Terror

Zeff

I was deep into the forest, patrolling the border with my pack. The night was calm, almost eerily so. The usual sounds of the forest surrounded us—crickets chirping, leaves rustling in the breeze—but something felt off. My wolf, Gaius, was restless, pacing inside me, sensing something was wrong. I could feel his unease coursing through my veins, a low, rumbling growl building in my chest.

And then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit me.

Terror.

Raw, unfiltered terror.

I staggered, clutching my chest as the bond flared to life, Liliam's fear surging through me like a tidal wave. My heart raced, my breaths coming in short, sharp bursts. "Liliam," I whispered, my voice barely audible. I could feel her panic, her desperation, and it was tearing me apart.

Without another thought, I broke into a run, darting through the dense trees, my feet pounding against the earth. The world around me blurred as I pushed myself to go faster, faster than I ever had before. Gaius howled inside me, a primal, furious sound that echoed my own fear and determination.

"Hang on, Liliam," I muttered under my breath, my mind racing as fast as my legs. "Just hang on."

Branches whipped against my face and arms, but I didn't care. All that mattered was getting to her, was feeling her safe in my arms again. My lungs burned with every breath, my muscles screaming in protest, but I couldn't stop. Not now. Not when she needed me.

The bond pulsed again, a fresh wave of terror crashing into me. I stumbled but caught myself, pushing harder, forcing my body to ignore the pain. "I'm coming, Liliam," I vowed, my voice a low growl. "I'm coming."

I reached the edge of the forest, my eyes locking onto her house in the distance. My heart dropped at the sight of it—there was a dark, ominous energy surrounding the place, something twisted and malevolent. I could sense it, feel it crawling under my skin, setting my nerves on edge.

I could feel her fear intensifying, and it was like a knife twisting in my gut. I sprinted across the open ground, the wind whipping through my hair, my eyes fixed on the house. I prayed, to anyone who would listen, that I would make it in time.

I leaped over the low fence, my boots hitting the ground hard as I ran up to the front door. It was ajar, hanging off its hinges, and I could hear the sounds of a struggle from inside. I didn't hesitate. I crashed through the doorway, my eyes scanning the room, my wolf ready to tear apart anything that threatened her.

As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was back in the forest. The familiar trees loomed around me, their branches swaying softly in the breeze. I stood up, my heart pounding with anticipation, eager to find William. But the place was eerily empty.

It was too quiet.

"I'm very disappointed in your behavior, Liliam." The voice sent a chill down my spine. I froze. "Running back here with your little pets."

I turned slowly, and there he was—Owen, or at least, something that looked like him. His hands were casually tucked into his pockets, but his eyes were wrong. They were pitch black, with a gleaming ring of red around the edges.

He shouldn't be here.

"Oh, but I am," he replied, a cruel smile spreading across his face as if he could read my thoughts. "Poor Owen couldn't figure it out, so I had to step in."

Panic surged through me, my heart racing. This was my dream, wasn't it? I squeezed my eyes shut, praying for it to end, to wake up.

I jolted awake, my heart still pounding, but the terror only deepened when I saw Owen hovering above me in the bed, his eyes still that unsettling black with red.

"You're not going anywhere, sweetheart," he sneered.

I screamed. His hand clamped down over my mouth, trying to muffle the sound, but it was too late—Shadow's door burst open.

"Ma!" Shadow yelled, standing in the doorway. His eyes widened in horror at the sight of Owen—or whatever was pretending to be Owen—pinning me down. "Leave Ma alone!" he shouted, moving with a speed I hadn't seen before.

Owen's face twisted with rage. He flicked his hand, and Shadow was flung across the room, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. "Shadow!" I cried out, struggling against Owen's weight.

"Fucking goddamn pet," Owen muttered, his grip tightening on me. Shadow groaned, trying to get up, but another flick of Owen's hand slammed him back into the wall.

"Leave him alone!" I screamed, terror gripping my heart at the thought of him hurting Shadow any more. But Owen's weight bore down on me, his hand moving again, pinning Shadow against the wall with an invisible force.

Owen's voice was laced with a darkness I had never heard before. It sent chills down my spine, freezing me in place as I lay pinned beneath him. His mocking words echoed in my ears, twisted and cruel, as he leaned closer, his breath hot against my skin.

"Not so brave now, are you, little Shadow?" he taunted, his voice dripping with venom. My heart pounded in my chest, fear surging through me in waves, my body trembling under his weight.

His head snapped toward me, his eyes wild, filled with something dark and dangerous. He pinned me harder to the bed, the force of it making it difficult to breathe. I struggled, trying to push him off, but he was too strong.

"Please," I managed to choke out, my voice barely a whisper, thick with terror.

But Owen's twisted smile only widened, his eyes gleaming with a sadistic satisfaction. "If only you would listen to me, to *Owen*," he snarled, his voice low and threatening. "We really tried, Liliam, but no, you had to hop away with your wet, muddy dogs." His words stung, but I could barely process them over the sheer panic flooding my mind.

I tried to speak, to tell him to stop, but before I could utter another word, his hand clamped over my mouth, rough and angry. His grip was painful, cutting off my plea as I struggled beneath him, my heart racing with panic.

