chapter three

Elara's POV

I jolted awake to the sound of shouting.

For a moment, I thought I was dreaming—until a loud crash shook the walls, making my heart leap into my throat.

The air was filled with noises I couldn't place—deep, guttural growls, the sharp clash of something heavy hitting the ground, and voices raised in anger and panic.

I sat up too fast, my pulse racing.

What's happening?

Mira's room was dark, but the hallway outside was glowing with dim, flickering light. Shadows moved past the door, fast and unnatural.

Another snarl echoed through the house, so deep and raw it made the hairs on my arms stand.

Fear coiled around my stomach.

I had no idea what was going on, but my instincts screamed at me to move.

Slowly, I slid off the bed, my bare feet barely making a sound against the floor. My body ached from the bruises my brother left on me, but the fear pushed me forward.

I inched toward the door, cracking it open just a sliver.

The hallway was chaos.

Furniture was overturned, doors were flung open, and people or something like people were running, fighting.

Another thunderous growl shook the air, closer this time.

Big dogs, I thought wildly, gripping the door handle. Maybe it's just big dogs.

I stepped into the hallway, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps.

Then I heard it footsteps coming fast.

Panic surged through me. I ran.

I didn't know where I was going, didn't care—I just needed to hide.

Doors blurred past me, my pulse pounding in my ears. I turned a corner, spotted an open doorway, and dove inside without thinking.

It was a bedroom. A male's room,it smelled like one.

But I didn't stop.

I dropped to the floor, scrambling under the bed just as more heavy thuds shook the hallway outside.

My breathing was too loud. I pressed a hand over my mouth, curling into myself as much as I could.

The noises outside grew louder. Closer.

Then—silence.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my chest rising and falling in uneven gasps.

"It's okay, Elara. Just calm down. Everything will be okay."

I wanted to believe it.

But then I heard it.

A deep, slow inhale.

Like someone or something was sniffing the air.

My stomach turned to ice.

The footsteps stopped at the doorway.

I clenched my jaw, willing myself to stay still.

For a long moment, the person just stood there, lingering, unmoving. Watching.

Then—click.

My breath hitched.

They locked the door.

Panic crawled up my throat, my fingers digging into the floor as I shuffled further under the bed. My back pressed against the wall, but it wasn't enough. I felt exposed.

The heavy thud of boots made the floor tremble slightly as they stepped inside.

I clenched my fists, squeezing my eyes shut for a second before forcing myself to open them. Stay alert. Stay quiet.

The person was big. Too big.

I could tell just by the weight of each step, the way the wooden floor creaked beneath them. My body shook, my heart hammering painfully against my ribs.

Who is this? What do they want?

I heard them move first to the wardrobe.

A heavy creak as the door swung open.

Then… sniffing.

Slow, deep, deliberate.

Like an animal catching a scent.

I pressed my hand over my mouth, trying to smother the sound of my frantic breathing. But my fear was a living thing, thick and suffocating.

Another step. Closer.

Then another.

I held my breath.

The bed dipped slightly at the edge, a heavy weight pressing down.

Then so fast I barely had time to react—

The bedspread lifted.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my body freezing in place.

And then… I saw him.

Dark eyes almost black locked onto mine.

A face carved from stone, strong, sharp, terrifying. His skin was tanned, but his veins stood out thick, pulsing, running down his muscled arms. His scent woodsy, wild, intoxicating wrapped around me, drowning me.

My lips parted, but no sound came out.

I was trapped.

I must have looked like a small, helpless sheep hiding from a tiger.

He didn't move.

Didn't speak.

He just stared at me,like I was something precious.

Then, in a voice so deep it sent shivers down my spine, he exhaled a single word.

"Mate."

I gasped, my pulse skipping, my fear colliding with something else.

Something I didn't understand.

He looked at me like I was his.

We stared at each other.

I was freaking out.

His eyes dark, intense, unwavering held mine captive, like he could see right into me. My heart pounded so hard I thought he could hear it.

Then—I panicked.

I dropped my gaze, lowering my head and pressing it against my arm, trying to make myself smaller.

Please just leave. Please just leave.

But he didn't move.

Then—footsteps.

Another presence entered the room, his steps hurried but controlled.

"Alpha," the voice came, urgent. "They have surrounded—"

I lifted my head, startled by the new voice. My gaze flicked toward the doorway where the new man stood.

But the first man—the one who found me—was still looking at me.

Even when someone else was speaking to him, even when danger was closing in, his eyes didn't leave me.

Like I was the most important thing in the room.

Finally, he lifted his head and faced the new guy. His expression hardened, his jaw tightening.

Then, in a voice that left no room for argument, he commanded, "Guard her with your life."

I froze.

My eyes widened.

What?

Before I could even process what was happening, he turned and walked out, leaving me behind.

The new guy hesitated, then stepped closer. He knelt down, lowering himself until he was at eye level with me.

His expression was one of confusion.

And honestly?

I was just as confused as he was.

His eyes studied me taking in my curled-up form, my trembling fingers, the way I was still pressed as far back as I could go.

But he said nothing.

I didn't move.

I could still hear the chaos outside shouts, growls, the sounds of a battle raging beyond these walls. But in here, in this moment, it was silent.

My breath was uneven, my chest rising and falling too fast. I wanted to speak, to ask who they were, to demand to know why the Alpha looked at me like that.

But I couldn't.

My body was frozen in place, my mind still reeling.

The man in front of me just continued to kneel, his eyes never leaving mine.

He didn't speak. He didn't move.

He just watched.