Chapter 20 Jake Something was off. The feeling was tingling in my entire body. I felt anxious, like something was lurking in the shadows, just out of sight. My heart raced and my skin prickled with a discomforting sensation. I couldn't pinpoint the source of my distress, and I had no choice but to give in to it. I thought back to the conversation I had with Evelyn earlier that day. All I had wanted was for her to understand me, but she had shut me out completely. The rejection had stung, but I was certain I could win her over with time. These emotions invading me were something else. I felt sadness, grief, longing, love, and a strange sense of familiarity. These emotions I was feeling seemed foreign to me, almost like they belonged to someone else. They came in waves, each stronger than before, warning me of a coming storm. I tried to trace the origin of these feelings back to their source, but I couldn't seem to find it. What was I feeling? It wasn’t like I didn’t know about the
Chapter 21 Evelyn Unexpectedly, Eric grabbed me and held me close. His arms were like bands of steel around me, strength and confidence radiating from his body. He embraced me tightly, his chest heaving against mine, and he kissed my neck and ear. His hands were all over me, exploring my body as if he was trying to memorize it. He smelled of aftershave and wood smoke. But he also had a smell that was hard to identify. It lingered around him like a mist. Then, as quickly as it had started, it all stopped. Eric took a step back and looked at me, searching my face for something. His eyes were dark and intense, filled with longing and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. Fear gripped me and my heart thudded in my chest. He said nothing, but his gaze penetrated my very soul. It made my cheeks burn, and my breath coming in quick gasps. I was so shocked that I couldn't even form the words. Half of me remembered the feeling of his embrace, and all the emotions we had once expe
Chapter 22 Jake My mate had vanished without a trace. Although her smell was still in the room, it was faint. The other scent was artificial and so strong that it overpowered all the other aromas, making them dissipate into the air. It was a pungent chemical smell, unfamiliar to my sensitive nose, like a mixture of burnt rubber, gasoline, and something else I couldn't quite identify. Evelyn was gone. The smell of fear lingered in the air like a corpse, slowly decomposing until it was nothing more than bones and shadows. The sun had sunk low and cast a cold light on the scene, but it didn’t matter. I knew what I saw. Someone scattered her belongings around the lodge. Her empty shoes were placed neatly by the door, as if she had taken them off before she left. But she hadn’t left willingly. The smell of fear still lingered in the air. It was faint, but combined with what I had felt earlier, I realized this was not her choice. Someone had forced her here, and I felt my grip on my com
Chapter 23EvelynThe air was stagnant and heavy with humidity as Eric, and I stood face to face in the dimly lit cottage. It all happened so fast. Eric had found me, blaming me for leaving and then accusing me of being unfaithful. He was getting angrier and meaner by the minute. I never thought he had it in him to hurt me, but now I was convinced he actually would do so.He was convinced that I belonged to him. He was convinced that I had betrayed him.Before I reacted, he had grabbed me and thrown me over his shoulder. In one swift movement, he had opened the door and rushed out of the cottage. He held me tight. I was powerless, and my heart raced as his long strides carried us away.The sun was setting, casting an orange hue over the horizon as we headed towards the woods. I did not know what was coming next, but I it couldn't be good. I was trembling with fear, but I also comprehended that I had to stay determined. I filled my lungs with air and wordlessly hoped for a miracle.As
Chapter 24JakeMy pack mates leapt into action, intent on finding Evelyn. I sprinted through the forest, snuffling at the ground in a desperate search for any trace of her. My dark wolf, howling and growling, mirroring our sadness and trepidation.We were running against the setting sun, and the light was almost completely gone. Although this didn't impede our progress much, as wolves mainly rely on scents and sounds rather than sight, I couldn't help but worry about what it might mean for Evelyn. If she was still out here, alone and scared, she would be extremely vulnerable in the dark.There was no trace of her, no scent, no sound. The earlier artificial smell was faint. Maybe it was overpowering Evelyn’s scent. It was unclear which direction they were headed. Someone took Evelyn against her will. I felt it in my bones, my heart and soul. She didn’t go willingly, and that fueled my anger to find her.I couldn't imagine how terrified she must be. The thought of what she was going th
Chapter 25EvelynEric’s words were harsh and controlling. He spoke of marriage as if it was his right to possess me, and as if carrying on an affair with Carrie was the most natural thing in the world. He had no guilt and no empathy. It filled me with a strange sensation that I was speaking to a lunatic.He continued speaking, his voice growing louder, but his words becoming increasingly garbled. My heart raced and my legs shook as I my stomach turned. I had to get out of there. I had to escape the situation and his controlling words.Any remorse I had over leaving Eric without saying goodbye had disappeared. The man he had portrayed himself as - loyal and empathetic - was nothing more than an empty facade. His words and promises were false, and his behavior was selfish and untrustworthy. I had to get away from him.We were still standing outside his car, an old green chevy that had seen better days, although he had always taken care of it well. The thought of getting in the car with
Chapter 26EvelynI was fumbling my way through the dense forest in what I thought was the right direction. On this airless, still dark morning, the trees seemed to be a hundred stories tall, and looming in the darkness, they seemed to whisper secrets and stories that I did not understand. Although I felt like someone or something was watching me, no matter how hard I tried, I could never quite catch sight of it. My steps were heavy and unsure, but somehow I kept going, propelled by an unknown force that guided me.As I trudged onwards, the presence became more and more palpable, and I should have been scared, but inexplicably, I wasn’t. I had just escaped from a kidnapping, and all the long days and nights filled with adrenaline had finally taken its toll on me. But, strangely, instead of feeling exhausted, I felt recharged and alive, in more ways than one. I uplifted my fatigue, replaced it with a new aliveness that came from within me. It was as if some part of me had awoken from a
Chapter 27JakeYesterday was overwhelming. I expected to go to battle to search for my mate, but I abandoned that plan. Instead, I joined forces with my father, brothers, and a handful of pack mates and we set off into the forest to seek Evelyn.But something happens. Well, someone happens. A presence emerged and took in charge of the situation. It was no stranger, in fact, in was Evelyn’s father.The tall, imposing figure of Evelyn's father materialized in the forest, his presence cutting through the stillness of the night like a hot knife through butter. In the dim moonlight, his features were sharp and angular, like a majestic eagle in flight. The stern, dark eyes peered around the forest with a piercing intensity, as he seemed to take in and assess every detail of his surroundings. He was a Lycan. It suddenly made sense. Mr. Black was a Lycan, but he was also a powerful leader and protector amongst the werewolf community and his power radiated from him like an unspoken promise.J