completely, Jade moved quickly. His hands found me just in time, steadying my body and guiding me back onto the stool before I could hit the floor.

“Jesus, Elara!” he snapped, his voice tight with frustration and worry. “You can’t keep saying you’re fine when you’re clearly not. You keep fainting!”

His hand rested on my shoulder, was meant to support me but the moment it made contact, something felt terribly wrong.

It wasn’t just discomfort.

It burned.

An unnatural heat spread from the point where his hand touched me, as if my skin had suddenly turned hypersensitive, rejecting the contact entirely. The sensation was so intense that I flinched hard, a quiet gasp escaping me before I could stop it.

I jerked away from him.

Too fast.

The sudden movement nearly sent me slipping off the stool again, my balance faltering from both the dizziness and the force of my reaction. I barely managed to steady myself in time.

“What?” Jade blurted, caught completely off guard. His brows drew together in confusion, his expression shifting as he searched my face. “Did I do something wr_”

My alarm cut him off mid-sentence.

I quickly reached into my pocket, pulling out my phone and silencing it.

“I need to get to level nine,” I mumbled.

Jade’s expression darkened instantly.

“Do you?” he shot back. “Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious that all this_” he gestured at me, “_started right after you began going down to level nine? The fainting, the dizziness… all of it?”

I didn’t respond.

Instead, I reached for my lab coat, anything to avoid looking at him, anything to keep from engaging in a conversation I didn’t want to have.

But Jade wasn’t done.

“Maybe I should talk to Janet,” he continued. “Maybe it’s time she pulls you out of that containment altogether.”

That got my attention.

My head snapped up so fast I almost twisted my neck. I glared at him. “How about you stop acting like my guardian… and let me do my job?”

All of this has been happening long before I was assigned to the containment unit. The dizziness, the strange fatigue, it wasn’t new. Level nine had only made it harder to ignore.

“I’m just worried about you, Elara.”

“I’m fine,” I forced out, my teeth pressing together slightly. “Just… a little tired. That’s all.”

Muttering curses under his breath, he ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry if I came off as rude… that wasn’t my intention. I was only concerned.”

Guilt pricked at me almost immediately.

I shouldn’t have snapped at him like that. Not when he was only trying to help. But something about what he said about pulling me out of the containment project left me all defensive.

“I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that either,” I admitted. “I’m sorry.”

He gave a small nod, accepting it without making a big deal out of it. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out of the lab.

*************

Unlike the first time I stepped into the containment area, I wasn’t scared anymore.

The fear has been replaced curiosity, the persistent need to understand what was happening both with me and the creature.

And the creature…

I wasn’t afraid of him.

Not really.

After the strange, wet dreams I have been having about the creature, it would have been almost ridiculous to still be afraid of him.

The security personnel, as usual, said nothing as I walked past them. The heavy doors slid open, granting me access.

I stepped inside, and darkness greeted me, just as it always did.

I reached for the switch and turned on the lights, a routine I had fallen into, but what waited for me this time was anything but routine.

The light flooded the room, and there he was, chained, standing right by the door, watching me.

My breath hitched as startled yelp escaped me, my hand flying to cover my mouth as my heart slammed violently against my ribs.

“You scared me,” I breathed out, my voice slightly shaky.

He responded with a low grunt.

Which meant one thing, he understood me.

Dropping the food tray carefully on the floor, I walked over to the small bench and sat down, exhaling slowly as I tried to regain control of my nerves.

“I shouldn’t even be here yet,” I said, glancing at him with a faint, almost amused smile. “It’s not time to feed you.”

Another grunt.

My eyes flickered toward the tray on the floor before I gestured lightly in its direction.

“How about you eat anyway?” I suggested.

Feeding him once a day is just plain evil. Maybe I’ll talk to Janet about it.

The creature tilted its head slightly, as if trying to make sense of my words.

I pointed more clearly this time, my finger directing his attention to the tray on the floor. “Eat.”

For a moment, he didn’t move.

Then, slowly, he lowered himself down, not toward the tray, but closer to me. He settled on the ground, lying on his stomach, his massive frame folding. The distance between us was too small for comfort, yet strangely, I didn’t feel the need to move away.

His attention remained locked on me, and not the food.

“You don’t want to eat?” I asked, a soft chuckle slipping through. “Why? Because it isn’t your feeding time ye_”

“What are you doing in there, Elara?”

Janet’s voice interrupted angrily through the speakers.

I froze.

Her tone wasn’t just stern, it carried authority, irritation, and anger.

“Do you realize that entering a containment unit without authorization is a direct violation of protocol?”

Shit.

How did she even know I am here?

My head snapped toward the glass partition, my eyes narrowing as they landed on the security personnel stationed outside. They avoided my gaze, but that alone told me everything I needed to know.

Snitches.

Of course they reported me.

“I want you out of there immediately,” Janet continued. “If you don’t step out right now, you will be suspended.”

A low sound rumbled beside me.

The creature.

It started as a grunt, deep and restrained, but quickly shifted into something darker. A growl followed, threatening, vibrating the containment.

I pushed myself up from the stool, my movements cautious but not because I thought it was dangerous.

If anything, I should have been afraid.

Every rule, every warning, every instinct of self-preservation told me to keep my distance. To walk away. To leave the creature alone.

But I didn’t.

Those golden eyes held me in place.

I moved closer until I was standing close enough to feel the heat of his body, close enough to see the subtle shifts in his expression.

Slowly, I lifted my hand.

For a brief second, I hesitated.

Then I let my fingers sink into his fur.

It was softer than I expected, thick and warm beneath my touch. I stroked him gently, my hand moving in slow, careful motions, unsure of how he would react.

But he didn’t pull away.

Instead, his body relaxed.

His tail began to wag, slow at first, then a little more freely as he tilted his head slightly, leaning into my touch as though he wanted more of it.

“Elara!” Janet snapped.

I flinched hard, my body reacting before my mind could catch up. My hand jerked away from him instantly, the sudden break in contact leaving an odd, hollow sensation behind.

But the creature didn’t take it well.

A low growl rumbled from his chest, deeper this time, more agitated. His head snapped around, his gaze sweeping the room as if searching for the source of the interruption, unmistakably displeased.

“I have to go,” I murmured softly.

I turned and began walking toward the door.

Each step felt hesitant, like I was pulling myself away from something I didn’t quite want to leave behind. Still, I reached for the door handle, prepared to open it_

“Mine.”

I froze.

The word was clear.

Not a growl.

A word.

Spoken.

Slowly, I turned back.

My heart now pounding from fear.

There was no mistaking it.

He had spoken.

And he sounded human.