Chapter 002
1476 Words
Clara’s Point of View
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Footsteps with great weight reverberated through the hallway while each step caused vibrations beneath my feet. The feeling caused my entire body to shake, as if I could hear war drums beating. The approaching footsteps brought increasing fear, which consumed my insides.
The Alpha was coming. I could feel it in my bones.
Vlad.
Even without seeing him, I immediately recognized his presence. The power behind his footsteps combined with his presence caused my heart to race uncontrollably. The weight of his aura gave me all the information I needed to identify him.
I have been through this before. I have experienced this on numerous occasions in the past.
As his footsteps approached the door, I stopped moving and my breath got trapped in my throat.
I tried to move quickly, but my chains made a loud noise when I shifted. The metal around my neck made a clinking sound while I quickly dove beneath the bed to hide from the monster. I knew it was useless. His presence filled every corner, so I had no chance to hide, but I kept trying to find a way out.
I coiled myself into a tiny ball while attempting to become as small as possible. I adjusted the cold shackles around my wrists, feeling their pressure against my skin as I worked to keep them from becoming tangled. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered.
The creaking sound of the door opening sent my heart tumbling into my throat.
My hand pressed firmly against my mouth as I fought to contain the sob that threatened to break free.
I heard the door slam behind him. The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. His presence filled the air until it became dense and suffocating.
His scent reached me before I saw his presence. I found his powerful smoky scent overpowering my senses. I knew he was close. So close.
My whole body shook. He stood just a few feet from me, yet I kept my eyes firmly closed. I didn't want him to discover I was awake because that would mean he found out I was hiding.
“Clara…”
His deep voice reverberated throughout the room. His voice carried both amusement and a barely perceptible smile. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
The words sent a shiver of terror coursing down my spine. He was playing with me again. He was playing with me, as he always does.
He always played before he pounced. He stalked as a hunter while I existed as his prey. His toy. His amusement.
I hated him.
By the moon goddess, I hated him.
But what could I do? I was nothing but a broken slave.
My feet lost contact with the ground as the boots approached the bed, and I jumped back.
It didn’t matter. He reached out suddenly and seized my wrist with a strength so tight I couldn’t breathe.
He pulled me from underneath the bed before I had time to respond.
My heart pounded violently against my chest when I looked up at him.
Vlad.
The immense size of his body cast a shadow over me while his overwhelming presence seemed to take up the whole space. I had no chance of escaping. He was too strong, too powerful.
I was nothing.
I didn’t notice how he pulled me up from the ground while he dragged me nearer to him. The broadness of his chest pressed into mine while I felt his body heat radiating through his clothing.
His hair cascaded down his shoulders like a dark waterfall, while his eyes emitted a terrifying glowing red.
His eyes ordinarily displayed a sharp green color that was both cold and calculating, but tonight's gaze showed a different quality.
The full moon was out. It brought out the monster in him. I became the unlucky person who witnessed the transformation.
My legs began to tremble while I struggled against the urge to kneel down. But I couldn’t stop it. I had no control.
I was not in his presence.
Our eyes met, and I felt the amusement in his gaze transform into something sinister. A hunger.
His voice was soft, almost a purr. Clara, you can't hide from me any longer if you think so.
I couldn’t breathe. His stare immobilized me completely, as if I had no ability to move.
His smile sent an icy coldness through my body, which wasn’t caused by the cold air around us.
He whispered to me accusingly, "You've been a bad girl." A wicked girl like you always gets her punishment.
My attempt to break free failed because his strength held me firmly. He maintained his grip on me so tightly that I couldn't move.
I struggled weakly, but it was useless. I was powerless.
His laugh sent shivers up and down my body. He pulled me toward the bed while his hand clamped down on my wrist.
I whimpered, "No..." with my voice reduced to a faint whisper. “Please…”
“Please?” He laughed. Have you now assumed you possess the right to beg me?
His words hit me like a slap.
My energy had been completely depleted, leaving me unable to resist him.
He forced his hands upon me once more with rough and insistent pressure.
The chains clattered against the wall while he detached them and shortened their length. The chains clicked into place when he fastened them to the bedpost, which trapped me.
The word "No…" burst from me with a gasp as tears burnt against my eyes. “Not again…”
Without giving any attention to my desperate plea, he displayed a cruelly amused look while he started unbuttoning his shirt.
My chest tightened. I pressed my eyelids together tightly to shut out everything happening around me. However, I couldn't block out the noise or sense of his presence. Each of his movements showed precision and intentionality that allowed me to predict his next actions.
A wave of helplessness enveloped me as if a chilling ocean suddenly swept over me.
I hated him.
My weakness prevented me from stopping him.
I wished the ordeal would end. I fervently hoped for its eventual conclusion.
I understood that such beliefs were not realistic.
It never stopped.
It was always like that.
The situation deteriorated even further after this moment.
I hated myself for thinking that. I hated myself for wishing for the impossible.
No other hopes remained possible for me.
I couldn't hold onto hope.
It seemed like he could read my mind because I heard his voice once more.
His tone conveyed dark satisfaction as he said, “Struggling makes me more excited.” “You know that, don’t you?”
I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t do anything.
I pushed his hands away, but it felt impossible to stop them, as if I were trying to hold back a flood with my bare hands.
I wasn’t strong enough.
And he knew that.
He always knew that.
His chuckle reverberated quietly throughout the room. It spread throughout the entire space until it appeared to exist all around.
My tears began moving down my cheeks.
I didn’t want this. I didn’t want any of it.
But there was no escape.
There is no hope for freedom.
Not now.
Not ever.
He moved closer until his warm breath brushed against my ear while a new surge of fear overwhelmed me. “You’ll find this fun,
"Clara,” he murmured softly. “I always do.”
His words hit me deeply, and I lost all remaining resistance.
He treated me like I was nothing more than a pawn.
A plaything.
He planned to use me exactly as he always did.
He moved closer.
I couldn’t stop him.
The realization of my helpless situation broke my heart.
Through the tears that shook my frame, I managed to whisper, "Please… no more…".
But it was too late.
It always was.
In the faint illumination of the room, his voice emerged once more.
“What’s the matter, Clara? "Don’t you like our little games?”
My body went cold.
I didn’t answer him.
What could I say?
His speech shifted to a more threatening tone. I doubt you think it's possible to leave without a trace, do you? Is there any place you can run to?
His laughter echoed in my ears as I remained frozen, helpless in his cruel grasp.
Could I ever escape him? Would I ever find a way out?
Did my existence and destiny remain trapped with him for eternity?
I didn’t have the answer.
I understood that Vlad would ensure I became his possession regardless of my actions.
And there was no escaping that.
Not anymore.
What if there was no way out? Was my entire existence simply about enduring this?
- Writer
