Stolen by the Beastly Lycan King

With a newfound strength surging through her muscles, Lorelai leaped again, her trembling hands stretching desperately to find something—anything—inside the passage to hold onto and pull herself up.

Scratching the rough floor of the passage, her nails were grinding down painfully, but the burning pain was the last of her concerns.

The violent barking grew louder, closer, more menacing. Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized the truth: the dogs were now near her, salivating at her scent. They had already spotted her, their heavy paws thundering against the marble floor as they raced to drag her back to Kai.

Finally, it seemed that her desperate prayers were answered. Her bleeding fingers latched onto a cold metal handle jutting from the floor of the hidden passage. Relief flooded her mind as she clung to it with all her might. Someone—perhaps long ago and for whatever reason—had placed it there for moments like this, and she silently thanked their foresight.

But her victory was short-lived. Just as she began pulling herself up, a searing pain ripped through her right leg. Lorelai let out a piercing scream, her voice echoing in the cold, empty corridor. She looked down in horror to see one of the dogs had sunk its sharp teeth into her right ankle.

Her instincts took over. Jerking her leg violently, she let out guttural grunts through clenched teeth, fighting against the beast’s unrelenting, painful grip. The agony was excruciating, radiating up her leg and settling in her already-throbbing hip.

Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision as despair clawed at her chest. Why was she so weak? Why couldn’t she ever fight back properly? Every fiber of her being screamed that she was pathetic and helpless.

The voice—the only source of calm in this nightmare—had abandoned her. Its comforting tone was gone, leaving an oppressive silence in its wake. Even that mysterious stranger, it seemed, had given up on her.

I can’t let them take me. I can’t!