CHAPTER 004
1234 Words
CHAPTER 004
The wind outside roared with ferocity, causing the house's thin walls to shake. Rain crashed down on the roof while each drop echoed like a miniature fist trying to break inside. The thunder crashed with such intensity that the floorboards trembled beneath my feet.
My heart pounded like a drum as I sat tucked into the corner with my knees pressed against my chest. Something wasn’t right. Margaret Kensington moved back and forth across the room while she continuously glanced toward the door at regular intervals. She was nervous. That meant I should be, too.
I wasn’t afraid of the storm. I was afraid of her.
She halted abruptly as her head jerked toward the front door. Footsteps. Heavy ones. They stopped just outside. Suddenly, there was a loud knocking sound.
Margaret’s face drained of color.
She whispered frantically for silence before she advanced toward the door while adjusting her dress to conceal her hidden desperation.
Another knock. This time, the knock is more intense.
“Margaret Kensington,” a voice boomed. Deep. Strong. “Open the door.”
Margaret's fingers shook as she touched the doorknob before stopping to hesitate. She turned the knob and opened the door slightly, which allowed a strip of flickering torchlight to enter the room.
Another voice came through that sounded unlike the first. “We have orders from Alpha Edward Langley. You are to leave with us.”
Margaret scoffed. “I am an elder. I don’t respond to calls during nighttime hours.”
A pause. This time the first man raised his voice in a sharper tone. “The information reached us that you still have company in this house.”
Margaret stiffened. My breath caught in my throat.
“That’s ridiculous,” she said quickly. “I live alone.”
The wind blew against the door, which opened further to show a large figure wearing a dark cloak. The Alpha. I knew it had to be him. I sensed his powerful presence, even though his face remained unclear to me. His commanding presence made the room feel like it was bending under his control.
Several men stood behind him as they surveyed the tiny deteriorating house. A younger man with sharp features and piercing eyes moved forward from the group.
Nathaniel Beckett.
My skin tingled from some quality of him even though I had not learned his name yet. His eyes scanned the entire room before resting upon the hallway that led to the door behind which he had confined me.
A floorboard creaked.
Nathaniel’s head snapped toward it. His lips parted slightly, sensing something.
Margaret saw it, too. She attempted to move and block the passage but found herself too late to stop what was coming.
A sudden gust of wind forced the door to open completely while plunging the room into an unsettling quietness.
The Alpha entered the space as his boots made a heavy thud upon the wooden floor. “What’s behind that door?”
Margaret’s hands clenched at her sides. “Nothing,” she said.
His eyes locked onto hers. “Move.”
Margaret hesitated, then shook her head. “There is nothing to see—”
Edward swept past her, treating her as a mere hindrance. He swiftly unlatched the lock before opening the door with a quick movement.
This moment marked the first occasion when I experienced the world beyond my prison walls.
The torchlight burst in, temporarily blinding me. Through the opening, cold air swept forcefully against my moist skin.
When I raised my eyes, the first thing that came into view was him.
Alpha Edward Langley.
His gaze struck my eyes with the precision of a well-sharpened blade.
The room went silent.
No one spoke. No one moved.
Suddenly his voice sliced through the quiet space around us. “Who is she?”
Margaret stammered. “She’s— she’s no one.”
His eyes didn’t leave mine. “She doesn’t smell like anything.”
A growl rippled through the room. The growl came not from him, but from Nathaniel.
After turning my head just a bit, I noticed his expression. Shock. Curiosity.
Margaret panicked. “She’s—she’s handicapped! She doesn’t speak and doesn’t understand much. This is a pointless endeavor. Please, Alpha, don’t—”
Edward turned back to me. “What’s your name?”
My name?
I didn’t have one.
My mouth opened, yet words refused to emerge. My throat closed, my body trembling.
Nathaniel moved forward with a voice that was softer than Edward’s. “Who are you?”
I wanted to answer. I wanted to say something— anything. But fear held me in place.
Margaret made a sudden movement toward me and grabbed my arm. “She’s useless!” Margaret screamed as her voice carried the sound of desperation. “A burden! She—”
Edward caught her wrist mid-swing.
Margaret gasped. Tension filled the room while the storm outside mirrored his angry eyes.
“How long have you kept this girl locked away here?” Edward said with a dangerous undertone in his voice.
Margaret yanked her arm back. “She’s mine to handle.”
“No.” Edward turned to me again. “She’s not.”
Nathaniel moved to separate us before his hand extended into the space between us. “Come with us.”
Margaret’s nails dug into my arm. “She can’t.”
Nathaniel’s eyes darkened. “She’s coming.”
I stared at his hand. I had never had the chance to make a decision like this before.
I wanted to take it. I wanted to leave this place. But… what if it was worse outside?
The wind intensified its wild cries as the storm grew more violent.
Margaret’s grip tightened. She whispered to me alone that I would regret leaving with them.
My heartbeat pounded against my ribs.
I took a deep breath before I extended my hand.
Margaret’s grip slipped.
My fingers brushed against Nathaniel’s.
As soon as their skin connected, I experienced an unexpected sensation. A spark. It wasn't an actual spark but rather something profound that resided within my being. It was a mystery to me.
Nathaniel felt it too. For a brief moment, his eyes grew wide before he grasped my fingers to pull me toward him.
Edward nodded once to his men. “She’s ours now.”
The sound of Margaret’s scream disappeared beneath the loud thunder.
My heart started racing when Nathaniel guided me toward the door. My pulse drummed in my ears.
I was leaving.
As soon as I stepped outdoors, the cold air struck me. I discovered that my world was much larger than I had ever envisioned. The towering trees showed their branches moving wildly due to the strong wind. The sky was endless, dark, and wild.
The confines of a cage defined my entire existence.
Now, I was stepping into the unknown.
When I took one final backward glance, I caught sight of Margaret’s expression contorted by intense animosity.
I watched her lips move during the storm and understood her words without hearing them.
You will regret this.
Nathaniel pulled me closer. “You’re safe now,” he murmured.
Surveying the group of men who freed me from captivity, I noticed a deep sense of uncertainty.
Was I really safe? The situation I walked into seemed to be much more dangerous than I had anticipated.
- Writer
