The distinct click of the lock, followed by the soft creak of the door opening, registered in Sarah's ears. She didn't bother to move from the window, her back to the room, her gaze fixed on the darkening woods outside. Defeat, heavy and cold, had settled deep within her.
Jamie's presence was a palpable shift in the air as he came to stand beside her, just a few feet away. The silence stretched, thick with unspoken accusations and the weight of his unsettling proximity.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and devoid of warmth, a stark contrast to the charming persona he'd worn at dinner. "I have to marry you."
Sarah stiffened, her breath catching.
"I have no choice," he continued, his gaze fixed on the same unchanging view outside the window. "Our mistake caused you to be with child. "My child." He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was flat, brutally honest. "I don't love you and never will. This marriage is only to follow the code."
Sarah slowly turned, her face streaked with tears, her eyes red and swollen. She looked at him, truly looked at him, searching for any sign of remorse, any flicker of humanity beyond the cold resolve in his eyes. "What are you people?" she whispered, the question barely audible, encompassing the wolf, the cult-like compound, the inexplicable pregnancy, and now, this chilling declaration of forced marriage.
Jamie offered no explanation. He simply turned, his face still unreadable, and walked out of the room, leaving Sarah alone once more. The click of the lock echoed, sealing her fate, not just to a room, but to a life she never asked for, bound to a man who openly hated her, all for a "code" she didn't understand. Sarah stumbled backward from the door, the chill of Jamie's words colder than any draft. "I don't love you and never will." The brutal honesty, coupled with the impossible claim of a child and a forced marriage, left her reeling. She walked to the edge of the large bed and simply collapsed onto it, turning her back to the door, burying her face in the luxurious pillows. Tears streamed down her face, hot and relentless, blurring her vision.
Fear of the unknown gnawed at her – a life stolen, a future dictated by a man who saw her only as a means to fulfill some cryptic "code." But more than that, a sharp, searing pain tore at her heart: the fear she would never see or speak to Laura again. Her sister, her rock, her only family, completely oblivious to the nightmare Sarah had fallen into.
Eventually, exhaustion, coupled with the emotional trauma, pulled her into a fitful, dreamless sleep.
She woke to a distinct smell in the room – something savory, warm, and meaty, a stark contrast to the despair that had enveloped her. Her eyes snapped open, locking onto a figure standing quietly beside the bed.
David. The bartender.
The sight of him, the very man Jamie had accused of spiking their drinks, sent a fresh wave of rage coursing through her. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Sarah yelled, scrambling upright, her voice raw.
David remained unperturbed, a wooden bowl held steady in his hands. "I brought you some stew," he said, his voice calm, almost soothing. "You need to eat." He gestured to the bowl.
"I don't want your stew!" Sarah roared, pushing herself to the farthest edge of the bed, away from him. Her anger, previously diffused by terror and sorrow, now found a direct target. "It's because of YOU I'm in this position! And being held captive!" She felt a hysterical edge creep into her voice, her control fraying. "GET THE FUCK OUT!"
David's expression remained neutral. He simply nodded once, placed the bowl carefully on the nightstand, and without another word, turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him. The click of the lock, once again, punctuated her isolation, leaving Sarah alone with the steaming bowl of unwanted stew and the burning inferno of her rage. Sarah stared at the closed door, then at the bowl of stew on the nightstand, a silent, steaming affront. Her rage still simmered, hot and impotent. Jake. He was here, part of this twisted nightmare. His calm demeanor, his offer of food, only fueled her fury. How dare he act as if he were doing her a favor, when he was the architect of her current hell?
She pushed herself off the bed, pacing the room like a caged animal. Every step was a testament to her frustration. She ran a hand through her hair, pulling at the roots. She wanted to scream, to smash something, anything to release the pressure building inside her.
Her gaze fell on the window again. She pulled back the drapes, though the sun had long since set. Only darkness greeted her, the thick canopy of trees a black silhouette against a starless sky. No moon tonight. No light to guide her. She pressed her face against the cool glass, imagining the vast, unknown forest stretching for miles. Escape seemed impossible.
Eventually, her anger gave way to a cold, gnawing hunger. Her stomach grumbled, a humiliating reminder of her body's basic needs. She glanced at the stew again. It did smell good, a rich, earthy aroma. But eating it felt like admitting defeat, like accepting her captivity.
She paced some more, trying to devise a plan, anything. Check the window for a latch? Too high, probably. Look for a hidden button, a secret passage? This wasn't a movie. She was trapped, with no discernible way out.
