Sweat trickled from the back of my neck, sliding down the length of my spine and disappearing between the thin fabric of my shirt . My stomach grumbled again, the sound breaking the silence in the room.
I stared at the clock.
2:00 a.m.
Of course.
It had become a habit lately. Waking up in the middle of the night with a restless body and a hunger that refused to be ignored.
I shifted on the bed, turning to the other side, then back again. Sleep wouldn't come. It hovered just out of reach, no matter how tightly I shut my eyes.
My stomach growled again and I clutched to it. Not now…anytime but definitely not now.
There was no way I'd be snooping around in a house I'm not that familiar with. Especially at midnight.
I turned on the bed again, my face facing the window directly. The cold air that flowed into the room, biting every part of my uncovered skin, was partly because I was too lazy to close it before falling asleep last night.
Trudging off the bed sleepily, I yanked the blanket all over me. The floor was cold beneath my bare feet as I dragged myself toward the window, the blanket trailing behind me like a second skin. I reached out, fingers brushing the frame—then paused.
Something's not right.
The latch between the panes was crooked, bent in a way that made it impossible to hold the window shut.
I took a step back realising what it meant.
Someone tried to forcefully open the window from outside. But who will…I didn't even lock it last—
The hair in my neck stood as a terrifying chill ran down my spine. The distinct feeling of someone behind me curled up my senses but before I could turn to confirm. a hand slammed over my mouth, crushing hard enough that my teeth sliced into my lip in an attempt to scream.
The arm that followed yanked me backward off my feet. My back slammed into a chest like solid stone. The blanket slipped from my shoulders. My legs kicked uselessly at empty air.
My mind blanked, leaving only one screaming animal instinct : run
The command hit me and I obeyed before I even decided to. My teeth clamped down on the flesh above my mouth, with everything I had. I felt the skin tear, heard the sharp hiss of pain right against my ear. The grip loosened just enough for me to twist sideways and drive my elbow back into what I calculated to be his stomach.
I spun around instantly, my pulse thundering so loud I could barely hear anything else. My feet stayed rooted to the ground as I finally faced the prominent source of danger.
I couldn't see anything in the pitch darkness except his eyes. But that wasn't what shook terror into my bone. It was the glinting head of what I could only identify as an hammer in his gloved hand.
He's going to…going to… I rushed over to the door, my trembling hands latching to the door knob. I met with resistance immediately .
A scream tore through my throat as his bloodied hand clamped on my hair from behind.. White-hot pain exploded on my scalp and I'm tossed back. My knee buckled, which accidentally saved me from hitting my side against the hardboard of the bed.
My vision blurs with black dots appearing in my fore sight. But I was aware of his approaching figure
Get up. Get up. Get up.
I forced myself upright.
I threw my body sideways, putting the bed between us, chest heaving so violently I could feel my pulse in my teeth. My eyes darted to the door. I didn't lock it last night. If he had time to lock the room, then since when had he been inside?
The thought shook my whole body.
"Who sent you?" My voice came out steadier than I ever thought it would. It was impossible that Silvermoon know of me being here right?
" Theg never said dead or alive but I'm sure they wouldn't mind you dead, would they?".
My stomach plummeted and I staggered back, my hand clutching to my belly.
He started coming around the bed. I snatched the bedside lamp, ripped the cord from the wall, and swung it with everything I had. It cracked against his forearm but he barely reacted. The lamp shattered between us, leaving me holding a jagged shard of the base that felt pathetic in my hand.
I hurled it at him anyway.
He swatted it aside without breaking stride.
I kept backing up until my back hit the wall. For one freezing second I understood I had nowhere left to go.
He raised the hammer.
The sound that tore out of me wasn't a scream anymore. It was something broken and desperate, something I didn't even know I could make.
The hammer came down—
—and stopped.
A fist slammed into the side of his head with a sickening crack. The impact snapped his head sideways , his entire body followings second too late like he had been hit by a truck.
The hammer dropped from his hand, clattering loud against the tiled floor.
My knees buckled and I collapsed on the floor in relief.
Darius towered above me, his chest heaving. I could see his jaw clenched as he stared off at the limp body ahead on the floor, as if contemplating if he should go after him.
His eyes finally dropped to me and fit the first time since I met him…
There was something in his eyes that didn't quite belong to a man like him.
Fear.
" Are you alright?".
"Yeah…I'm…". My voice came out between huge puffs. " I'm fine…I just need to…".
Breathe.
But it felt like my lungs had closed up. The black dot that surrounded my vision intensified.
Shit, now now….i still need to…the intruder's identity…I need to…
My upper body gave way. I barely felt myself falling before strong arms caught me before I could hit the ground .
My fingers curled weakly into his shirt, gripping like it was the only thing keeping me anchored. It might be. My breathing came out uneven, shallow, like my lungs had forgotten how to work properly. " Dont…" I dragged in one breath "don't let him g-g-get away".
He can't get away. He'll go back to Silvermoon…he'll….
My vision darkened … or maybe my eyelid dropped and I felt my consciousness slip away.