Elysia's POV
The shock today was enough to make me go insane. My heart leaped in my throat as the wolf crouched in front of me, licking the blood off me… was it cleaning me before it attacked? The ache on my arms started to subside with every careful stroke of its wet, bloody tongue, and it felt soothing—it became almost ticklish that I let out a nervous laugh, and my heart began to warm to the chaos in furs.
It saved me.
"You aren't going to hurt me, are you?" Its golden eyes locked with mine. "Whoever you are, thank you."
Its gaze felt familiar, but I knew no wolf of such beauty—pure white, with only the tip of its tail dipped in black. I would have called it cute if I hadn't seen it tearing a man limb to limb and feeding on Finanz's heart… its fur was now slick with blood.
Its teeth bared slightly, and fear wrapped around my heart. It brought its snout into my lap, and I froze, a low rumble leaving its lips.
"You… need to leave before anyone gets here." It would be in danger—an Alpha and his guards had just been killed in a party filled with other Alphas; this wolf's life wouldn't be spared.
It didn't move. Instead, it let out a soft huff, our eyes still locked. Why does it look at me like a puppy?
I didn't know what to do; I didn't even know how to react. I began to worry for it more than myself.
"You need to leave," I repeated.
It let out a whimper as it brought its muzzle gently to rest on my shaky palm.
Its breath was warm, and I felt I knew what it wanted. My hand gently moved into the thick fur on its back. It released a purr of satisfaction as it leaned in for a pat, its tail sweeping the floor in delight. It felt like I was taming a wolf cub. It went on like this for what felt like eternity until it leaped off my arms, heading to the window as it crashed into it, the shattering sound of glass filled the air...it was gone.
Just as it left, I let myself drown in despair. I brought my knees back to my chest and tried hard not to let my gaze drift to Alpha Finanz's corpse beside me—the sight wasn't something pleasing. I don't think I was ready for whatever was going to come next if anyone entered this room—the questioning gazes, the judging eyes.
The door, which looked like a rock had ran into it with a crack in the middle patched up with another piece of wood, was suddenly pushed open. My breath hitched as my eyes met with the legs of a man—polished black shoes, black denim pants, a black shirt with buttons slightly opened—then my gaze reached his face, a black veil covering half of it, a long earring dangling from his ear.
I didn't fail to notice the viper tattoo with its mouth wide open against his jaw… he reeked of sin, blood, and pine, and he reminded me of the man who comes to my room at dusk.
"Firefly." He called out. Only he called me that, and how did he find me here? What have I done to deserve a night like this?
"What are you doing here?" or more like How did he get here? My voice came out stern. A sharp pain shot through my body as I managed to get up, leaning into the wall for support… he inched closer, and maybe it was just time to burst into clouds of fear.
I couldn't hold any description of the energy coming from him. It had my stomach in turmoil and my heart in a wreck.
"Stay where you are, don't come any closer." To my surprise, he stopped.
"Would you scream this time around?" There was no one to call to this time. I was already a suspect of murder. I closed my eyes, trying to calm my shaky breath.
"I came to help you…"
"Help me with what?"
"This… you won't leave like Elysia again once they find you here in the midst of these bodies…"
How… how did he know my name?
"You choose now — come with me, or stay here and rot in the dungeon."
"Wh… who are you?"
"Your other half, Firefly. Your mate." He took another step forward.
"Please don't…" I shook my head, my lips trembling. "What makes you think I would trust a masked stranger who has sneaked into my room twice, calling me his mate but touching me without my consent? I would preferably choose to suffer plainly than to go through puzzles with you."
"Without your consent?" A dark chuckle left his lips as he took more steps toward me. "Lie to me that you don't feel it — even without the marking bond yet… You choose to leave here with me and I would give you peace, away from all these people. You would learn to love me. But when they find this room, they won't want to hear what you have to say. They don't care if you are weak — you would spend your life behind bars…"
I shook my head slightly, tears streaming down my eyes, with him just inches away from me. "I didn't kill anyone, I don't even have a wolf to be able to pull this off…" My breath hitched as he leaned in, his rich scent filling my nostrils, calming my heightened nerves.
"Choose to be mine," he whispered in my ear, his hand coming to rest on my lower back.
No… no, I wouldn't go with a masked stranger — a manipulator at that. I shook my head.
"No… I'll rot in their dungeons instead."
He stiffened against me. My pack knows I have no wolf. They would see the marks on Alpha Finanz and the guards' bodies and know a huge wolf had done that. Even if I used a shovel, I couldn't have created a raw canvas of gore.
If they were to look for the wolf who had done this, it would have been long gone… and they would think it was one of Alpha Finanz's enemies who had done this. What if the white wolf was truly from Finanz's enemy pack? It all made sense now — it hadn't really come to help me.
The masked stranger stepped back, a pair of golden eyes staring back at me in disbelief.
"Fine. I won't be sorry for what happens to you next." He turned sharply, leaving through the door.
He wasn't wrong. That night made me question why I hadn't chosen death instead.