Chapter 5

I sat on the bed cross-legged, the soft lamplight casting a warm glow over the pages of the book in my hands. It was one of the few comforts I had in this unsettling world, a world where nothing was as it seemed. I immersed myself in the words, escaping into the fictional realm of the story, if only for a brief respite.

But that was shattered when the door to my room swung open with a force that made me jump.

My heart pounded as I looked up and saw Adrian stumbling into the room, clearly inebriated. He swayed unsteadily on his feet, his eyes glassy and unfocused.

"You," he slurred, his words barely coherent as he pointed a finger at me.

I blinked in surprise, my voice hesitant as I replied, "Me?"

Adrian's response was a drunken nod, and he beckoned me with a clumsy gesture. "Yes, you. Come to me."

Confusion and fear swirled within me, but I couldn't defy his command. Slowly, I got up from the bed and began to walk towards him, my footsteps cautious. My heart raced, and a sense of impending danger hung heavy in the air.

As I neared him, Adrian's hand shot out, gripping my throat with a brutal force that made me choke and gasp for breath. Panic surged through me, and I pleaded, my voice trembling, "Please... please stop."

But Adrian paid no heed to my desperate pleas. Instead, he forced his mouth onto mine with a ferocity that was both painful and frightening. His kisses were erratic, missing my lips and biting into them, drawing blood. Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled against his overpowering hold.

He pushed me to the floor with a rough shove, and I landed with a painful thud, my head spinning. My body trembled as I lay there, choking on my tears and the overpowering scent of alcohol that clung to him.

"I want you to be inside of you," Adrian growled, his words slurred and filled with a perverse hunger. "I can't wait to taste you."

Confusion and fear coursed through me like a torrential storm. It had been weeks since I had arrived in this world, and I still couldn't make sense of Adrian's erratic behaviour. After the first night, I thought he didn't want me and discarded me but yet he had kept me fed, made me comfortable enough to forget my fear and for once to feel…at ease.

But seeing him again, I was reminded of what my role was.

He was a monstrous stranger.

I was exhausted and emotionally drained from the constant turmoil and uncertainty that surrounded me. As I lay on the floor, tears streaming down my cheeks, I couldn't help but cry out in despair.

I sat on the cold, unforgiving floor, tears streaming down my face as the sobs racked my body.

The room felt like a prison, and the weight of my despair pressed down on me relentlessly. I couldn't endure this torment any longer; I wanted it all to end, the uncertainty, the fear, and the constant emotional turmoil.

With trembling hands, I pushed myself up from the floor, my determination to escape this nightmare surging within me.

I staggered toward the window, my fingers desperately fumbling with the lock, but it refused to budge. I needed to jump out. Likewise, I wanted to be free.

Panic welled up as I realized I was still trapped like a caged rabbit desperately seeking freedom.

"Why won't this torture end?" I shouted, the words escaping my lips in a heart-wrenching cry. The room remained unyielding, its walls closing in around me.

And then, as if in response to my anguish, the door swung open, and a familiar face appeared in the doorway. It was Lila, the maid who had attended to me on my first day here. Her eyes held a mixture of sympathy and sorrow as she looked upon my tear-streaked face.

Without a word, she crossed the room and helped me up, guiding me to sit on the edge of the bed. Her touch was gentle, and her fingers brushed away my tears as she sighed softly. "You need to stop crying," she said, her voice filled with compassion.

I sniffled and wiped my eyes, struggling to regain my composure. "I... I can't take it any more," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I don't understand why he's like this—sometimes he's kind, like the flowers he got for me, and then he becomes a monster. He…does he like to play with the mind of his victims?"

Lila's expression remained pained as she placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I know it's difficult, dear. Alpha Adrian is... complicated. But there's more to him than meets the eye. You must try to understand."

Understanding? How could I possibly understand a man whose actions were so unpredictable, whose kindness could be swiftly overtaken by cruelty? I felt lost in this enigmatic world, a mere pawn in a game I didn't comprehend.

Lila's voice brought me back to the present. "You have to be strong, Selena. For your own sake."

Tears welled up in my eyes once more, but this time, I blinked them back. Strength—what did it mean in a world where I had no control, no power over my fate? Yet, deep down, a spark of hope flickered within me. I couldn't allow myself to be completely broken, not if there was any hope of finding a way out of this nightmarish existence.

As I looked into Lila's compassionate eyes, I found a glimmer of hope. Perhaps, in this sea of uncertainty, she could be my anchor, my source of support.

I nodded, a shaky but resolute smile forming on my lips. "Thank you, Lila. I'll try to be strong."

Lila's encouraging words brought a hint of determination back into my heart. Her affirmation that I could find the strength to endure this torment gave me a glimmer of hope. I offered a weak smile, grateful for her support. "Thank you, Lila. I'll do my best."

Lila's eyes sparkled with pride. "That's my girl. You've got this."

But her next words cast a shadow of apprehension over me. "Alpha Adrian might come again like this another day," she warned, her voice laced with caution. "You should be prepared."

I furrowed my brow, my curiosity overwhelming my fear for a moment. "Why is Adrian like this?" I asked, seeking answers to the enigma that was our captor.

Lila's shoulders lifted in a helpless shrug. "No one knows, dear. He's a complex man with a past shrouded in mystery."

Her response left me with more questions than answers, but Lila had little more to offer. With a final nod, she left my room, and I was once again alone with my thoughts.

Days passed, each one blending into the next as I endured my isolation. The memory of that terrible night in the red room weighed heavily on my mind, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being punished for my curiosity.

Then, one day, it happened. The door to my room slammed open, and I looked up in alarm to see Adrian standing there, a sardonic smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, hello, my pretty darling," he purred, his voice oozing with an unsettling charm.

My heart leaped into my throat, and I scrambled to my feet, my hands trembling. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice quivering.

Adrian's eyes roamed over me, and his smile widened. "I came to see you, Selena. It's been far too long since our last... encounter."

I took a step back, my body instinctively retreating from his imposing presence. The room felt like a cage, and I was the trapped animal. "Please, just leave me alone," I begged, my voice desperate.

But Adrian advanced, closing the distance between us with predatory grace. "Oh, Selena," he murmured, his hand reaching out to caress my cheek. "You can't deny our connection. You're irresistible to me."

His touch sent a shiver down my spine, and I recoiled from his grasp, my heart pounding in my chest.

I couldn't escape the feeling that I was caught in a twisted game, one where the rules changed at his whim.

Adrian's eyes gleamed with an unsettling hunger, and he leaned in close, his lips dangerously close to my ear. "I'll make you beg for me, Selena," he whispered, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. "You'll see."

As his words hung in the air, I felt a wave of dread wash over me.

“I don't want-”

Adrian places a finger against my lips, whisper, “Don't say that love. You say you don't want this, but you shiver whenever I come close or whenever I whisper into your ear." He leaned forward and bit my ear lobe slightly before grabbing my cheeks, making me look at his handsome face. "You want me as much as you hate me, you know why?"

I shook my head.

"That's because we are mates."