ELENA

I let out a breath.

My heart was racing and I looked back at the strange man. I felt fear for some reason but Stephen was getting closer. I needed to do whatever it took to escape

Swallowing hard, I limped toward the stranger. My ankle had twisted while I was running. “Please, help me,” I begged.

I was desperate and I didn't hide it. Stephen wasn’t just angry at me, he was death chasing after me. This stranger was my only chance.

But he wasn't making a move. He was just staring at me with cold eyes. I couldn’t tell if he was going to help me and it scared me even more.

I dropped to my knees in front of him and slapped my palms together. “Please, I’ll do anything you want. If you'll just help me!” I cried, tears rolling down my cheek.

Behind me, Stephen came nearer. I heard the blood rushing through my ears. I was running out of time.

Suddenly, another voice spoke up from behind me. “What do you think, Ryan? She says she’ll do anything for us to rescue her.” The voice said.

I jumped and turned to look at who had spoken. A man stood there. I hadn't noticed him before. He had bright brown and they lockes on mine. Suddenly, he smirked. His eyes left me as Stephen tore through the trees.

The stranger ran his fingers through his dark brown hair. “It seems that you’ve got yourself into a bit of trouble,” he commented.

I was literally at the edge of something life-threatening and he was taking it for granted. He glanced back at the man wjth red eyes called Ryan. He still hadn’t moved.

Stephen stopped when he saw me with the strangers. He composed himself and caught his breath. “That's enough. Let’s go, Elena,” he ordered.

No one could tell what kind of a person he was when he spoke like this. But I knew. This was him being calm before he exploded. I was a few seconds from the storm.

I remembered what he said about tonight. I owed him. I shook my head, crawling backward on my knees towards the other man. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I replied.

Stephen clenched his jaw,. “Elena, come with me now, and we’ll talk about this at home. Don't make this worser than it should me.” He said, through gritted teeth. He had a forced smile on his face.

I turned back to look at Ryan. I didn’t care who they were anymore. Even they were criminals, I knew that I was better off with them than my husband. Stephen would kill me if I went back with him.

“Please,” I whispered. “Help me. He’s a monster. He’ll kill me.”

I grabbed Ryan's leg hoping that he would take pity on me. Again, he didn’t move or say a word. He just kept staring at Stephen.

“Don’t bother getting yourselves involved in this. There's really no need,” Stephen warned. “This is between me and my wife. You don’t want to make this your problem.”

Ryan remained quiet but the other man with brown hair tilted his head. He looked at Stephen and then me. “If your wife is all the way here begging, it just means that you haven’t been a good husband, have you?” he asked.

Stephen took a step forward. “I told you, don't make this your pronlem. Stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you.”

When Ryan finally spoke, I understood why he stayed quiet. “You should leave.”

I took a sharp intake of breath as the aura where we were changed. Ryan's voice was calm but it carried so much authority and goosebumps travelled down my arm. Who was this man?

Stephen must have felt it because his eyes widened. “Elena, step away from them. You don’t know who they are. They’re dangerous people.”

If they were, what choice did I have? He was worse.

The guy with brown eyes chuckled, walking closer to Stephen. “I think you should step away from us. You don’t want to test us.”

Stephen lifted his chin. “I won't be doing that. She’s my wife and she's coming with me. You're not going to stop me from taking her.”

Ryan’s face hardened, and without a warning, he growled. It was so threatening that the ground seemed to shake. I screamed, closing my eyes as something dark filled the air.

When I opened my eyes, Stephen was backing away. His confidence was gone. For the first time, I saw him scared. “You’ll regret this. All of you,” he said.

“Goodluck with that,” the guy with brown hair said.

Stephen look at me one last time before he turned and walked away. I exhaled in relief and collapsed on the ground. I was finally free. For the first time in years, I could breathe again.

I looked up at Ryan, tears falling down my face. “Thank you,” I said. I meant it from the bottom of my heart.

But none of them replied. Instead, Ryan crouched down beside me. It was like he was studying my face.

“She’s the one,” he siad to his companion.

I felt a shiver travel down my spine. The one for what?

Ryan stood, stepping back as the other man came forward. He crouched in front of me and gripped my chin between his fingers forcing me to look at him.

Goosebumps travelled down my spine as I remembered what Stephen said. You don't know who they are. They're dangerous people. I was very afraid.

“What do you want from me?” I managed to ask..

The man smiled. “You’re perfect for what we need.”

“For what?”

The man stood, turning to Ryan. “We’ve found her. Julian will be pleased.” He said with a smirk.

Before I could fully understand what was happening, I saw shadows moving. Suddenly, I was surrounded by more men. They were werewolves. Two of them grabbed my arms, pulling to my feet.

“Wait, where are you taking me?” I said, trying to get away. They held on tightly.

Ryan looked me dead in my eyes and then he smirked. That was the most evil smile I'd ever seen. “You’re the sacrifice we’ve been looking for,” he said.

My heart dropped to my feet.