I am parallely trying to work on this book too 😬

Ariel woke slowly, as she had every day since she'd been brought to this strange, quiet room.

The sunlight filtered through soft curtains, and the bed beneath her was plush and warm. It was such a stark contrast to the damp, suffocating dungeon she had first been held in that it almost felt like a dream.

But this wasn't a dream. This was a prison. Those two men held her captive and to her worst luck she knew they were anything but human.

Her fingers curled into the blanket as she sat up, her eyes scanning the room. The pattern was always the same. Every morning, before she woke, someone would bring her food—she never saw who, only found the tray waiting on the small table by the window. No one talked to her. No one told her how long she had been here.

And every day, her resolve to escape grew stronger.

She didn't know how long she had been held—days? Weeks? Time blurred in this isolated bubble.

From last few days she would wake up early before the food arrives but pretend to sleep waiting for that one opportunity that would let her escape from these strange men.

She heard footsteps, today they were really loud hinting the man was in rush. She laid back hurriedly and pretended to sleep.

"You had one job Raven and you couldn't even do it, you moron" she clenched her fist slightly relieved that the anger wasn't directed at her. She still remembered how his eyes turned almost dark black when he had held her against the wall by the throat.

Finally she heard the plate of food being kept at the table near the window but what she didn't hear the sound of the door being closed.

She waited and waited but no such sound came. Hesitantly she opened her eyes and sat nobody was there and to her luck the door was opened ajar.

Today would be the day.

The tray was there, as always. Warm food, freshly prepared, but she ignored it. Her heart hammered in her chest as she crept to the door.

She swallowed hard, peeking into the hallway. It was empty. The air was thick with tension as she slipped out, her bare feet padding silently against the cold wood floor. She moved quickly, trying to retrace her steps from the night she was dragged here.

Her pulse spiked when she spotted the front door. It was so close, just a few feet away. She quickened her pace, her fingers brushing the handle

Ariel's bare feet pounded against the forest floor, the chill of the damp earth stinging her soles. Branches snagged at her hair, whipping against her skin, but she didn't care. All that mattered was putting as much distance as possible between herself and that house.

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she ran, heart racing with fear and desperation. For days—weeks?—she had been a prisoner in that quiet, suffocating room, watching for her chance to escape. And when the man left the door open in a rush earlier, she'd taken it.

Now, she had no plan, no direction. She didn't even know where she was. But none of that mattered. She just needed to run.

Her hope was short-lived.

The forest went still. Too still.

Before she could process the unnatural silence, a shadow blurred past her, impossibly fast. Ariel skidded to a stop, chest heaving as she spun around, eyes darting wildly.

Then she saw him.

Another man in the shadows. The other man who came to see her in that dungeon.

It was Evan.

He stood a few feet away, his broad frame blocking her path. His golden eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, and though he wasn't moving, everything about him radiated strength.

Ariel stumbled back, her voice trembling. "Stay away from me!"

Evan raised his hands slowly, palms up, as if calming a skittish animal. His tone was soft, gentle, the complete opposite of what she expected. "Ma-Ariel, stop. Please."

"No!" she shouted, backing further away. "I'm not staying there! I'm not staying with you!"

His brows knit together in concern, but he didn't move closer. "I know you're scared. But running out here? It's not safe. You'll freeze, or worse—"

"I'd rather take my chances!" she cut him off, tears pricking her eyes. "You don't understand! I can't be here! I can't—" Her voice broke.

Evan sighed, his expression softening further. "Ariel..."

She flinched as he said her name, her fear twisting into anger. "Why are you doing this to me? What even are you? Why can't you just let me go?"

His lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, he just looked at her. Then he took a small step forward, his voice quiet and steady. "I'm Evan Blackwood. Alpha of this pack. Protector of my people. And..." He hesitated, exhaling deeply. "I'm the one who's meant to keep you safe."

Her stomach churned. "Safe? You call this safe? You locked me up! You kidnapped me!"

"I had to," he said quickly, his voice tinged with regret. "You saw something you weren't supposed to, Ariel. If the council finds out..." He shook his head, his jaw tightening. "They'd kill you. And I can't let that happen."

Ariel stared at him, her panic surging again. "Why? Why do you care what happens to me?"

Evan hesitated, his golden eyes meeting hers. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "Because you're my mate."

She froze, the weight of his words sinking in. "Your... what?"

"My mate," he repeated, his gaze unwavering. "The one the bond chose for me. The one I'm supposed to protect, above everything else."

Ariel shook her head, backing away further. "No. No, that's insane. I'm not... I'm not part of this! I'm not yours!"

"I know it's a lot," Evan said gently, taking another step forward. "And I know you didn't ask for this. Neither did I. But the bond... it's real, Ariel. I can feel it. And I know you feel it too."

"I don't feel anything!" she yelled, her voice breaking. "I just want to go home! I want my life back!"

Evan's face fell, a flicker of pain crossing his features. "I wish I could give that to you," he said softly. "But it's not safe for you out there, not now. The council... they don't care about what's fair or what you want. They'll kill you just for knowing we exist."

Her breath hitched, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Then why not let them? If I'm such a problem, why not just... let them deal with me?"

Evan's jaw tightened, his voice rougher now. "Don't ever say that again."

"Why not?!" she shouted.

"Because I can't lose you!"

The raw emotion in his voice silenced her. She stared at him, her heart pounding, as he took another step forward, his expression unguarded.

"I can't lose you, Ariel," he said again, his voice quieter now. "Not to them. Not to anything. You're mine, and I will do whatever it takes to protect you. Even if you hate me for it."

Her knees felt weak, her emotions a swirling storm of fear, anger, and something she couldn't name. "I didn't ask for this," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I didn't ask to be dragged into your world."

"I know," Evan said softly, closing the distance between them. He reached out, but stopped short, his hand hovering like he didn't want to scare her. "But you're here now. And I swear, I will keep you safe. No matter what it takes."

Ariel stared at him, her breath shallow, her tears falling freely. She wanted to scream at him, to push him away, to run again. But something in his eyes—something steady, something unyielding—made her pause.

This strange world that she only had seen in movies and read in books truly existed and now that she was entangled in it unintentionally terrified her even more.

Evan stroked her back as he tried to calm her down. He picked her up bridal style and looked around, sighing in relief that nobody saw her but what he didn't see in the dark was her blood on one of the leaves.

What do you think about the characters so far?