YOU ARE WHAT I NEED [COMPLETED]

5

The door slammed open, echoing through the apartment like a gunshot. I flinched, my heart leaping into my throat. He was home, and I could tell just by the sound that he was drunk. The stench of alcohol reached me even before I saw him stagger into the living room. His eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted into a sneer of contempt as he stumbled toward me.

"Look at you," he slurred, his voice thick with venom. "Sitting there like you've got no cares in the world."

I was curled up on the couch, a book in my hands that I hadn't been able to focus on for the past hour. I closed it slowly, trying to keep my expression calm. "You're drunk. Just go to bed," I said quietly, hoping to diffuse the situation before it escalated.

But he wasn't in the mood to be reasoned with. His sneer deepened, and he took a staggering step closer, his eyes narrowing with fury. "You think you can just sit there and pretend everything's fine? You think I don't know what you're doing?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice trembling. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"Don't lie to me!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. The sudden outburst made me flinch, my heart pounding in my chest. "You destroyed my life, Claire. You ruined everything."

I felt a surge of anger rising within me. "I haven't destroyed anything," I snapped back, unable to hold back any longer. "You're the one who's been acting like a monster!"

My words only seemed to enrage him further. His face contorted in anger as he lunged toward me, his hand swinging out before I could react. The blow caught me across the face, sending me reeling back onto the couch. Pain exploded through my cheek, and I gasped, more in shock than in hurt. He'd never hit me before—never. The fear that gripped me now was unlike anything I had ever felt.

"You don't talk to me like that!" he snarled, his face twisted with rage. "You don't get to pretend you're innocent, not after everything you've done!"

I clutched my cheek, tears welling up in my eyes. "Please, stop," I begged, my voice barely a whisper. I didn't understand what I had done to deserve this, why he was treating me this way. All I wanted was for it to stop, for him to leave me alone.

But he wasn't listening. He grabbed my arm, yanking me off the couch and dragging me across the room. My mind raced with panic as I tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong.

Selene's POV

A sudden, searing pain shot through me, so intense that it brought me to my knees. I clutched my chest, gasping for breath as the world around me spun. Flashes of Claire filled my mind—her fear, her pain, and then the brutal slap that sent her reeling. I could feel it, the sting of his hand on her cheek as if it had been my own.

"No!" I screamed, the agony ripping through me as if it were my own. My body convulsed, and I collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down my face.

"Selene!" My mother's voice cut through the haze of pain. She was beside me in an instant, her hands gripping my shoulders as she tried to steady me. "What's wrong? What's happening?"

I could barely see her through the blinding pain, but I managed to choke out a single word: "Claire." I had to get to her. I had to protect her. The bond between us was too strong to ignore, and the thought of her suffering alone was unbearable.

I tried to push myself up, but my body wouldn't obey. My mother held me down, her voice a mix of panic and concern. "You're not well, Selene. You need to stay here."

"I have to go to her," I gasped, struggling against her hold. But my strength was fading fast, the pain overwhelming my senses. My vision blurred, and I could feel myself slipping away. "She needs me..."

Before I could fight any longer, the world went black.

Isolde's POV

I watched helplessly as Selene's body went limp in my arms, her breath shallow and weak. My heart ached with a mother's love and fear as I held her close, knowing exactly what was happening to her.

"Augustus!" I called out, my voice trembling with urgency. He appeared in the doorway, his expression hard as stone.

"What's going on?" he demanded, his tone sharp and cold.

"She's found her mate," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked down at our daughter, her face pale and drawn with pain. "She's connected with someone... a human."

His face darkened, his eyes narrowing with disdain. "It doesn't matter. She will do as she's told."

"Augustus, please," I pleaded, my voice breaking. "She's in love. Can't you see what this is doing to her?"

But he dismissed me with a wave of his hand, his expression cold and unyielding. "I have already found a suitable match for her. She will fulfill her duty to this family."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, dumbfounded and heartbroken. I looked down at Selene, tears spilling from my eyes as I cradled her in my arms.

How could he be so blind? How could he ignore the bond that had formed between our daughter and this human, a bond so powerful that it had brought Selene to her knees? I held her close, praying that she would find the strength to fight for what she truly wanted, even if it meant defying the man who had always ruled our lives.

But for now, all I could do was wait and hope that when she woke, she would find the courage to claim the love that was rightfully hers.