A sudden, piercing scream slices through the night, followed by the sharp crash of breaking glass and a heavy, bone-rattling thud that shakes the very walls around me. My heart leaps, my breath catches in my throat as I bolt upright in bed, the chill of fear instantly seeping into my bones.

The soft rustle of sheets tangling around my ankles pulls me from the mattress, and I stumble awkwardly, tumbling over the edge onto the cold floor. Darkness envelops my room, but my ears strain for any sound, every noise magnified in the stillness.

A second scream erupts, abruptly cut off, echoing from downstairs. A cold wave of dread sweeps through me, freezing my blood. Whoever is trespassing, they’re close now, and the thought claws at my insides.

Gathering my trembling legs beneath me, I inch toward the door, pressing my ear against its solid wood. "Andri," I whisper, voice tight with desperation, "what’s happening out there?" But silence greets me, save for the creeping sounds of disturbance climbing the stairs.

“Andri? Please, can I come out?” My voice cracks on the plea, fingers grazing the handle. Father’s orders ring in my mind — stay put, wait for help — but a primal terror roots me to action. If Andri isn’t guarding this door, then nothing stands between me and death.

With a breath caught between hope and despair, I swing the door open and peer into the gloom. There, slumped against the frame, lies a figure — still, blood pooling beneath him like a dark stain on the fine carpet.

My stomach turns over as I recognize the familiar form. "Andri," I sob, dropping to my knees and shaking his shoulder gently but urgently. His head lolls with lifeless weight, and nausea surges so fiercely that I’m forced to lean back, nearly slipping on the slick floor.

The steady approach of footsteps from the hall sends a fresh wave of panic through me. I scramble backward into my room, heart pounding as the sounds grow louder, closer.

Before I can react further, a shadow detaches itself from the darkness, and strong arms wrap around me from behind. A gloved hand clamps over my mouth, stifling my scream, while another coils around my waist, pulling me roughly backward.

Frantic, I claw at their sleeves, kicking and thrashing in a desperate bid for freedom. But their grip is ironclad, throwing me onto the bed with unyielding force. I’m pinned beneath their weight, breath trapped beneath the oppressive hand muffling me.

Panic blazes hotter than before. I wrench at their fingers, desperate to break free. For a fleeting instant, their hand slips away enough for a sharp cry to rip from me. "Get off me!" I scream into the suffocating darkness.

But the expected backlash — the anger, the violence — never comes. Instead, they hold me still, tense and silent, as if waiting for something, or someone.

My fingers, trembling, ransack their sleeves and gloves, searching for any purchase to unshackle myself. Then, unintentionally, our bare skin touches. A shock jolts through me like a live wire, paralyzing every muscle.

In that instant, the terrifying truth crashes down — this is my mate. The man destiny has bound to me. And yet, moments ago, he nearly killed me.

He releases me abruptly, stumbling back into the shadows with a grim reluctance. I sit up slowly, unable to tear my eyes from his looming figure cloaked in darkness, every fiber of me frozen in disbelief and horror.

"No... this can’t be," I whisper, voice barely audible over the thumping of my heart.

His hooded gaze fixes on me, calculating, weighing his next move — to end me, or to let me live.

At last, he chooses the latter, vanishing into the blackness beyond my door, leaving me trembling, alone, and shattered.

I remain rooted to the bed, staring into the void where he disappeared, the world around me tilting on its axis. The man I was meant to trust, the one destined to protect me, has become my worst nightmare.

Shaking off the paralysis, I force myself to stand, the carpet still wet beneath my feet. The chaos below slows, footsteps fading as the intruders retreat. Yet, the unease lingers, gnawing at my every thought.

Steeling myself, I slip from my room and make my way down the hall toward the sanctuary Father had arranged — the safe room. My mind races, replaying the night’s horrors, grappling with the impossible truth that my mate has tried to kill me.

Each step reverberates with silent questions. How can I face him again? How can I trust him? And what dark forces have conspired to bring us to this brink?

Only one certainty remains — I have found my mate, and now, he stands between me and survival.