The darkness that awaits

Forty eight hours.

That was howmuch time Thorne had given Ember to make her decision. Time was finally up and as she arrived at thier meeting point, moon river. She met Thorne sitting on the riverbank, his legs playfully swishing in the water. His muscular build was evident even from a distance, his broad shoulders and chiesled arms a testament to his strength. His dark hair, always messy and unkemp, yet in a very attractive way, and his piercing eyes seemed to gleam in the moonlight.

As she drew closer, Ember realized he was shirtless. She then noticed a scar on his back, a jogged line that ran from his shoulder blade to his waist. It looked like a crescent moon. As soon as Thorne sensed her presence, he stood up, his movements fluid and graceful. He pulled on his shirt, the fabric clinging to his damp skin, and turned to face her. His eyes locked unto hers and asked seemingly out of nowhere

''Do you think the stars are jealous of the moon's ability to control the tides?''

Ember's eyebrows shot up in suprise, her mind racing to catcch up with the sudden change in conversation. ''uh, i never thought about it'' she stammered as she gazed at the beautiful stars scattered across the sky

''Thorne, do you know a man named Lucas?'' she asked, her voice bsrely above a whisper.

As she turned her attention nack to Thorne, she was taken aback by the sudden change in his demeanor. His eyes, once warm and inviting had turned cold and piercing, his gaze boring hers with an intensity that made her heart race.

''We will not speak of him'' he growled, his voice low and menacing, laced with a subtle venom.

Ember took a steo back, her heart racing at the sudden outburst. ''I...I'm sorry,'' she stammered.

Thorne's gaze narrowed, his eyes burning with intensity. ''what is your decision, Ember?'' he demanded. His voice firm but controlled 

Ember hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. ''Lucas...he threatened my family. He said he would hurt them if i didn't do what he wanted.''

Ember could ot understand while she felt so comfortable being vulnerable with a man she was just meeting for the second time.

''I swear to protect you and your family Ember'' he vowerd, his voice fierce and resolute. ''No one will harm them while i live.''

Ember's eyes welled up in tears, her visions blurry as she nodded silently.

Thorne's expression remains unchanged, his eyes fixed on hers with an unwavering intensity. He showed no reaction to her tears. ''The wedding will be at moon park, Friday'' his voice firm and resolute, as if sealing fate with the words.

*********

Thorne's words hung in the air, a harsh reminder of the fate that awaited her. Without another glance, he tirned and walked away, his footsteps echoing through the night, leaving Ember alone and adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

As he disappeared into the darkness, Ember's tears flowed unchecked, her body shaking with sobs. She felt like she was drowning, suffocating under the weight of her own desperation

Ember's heart raced as she broke the news to her parents

Her father's reaction was explosive. ''You cannot be serious . You are refusing to marry Lucas, a union that would have strengthened our faimly's status in the pack, and instead you are marrying the alpha of the rival pack. You are making a mockery of our family's name and putting us in danger!''

''Father, please....''

But he cut off, his voice booming. ''No Ember, you are betraying your own family, your own pack! You are choosing the enemy over your own flesh and blood!''

Ember stood there.

Speechless.

She started to wonder why she even made this decision

What was it about Thorne that was calling her?

A man she had only met twice! Or was Lucas really that bad?

Her head started to spin, thoughts swirled in her head. 

''Can't escape, can't breathe, can't think...''

The room began to blur, colors bleeding together like wet paint. The faces around her warped and distorted, her father's voice echoed loudest, ''betraying your own family...choosing the enemy''

Ember's vision began to tunnel, the edges darkening until everything was a hazt, spinning vortex. Her legs buckled and she crumpled to the ground, her head throbbing.

Her mom rushed towards her almost immediately. She lay there, her eyes fluttering closed, a fleeting whispered through her mind. ''Maybe this death...and would that be so bad?''

'' It is peaceful after all'' 

*********

Ember slowly opened her eyes, groggily taking in her surroundings. She was in her room, the familiar walls and furniture a comforting sight. Her bed, with its soft, white blankets. The room was silent, the only sound her own ragged breathing.

As she struggled to sit up, her head throbbed in protest, a sharp pain shooting through her temples. She winced, remembering the fainting spell yhat had left her crumpled on the floor.

Just as she was gaining her bearings, a voice cut through the silence, making her jump. ''You disappointed me, Ember.''

Lucas's voice low and menacing, sending shivers down her spine. She hadn't noticed him sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, his eyes fixed on her with an unerving intensity. Her hands began to tremble as she took in his imposing figure, her heart raacing with fear.

Lucas leaned forward, his eyes glinting in the dim light. ''You chose the wrong side, Ember and now you will have to face the consequences''

Ember froze, her mind racing with confusion and fear but her body seemed to move of its own accord, her hands trembling as she began to remove her top. 

She didn't understand what she was doing, but she couldn't stop. Tears streamed down her face as she exposed herself, her eyes locked on Lucas's with a seductive intensity that she couldn't explain. Her hands shook but she did not stop.

Now fully naked, she pats the bed softly, giving him the green light. Lucas launches himself at her and just as he starts to plants kisses on her neck, she whispers into his ears ''Spare my family Lucas, please''

He simply nods and continues to trace her neck wit his lips. A soft moan escaped her lips, a soft surrender. The room blurred and her thoughts dissolved into a ahaze of sensation. Time lost all meaning as she succumbed to the darkness that has been lurking around her.

When the fog cleared, Ember lay spent, her body trembling, her mind foggy. Lucas’s chest rose and fell beside her, his eyes closed, his face relaxed in a rare moment of peace.

The silence was heavy with the weight of what had just happened. She was still almost in a state of unbelief.

Ember’s thoughts struggled to form, her gaze drifting to the window, where the first light of dawn crept in, casting a pale glow over the room.

As Ember lay on the bed, trying to catch her breath, a fleeting thought crossed her mind: “At least now my parents are safe.” She tried to cling to this notion, hoping it would absolve her of the guilt that was already creeping in. 

“Lucas won’t hurt them now…he’s gotten what he wanted from me.”

But as she sat up, her gaze drifting to the door, a nagging doubt crept in. “Did they know?” she wondered. “Did they hear what was going on in here?” The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She couldn’t shake the feeling that her parents might have been aware of Lucas’s presence in her room, and that knowledge made her feel sick to her stomach.

Ember’s mind raced as she tried to replay the events of the past hour. Had she heard any sounds from downstairs? Had her parents been awake, listening to…everything? The uncertainty gnawed at her, and she knew she had to find out.

With a sense of fear, Ember swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, her eyes fixed on the door leading downstairs

Ember’s mind raced as she stumbled down the stairs, her legs heavy with a sense of foreboding. The silence in the house was oppressive, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. As she turned the corner, her heart sank. Her parents lay motionless on the floor, their bodies surrounded by a pool of blood.