Alina's POV.
Upon entering the woods, I was met with the staggering sight of a gigantic figure, part human and part wolf, caught in a surreal transformation like the ones I had only ever read about in books. For a moment my breath froze in my chest. I stood utterly paralyzed, staring as the impossible unfolded before me.
"What…in…jokes name was this?!!" The words stumbled through my trembling voice that was barely above a whisper.
At the sound, the creature's head snapped towards me. Blazing golden eyes. Predatory. Instantly locked onto mine with a force that rooted me to my spot. He growled, the sound vibrating through the air, then threw his head back and released a long, bone-chilling howl.
The sound pierced me, reverberating through my very soul, sending shivers down my spine. My knees buckled, and I screamed.
"Monster!!!… monster!! … it's a monster.…" My throat tore with the cry, but halfway through, my voice vanished, as though stolen by the night itself.
In the twinkling of an eye, I was swept off my feet and knocked down by a sudden gust at the sound of my voice. The whole place became fuzzy; I struggled to catch my breath and felt a hand lift me before I dozed off.
**********
The cracking sound of a door jolted me awake. I tried to get a glimpse of where I was, but everything was blurry. I tried rubbing my eyes, blinking countlessly to get a clear view of the room. The entire place was dark. The candle's dim light reflected off the room's walls, giving a blurred view of the room.
It's an ancient room decorated with a few rare, expensive artifacts that I've seen only in books about royalty.
There was a large couch by the side of the bed. The fluffy bed I found myself on is large enough to contain four to five men at once. On the wall is a large frame of a tall, handsome man. He looks like someone in his late twenties. His long, graceful oval face and his full, well-curved eyebrows and hazel eyes made him look mysteriously handsome. His long, dark hair is packed up in a ponytail style.
The footsteps that followed the sound of the door brought me back from my reckless ransacking work, which I was doing with my eyes in the room.
I struggled to sit up, then my eyes went straight to the door, capturing the sight of the tall, big figure standing at the door. I became tense and scared.
Hey, don't get yourself scared by that; it's nothing compared to the wolf you faced in the woods, and you scared it away. This shouldn't be a big deal for you. The little voice whispered as I tried to get myself together and face the strange, large figure at the door.
I might look fragile, but the hardship of life has toughened me up. I had to build unquestionable courage at a young age so I could protect myself and others around me—Nissa and Granny.
The figure strode towards me, and I realized it was a man. My heart skipped at the sight; his presence was more threatening than anything I've ever set my eyes on, getting me more scared as I adjusted backwards on the bed, trying to regain my balance. He then made a stop and walked towards the candlelight, lifting it to the level of his face.
The bright light from the candle flashed through his face, exposing an extremely handsome, masculine face, with long, dark hair that rested gracefully from his shoulders down to his chiseled arms. His massive body and magnificent looks exude nothing but a powerful aura. For a few minutes, I was dazed and speechless.
Oh my gosh, he looks so handsome,' I gushed inwardly. "Who are you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, almost hypnotized by the sight of this incredibly handsome man.
I was so amazed and lost in my gaze that I didn't know when he moved to my front and asked the question that brought me back to reality.
"You're awake….
"I'm Maltin. Why did you follow me?" His deep voice resonated, waking me from my amazement. I instantly realized that he has a similar size and look to the beast I encountered earlier in the woods. My heart skipped as the realization dawned on me, erasing every form of administration that was building in my mind earlier. My heart started pounding fast. I hastily moved back.
"Are you the beast I met in the woods?" I asked as he swiftly approached.
"I am not a beast; I'm a lycan, and you should thank me for not leaving you behind in the woods." He smirks.
"Like I bloody care," I stated, making him snarl in rage. "Why did you bring me here?" …what is this place?" I questioned impatiently, and anxiety clung to the periphery of my voice.
"If only you knew how dangerous the werewolf's woods could be to a fragile being like you. But I'll let this slide," he said coolly with a scowl.
"Wait…werewolf?…" I muttered to myself as the words sank in, in disbelief. Memories of the werewolf books I read wandered into my head. I've always heard the stories of humans turning into wolves, reading them in storybooks, but that can't be real. I always took them as just myths and fairy tales, and I still don't believe in them. So, he is probably trying to make up some stories.
"What do you want from me?" I snapped ignoring his stories, frustration gradually shrouding my thoughts, but he only stared at me in silence, as if I looked stupid.
My nerves began to wane as anxiety gradually shut down a part of my brain, and my feet trembled. I managed to get hold of myself and stood firm, determined to make him comply with my request and send me home. "Let me go; I want to go home," I demanded with all seriousness.
He calmly ambled around in the room like he heard nothing, then stopped in front of me.
"You are in no place to make demands, human; no one commands me. You earn your freedom; you don't demand it." He snapped as he lowered his face down to mine with an evil smile on his face, sending shivers through my veins.
My heart froze at the sight. I tried to catch my breath while gasping for air, but my panting heart failed me, and I slowly lost my consciousness.