CHAPTER 3

Melinda’s POV

My phone beeped with several messages the moment I turned it on. They were all from Ariadna; sent at different times. She was my childhood friend who had shifted to L.A. five years ago.

At first we stayed in constant contact but eventually had drifted apart. It was sheer luck that I managed to contact her through a common friend.

My lips curved into a weak smile reading her messages. She had rented an apartment for me near the university and had also arranged for a part-time job at a café.

‘Adriana is a real sweetheart. I can’t wait to meet her,’ Corel’s voice sounded in my head. ‘If only she were a werewolf….’

“She is just a human, and you have to remember that. If you try to take over control and do anything funny, I won’t forgive you.” I accidentally spoke out aloud; earning me a few discerning and awkward looks.

Flustered, I grabbed my luggage and made my way out of the airport in a hurry. Aish! I was warning Corel, and what did I do? I had to be careful of my actions too. 

I looked around warily, wondering if I should hire the first cab I get. No, that didn’t seem sensible. Most of the scammers flocked close to the airport. 

I was still contemplating when a man dressed in a blue jacket and a cap walked over to me. He flashed me a friendly smile and held out his hand, “I am James Twister. Ariadna sent me to pick you up.”

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She had never mentioned that she would send a pickup. By the time I gathered my bearings; the man had already put my luggage in the bonnet.

I opened my mouth to object, but before I could say anything, he opened the door and urged, “Please get in quickly, Melinda. They will charge me with a hefty fine if I linger for too long in a no parking area.”

I looked around in hesitation; taking a step towards the car but backing off again. Was it sensible to leave with a random car? Then again, he seemed to know me. How was anyone supposed to know my name in L.A. unless Adiadna had told him about me?

Honk! “What the f*** are you doing? Get in quick. Can’t you see you are obstructing traffic?” The sharp voice of a man in the car behind prompted me to get inside. James hit the gas instantly and soon we were speeding on the highway.

Drawing in a deep sigh, I tried to relax, but I couldn’t. Tapping my foot anxiously, I dialled Ariadna’s number. I should have called her before getting in the damned car.

Tring… tring… After two short rings, the call got disconnected. Biting my lower lip, I dialled her number again.

This time, the phone didn’t even ring. With a short beep, a recorded voice sounded: “The number you are trying to reach is out of the coverage area.”

Out of coverage area? In L.A? What in the world was going on?

The frown on my forehead deepened, and I stole a glance at the rear-view mirror. James didn’t look like someone who engaged in illegal activities. Then again; no criminal walks around with tattoos embedded on their foreheads.

‘Why in the world did you get in the car, Melinda?’

“I don’t know, Corel! It just happened, okay!”

“Melinda? Did you say something?” James asked; turning to look at me. His lips curved in a knowing smile and something flashed in his eyes.

‘You noticed that too, didn’t you, Melinda?’ Corel’s voice held a sense of dread. ‘This man is up to no good.’

My heartbeat accelerated as I looked out of the window. The thinning traffic and distant houses indicated that we were headed towards the countryside.  

A shaky gust of wind left my lips. ‘What am I supposed to do now, Corel?’

‘Turn on the g****e maps and keep him engaged in a conversation. Force him to stop when you are close to a petrol pump or something.’

With shaking hands, I turned on the G****e Navigation System and tried to strike up a conversation. “How do you know, Ariadna?”

James raised his head to look at me in the mirror as he replied, “We are neighbours. She would have come herself, but she had to go to the library.”

“Ariadna hates reading books. Why in the world would she go to a library?”

The man’s face flushed, but his voice remained calm. “She went to the library to pick some books for me.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes. “So, she went to the library on your behalf and send you to pick me up. It doesn’t make any sense at all.” Catching a glimpse of a petrol pump at 100 meters, I added in a firm voice, “Stop the car, James.”

Instead of stopping, he pressed down the accelerator; wiping out any hope I had. The next petrol pump was five miles away. If I wanted to save myself, I had to act quickly.

Reaching over, I grabbed his hand. The car swerved dangerously as I tried to get him to stop. During this struggle, I realised with horror that the man was too strong to be a human.

My heart sank as the sense of dread gripping me intensified. Gathering the little courage left in me, I throttled his neck with both my hands. “If you don’t stop, I will kill you.”

I let my claws elongate just a little and dug into his flesh. He gasped and stepped on the brakes reflexively. The car finally came to a screeching halt.

Releasing him, I made a move to open the door. But, before I could grab the knob; he pressed a button and lock the doors.

The air left my lungs and an intense sense of panic gripped my heart. With shaking hands, I grabbed my phone and dialled 911. But before I could say anything, the door to my left flew open, and the phone was whisked out of my hand. James got inside, making me scurry.

His nostrils flared and his expression darkened as she pulled out a syringe. “9.1.1? Seriously?” He mocked, drawing the contents of a small vial into the syringe. “You should have called your mates when you had the time.”

Mates? How did he know about my mates? I hadn’t even told my mother about them. Before I got the chance to ask him anything, he stabbed the syringe into my neck and pumped the contents into me.

The effect was instant. My vision became blurry and my head started spinning. I scratched his face in a feeble attempt to save myself before I passed out.

***

‘Melinda… Melinda… You need to open your eyes.’ Corel’s voice hammered through the haze surrounding me; pulling me back into the living world.

A pained groan left my lips. Why did my knees hurt so much?

Drawing in a deep breath, I cracked open my eyes to find myself in a desolate room; damp, cold, and dim. The color of the walls had faded beyond recognition, and the ceiling was a patchwork of peeling paint and cement. It was completely bare except for a table with a jug of water.

Licking my dry lips, I tried to get to my feet. A characteristic jingle resounded in the room as I staggered; the silver cuffs dug through my skin, making me hiss.

‘F*** that bastard! Did he really bind us using silver?’ Corel’s anxious thoughts flowed into my mind.

‘He did….” A defeated sigh left my mouth. “What do you think he wants, Corel?”

The door creaked open and collided with the wall, as if in response to my question. A man with a scarred face stomped inside. His face was so covered in scratches that it took me a moment to realise that it was James.

‘I kept scratching that prick. If the effect of wolfsbane had kicked in a few minutes later, I would have dug his eyes out. I am sorry, I couldn’t hold out longer, Melinda.’

“You are having a little chat with your wolf, aren’t you?” James taunted as he walked over to the table and grabbed something. Twirling a vial between his fingers, he continued, “Ever wondered what it is like to have that special connection severed?”

“W… what are you planning to do?”

His eyes lit up with an evil glint as he sauntered over with slow deliberate steps, “Nothing much. I just want to see how werewolves react to Poisonetta.” He clicked his tongue before continuing in a mocking tone. “I have heard that some werewolves go mad; some others lose their wolves; but most of them die in agony.”

Pinching my chin roughly, he added in a dangerously low voice, “Why don’t we try to see it for ourselves?”

I gulped and shook my head vehemently. “You are joking, right? W… Why would you want to hurt me in such a cruel manner? I don’t even know you.”

His lips curved in an evil smirk as he released me. “It is nothing personal, Love.” His grin widened as he took out a syringe from his pocket. “You are just a lab rat that happened to get caught in my trap.”

The air left my lungs as I watched him take out the syringe and fill it with the contents of the vial. How I wish I had tracked my mates and met them at least once.

A long, suffering sigh left my lips, and I closed my eyes in resignation. It was such a pity to die without even knowing how my mates looked like.