10
1633 Words
ISLA
I woke up with a sharp pain in my head. It felt like someone was pounding inside my head. I groaned and slowly opened my eyes, blinking several times because my vision was blurry.
The room around me didn’t look familiar in any way. The ceiling and the walls were both wooden. The air was clean and smelled like pine and smoke.
This was not my dorm.
Panic crept into my chest. I pushed myself up from the bed, wincing as the pain shot through my head. The bed I lay on was wide and soft compared to my bed in my dorm. It was covered with thick blankets that felt nothing like the thin sheets I was used to. I pressed my head to my temple as I struggled to remember how I got here.
The last thing I remembered was the woods. My blood dripping. Darkness.
And Kade’s face.
I swallowed hard. Where was I? I slid off the bed. The room was empty. My phone was gone and there was none close by. There was no sign of anyone else. I walked to the window slowly and pulled the curtain aside just a little.
What I saw made my heart sink.
This wasn’t my town. There were no roads, no cars, no streetlights. Instead, there were large wooden buildings spread across a wide clearing. Smoke came from chimneys. I saw people walking around, dressed simply, some carrying weapons, others laughing like this was normal.
Where was I?
My heart pounded in my chest with fear. I backed away from the window and crept toward the door. My hand trembled as I opened it just enough to peek outside.
No one was there.
I stepped out of the room quietly, my bare feet touching the cold wooden floor. Slowly, I moved down the hallway, listening carefully.
My heart was beating so loudly I was sure someone would hear it.
Then I heard voices. I followed the sound until I reached an open field outside. I hid behind a wooden post and looked out.
A group of people were training intensely. They were fighting, running and moving faster than any normal human could. Their movements were sharp, strong and so unreal.
My breath hitched.
This wasn’t normal.
I took a step back, looking for a safer place to escape, when something caught my eye.
A wolf.
Not a dog. Not a shadow. A real wolf.
It was huge, with dark thick fur. Its eyes were alert, scanning across the clearing as if it belonged there.
I froze.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“No,’ I whispered. “No, no, no, no.”
This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. I had to be dreaming. Or I was still unconscious. That had to be it. It made sense that way.
Yeah. I certainly was dreaming.
No I wasn’t. It was real. That was a real wolf. None of this made sense.
I turned and ran.
I didn’t think, I didn’t look back. I just ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I ran past buildings, past trees, and straight into the woods. Branches scratched my arms, the cold air burned my lungs but I didn’t stop.
I needed to get away from here as soon as possible. I needed to get away from this madness before I lost my sanity.
Away from the wolves. Away from him.
My chest ached as I ran deeper into the forest. Snow crunched underneath my feet. Tears blurred my vision. I didn’t know where I was going, but all I knew was that I couldn’t stay.
Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed my arm.
I screamed.
“Isla.”
That voice.
I struggled, pulling away, panic flooding my body. “Let me go! Please.”
He stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
Kade.
He looked the same but quite different. His eyes were sharp, and he had a serious expression on his face, as if he was holding back something dangerous. He didn’t touch me again, but he didn’t move aside either.
“It’s me,” he said in a calm tone. “You shouldn’t run.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I cried. “Take me home. Please I don’t belong here.”
His jaw tightened. “You’re not safe there.”
“I don’t care,” I said, my voice shaking. “This place is terrifying. I saw wolves. Kade. Real wolves.”
“I know,’ he said softly
My heart broke at his response.
“So it’s all true?” I whispered, “Everything?”
He nodded.
I teetered back, fear rising again. “Then let me go.”
“I can’t,” he said.
“Why?” I demanded. “Why are you keeping me here?”
Kade groaned. “Because they are watching you,” he replied. “And because if you leave, they’ll find you. I saved you once, you might not be lucky next time.”
I hugged myself, letting the tears flow freely down my face. “I just want my life back.”
Kade sighed, his eyes softened. “I know,”
He stepped closer, slow and careful. “Until the danger passes, this is the safest place for you.”
I shook my head, my heart breaking into several pieces. Maybe he was right, maybe I needed his protection.
As we returned, I didn’t fight him as he led me back.
My hands were shaking in his, but his grip was firm and steady like he wouldn’t let go even if the world fell apart. We walked through the open clearing together and I felt every single eye on me.
People stopped what they were doing to stare. Some looked at me with curiosity, like I was something rare. Others looked with admiration. A few looked away quickly, their faces wearing a frown as if they didn’t like my presence. Maybe because I was human.
I swallowed hard. I felt small and out of place. I felt too….Human.
Kade didn’t slow down, he didn’t stop to explain who I was or why I was there. He didn’t introduce me to anyone. He just walked, pulling me gently along like he expected everyone to understand.
I didn’t know what to do, I kept my eyes on the ground to avoid their gaze, my heart beating fast.
We returned to the same room I had escaped from earlier. The moment we entered the room, he let go of my hand and turned to one of the men standing nearby.
“Stay here,’ Kade instructed, his voice was calm but gave no room for argument. “Keep an eye on her. Do not leave her alone.”
The man bowed his head. “Yes, Alpha.”
My head snapped up. “Wait…what?”
“I’m not a prisoner,” I said quickly, panic rising again. “You can’t just lock me in here and post guards.”
“You’re not a prisoner, Isla,” he said, looking at me. “You’re being protected.”
“I don’t need…..”
“You do,” he cuts in, firm now. “And I won’t risk losing you again.”
I opened my mouth to argue but the look in his eyes stopped me. It wasn’t anger. It was fear.
I closed my mouth.
Kade turned and left without another word.
I stood there for a long time, listening to her own breathing. The man assigned to watch over me stood near the door, quiet and respectful, not looking at me directly.
I noticed something strange. No one treated me badly. They didn’t laugh at me or spoke down at me. When other people passed by they glanced in, nodded slightly and moved on. It wasn’t friendliness, but it wasn’t hostility either.
It was respect.
That scared me more than fear.
That night, torches were lit all around the pack grounds, casting their light all over. The sound of voices grew louder, gathering in one place. The guard stepped aside and gestured for me to follow.
“It’s time,” he said.
“Time for what?” I asked.
“You should stand with the Alpha.”
My stomach twisted.
I followed him out, my steps slow. The field was filled with people, men and women standing shoulder to shoulder, all alert. When Kade stepped forward, the crowd went silent.
I found myself standing beside him.
I felt vulnerable, exposed. Like I was standing on a stage I never asked to be on.
He lifted his hand and every eye stayed on him.
“My pack,” he began.
His voice carried a lot of confidence, strong and sure. I watched him as he spoke, the way his posture changed, the way authority settled on him like a second skin.
“Our territory has been threatened,” he said. “Enemies are moving, they’ve crossed the line.”
The crowd began to murmur.
Kade raised his hand again and silence returned.
“There will be no weakness among us,” he continued. “No fear.”
He paused.
Then he turned to me slightly, his gaze on me.
“This woman beside me,” he said clearly, “is my mate.”
Gasps rippled through the pack. Whispers broke out.
My heart slammed so hard that I would faint.
His mate.
My breath caught. I stared at him, shock running down my spine.
Kade didn’t look at the others anymore; his eyes remained fixed on me.
“Anyone who dares to harm her,” he finished, his voice darkening, “answers to me.”
In that moment, I realised something terrifying.
I wasn’t just in his world anymore.
I was at the centre of it.
- Writer
