The water was always a comfort on my shoulders, something to help guide my thoughts and calm my body.

As I lay face up in the water, I watched with fascination as the sun set.

This lake was something else, and every time I came out here, I found I was so close to a touch of internal peace. After the small... kerfuffle with Asra, he had demanded that I did not close myself off. I wasn't sure what that meant, but apparently I could shut him out without even realising, so I purposely imagined locking him in a cage and throwing away the key. He was angry at me, unable to look me in the eye as I stormed out of his office.

That's what he got for telling me what to do.

My thoughts slowly fizzed away until my mind calmed, and as I lay floating on the surface with the magical lake, my mind wandered to only one thing.

Asra.

I barely knew the man. I have only known he was my destined soulmate for weeks. Yet things seemed to move too fast. From him wanting me gone, to him dragging me back here and now, asking me what I desire from him. It was too much, too soon.

There was only one way I was going to have an answer, and that involved opening up...

Him, of course.

I needed to know him, to see what he wanted from me. Was this magical bond just a trick? Was his emotional whiplash just part of his game?

I was falling for it, and I had to protect myself after Darius and my mother. I couldn't let someone else ruin what was left of me. There was only so much I could take. My heart had been broken way too many times, my father's death being the first of many hits. The scars that torture left behind can only go so far, can only cut so deep before they strike through the other side.

It often felt like I was only one step, one push away from falling from a dangerous cliff.

As though nature was in time with me, the wind picked up and I found myself floating towards the centre of the lake. Sighing, I pulled myself from the water until I was upright. Pushing my hair from my face, I backed against the wind, hoping to tie it into a bun.

Splashes of water hit my shoulders, the waterfall picking up in pace with the wind. A strange feeling washed over me, a tight dread in my gut that had me holding my breath. The current of the waterfall had pulled me in and now was pushing me to the opposing side. Deciding it was getting too rough and too dark, I swam back to where my towel was, despite the sudden harshness of the water dragging me back.

Walking out from the water's edge, I shook off my arms before bending to grab my towel. The wind blew across my bare back, goosebumps rising on my skin as the instinct to pause came over me. It felt like someone was here, like someone was watching me. Now, humans may have dull instincts compared to wolves, but I felt this in my soul.

Pulling my towel to my chest, I scanned the dark woods surrounding me. The lake's noise hid the sound of any footsteps or critters, but the very feeling of the trees was strange. Quiet, despite it being sunset. No birds were out singing, no crickets chirping or owls hooting at the approaching moon.

But then there it was, beneath the roaring of the terrifying water, a rustle. A crunch of leaves and breaking of twigs. It must've been close for me to hear it because my hearing was not that of a predator. Whatever it was, had to be close or large because their footsteps-

Something cut my thoughts off, barrelling into my side. I shrieked at the impact, but it muffled my mouth with a large, calloused hand. Hands were on me, hushing my screams of protest. I writhed against whoever held me, their body hot and broad. I thought I could kick my way out, being my neck was the only thing they pinned down, but a sharp pinch came to the base of my ear that had me jerking in surprise.

Whoever held me shushed me as I slowly lost the fight of the struggle. Unwillingly, I found my limbs fall numb. Their voice was a deep timber in my ear, attempting to reassure me that things were fine. I still tried to break free, my jerks sluggish as my head felt heavy. My knees shook, my calves aching with the weight of standing. They eventually gave out, and I slumped against the body holding me.

Their hand moved from my mouth, and with the smallest amount of energy left, I attempted to shout, to scream. But my tongue was lead, heavy and numb in my mouth. I felt saliva pooling beneath my tongue as the blood rushed through my ears. Sounds and sights blurred together as things became unclear. I was tilted, picked up into someone's arms to stare up at the blurring night sky.

Voices were mumbled, but I felt the sense of urgency in their tone. There was someone else here, perhaps more than one someone. I don't know, there was too much going on. I was moving, that was for sure. Someone was carrying me somewhere, fast too. The wind was harsh and loud against my ears, my body littered with goosebumps from the lack of clothing.

My eyes closed throughout all of this. The swinging, blurring trees and faces were too much to concentrate on. I barely realised we had stopped until someone grabbed my face, a hand squishing my cheeks together. I blinked, dazed at the strange face before me as I tried to settle my growing nausea. They growled, shaking my head and causing a dull headache to start in my temples.

I groaned, attempting to raise a hand to slap them away, but it dropped onto my chest with defeat. My chest sighed, frustrating growing as my body and senses betrayed me. Another sharp pinch came to my throat and with an alarmed, half-screech, I jerked away from the second needle.

