chapter 14: the strangers house

I awoke in a strange room, disoriented, the unfamiliar scent of the place stinging the air. My mind was a haze as I pushed myself off the bed, my body still aching from the unknown events that had led me here. I walked cautiously through the room, the silence oppressive, and as I neared the door, I hesitated, wondering where I had landed. There was no sign of my usual surroundings, no trace of familiarity.

Just as I reached for the doorknob, a voice—deep, smooth, and unmistakably masculine—cut through the silence.

"Come, sit. Have breakfast," he called from beyond the door, the sound of cooking utensils clinking accompanying his words.

I froze. *Who was this man?* I didn't know him, and yet I was certain he knew me. Panic surged within me, and without thinking, I tried to flee—my heart pounding as I grasped the door's handle.

But before I could even open it, he was there, standing on the other side, as if waiting for me.

*How could he have gotten here so fast?*

His calm demeanor only added to the tension that gripped me.

"If you really want to know, just sit down, eat, and we'll talk. I can't do everything at once," he said, his tone unexpectedly patient.

"Okay..." I stammered, my mind racing in confusion, though I did as he asked.

I sat at the table, trying to steady my breath, but my thoughts were all over the place. He moved around the kitchen, focused entirely on his cooking, while I ate in silence, the food not quite reaching my stomach. I wanted to ask so many questions, but something held me back. Emily, always there to keep me in check, would not let me speak. Her presence felt cold, almost detached, and I felt like I was losing control of myself again.

Suddenly, I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up, wanting to leave, to escape this strange, suffocating situation.

"Thank you for the meal," I said quickly, my voice shaking. "But I need to go."

Still, he said nothing. He didn't even look at me, as if I were invisible.

Frustration bubbled up inside me, and before I realized what was happening, I was heading for the door. But as I reached for the handle, once again, he was there. Blocking the exit without a word, his presence cold and immovable.

I felt the anger rise within me. Emily, who was usually passive and detached, took over. Her emotions, her instincts, pushed me into action. My form shifted, my body transforming into the wolf that had been buried inside me for so long, ready to tear him apart.

But when I looked up into his eyes, I saw something I hadn't expected. Fear. Just for a brief moment, it flickered in his gaze before it was quickly replaced with something far more dangerous—anger, raw and unrestrained.

Before I could move, I watched in shock as his body shifted too. But instead of fur and fangs, he became something far worse—a vampire.

I didn't flinch, though. Fear was not something that could hold me back. I was the one who should be feared. With one small bite, I knew I could end him. I stood my ground, poised for a fight.

Just as I prepared to strike, something caught my eye. The woman—the one I had seen during my transformation. The one who had warned me of the pain I would endure. She was there, standing in the corner of the room, watching us with calm eyes.

Suddenly, everything clicked. This house... it was mine. My birth home, the place where everything had begun.

Then the vision came—overwhelming and vivid.

I saw children playing, laughing... and then dying. I saw the death of magical creatures, of wolves, of humans, all in a bloody massacre that blurred the lines between worlds. And there, in the center of it all, stood *him*—the vampire.

His eyes were full of rage as he killed, yet something in me knew he wasn't the true enemy. Something darker was at play, and I was right in the middle of it.

I felt my knees go weak, and before I could gather my thoughts, the woman spoke again, her voice barely a whisper.

*"You will be the cause of their destruction, my dear."*

I wanted to ask her why, to beg her for answers, but she was gone, disappearing into the shadows like a fleeting dream. The connection I had felt with her was now lost.

I collapsed back into my human form, feeling the weight of everything crashing down around me. As I stood, the cold presence of the vampire—the one who had caused so much of my pain—was near. I felt a hand on my bare skin, lifting me off the ground. It was cold, unfamiliar, but something about it didn't feel entirely wrong.

Exhausted, I no longer had the will to resist. I didn't know who he was or why he was doing this, but for now, I simply gave in.

When I woke, I was in an unfamiliar room again. The walls were more opulent, the bed more luxurious. The vampire—*him*—was walking out of a walk-in closet. His presence filled the room like a heavy fog, thick and suffocating.

"Go to sleep," he said, his voice laced with something unreadable.

I stared at him, confusion still clouding my thoughts. "Go to sleep?" I repeated, barely able to process the words. *How long have I been unconscious?*

"Too long," he replied with a hint of concern that felt strangely misplaced. "But you need the rest."

I closed my eyes, the exhaustion weighing down on me, and drifted back into a restless slumber.

The nightmares came again, swirling in a chaos of blood and death. I ran through forests, chased by shadows and creatures I couldn't even name. But then I saw him. The vampire.

His blood-red eyes locked onto mine, and for the first time, I saw fear—real, unfiltered fear. But there was more. His anger was uncontainable, his rage infinite. He stopped in his tracks, his focus entirely on me. He looked like he might rip me apart.

I felt myself freeze as our gazes met, but then the vision shifted. The bloodshed and violence continued, but now it was the vampire, his hands stained with the blood of wolves, their bodies scattered like broken dolls.

I woke with a start, heart pounding. I realized I was no longer alone. The vampire—*him*—was beside me, his presence unmistakable. I couldn't breathe as he drew me into his arms.

"Everything will be okay," he whispered, his voice soft and strange, full of something I couldn't place. *Protection?*

I clung to him, terrified of the darkness, of what was happening, and I begged him not to leave.

"Please," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Don't leave me."

His response was a promise, a vow that he would never let me face this alone. But his actions spoke louder than his words. Each night, as I drifted off to sleep, he stayed beside me, never leaving, never letting me go.

But even as he held me close, I realized I still knew nothing about him. Not his name, not his past. Only the suffocating mystery that surrounded him.