CHAPTER 2

Elowen shot awake, her body heavy with a deep, throbbing ache. The damp sheets clung to her, and the dim, claustrophobic room felt as if it was swallowing her whole. Her breathing was labored, shallow gasps escaping her as panic crawled up her spine. Something was horribly wrong.

She tried to sit up, but the sharp pain in her lower abdomen forced her back down. Wincing, she peeled away the covers to reveal an unfamiliar bed. Where am I? Her heart hammered in her chest as she scanned the room, eyes darting from the heavy velvet curtains to the modern, sleek furniture. None of this was hers. This wasn’t her life.

The fragments of last night flickered in her mind like pieces of a shattered mirror: music, laughter, and the touch of a stranger. Her palms pressed against her temples, but it did little to suppress the rising nausea.

On the nightstand, a delicate silver necklace gleamed beside a crumpled piece of paper. Dread filled her as she reached for it, her fingers trembling.

Find me. I’m sorry for taking your first. I’m not always like this. Here's my number. The necklace will help you find me. I’ll compensate you for what I’ve done.

Elowen’s vision blurred, and the words twisted in her mind like poison. Compensate me? Her hands balled into fists, the note crumpling beneath her tightening grip. Anger fierce, burning, and uncontainable rushed through her veins. “Who the hell does he think he is?” she spat, her voice raw, barely audible.

Forcing herself out of bed, she bit back a scream as her legs wobbled beneath her. Each step was agonizing, but she couldn’t stay in that room a moment longer. She needed to escape. Now.

In the bathroom, the stranger staring back at her from the mirror was unrecognizable pale, haunted eyes and disheveled hair. She splashed cold water on her face, scrubbing at her skin as though she could erase everything that had happened.

I need to get out of here.

Her phone buzzed on the counter, and she grabbed it with trembling hands. A message from Seraphina: Your flight takes off in three hours. I'll be waiting for you.

Elowen barely registered the words. Escape. That was all she could think of. She threw on her clothes, ignoring the sharp pain in her body, and stumbled out the door into the unforgiving city streets.

Outside, the cold air slapped her awake. The noise of the bustling city honking cars, chattering pedestrians was a jarring contrast to the storm raging inside her. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself, but no matter how many layers she wore, she felt exposed, vulnerable.

Her mind raced. How had she let this happen? The memories of last night haunted her, the shame and confusion gnawing at her insides. Lost in thought, she stepped into the street just as a car screeched to a halt mere inches from her.

“Do you have a death wish?” the driver yelled, leaning out of his window, face contorted with anger. “Get out of the damn road!”

Elowen couldn’t move. She stood frozen, wide-eyed and trembling, as the driver muttered a curse and sped away, leaving her standing alone, her heart pounding in her chest.

She stumbled back onto the sidewalk, her breathing shallow. Everything felt too much the noise, the people, the world spinning around her. Tears blurred her vision as she tried to steady herself. Get a grip.

Suddenly, the driver from the car stepped out, his irritation replaced with concern. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked, his voice softer now.

Elowen shook her head, unable to form words. Her chest tightened, and before she could stop herself, tears poured down her face in uncontrollable sobs.

“Look, I didn’t mean to yell,” the driver said, his hands raised in surrender. “You just scared the hell out of me. I’m sorry.”

But Elowen barely heard him. She was drowning in her own sorrow, lost in the overwhelming sea of emotions. Her phone buzzed again, a sharp reminder of the flight she needed to catch. Wiping her face hastily, she turned away from the driver and bolted down the street.

Xander watched her disappear into the crowd, her coat abandoned in his hands. “Ma’am, your coat!” he called after her, but she was already gone. He sighed, stuffing the garment into the passenger seat of his car, checking his phone as a message flashed across the screen. Where are you?

With a groan, Xander climbed back into his car, the looming threat of his boss’s impatience pressing down on him. By the time he arrived at the towering mansion, dread had settled in his gut.

Lysander stood at the entrance, his cold eyes narrowing as Xander approached, coat in hand. “You’re late.”

“I... nearly hit a woman, sir,” Xander stammered, holding out the coat as if it would somehow excuse his tardiness. “She left this behind.”

Lysander’s gaze sharpened as he took the coat, his fingers brushing over the fabric. His expression darkened. “Where did you see her?”

“At the airport,” Xander replied quickly, sensing the shift in his boss’s demeanor. “It looked like she was leaving the city.”

Lysander’s grip on the coat tightened, fury flashing in his eyes. “Find her,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “And if you fail...”

Xander didn’t need him to finish. The threat hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Nodding quickly, he turned on his heel, already dreading what would happen if he returned empty-handed.