CHAPTER FOUR
1023 Words
I stood at the pack border, my eyes scanning the empty stretch of road ahead.
The driver Daniel had sent was nowhere to be seen. My chest tightened with unease as the wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the faint scent of danger.
It had been over a month since Daniel and I got back together, but nothing about our relationship felt secure… not with the threats that loomed over us.
Two weeks ago, I had left the pack to attend Mila's mating ceremony.
Now, I was returning, eager to get back to the life I was rebuilding. But the uneasy silence around me made my skin crawl.
Then, they came. Hooded figures burst from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with malice. Weapons glinted in the fading light as they charged toward us, swift and deadly.
A guard’s voice shattered the silence.
"An attack! Get to safety, now!"
Panic surged through me as chaos erupted. Fists flew, and the clang of steel against steel echoed through the air.
I had never witnessed violence like this before, and I froze, rooted in place as fear gripped me.
A guard grabbed my arm, his face pale with urgency.
"Run!" he shouted.
I gathered my skirt and sprinted, weaving through the chaotic crowd. My lungs burned with each breath, but I didn’t dare slow down. I thought I was safe, that I had escaped the nightmare, but I was wrong.
Rough hands grabbed my arms, yanking me back. I screamed, struggling with all my strength, but it was useless. Strangers dragged me toward a black car idling at the curb.
"No!" I shouted, thrashing in their grip.
"Let me go! You’ll regret this!"
The car door slammed shut behind me, the engine roaring to life as we sped away.
"Shut her up," a voice growled from the front seat.
I tried to fight as someone forced my head back, shoving a cloth into my mouth. The strange, acrid smell of the liquid soaked into it was overpowering. I coughed, gagged, and then darkness swallowed me whole.
When I woke, the first thing I noticed was the chill of the room. The air was damp, the faint scent of mold lingering. My hands and feet were bound, the rough twine cutting into my skin. My heart raced as I blinked, trying to adjust to the dim light.
A figure loomed before me, his face obscured by a mask.
"It's not enough," he muttered, pacing the room.
Before I could make sense of his words, a familiar voice cut through the silence.
"Name your price," Joel demanded, his tone sharp and furious.
The kidnapper sneered.
"Five million dollars."
Joel's voice lowered, a dangerous edge to it.
"Let her go, and you might live to see the money."
The kidnapper laughed, the sound cold and cruel.
"If you delay, I’ll sell her to a brothel. She's worth far more there."
A low growl rumbled through the phone.
"Don’t you dare," Joel hissed.
The kidnapper ended the call and turned to me with a smirk.
"Awake now, princess?"
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady.
"What do you want from me?"
His smile widened, his eyes glittering with malice.
"A message," he said, leaning closer.
"Stay away from someone else’s mate. They’re getting engaged."
Shock rippled through me.
"What? Whose mate? Who’s getting engaged?"
"You’ve been sniffing around the Moonlight Pack’s Alpha," he sneered.
"If you love yourself, stay out of it."
Before I could respond, his phone rang again. The moment he answered, I heard Daniel’s voice, calm but laced with tension.
"Give the phone to her," Daniel demanded.
The kidnapper hesitated but handed me the phone.
"Leah," Daniel said, his voice sharp with urgency.
"Are you hurt?"
I choked back tears.
"I’m not okay… but I’m alive."
"I’ll get you out of there," Daniel promised.
"Stay strong."
The call ended, leaving me alone with my fear and the sound of my pounding heart.
Hours passed; time felt distorted in the darkness.
Finally, the kidnapper shoved me back into the car, forcing a cloth over my face again.
The sharp, chemical scent overwhelmed me, dragging me back into unconsciousness.
When I came to, the world around me was different. Tall trees surrounded us, their shadows stretching long and foreboding.
My head throbbed as I was dragged out of the car.
Then I saw him… Daniel. Relief flooded me as I caught sight of him and Joel standing together, their eyes fixed on me.
I was thrilled to see them but a figure behind me shattered my good mood…Diana followed them.
The kidnapper shoved me forward, but Daniel was there in an instant, pulling me into his arms.
He handed me off to Joel, who held me tightly, his presence steadying me.
Daniel turned to the kidnappers, his expression dark and deadly.
"Here’s the money," he said, tossing a bag at their feet.
The leader reached for it, but he barely had time to react as Daniel’s men emerged from the shadows surrounding them.
The leader tried to flee, but Daniel caught him with ease, his hand tightening around the man’s neck.
"Who sent you?" Daniel growled, his voice cold as steel.
The leader pointed a trembling finger at a figure trying to slip away… Diana.
A warrior dragged her forward, forcing her to kneel before Daniel.
"It was her," the leader confessed. "She hired us to scare the girl away from you."
Diana’s eyes blazed with fury. "You can’t do this to me, Daniel! We were fine before she came along!"
Daniel’s gaze was icy. "You’ve overstepped. You’re demoted to the lower pack. Speak my name again, and you’ll regret it."
Diana's face contorted in rage.
"You can't do this to me! My father's efforts and assistance to the pack..."
Daniel cut her off.
"I'll announce this to the pack. Take her away.”
“Kill them all. That's the reward of their sin”. Daniel commanded
Diana screamed curses as the warriors dragged her away, but Daniel didn’t flinch.
His attention turned back to me, his eyes softening.
"You’re safe now," he murmured.
- Writer