Finally, exhausted and defeated, she sank back onto the bed. Her eyes drifted to the nightstand again. The stew sat there, silently steaming, a practical, undeniable reality. Despite her defiance, her body was screaming for sustenance. She wouldn't thank David for it, but she couldn't starve herself, either. Not if she was going to fight.
With a deep, shaky breath, Sarah reached for the bowl. It was still warm. She picked up the spoon, her hand trembling slightly, and took a tentative bite. The flavor was surprisingly rich, savory, and comforting despite the circumstances. She ate slowly, mechanically, each spoonful a painful reminder of her lost freedom, but also a small act of self-preservation. She had to stay strong. She had to find a way out. And she had to protect Laura from Jamie, no matter what. Just as Sarah was finishing the last spoonful of stew, the familiar click of the lock echoed in the room. She tensed, expecting Jamie or, perhaps even worse, David. But when the door swung open, it revealed a woman she hadn't seen before. She was tall, with kind, tired eyes, holding a folded pile of clothes.
"I brought you a change of clothes for tomorrow," the woman said softly, her voice gentle, "and some pajamas for tonight." She placed the clothes on the end of the bed, offering a small, sympathetic smile before turning to leave.
"Thanks," Sarah mumbled, the word feeling foreign after her earlier defiance. The practical kindness, however small, was disarming.
Once the door clicked shut, Sarah felt a desperate need to shed the sweatpants and t-shirt that felt tainted by the day's terror. She stood up and started stripping off her clothes, her back to the door, intent on the small comfort of fresh fabric. She pulled off the borrowed t-shirt, then the sweatpants, completely oblivious to her surroundings, her mind focused only on the simple act of changing.
The door, however, silently opened again.
Sarah was totally unaware. She was in the process of reaching for the new pajamas when Jamie stepped into the room, standingsilently behind her. His gaze swept over the vulnerable curve of her back, the elegant line of her spine, the soft expanse of her skin. He admired the back of her body for a long, silent moment, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, before he visibly collected himself, a sharp intake of breath.
"Sarah." His voice, a low, rough murmur, cut through the quiet.
Sarah screamed, a sharp, involuntary sound of pure terror and mortification. She whirled around, clutching the pajamas to her chest, her eyes wide with shock and fury as she faced him.
"Don't you knock!" Sarah screamed, clutching the pajamas to her chest as she frantically scrambled to pull them on. Her face burned with mortification and fury.
"Sorry," Jamie said, his voice cold, devoid of genuine remorse, a stark contrast to her own boiling emotions. He didn't move, simply watched her.
"What do you want, Jamie?" Sarah demanded, now mostly covered but still feeling utterly exposed.
"I wanted to check on you," he replied, his gaze unwavering.
Sarah let out a disbelieving huff. "Are you ever going to let me leave, or am I going to be stuck in here for nine months, or the rest of my life, Jamie?" Her voice cracked with the desperate edge of her question. "What about Laura, Jamie? You can't keep me in here!"
"I don't plan to keep you in here forever," Jamie said, his tone still flat. "It's until I can trust you."
"Trust me?!" Sarah scoffed, disbelief and indignation rising. "Your buddy is the one who spiked our drinks, resulting in us sleeping together, and you didn't even use a condom, so here I am, apparently pregnant, that you can somehow smell!" Her voice rose with each accusation, reaching a crescendo of outrage. "Yet you have to trust me? The fuck, Jamie!"
Jamie sighed, a long, weary sound, though his expression remained guarded. He didn't respond to her accusations directly, but a flicker in his eyes, a subtle shift in his posture, hinted at a secret sense of guilt he carefully concealed. "It will all make sense soon," he said instead, his voice softer, almost a promise, before turning and leaving her alone once more. The click of the lock resonated with a chilling finality. Her gaze landed on a delicate porcelain vase sitting on a small table near the window. It was beautiful, ornate, utterly out of place in her nightmare.
Without a second thought, Sarah grabbed it. The cool, smooth ceramic felt substantial in her hand. With a guttural cry that ripped from her throat, she tossed it with all her might at the door.
The vase struck the solid wood with a loud, satisfying CRASH, shattering into a dozen pieces. Shards of porcelain scattered across the floor, glinting innocently in the dim light. The sound was deafening in the otherwise silent room, a stark testament to her fury.
She stood panting, her chest heaving, watching the broken fragments. The act hadn't changed anything, hadn't unlocked the door, hadn't erased her predicament. But for a fleeting moment, the raw, violent release felt like a small, desperate victory. Her body trembled, not from fear, but from the aftermath of her explosive anger. The adrenaline from her outburst slowly drained away, leaving Sarah feeling utterly spent. The broken vase lay in scattered pieces, a testament to her impotent rage. With a heavy sigh, she crawled onto the bed, pulling the thick covers up to her chin, seeking a desperate solace in the fabric. The darkness of the room mirrored the despair in her heart, and eventually, exhaustion claimed her, pulling her into a restless, uneasy sleep.
