Radiance, he called me his radiance.

A thrashing wave of bemused emotions courses through me as my eyes lock onto that word. Radiance. My heart picks up speed as I try to conjure up a valid reason. Ryder does not like me. Millions of thoughts surge through my mind, but only one seems to stick: why?

As a typical charismatic ladies man, Ryder has a history of making women fall in love with him; but it never goes further than a hookup, and--at most--one or two dates. His enticing good looks and charming smile lure women into a passionate one night stand that leaves them begging for more. Unfortunately for them, he's emotionally unavailable.

Radiance... my radiance...

Butterflies explode like untamable fireworks in my stomach as I hear his voice say it once more. Why do I feel this way?! For the rest of the night, I tossed and turned, unable to repress the giddiness bouncing inside of me.

When morning finally came, I knew I wanted to confront him about it. Unfortunately, Kenzie told me he went to workout earlier this morning and hasn't returned since.

"Why are you looking for him?" She inquires, pouring fresh hot coffee into her favorite matte pink tumbler. I suck in my lip, hesitant to explain to her what happened last night. Instead of looking too deep into it, I simply told her I was going to ask if I could work out with him this morning.

"Oh cool," she says, shrugging off how out of the ordinary it is for me to want to work out.. "Do you want to come with me today? My boss is having a big party at the zoo tonight. He made me rent the whole zoo for his exclusive private tours before the party begins tonight."

As interesting as it sounds, I decide to decline the offer.

"As fun as that sounds," I say sarcastically, "I think I'm going to head home today."

Kenzie stops abruptly, narrowing her eyes into mine, caution dances in hers like a blazing wildfire. "Are you sure? What if Christian is there?"

"He mentioned yesterday morning that he had a business trip to go on this week, so he shouldn't be." I say plainly.

I recall eavesdropping in a brief conversation between Christian and my mom the morning of her departure. His voice was stern and cold as told her he didn't have time to waste, so dropping her off needed to be quick and painless. I remember feeling the overwhelming urge to tear his face off after hearing him be so spiteful to my mother; like she is piece unwanted trash.

Kenzie exhales in subtle defeat. She shrugs her petite shoulders, and in that same motion, secures the lid onto her tumbler. She lifts her white and pink work tote over her left shoulder, her cup in her other hand, and says to me, "Okay, but be safe, alright?"

I give her an assured nod as she turns to leave.

"Have a good day at work. And try not to drool over your boss." I sarcastically tease, referring to the amount of time's she has seen his bare ass. As she exits the apartment, I hear a distant gag, followed by, "Ew! No!"

I hear the door slam shut and chuckle, proud of my little joke. I turn my attention to the lonely, empty living room. Before I leave, I decide to clean up my mess so they wouldn't worry about it later. After finishing up, I grab my keys then head out.

On the way home, I tried to drown my thoughts in my favorite playlist. I sang and did anything to get my mind off of Ryder. As I pull into the short driveway, I thank my lucky stars that Christian is away. I park my car while taking in the view of my home. I know that when I enter, I will be alone for the first time in a very, very long time. A hushed sigh passes my lips. I am so glad I don't have to go to work this week.

My boss let me off for the rest of the week so I can get any kinks with the rehab facility worked out. Thankfully, my manager, Drew, is sweet on me. I bat my lashes and he melts in my palms like sweet butter. I've always been quite fond of him. He is the exact description of a preppy skater boy: perfectly proportioned; decently small black gauges; short dark blonde locks, and the most mesmerizing ocean blue eyes I've ever seen on a man. He's my thirteen year old dream boyfriend.

I turn my engine off before grabbing my stuff and heading inside to enjoy a relaxing day to myself. Once I stepped through the threshold, the intense smell of lemon pledge and Clorox suffocates my lungs.

"Oh yuck! What the fuck?" I cough violently, trying to fight through the fumes. I realize Christian must have cleaned and disinfected the whole building. Not himself, of course. I glance at the dark brown end table in the foyer, and spot a white business card with the name 'Shining Daisies Cleaning Services' embossed in blue metallic ink.

I peek into the living room. Any trace of mom's uncontrollable alcoholic binges have disappeared from sight. The couch is stainless and clean, while the matching cushions are placed neatly in the corners of the couch. Every surface has been dusted and polished, while the floors were waxed and mopped. The pictures on the walls are straight and even, and the once crumpled spare blankets are now folded and stacked in a thick wicker basket near the fireplace.

"Nice touch, douche." I grumble, giving Christian credit where credit is due. I toss my black leather overnight bag onto the sterile cream sofa before strolling into the kitchen to make some food.

My hand hovers on the cold, steel handle on the fridge. As I reach to open the refrigerator door, a loud thud comes from outside. My eyes widen in alarm, and snap towards the back door. What the hell? I thought as I quickly searched for the source. A frightening feeling settles in my gut as I approach the sliding glass back door. I glance around the yard, but I see nothing.

I drive the heavy black door to the side, and deliberately scan the yard. Nothing. Forcing myself to be brave, I take a step outside, walking a few feet away from the safety of my house. I look around the luscious green yard, although nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. But then, the sound of dense branches breaking in the woods, which lines the manicured yard, catches my attention. I zone in on the area and bravely take a step closer. Please be a bunny, I plead.

A heavy, ominous growl rumbles from the thickly forest. The hair on the back of my neck stands tall as panic and fear take over my body. My heart beat gallops faster and faster in my chest as I stare into the mysterious wooden abyss. Just then, an immense wolf barrels out of the bushes, it's sights zoning in on me. It looks... deformed. 