"You wanted sex?" Owen spat, his voice cruel, his lips curled in a sneer. "I could've gladly provided, Liliam. Do you want me to *show* you?"

My blood turned cold at the threat in his words, my body paralyzed by fear. I thrashed beneath him, but it was futile. His weight pressed me deeper into the bed, his strength overwhelming. Tears blurred my vision as I desperately tried to escape, but his hand held me in place, his eyes burning with a sickening intensity.

I tried to scream, but my voice was muffled beneath his hand. I felt helpless, powerless, every part of me screaming to get away. *This wasn't Owen. This wasn't the man I knew.*

And then, just as the world seemed to close in on me, I heard a crash—the door burst open, and with it came a flood of relief, though the terror still clung to my bones.

William

As I crossed the border into Zeff's territory, where I often found myself lingering near her home, a sudden, searing pain tore through me. It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck me in the chest, sending a shockwave of agony through my entire body. I stumbled, clutching my chest, my heart hammering against my ribs. Fear flooded my senses—a fear that wasn't my own.

Liliam.

I could feel it through our bond—her terror, her desperation. It was like a string pulling taut between us, vibrating with a frantic, pulsing urgency. She was in danger. My wolf howled inside me, a sound that echoed the panic clawing at my insides. I took off, sprinting through the woods with everything I had, the world around me a blur. The wind whipped against my face, my legs pumping with a speed born of desperation. I had to get to her. I couldn't lose her—not now.

Every step felt like an eternity, the bond between us pulling me closer, drawing me toward her like a magnet. I could feel her presence, her fear, growing stronger with every stride. My mind raced, trying to piece together what might be happening. Who would dare threaten her?

As I neared Liliam's house, the scent hit me—Owen. My blood boiled instantly, rage bubbling to the surface with every step. There was something wrong with that scent, something dark and twisted. My wolf, Sirius, was restless inside me, growling in anger. I knew something was off. The closer I got, the more the scent of fear filled the air—Liliam's fear.

Without hesitation, I stormed up to the door, not bothering to knock. I could hear the sounds of a struggle, muffled cries, and then the unmistakable sound of something crashing to the ground. My heart pounded with fury, and before I even realized it, I'd kicked the door open.

The sight before me was enough to send me over the edge. Owen—or whatever thing had taken control of him—had Liliam pinned to the bed, his grip like a vice, his eyes gleaming with a sinister, unnatural light. She was struggling, trying to push him away, terror etched across her face.

And then I saw Shadow, the small kid, crumpled against the wall, whimpering in pain, his small body struggling to rise. The sight of him injured, trying to protect her, only fueled the fire roaring inside me. A savage, feral growl tore from my throat as my vision turned red.

I was beside them in an instant, moving faster than Owen could react. My hand wrapped around his collar, yanking him off her with enough force to make the room tremble. A guttural roar escaped me as I hurled him across the room like the filth he was. He crashed into the far wall, the impact reverberating through the house, shaking the very foundation.

There was a sickening crunch as his body hit the wall, bones snapping under the force of the impact. For a moment, there was silence, and I thought I might have ended it. But then... he laughed. A dark, twisted sound that crawled under my skin and made my wolf snarl in fury.

"This is why I don't like you picking up stray dogs, Liliam," Owen spat, his voice laced with mockery. "They're always so aggressive."

The sound of his laughter was like nails on a chalkboard, a taunt I couldn't ignore. I took a step toward him, every muscle in my body coiled with rage. "I knew your scent was foul," I snarled, my eyes locked onto his. "I should have known what kind of filth you really are."

Owen stood, his expression twisted into a dark grin, snapping his broken arm back into place with an almost casual movement. The sickening crunch of bone realigning didn't seem to faze him. "I was here first, mutt," he sneered, his eyes gleaming with something far from human.

Sirius raged inside me, demanding I tear him apart, and I moved before I could think, grabbing Owen by the throat and slamming him into the wall with all the force I had. The plaster cracked beneath the impact, but that damn smirk stayed on his face, unyielding, mocking. "You think you can protect her?" he rasped, his voice filled with mocking amusement.

His words stoked the fire inside me, and Sirius howled in fury, pushing against the edges of my control. I slammed Owen into the wall again, harder this time, the plaster cracking beneath the force. "She's not yours," I growled, my voice barely human.

Owen's grin only widened, his eyes flicking to Liliam, who was trying to sit up, pain and fear still etched into her features. "But I already have her, don't I?" He rasped, his voice a sickly whisper. "She chose me. She let me in."

His eyes, black with something far darker than the man I'd seen, gleamed with sick amusement. "You have no idea what you're up against." he hissed through his teeth, his voice low and dripping with contempt.

I tightened my grip around his neck, my claws digging into his skin, drawing blood. "You're not the first monster I've killed," I growled, my voice thick with rage. "And you won't be the last."

Owen laughed again, and it sent a shiver of fury through me, every instinct screaming to rip him apart. . "You don't deserve her," Owen spat, his voice turning venomous. "You never will. She belongs to me."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, but they only made the fury burn hotter. I slammed him into the wall again, harder this time, the force rattling the windows. "You don't own her," I snarled, my voice barely human, my wolf clawing at the edges of my control.