ADRIAN'S POV
She was terrified.
So terrified that she couldn't think straight.
The moment I saw her heading toward the police station, I knew what would happen if I let her continue.
They were already watching her.
Watching every move she made.
I had no choice.
I rendered her unconscious before they could reach her first.
The memory still irritated me.
Not because I had done it.
Because she had forced me to.
I carried her through the darkness of the forest, her unconscious form resting in my arms.
One arm beneath her knees.
The other supporting her back.
She felt impossibly light.
Fragile.
The kind of fragile thing that shouldn't survive in my world.
The wind rushed past us as I moved through the trees.
Faster than any human eye could follow.
Faster than fear itself.
Eventually, the cave emerged from the darkness.
Ancient.
Hidden.
Safe.
The only place I trusted.
I stepped inside and carefully lowered her onto the couch.
For a moment, I simply stood there.
Watching her.
Her breathing was steady.
Peaceful.
Unaware of the monsters hunting her.
My jaw tightened.
Then I forced myself to turn away.
They were waiting.
And I had already wasted enough time.
EIRA'S POV
Pain exploded through my neck.
A groan escaped me as I slowly opened my eyes.
For several seconds, I simply stared at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Then reality hit.
My entire body froze.
Where am I?
My heartbeat quickened.
No.
No, no, no.
I've been kidnapped.
Panic crashed into me all at once.
If my parents found out, they'd drag me back home before I could even explain.
Focus, Eira!
Who brought me here?
Why?
Am I in danger?
Questions attacked me from every direction.
Yet strangely...
The room itself didn't feel dangerous.
That should have terrified me more.
Slowly, I sat up.
Stone walls surrounded me.
Ancient stone.
Beautiful stone.
Intricate carvings twisted across every surface, illuminated by soft golden light.
A couch.
A bed.
A polished wooden table.
Everything was simple.
Yet somehow elegant.
Purposeful.
As though every object had existed there for centuries.
I blinked.
What was wrong with me?
I was admiring my kidnapper's interior decorating.
Get a grip, Eira.
I jumped to my feet and immediately began searching for an exit.
When I found the doorway, relief nearly made me cry.
It was open.
Actually open.
What kind of kidnapper leaves the door open?
I rushed outside—
And stopped.
My breath vanished.
The cave stood high among towering cliffs and ancient trees.
Moonlight spilled across stone pathways and hanging vines.
The forest stretched endlessly beyond it.
Dark.
Silent.
Waiting.
A shiver crawled down my spine.
The beauty of the place couldn't hide the danger surrounding it.
One wrong step into that darkness and I knew I'd be lost forever.
No.
Absolutely not.
I spun around and hurried back inside.
My heart still hammered violently.
I'll leave at sunrise.
When it's bright.
When I can actually see.
Pulling the blanket around myself, I curled up on the bed.
Eventually exhaustion won.
And sleep claimed me.
ADRIAN'S POV
The meeting felt endless.
Voices echoed around the chamber.
Plans.
Reports.
Arguments.
None of it mattered.
My thoughts remained fixed on one person.
Andy.
The name alone was enough to sour my mood.
Whoever had tried to take her would die.
Slowly.
Painfully.
I would make certain of it.
My fingers tightened against the armrest.
Our priority should have been Andy.
A vampire missing for five days.
A vampire powerful enough that nobody should have been able to capture her.
Yet Mike had nothing.
No leads.
No answers.
Nothing.
And somehow that irritated me less than Eira wandering through a forest alone.
I hated that realization.
By the time the meeting ended, dawn was approaching.
I rose immediately.
She feared darkness too much to leave the cave at night.
But sunrise would change that.
And if she decided to run...
The forest would kill her long before anything else could.
EIRA'S POV
I woke with a gasp.
Sunlight.
My eyes widened.
Oh God.
I overslept.
Panic surged through me.
What if my kidnapper came back?
What if this was my only chance?
I bolted upright.
Run.
That was the only thought in my head.
Run.
I stumbled from the cave and plunged into the forest.
Branches scraped my arms.
Roots caught at my feet.
Leaves whipped against my face.
But I didn't stop.
I ran until my lungs burned.
Ran until my legs trembled.
Ran until every direction looked exactly the same.
Finally, I collapsed onto a jagged rock.
My chest rose and fell violently.
I was lost.
Completely lost.
Fear settled heavily inside me.
Then I heard it.
A howl.
Low.
Deep.
Predatory.
My blood turned cold.
Another howl followed.
Closer.
Then another.
And another.
Slowly, yellow eyes emerged from the trees.
My heart stopped.
Wolves.
Massive.
Silent.
Watching me.
Circling me.
Waiting.
"No..."
The word barely escaped my lips.
I tried to stand.
Pain exploded through my ankle.
A cry tore from my throat.
I fell back onto the rock.
The wolves moved closer.
My vision blurred.
This was it.
I was going to die.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Waiting.
Praying.
Then—
A hand gripped my shoulder.
Strong.
Certain.
Familiar.
My eyes flew open.
Adrian.
Relief crashed into me so suddenly it almost hurt.
He stood between me and the wolves.
Motionless.
Silent.
Dangerous.
The wolves growled.
Then slowly—
One by one—
They backed away.
Retreating into the darkness.
As if they feared him far more than they feared death.
When Adrian turned toward me, his expression was unreadable.
But his eyes burned.
"Why did you come out?" he demanded.
"I was kidnapped!" I shot back. "Wait—you knew? Was it you? Did you capture me again?"
"You fool!"
The words cracked through the forest.
"They were about to kill you!"
I flinched.
Not from his anger.
From the terrifying certainty behind it.
Pain shot through my ankle again.
"Ouch! My leg—this is all your fault!"
His gaze dropped briefly.
He crouched beside me.
Carefully.
Far more carefully than someone as angry as him should have.
Then he handed me a bottle of water.
I snatched it immediately.
The cool water soothed my burning throat.
For one fleeting second, I thought I saw the corner of his mouth twitch.
Almost a smile.
Almost.
Then it disappeared.
"We need to get out of here."
I attempted to stand.
Instant regret.
Pain exploded through my ankle.
Before I could protest, his arm slid around my waist.
My breath caught.
He pulled me effortlessly against him.
Too close.
Far too close.
"Don't move. You'll make it worse. Come here."
The next thing I knew, I was in his arms.
Completely off the ground.
"Put me down! I can walk!"
"I know you can."
"Then let me go!"
A faint smirk appeared.
Infuriating.
"You're stronger than you look."
I glared at him.
The more I struggled, the tighter his hold became.
Not painful.
Unbreakable.
"Stop moving," he muttered. "Do you want to go home or not?"
I opened my mouth.
Then closed it.
Unfortunately, he had a point.
The forest blurred around us as he carried me through the trees.
I studied him quietly.
Trying to understand him.
Trying to solve the mystery that was Adrian Dark.
But he revealed nothing.
His expression remained cold.
His eyes fixed ahead.
As if carrying me meant absolutely nothing to him.
Yet somehow...
He hadn't let go.
Not once.
Exhaustion slowly pulled at me.
My eyelids grew heavier.
The steady rhythm of his footsteps became strangely comforting.
Safe.
And before I could stop myself—
I drifted back to sleep.
Still held securely in Adrian's arms.