“You done checking me out?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
I feel my face heat as a blush spreads across my cheeks. “I wasn’t,” I stutter, and he moves toward me.
That very moment, panic seizes me. I have no idea where I am, what to do, or where to run, so I take the most logical route at hand – I run toward the door in the room’s corner. As soon as I reach it, I throw it open and run through it. When I realize it is a closet and not a bathroom with a window to use as an escape, I curse under my breath.
I hear a knock on the door and soon after, comes the man’s amused voice on the other side of the door.
“Knock, knock,” he says, and I feel panic grip me.
Looking around the walk-in, I find nothing useful to aid in my escape. I notice a metal bar with clothes hung on it and yank it, ripping it from its braces. The clothes slide off and land softly on the floor. Backing up, I face the door.
He knocks again, and my heart skips a beat as I watch the door handle twist. I swing the bar when it opens, aiming for his head, but hit his shoulder. He grips the bar, yanking me towards him, and I bring my knee up, hitting him between the legs.
He groans, clutching his now aching balls. I grab the pole and dart past him, only for him to catch my ankle. I fall face-first onto the carpet with a soft thud, knocking the air from my lungs. The other man is watching from the door, amused, which angers me as I roll on my back.
The man’s grip on my ankle tightens as he drags me toward him, and I raise my other foot, kicking him in the chest. He reaches out, snaring my other foot in his vice-like grip, holding it to the floor before shoving my legs apart and pressing his body between my thighs.
“Keep fighting. I love it when they struggle,” he says, and I feel his erection press into me. Lifting my head, I headbutt him, instantly regretting it as my head throbs, realizing I hurt myself more than him. His lip is bleeding while I feel like I just head-butted a brick wall.
“She is a feisty little one,” he mutters, wiping his lip, while I continue to struggle against him.
I see Orion walk in, pushing past the man standing at the door watching the scene in front of him unfold.
“What are you doing? Get off her,” he says, shoving his shoulder.
“Well, fucking help, then. Where have you been anyway?” the man asks Orion.
The man hops off me and I scramble to sit up when Orion grabs my face. I feel fog slip over me, but I try to shake it off.
“Don’t be scared. We won’t hurt you,” he says, as I feel a wave of ease rush over me; all fear leaves me as I look at his dazzling eyes, hypnotized by his words. He lets go of my face, and I lean back, his face searching mine.
“This is Ryland, and he is Thaddeus. They won’t hurt you, Evelyn,” he says, pointing between both men. Thaddeus moves closer, sitting on the end of the bed where I woke up. Ryland stands up, staring down at me.
“Why am I here? And you bit me.”
“I didn’t bite you; I marked you. Well, I suppose they are actually the same thing,” Ryland says in his husky voice, making me shiver.
He smirks and holds his hand to help me up, but I ignore it. Getting up myself, I step away from him.
“Marked me?” I say, trying to process his words. I have heard the term before.
Everyone found out about shifters after the world turned to shit. Dark creatures revealed themselves for the first time. They made the world realize exactly what was lurking in the shadows. That was when the stories people told around campfires suddenly became a reality.
“Yes. You belong to us now,” he says, and I shake my head.
“I want to go home. Take me home, Orion,” I tell him, and he looks at me with nothing but sadness in his eyes.
“You won’t be going home, Evelyn. You belong with us now.” He repeats the same words I don’t want to hear; the same words I refuse to believe.
“No, I belong at home,” I tell him, walking past them, only for Thaddeus to get up from the bed and block my exit. I feel something strange wash over me, and I fight the urge to shiver as dread consumes me.
Something is seriously off about him. Even with Orion saying I shouldn’t fear them, something about Thaddeus has me on edge. The negative energy coming off him in waves makes me want to run. My blood turns ice cold in my veins as he looks down at me. He is tall and very broad, I only come up to the center of his chest. There is something really bad about him; something evil, dark, and twisted.
He reaches his hand up, cupping my cheek, and his thumb brushes my lips. I feel a shiver run up my spine and sparks rush over my skin. It is unsettling, and I don’t know if I want to cringe away or lean into his hand.
“You’re not leaving. I can’t let you go now,” he says, making me look up at him.
His eyes watch me with a hunger I have never seen before, a cross between wanting to rip me apart and feast on my blood, or something all-consuming. Either way, I don’t like the idea. I try to move around him when his hand moves to my arm, gripping it tightly, and fear rushes through me at the tightness of his grip.
“I said you’re not leaving. It would be in your best interest not to provoke me,” he says, his tone emotionless and cold as I try to walk out of the room.
“Thaddeus?” Orion snaps, making me look at him.
I find both Ryland and Orion looking at Thaddeus with worried expressions. My eyes move to his and I gasp at what I see. His eyes are completely black. It feels like I am staring into the eyes of a demon. Black veins ripple under his eyes and down his cheeks. The air leaves my lungs, and my throat restricts when I notice the fangs protruding from beneath his top and bottom lips. My entire body trembles in fear as he looks down at me, and I take a step back. My stomach turns upside down, and the thought of throwing up becomes a real possibility as I feel fear knot my stomach and goosebumps raise on my skin. Fear makes me step back away from him. But he steps closer like a predator, ready to pounce. Suddenly, the lights flicker, and my pulse rises.
“Thaddeus, get a grip of yourself,” Ryland’s voice rings out in the darkness.
“You’re him, aren’t you?” I whisper, suddenly realizing I’m not just in the presence of shifters, but the Dark Ones. The men responsible for destroying the world, destroying lives.
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