Still half in a dream, I fumble out of bed groggy, vision fuzzy, and about as graceful as a baby deer on ice. Every thud at the door sends a fresh wave of irritation through my skull. Disoriented, a heavy feeling settles in my gut.
It's not stopping.
Not slowing down. Just pounding, over and over again. My heart’s thudding, and the room starts spinning. And then… it stops.
Silence.
Heavy.
An unnatural kind of quiet that lingers a second too long. Leaning in, ear to the wood, I hear it, ragged, shallow breathing from the other side of the door. My skin prickles with fear. Every instinct in me is telling me not tomove.
“I can smell you,” a low voice creeps through the barrier.
In an instant, I’m not just awake, I’m alert and fucking terrified. Whatever this is… It’s not human, and it knows I’m here. Adrenaline hits as a lightning bolt, and I’m moving before I can think. I lunge for the desk. Stupidly thinking I can push it, but it doesn’t budge, not even a little. After a few useless shoves and burning arms, I abandon that plan and grab the heavy chair instead. I shove it toward the door, and then I hear… aclick.
And the handle starts to turn.
Panic overrides everything. The chair forgotten, I throw myself at the door, slamming it shut with my shoulder as if my body alone might keep it closed. My key is still sitting pretty on the desk, completely out of reach. I can’t lock it, not like that will do anything, since it already was.
Then the voice growls, “Feisty.”
Just one word, that’s all it takes. It slithers through the air, chilling me down the spine. And before I can react, the door explodes open. I’m ripped off my feet, slammed to the floor like a rag doll. Scrambling backward, my heart is pounding, my bodyrebelling against the instinct torun. But there's nowhere to go, because the monster is blocking the only way out.
It’s a nightmare coming to life. Half-man, half-beast, frozen mid-transformation, not fully human nor creature, and the result is far worse than either. It looms over me. Its skin is stretched taut, torn in places where the fur hasn't fully taken hold. Its arms ripple with muscle, but they’re covered in dark, coarse fur that clings, fighting to break free. Those hands are too large, the fingers ending in claws that could slice through bone like butter. But it’s the face that freezes my blood. Its features are a grotesque mix of man and animal. Eyes glowing, too bright, too feral, locked onto me with an animalistic intensity. Its breath comes in ragged rasps.
This thing doesn’t care who I am.
It only cares that I’m here.
And it’s hungry.
Then, a low growl rumbles from deep in its chest, the sound coming from the depths of a nightmare. Opening its mouth wider, its lips pulling away to show teeth that are far too sharp and long.
That’s my cue to move.
I turn, instinct pushing me to the wardrobe, but I don’t even get close. My head slams into the door of the armour with a sickening crack, sending a wave of dizziness through me. Before I can even think, its claws sink into my hair, yanking me back with a force that steals my breath. In an instant, I’m face-to-face with the thing. Its foul breath is hot against my skin, rancid. Its eyes are locked on mine with a hunger that makes me feel like I'm its next meal.
“You don’t even care to recognize me, bitch.” The words come out low, guttural, twisted with a deep growl that makes my blood run cold.
“Sorry, I tend to forget about ugly pricks.” I force the words out through clenched teeth, voice strained.
“You’ll remember me after tonight.” His voice is distorted, as if it’s being ripped from its throat, dripping with malice. The monster throws me onto the bed with brutal force, the impact knocking the wind from my lungs, only adding to the pounding in my head. His belt buckle clinks as the lycan fiddles with it, distracted for just a split second.
I don’t hesitate. Planting one foot on the bed for support, I kick him with everything I have, right in the crotch. He howls in agony, doubling over, and I refuse to give him a chance to recover. My knee slams into his face with a sickening crunch, the sound of bones cracking ringing in my ears.
For a moment, I think I’ve got him, until I realize that the sharp sting is coming from his teeth sinking into my skin. Pain rips through me like a jagged knife, and I scream—not from fear, but from the sheer rage of it. Kicking him away, I spring off the bed, my muscles moving on pure adrenaline. But the thundering footsteps behind me are a reminder that escape is a fragile thing, fleeting even.
As I’m about to pass the threshold, not looking in front of me, my face smashes into something solid.
Someonesolid.
A broad, muscular chest, the unmistakable scent of cedarwood, mint, and an ingredient I’m starting to know all too well, flood my senses.
“Kai.” The word spills out of me in a rush, a breath of relief flooding my chest.
Kai steps in front of me, pushing me firmly behind him. His body taut, every muscle ready to strike. The moment he moves, the energy in the room shifts. Commanding, grounding, dangerous in that quiet, unmistakable way that doesn’t need explanation. He looks the same.
Mostly.
