Him

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...The fire burned low, its orange glow painting shadows along the stone walls. I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, steady and unyielding, as though he was trying to memorize every inch of me — or perhaps searching for the cracks I tried so hard to hide....

...My fingers curled around the edge of the blanket, the rough fabric grounding me. I should have been afraid. I was afraid. But beneath that fear, there was something else — a pull I couldn’t explain, a thread binding me to him....

...He moved closer, slow, silent, every step measured. My breath hitched as his shadow swallowed mine, and for a moment, I swore I heard the low, rhythmic thrum of his heartbeat....

...“You should rest,” he murmured, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it, yet holding that same quiet command that made my pulse spike. “Your body can only take so much.”...

...I wanted to argue, to tell him I didn’t trust sleep, not when nightmares waited to drag me back into that basement — but the exhaustion was too deep, my eyelids too heavy....

...Still, something in me fought. “And if they find me? If they come here—”...

...“They won’t.” His tone sharpened, a glint of steel flashing in those silver eyes. “Not while you’re with me.”...

...The way he said it sent a shiver down my spine. Not a threat. A vow....

...Before I could answer, a faint, almost imperceptible sound echoed through the stone corridor — the soft crunch of footsteps on gravel, followed by the distant howl of a wolf. His entire body stilled, muscles coiling like a predator ready to strike....

...“Stay here,” he said, and though it was soft, it was a command. “No matter what you hear. Don’t move.”...

...Panic flared in my chest. “Wait—what’s happening? Who—”...

...But he was gone before I could finish, melting into the shadows as if he was born of them....

...The silence that followed was deafening. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I pulled the blanket tighter around me, every muscle in my body taut with anticipation....

...Then, muffled voices. Low. Urgent. And a growl — deep, guttural, primal — that made the hair on my arms stand on end....

...I didn’t know how long I sat there, frozen, until the sounds faded and the air grew still again. My throat was dry, my mind a whirlwind of fear and questions I couldn’t answer....

...And then he returned....

...There was blood on his shirt — not much, but enough to make my stomach knot — and his eyes were darker now, stormy, like a brewing tempest. He didn’t speak at first. Just watched me, scanning my face, my trembling hands, as though reassuring himself I was still there....

...Finally, he exhaled, low and controlled....

...“They know,” he said. “The pack knows you’re alive.”...

...The words struck like lightning, sharp and unrelenting....

...“What… what does that mean?” My voice cracked, the weight of those words sinking into my bones....

...His gaze locked with mine, and for a moment, I swore I saw something raw, almost desperate, beneath the icy calm....

...“It means,” he said, stepping closer, “that the ceremony won’t end the way they think it will. And when the alpha prince arrives…”...

...He paused, the corner of his jaw tightening as his voice dropped to a whisper meant only for me....

...“…he won’t be the one choosing.”...

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...THANK YOU 💓...

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