Kidnapped before my wedding

Chapter5

Chapter 5

A little while later im staring dazedly at the floor when i distantly hear a door open

and close. I don’t bother to look up. If they think this is going to be easy, they’re wrong. They won’t win.

The bed dipped under Liam's weight, and I felt him watching me. For a minute, he didn't say anything, and his silence was almost gentler than Leon's words. I sensed a shift in his energy, a softening of the anger that had radiated from him before.

Then he sighed. "This isn't what I wanted."

I scoff without looking at him.

“I mean it,” he says.

His voice is softer than before, less angry. It makes something in my chest tighten again, this strange pull that I can’t explain and don’t want to feel. I stay silent, my head resting on my knees.

“You’re so stubborn,” Liam says with a hint of amusement, as if he admires it.

A moment passes between us, filled only by the sound of my uneven breaths.

“Please eat something,” he says finally.

“Why?” I ask slowly completely caught off guard by his change in demeanor.

“Because I want you to be okay.” There’s vulnerability in his voice, an openness that makes my defenses wobble.

But I can’t let myself believe it. I shake my head. “You don’t even know me.”

“I do, though.” Liam leans forward, and I feel the warmth from his body. “More than you think.”

“How?” It comes out as a whisper.

He pauses for a long moment, then stands abruptly. “Just eat, alright?”

I watch him go. The door clicks shut behind him. Something inside me crumbles at the sound.

It’s hours before I move from the bed. They leave a tray by the door like I’m some kind of prisoner. The smell hits me first—something savory and familiar—but it takes all my willpower not to inhale it in one ravenous bite.

I wait until hunger gnaws at me so fiercely that my vision blurs. Only then do I creep to the tray and lift the cover.

The aroma of homemade stew wafts up, making my mouth water instantly. There's fresh bread too, still warm to the touch. My stomach growls louder, betraying me. I glance toward the door, half-expecting one of them to be watching, but I'm alone.

I take a hesitant bite of bread, then another. Before I know it, the bowl is empty, and I'm using the last piece of bread to soak up the remaining broth. The food settles in my stomach, warm and comforting, and with it comes a wave of exhaustion. I hadn't realized how much energy my hunger was consuming.

I drag myself back to the bed, curling up beneath the blankets. The sheets smell like pine and something else—something masculine and oddly comforting. I bury my face in the pillow, hating myself for finding any comfort here at all.

When I wake again, the room is bathed in soft morning light. For a blissful moment, I forget where I am. Then reality crashes back, and I sit up with a jolt.

There's a fresh set of clothes at the foot of the bed—simple jeans and a sweater that looks about my size. My wedding dress is nowhere to be seen.

My wedding. It should have been yesterday. By now, everyone will know I'm missing. My fiancé, my family, my friends—they must be frantic. The thought brings fresh tears to my eyes.

A gentle knock at the door makes me jump.

"Can I come in?" It's Leon's voice, soft and hesitant.

I don't answer, but he enters anyway, carrying another tray. This time it's eggs and toast, with a steaming mug of coffee. The smell makes my empty stomach clench.

"I thought you might be hungry again," he says, setting the tray down on a small table by the window. He looks at me, his blue eyes searching my face. "You ate yesterday. That's good."

I say nothing, just stare at him with what I hope is cold defiance.

He sighs and runs a hand through his blonde hair. "Look, I know this isn't ideal—"

"Isn't ideal?" I find my voice, sharp with disbelief. "You kidnapped me the night before my wedding!"

"You weren't happy," he says simply, as if that justifies everything.

"You don't know that."

"I do." His certainty is maddening. "I could feel it. We both could."

"What are you talking about?" I demand.

He takes a step toward me, and I resist the urge to back away. "There's a connection between us. You feel it too, don't you? That pull."

I want to deny it, but the words stick in my throat. Because there is something—an inexplicable awareness of him that I've never felt with anyone else, not even my fiancé.

"It doesn't matter what I feel," I say instead. "You can't just take someone because you want them."

"It's more than want," Leon says, his voice dropping lower. "It's need. It's fate."

The intensity in his eyes makes my heart race. I look away, focusing on a spot on the floor.

"Your breakfast is getting cold," he says after a moment.

I don't move.

"Please eat," he adds softly. "Afterward, if you want... we could talk. Or I could show you around."

I glance up at him, surprised by the offer. "You'd let me out of this room?"

A small smile plays at his lips. "This isn't a prison. It's your home now."

"It's not my home," I say automatically, but with less conviction than before.

Leon's eyes hold mine for a long moment. "Eat your breakfast," he says finally. "I'll be back in an hour."

After he leaves, I stare at the food, my stomach growling in protest. Despite my determination to resist, I find myself at the table, fork in hand.

The eggs are perfect—just how I like them. I wonder if that's a coincidence or if they somehow know me better than they should.

I'm just finishing when there's another knock. This time, it's Liam who enters, his expression guarded.

"You ate," he observes, eyeing the empty plate.

I nod silently.

"Leon says he's going to show you around." He crosses his arms over his chest. "Do you want to go?"

There's something in his tone that sounds almost... jealous? I study him, noting the tension in his jaw, the way his eyes avoid mine.

"Why did you bring me here?" I ask instead of answering his question.

His gaze finally meets mine, and the intensity there makes me catch my breath.

"Because you're ours," he says simply. "And we're yours."

The words send an unexpected shiver down my spine. "That's not how relationships work."

"It is for us." He takes a step closer, and I feel that strange pull again, stronger now. "You'll understand soon enough."

"What are you?" The question slips out before I can stop it.

A fleeting smile crosses his face. "Clever girl," he murmurs. "You already know there's something different about us, don't you?"

I swallow hard, not wanting to admit it, but unable to deny the truth. There is something otherworldly about them—about the way they move, the way they look at me, the way my body responds to their presence.

"Tell me," I whisper.

Liam's eyes darken, and for a moment, I swear they flash with an amber glow. "Not yet. But soon."

The door opens again, and Leon appears. He looks between us, sensing the tension.

"Ready for that tour?" he asks me.

I hesitate, then nod slowly. Whatever is happening here, staying locked in this room won't give me answers. And if I'm going to escape—which I am—I need to know the layout of this place.

Liam's jaw tightens, but he steps aside, allowing me to pass. As I move between them, I feel it again—that strange, magnetic pull, like my body recognizes something about them that my mind doesn't yet understand.

Leon offers his hand, and after a moment's hesitation, I take it. His touch sends warmth spreading up my arm.

"Come," he says, his voice gentle but firm. "Let us show you your new home."

And despite everything in me that wants to resist, I follow.