Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Elorai.

Penny panics.

I see her even in the dark as she pulls me forward, and the armed men follow, forming a protective circle.

We reach the elevator that’s supposed to take us down to the underground bunkers when the men start groaning in pain, collapsing to the ground.

Penny joins them too, screaming, her body writhing. I freeze. What’s happening?!

She’s frothing at the mouth, anguished cries spilling from her lips, and no one is getting to their feet.

A pair of glowing red eyes appears in the distance, glimmering in the dark.

The soldiers try to fire at him, but it’s like the bullets don’t even reach him. He stalks toward us with the grace of a predator circling its prey.

Casting a glance in my direction, he turns toward the groaning men on the ground. He picks one up and, with a smirk, smashes his head against the floor, the wall—whatever surface he can find.

Blood splashes onto my face, and I freeze in place. A scream is stuck in my throat, and I can’t look away for fear that I’ll be next.

He picks up Penny and kills her too.

“No!” I scream, reaching for Penny as her body collapses to the ground, lifeless. “How dare you!” I yell at him, tears burning my eyes.

He glowers at me, then his nose flares as he inhales sharply. Something has struck him.

I try to run, but he catches me quickly, pulling me along with him.

“Let me go!” I scream. I thrash and bite, but it has no effect on him. His grip is unyielding, without mercy, as he stomps his way through the dark.

Around me, bodies lie lifeless, limbs torn from their torsos, blood spreading across the ground. The sight is so grotesque, I throw up again. And again.

“We found her…” he announces as we make it back to the ground floor.

Two powerfully built men stop fighting and join him, their eyes glimmering as well.

My body shakes, but I refuse to cower under the force of their glares. They stare at me like I’m nothing more than a nuisance. One snarls, licking his lips, while the other grimaces.

“She’s the reason we went through all this trouble, and now we’re supposed to kill her?” one of them asks.

“Yes,” the one holding me answers, his voice resolute.

I gasp, my eyes widening.

They want to kill me.

I should be afraid, but all I do is glare, hating every single one of them, still struggling.

Mad beasts.

One of them glances at me, a brow raised. “Oh, this one is feisty.”

A snort. “What’s your name?”

“Lo…” I grit out through clenched teeth, eyes narrowed. “Elorai”

“Lo…” he murmurs, tasting the name on his lips. “Cute.”

“It’s a shame this is where it all ends…” the other speaks up, an odd expression on his face.

My heart starts to rattle against my chest, icy dread flooding my veins. They really are going to end me here.

I… I don’t want to die like this.

The one holding me pushes me to the ground between them, clicking his tongue. “Let’s get this over with, shall we? We don’t have all night.”

I land with a thud, hitting my head on the ground. Pain explodes through my skull, and I curl into a ball, gasping for breath.

“What? I thought we were going to have a bit of fun with her first!” another counters. “She’s pretty!”

“What fun? We were tasked to kill her by the council. Get your head straight,” the one who had grabbed me growls.

Maybe I can slip away… I start crawling out from their midst when someone pulls me by my legs. “Get off me, you monsters!” I scream as I get yanked back.

I’m turned around, a hit thrown across my face. My ears ring, my face burns. Blood pools in my mouth.

“Get rid of her,” I hear someone growl.

My vision turns blurry… No… I can’t… I don’t want to die like this!

Someone grips my shoulders, their touch surprisingly gentle. Still, I flinch. He pulls me to my feet and presses me against the wall, knocking the air from my chest.

“I’m going to make this painless for you,” I hear him say, and squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable.

If he did something, I didn’t feel it. I crack open my eyes, looking up at him to find his teeth barely inches away from my neck.

Overcome with terror, I start struggling and somehow kick him in the groin.

He doubles over in pain, but there’s a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

“You’re not affected by my pheromones?” he growls between grunts.

“What pheromones?”

His surprise deepens. “She’s not affected by our pheromones, guys.”

“She’s not?” someone speaks behind him. I look around to see the look of confusion on their faces.

One of them smirks. “This is going to be interesting.”

He pulls back, and I drop to the ground, puzzled by the turn of events. My stomach turns into itself with dread.

“We can’t kill her. This is the first time we’ve met someone who’s unaffected by us, and we’re supposed to kill her?” He glares down at me, and a shiver runs through my spine.

“She’s coming with us.”