My ears rushed with sounds, the wind loud around me. I blinked, my eyes clearing more when the sight of trees came to me. There was a hand on my face again, slapping me lightly to get my attention. I swallowed my spit, feeling its wetness drying on the side of my face.

I was just happy to be still again.

"Can you hear me?" The person holding me asked.

I grunted, blinking through the dry tears to try figure out where I knew that voice from. I still couldn't move my body, my arms and legs dead to my brain. Slowly but surely, dark eyes and dark hair came into view.

I could've groaned at the cliché of it all. Finding Blake above me was something I should've expected from an evil act of kidnapping.

"Where am I?" I slurred, my words incomprehensible.

His thick eyebrows furrowed, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. "What?"

I tried again, but my words didn't work, my voice barely audible. His lips widened into a manic grin, a booming laugh erupting in his chest as he spoke to someone in front of him. I frowned at his humour in my lack of control, wanting nothing more than to smack him in the damn face.

Stupid head.

Blake jostled me, throwing me over his shoulder to stare down at the ground. The movement had my stomach lurching, and with a paltry attempt at warning him, I gagged. I felt his back tense, but it was too late. Coughing, I threw up all down his back, my head spinning as my nose and throat burned.

"Fuck's sake! Take her away from me!" Blake snapped.

Despite his words, he was the one to carry me somewhere. I grinned as I spied the vomit on his leather jacket and inside the heels of his shoes. He passed me to someone else who held me too inappropriately to be normal.

"Where do you want her?" The sleaze asked, his hand firmly planted on my ass.

"In my cabin." Blake grunted. "I'm going to clean my jacket and then I will be back."

The male holding me nodded, his hand sliding down to grab at my upper thigh. I wanted to scream, to kick and shout at him to let go, but I couldn't. He carried me inside a wooden room before throwing me onto a firm mattress. I grunted, my back arching with pain that rolled down my spine. My head pounded fiercely, the drugs in my system too strong.

"I'd say stay there, bitch, but we all know you aint going anywhere." He laughed.

I got a glimpse of the henchman before he walked out of the room; the door clicking shut behind him. I was alone. Time to move.

Straining with all that I had and was, I tried so desperately hard to get my muscles to move. They ached, heavy with exertion and like I had no control. I managed to slide my legs slightly until I was half off the bed, but my wrists couldn't take my weight and I ended up dropping onto the floor with a rather loud bang.

I winced, knowing it was bound to have alerted someone to my mishap.

And I was correct when Blake himself walked into the room. His jacket and boots were gone, leaving him in only a polo shirt and jeans. I narrowed my eyes as he approached, desperately trying to grip onto the side table by my head.

"Oh, I wouldn't bother. We have injected you with a paralysing venom. It's only temporary, of course, a concoction made for fun little things." He taunted.

I wanted to scream at him, to demand him to let me go. I wanted to know where I was, why I was here, and what he wanted from me.

"I can tell you have many questions, but the time for conversation is later, dear human." He smirked, pulling me from the floor.

I weakly protested, smacking his hands that lay on my hips. He rolled his eyes, throwing me onto the mattress.

"Now, I was only supposed to bring you here, ready for your transfer, but..." He hummed.

I wanted to ask what the hell he was talking about, but a cold wash of dread ran down my spine at the sight of a knife. My heart raced, fear paralysing me to the core. I felt my body shaking, legs desperately trying to kick at something, anything, to get him off of me. I dug my nails into his forearm, trying to pry his fingers from my skin.

It only infuriated him, sending a sharp smack to my temple that had my headache grow. I groaned weakly, my vision swirling, mind falling to haze.

I didn't want to pass out.

I couldn't pass out when this was happening to me. I needed to escape. But my body betrayed me, my head swimming with the need to succumb despite how much I fought it. He had drugged me, I was nothing.

I felt my mind do its usual trick; succumb to the trauma. My emotions slowly turned themselves off, body falling as numb as my mind. It wasn't the first time; used to the torment.

It was better to give in, then fight it when I didn't stand a chance.

Tears fell from my eyes, my heart arching with every piece of my body. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins, fear forcing my heart into its cage. A hand wrapped around my throat, pushing on my airways until I was lacking precious air. I welcomed the pain, welcomed the dark spots in my vision that would take me away from this cruel reality.

I didn't want to be here anymore.

With a strangled gasp, I fell deep into the nightmares, only wishing for someone to help me.

***

(this chapter has been edited from its previous version.)