It's thin, patchy brown fur stands up. Both of it's crooked eyes are drenched in sinister darkness. Salvia drips off his canines and rains onto the ground as it lets out another growl. It's thin, lengthy body indicates it hasn't eaten in months. It slowly paces back and forth on boney legs, it's massive, sharp claws digging up clumps of dirt from the ground. It's head begins to twitch as it lowers into a pouncing stance.

It's eyes, so dark and inhuman, are paralyzing. Run, run, run! A terrified scream finally whales out of my lungs as my instincts kick in. My scream seemed to excite the wolf as it prepared itself to chase its prey. Adrenaline rushes through my like a bolt of lightning as I gear myself up to run for my life.

Just then, a black mass lunges at the wolf, tackling it to the ground before it has a chance to chase me. A thunderous roar sends shivers down my spine. Mixed colors of fur flies everywhere as the dark mass and the wolf roll on the ground, fighting for dominance. Clumps of loose dirt and patches of grass soar through the air as the fight continues. 

They break apart and it's then I am able to identify the black mass: another wolf. It's midnight fur stands wildly high as it bares its gnashing teeth. It's robust muscles clearly can overpower the deformed wolf. Angered and determined, death gleams in its golden eyes as the powerful wolves circle one another. Something about the wolf reeks of familiarity, but I can't place my finger on it.

The deformed wolf attacks once more, lunging directly for the black's throat. The black wolf dodges it's attacker, biting the deformed wolf's legs. The ear splitting sound of bones breaking makes me wince as I watch this fatal match unfold. Blood sails across the yard along with the haunting sound of ripping flesh. The deformed wolf manages to break away from the black wolf, and turns towards me once again. Enraged, black eyes stare into my fear stricken ones as it slowly stalks towards me, limping.

"Oh shit." I murmured, inching my way backwards. I want to dash inside. My instincts tell me to take shelter, but I can't take my eyes off of the mighty predator. I feel like a deer caught in headlights: fear stricken and scared. I feel my body begin to quake as I stare into the eyes of the beast.

The deranged wolf stalks closer and closer, licking its massive chops. It hungers to tear into my flesh. Bloody saliva drips it's tremendous canines. A painful and dark yelp rumbles from the predator. It winces in pain as the black wolf sinks it's massive, sharp teeth into it's back leg, preventing it from coming any further. The black wolf begins to drag the other towards the woods; the deformed one, reaching and attempting to bite back on the way. 

They exit, but I can still hear the deathly snarls echoing in the midmorning air. It is a fight to the death. All of the sudden, an agonizing, gut wrenching whale cries out through the forest, shaking the trees and earth beneath my feet.

Silence.

A lump hardens in the back of my throat. Crippling anxiety stirs within me as I wonder who lost the battle. The thick silence in the air is devastating. The thicket begins to rustle once more. My shallow breaths quicken with undeniable fear as my heart races feverishly away. Fear wraps itself around me like a venomous snake, squeezing every last breath out of my lungs. I hear the pounding of my heart beating against my temples. It feels like hours go by as I await to see who won. Then, out of the thick bushes, a man emerges. It's... It's the wolf from Luigi's?

"T-T-That was you?" I lift my finger towards him, tumbling over my words. His eyes were still golden as he stalked towards me with quick, urgent strides.

"Get inside." He sternly commands, grabbing my arm and dragging my stiffened body behind him. With little effort, he flings me through the sliding glass door and I stumble into the kitchen. Managing to catch my balance, I spin around. He slams the door with one swift motion.

"What are you doing?" Worry floods my voice as I skeptically watch him from across the room. He ignores me, wrapping his mighty hand around my arm and pulling me into the living room, where there is little window exposure. He turns towards me, his golden orbs, glazed with vexation.

"Why didn't you run?! That thing was fixing to eat you for breakfast!" He folds his broad arms across his chest, scoffing angrily, and talking down to me as if I were a child. He's definitely not some Prince Charming, that's for sure. The knight in the shining armor, rescuing the damsel in distress and happily trotting off into the sunset. Yeah, not this guy. He is hot though.

"No one asked you to save me, bud." I snapped, narrowing my eyes, and adding emphasis to the word bud. I really shouldn't tantalize someone with the ability to snap my neck in under a split second.

His upper lip curls into a snarl as he backs me against the empty wall. I gulp hard, fear coiling its tight grip around my lungs. His tremendous size trumps my smaller stature as he towers over me. A river of annoyance slithers through his golden orbs, which pierces my soul and makes me cower in fright against the wall.

"P-Please don't hurt me." Fear softens my voice as I beg the angered beast.

The wolf deeply inhales, his raging golden eyes carefully examining every inch of my face. The snarling rage seems to subside as the muscles in his face begin to relax. Threads of forest green emerge through the fiery embers of gold as he deliberately exhales. He steps back, allowing a gust of refreshing air to come between us.

"Pack a bag. We're leaving." He states firmly. Without arguing, I scurry upstairs, throw some clothes and personal necessities in an old duffle bag, and then run back downstairs. As I jog down the stairs, I see him waiting at the bottom. I follow the towering beast outside.

"Get in." He says sharply, opening the passenger side door and ushering me into my own vehicle. I toss my duffle bag onto the floorboard, jump inside and wait. He wastes no time jumping into the drivers side, cranking the engine, and zooming off down the road.

A/N

Damn. Just--I made myself speechless with this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the book so far! Thank you for reading my book! What do you think of it so far? Where do you think he's taken her?

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