The morning light, thin and hesitant, seeped through the drapes. Sarah heard the familiar click of the door. She tensed, but didn't move, her eyes squeezed shut. A moment later, the scent of warm food reached her, a stark contrast to the previous night's anger.
"Here, Sarah," Jamie's voice, devoid of any real warmth, cut through the silence. "And stop breaking shit."
Sarah's eyes snapped open. She glared at him as she slowly sat up. He held a tray with what looked like eggs, toast, and coffee. "Is this poisoned too?" she asked, her voice laced with a bitter, snarky edge.
"No," Jamie said, his expression flat. He placed the tray on the nightstand. "Look, Sarah, remember the other night you thought you saw a wolf?"
Sarah's breath hitched. Her eyes widened, all thoughts of food and snark forgotten. "Wait, how do you know about that?!" The question was a frantic whisper. No one else knew.
Jamie's gaze was steady, unwavering. "It was me."
Sarah stared, her mouth agape. A stunned silence filled the room. Then, a shaky, disbelieving laugh bubbled up. "Wow, you're really nuts!" She shook her head, trying to process the impossible claim.
Jamie didn't react to her insult. "I have been following you for the past two weeks, when I first started to smell the baby."
The words hung in the air, a chilling confirmation of his previous, unbelievable claim. The wolf, his tracking her, his knowledge of the pregnancy – it all converged into a terrifying, undeniable reality that shattered her last vestiges of rational thought.
Sarah stared at Jamie, the impossible truth of his words echoing in the silence of the room. He was a wolf. A literal wolf. And she was apparently carrying his child. It was too much, too fast, too utterly insane.
Jamie finally broke the silence, his voice flat, resolute. "The reason I have to marry you is because that's how it works when you're a wolf. If I don't marry you while you're carrying my child, I will be abandoned by the Fellow Wolves." He paused, his eyes, dark and unblinking, fixed on hers. "Laura is my mate. You and I will be married, but that's all this relationship will be. You being the mother to my child and the signed paper of marriage."
The brutal clarity of his declaration hit Sarah like a physical blow. A loveless, forced marriage, a mere transaction to protect his place among his kind. And Laura. His mate.
"If I am 'pregnant'," Sarah retorted, the word tasting like ash in her mouth, "I'm not marrying you, Jamie." Her voice rose, fueled by a surge of defiance. "That's cruel and unreasonable, all because you want to stay with your fellow peers!" She pushed herself off the bed, pacing angrily. "I refuse to live my life in a loveless, stuck marriage! And what about Laura?" She spun to face him, tears stinging her eyes. "How would she take knowing I'm knocked up and married to her boyfriend?!" The sheer injustice, the absurdity of it all, was suffocating. Jamie's face remained impassive, betraying nothing of his internal state as Sarah's furious questions hung in the air. He simply looked at her, his gaze intense. "I haven't figured that part out," he stated, his voice even, unburdened by emotion. "Like I said, this is an unusual situation that shouldn't have happened."
His calm, almost dismissive tone in the face of her outrage only stoked Sarah's fury. An "unusual situation"? This was her life, her body, her entire future being dictated by some ancient, barbaric "code" and the reckless actions of a bartender. The fact that he hadn't even considered Laura's feelings, or the utter devastation this would cause, was infuriating.
"Unusual?" Sarah scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her. "You think this is just 'unusual,' Jamie? You're talking about forcing me into a marriage I don't want, with a man who tells me he'll never love me, all because of some... wolf rule! And you haven't even figured out how to explain it to my sister, who thinks you're her perfect new boyfriend?!" Her voice rose with each word, desperation creeping in. "This isn't 'unusual'! This is insane! This is kidnapping! This is—"
"It is our way," Jamie interrupted, his voice hardening, cutting through her rising hysteria. His eyes held hers, a silent, unwavering power in their depths. "The child will be protected. It will be raised among its own kind. And you will be its mother. That is the code." He didn't offer comfort, only a stark, unyielding truth. "The details with Laura will be handled."
Sarah stared at him, tears welling again. "Handled?" she whispered, the word a cruel echo. "How do you 'handle' telling someone you've kidnapped their sister and are forcing her to marry you because you got her pregnant and you're a werewolf?!" The sheer absurdity of it would be comical if it weren't her life. She felt the heavy weight of his world pressing down on her, a world she never knew existed until two weeks ago. And now she was bound to it.