Innocence in Chains

6. Mate

The silence inside the car was uncomfortable. Amelia sat quietly, unsure what to say. Then her eyes landed on a book beside her seat. The cover was old and dark, titled “Mythical Beasts and Hidden Bloodlines.”Her face lit up with curiosity. “Wow, you like mythical creatures? Do you really believe they exist?” Without waiting for his answer, she picked up the book and started flipping through it.

Rafael’s jaw clenched. He hated when people touched his things. Especially her. Especially this book. Amelia, unaware of his growing irritation, kept flipping through the pages until she stopped at one that showed a large, fierce-looking werewolf. But when she looked closer, her brows furrowed—every word on that page had been scribbled out with black pen.

“Why would you ruin this page?” she asked, confused. Rafael replied flatly, “My book. My wish.” His cold answer made her frown. “Seriously? That’s so childish…” Thunder cracked outside, shaking the windows. Amelia looked out and froze. The road they were on was completely unfamiliar. Giant trees stood on both sides, stretching high into the sky like they were trying to block out the world. The street felt empty, too quiet, too dark.

“Wait…” she said, her voice low and shaky. “Where are we?” Rafael didn’t answer at first. His hands stayed firmly on the steering wheel, his eyes focused ahead. Amelia’s heart started to race. “Rafael?” she asked again, louder this time. “This isn’t the way to my house.” Still no response.

“Rafael!” she shouted, now full of panic. Finally, he spoke, calm but with a strange intensity. “Home.” She blinked. “Whose home? Because this isn’t—this isn’t—”

“My home,” he cut in. And just like that, she realized... She was no longer going home. She was going with him.

“What the hell is this?!” Amelia's voice cracked with fear. “Did I ask you for a ride to your house? I’m going to my house!” Her face had gone pale, her heart thudding in her ears.

Rafael didn’t even flinch. “If you wanted someone to take you home,” he said coolly, “you should’ve told them your address. You didn’t.” Amelia groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead. Her frustration was spilling over, mixing with fear.

“Bro—are you serious right now?!” she snapped. “Fine, I forgot to tell you where I needed to go. But you could’ve asked, right? Like a normal person?”

“That’s not my problem,” he replied, voice steady and emotionless. As if she hadn’t just screamed at him. As if her fear, her anger—none of it mattered. That calmness of his? It was scarier than if he had shouted back.

“Turn the car around,” Amelia snapped, trying to steady her voice. “Drop me at my house. I’ll give you the address.”

But Rafael didn’t even glance at her. “I’m not your driver,” he said, voice like ice. “I don’t take orders.” His fingers tapped calmly against the steering wheel as if he wasn’t kidnapping her in plain sight.

Amelia stared at him in disbelief. “Just drop me back where you picked me up. I don’t need your ride anymore,” Amelia snapped, her voice shaking from cold and frustration.

Rafael didn’t even blink. “I can’t,” he said simply. Her nails dug into her palms. “You’re such a dickhead!” The car came to a sudden stop, jerking her forward. Rafael opened the door without looking at her. “Get out.”

“W-Why would I? You brought me here. You’re taking me back,” she stuttered, clutching her bag as rain pelted down harder. Her white dress was soaked through now, clinging to her skin.

Rafael didn’t look fazed. He leaned back in, shut the door slowly, and said flatly, “It’ll take me two minutes to grab something from the villa. Then I’ll drive you back to the city. If you don’t trust me, stand under a tree until I return. Your choice.

And next time—watch your mouth.”

Amelia’s jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me? It’s almost night! Where the hell am I supposed to stand out here?!”

Before she could get another word in, the car rolled up to a secluded duplex villa. It looked like something out of a horror movie—old, tall, shadowed by wild trees and heavy mist. Rafael stepped out and calmly said, “If you want, you can come inside.”

"Yeah, sure—I'd only walk into that place if I had a death wish and got bitten by a rabid dog on the same day."She scoffed, arms crossed.

Rafael paused, glancing back. His voice dropped low, quiet. “Don’t be afraid.” He disappeared inside. The moment he left, everything changed.

The thunder cracked louder. The lake nearby reflected the twisted shadows of trees, and the wind felt like whispers brushing against her skin. Amelia sat frozen, then began to feel it—that eerie sensation. Like someone… or something… was watching her from the woods.

Her breath quickened. Screw this. She pushed open the car door and ran through the rain toward the villa. It was dark inside. Silent. The kind of silence that made your skin crawl. No lights. No warmth. Just old furniture, faint dust, and a feeling she couldn’t shake.

Suddenly— She felt it. A presence. She turned slowly… And found Rafael. But something was wrong. His gray eyes weren’t just cold now—they glowed faintly. His entire presence felt heavier. Darker Not human, Not fully.

He stood still, watching her like she was something sacred… or something to consume. Then his lips curled into a smile—slow, unsettling, deranged. “Mate,” he whispered.

Amelia didn’t hear him. Everything was spinning. Her legs gave out and her vision blurred until the world turned black. As her body fell, Rafael caught her gently—like she was porcelain, like she was everything. His arms tightened around her, eyes wild, possessive, feral.

He breathed, voice thick with hunger and obsession. “Mine,”