Chapter Three
1127 Words
Elena's POV
Wood crashed across the floor while freezing wind rushed inside. I screamed and stumbled backward as several huge wolves stepped through the broken doorway one after another. Their eyes glowed strangely in the dark.
Rain soaked their thick fur while low growls filled the room.
Everything happened too fast. One of the debt collectors raised his weapon with shaking hands. “Stay back!”
The wolf closest to him lunged instantly. The man barely had time to scream before the wolf slammed him into the wall so hard the wood cracked loudly behind him. Chaos exploded everywhere.
The second collector ran toward the window in panic, dad grabbed me tightly and pulled me behind him.
“Elena run!”
But where, the house was surrounded. Another wolf stepped inside slowly, its glowing eyes locked directly at me again. Fear wrapped around my chest so tightly it hurt.
“What do they want from me?” I cried.
I forced myself to step backwards even though every instinct screamed at me to run.
Kael’s dark stare swept across them slowly.
“She belongs to the North.”
The wolves growled louder immediately. One stepped forward aggressively and kael pulled the silver dagger from his coat again.
“You challenge me?” he asked quietly.
The wolf bared its teeth and suddenly it shifted its bones cracked loudly and its massive body twisted unnaturally until a man stood there breathing heavily instead of a wolf. This couldn’t be real.
The man’s glowing eyes stayed fixed on me.
“She’s awakened,” he growled.
Father’s grip on my arm tightened painfully. Kael stepped directly in front of me protectively.
“You’re trespassing.”
The man laughed darkly. “You think hiding her in the North will save her?”
“What is he talking about?”
Anger mixed with fear inside my chest. I was tired of everyone speaking like I wasn’t even there. The wolf man looked around the house before smiling cruelly.
“She doesn’t even know, does she?”
Kael’s expression darkened dangerously.
“Leave.”
“Or what?”
The next second the wolf man crashed through the table with Kael’s hand wrapped tightly around his throat. Kael looked terrifying now. His eyes glowed in the darkness while fury spread across his face.
“You were warned,” he said coldly.
Then he slammed the wolf man into the wall hard enough to c***k the wood. The other wolves backed away immediately. They were afraid of him.
He coughed painfully before glaring toward me one last time.
“She’ll destroy all of you,” he spat.
Then suddenly the wolves retreated and disappeared back into the storm. Silence filled the ruined house afterward except for the sound of heavy rain.
I stared at Kael with shaking hands because what I just saw wasn't ordinary.
Kael fought like he wasn’t fully human himself. Nothing made sense anymore.
He slowly turned toward me like the terrifying thing I just saw never happened.
“We’re leaving now.”
“No.”
The word came out immediately.
Father looked panicked. “Elena”
“No!” I shouted louder. “I’m not going anywhere with him!”
Kael stared at me.
Outside, thunder shook the sky.
“You are no longer safe here,” he said calmly.
“You keep saying that!”
“Because it’s true.”
“I don’t care!”
That was a lie. I cared so much and I was terrified.
Father suddenly stepped closer to me. “Please listen to him.”
I looked at him in disbelief.
“You sold me to a monster.”
Pain flashed across his face instantly.
“He’s trying to protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Protect me from what?!” I cried. “You still haven’t told me anything!”
Tears filled my eyes and Kael watched me carefully for a moment before speaking quietly.
“If you stay here, they will come back.”
I crossed my arms angrily. “Then let them.”
Father looked horrified. “Elena!”
“At least I’d rather die here than be dragged away!”
Kael’s jaw tightened slightly. Why did he look hurt every time I fought him? It made no sense.
“You think I want this?” he asked quietly.
“Yes.
Kael stared at me for a long moment then he looked away first. Outside, another howl echoed through the storm. More wolves were coming again. The collectors were gone now.
He suddenly pulled a black coat from the chair beside him and held it toward me.
“Put this on.”
“I’m not going with you.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
Anger exploded inside me again.
“I don't trust you.”
Kael’s face didn’t change much but something about his eyes darkened slightly.
“That changes nothing,” he said.
I wanted to scream at him again but I grabbed the coat angrily from his hand only because I was freezing.
Definitely not because I listened to him.
Father released a shaky breath nearby.
“I’ll gather her things.”
“No,” Kael said immediately.
Father frowned. “She’ll need clothes.”
“She won’t be coming back.”
And now I was leaving it with a stranger.
Dad moved toward me slowly. “Elena…”
I stepped back instantly. His face broke a little more.
“You sold me to a monster,” I whispered again.
Tears slid down my cheeks again but I quickly wiped them away angrily because I didn’t want Kael watching me cry.
He reached toward me slowly. “One day you’ll understand.”
“No,” I whispered shakily. “I won’t.”
Outside, several black carriages waited in the storm. Large wolves stood beside them like guards.
This was really happening. Kael walked toward the door without another word. Like he already expected me to follow.
Father suddenly grabbed my hand before I could move. His hands shook badly.
“Elena listen carefully,” He whispered.
“You cannot trust anyone in the North.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
His grip tightened.
“Not even him.”
My eyes immediately moved toward Kael near the doorway. Rain blew around him while thunder flashed behind his tall figure. He looked like part of the storm itself.
A loud growl suddenly echoed outside. Kael turned sharply toward us and Father immediately went silent. Like he almost said something he shouldn’t have. My heart pounded.
“What am I?” I whispered.
Father looked terrified because Kael slowly stared at him from across the room.
And for the first time since arriving, the Northern Alpha looked ready to kill someone.
- Writer
