Unlawful Shadows | +18

Chapter 21

Elowen's POV

I blinked awake, confusion washing over me like a cold wave. The dim light filtering through the curtains was gentle, yet it stung my eyes. My body felt heavy, as though I'd been sleeping for days, and a deep ache pulsed through my limbs. I tried to move, but a blanket weighed me down, wrapping around me like a shroud. Panic surged as I instinctively pulled away, my heart racing.

Where am I?

The memories flooded back: the chase through the forest, the confrontation, the way I had felt their anger like a storm swirling around me. I gasped, the sound catching in my throat, and a familiar dread settled in my chest. I pushed myself into a sitting position, taking in my surroundings. The room was unfamiliar, softly lit with muted colors.

My breath quickened. I was in a bedroom, the sheets soft and inviting, but everything felt wrong. I could hear muffled voices outside the door, deep and tense, but they carried a strange undertone of worry.

I was terrified. I couldn't let them see how scared I was.

Instinctively, I curled up tighter under the blanket, wrapping it around me like armor. My heart hammered against my ribcage as I strained to listen, trying to decipher the conversation happening just beyond my reach.

"I'm telling you, she needs to rest!" a voice I recognized as Zephyr's snapped, rough with frustration.

"I know that, but we can't just let her be on her own, we need to check on her to make sure she's fine," Zander shot back, his tone equally heated. "We have to show her that she's safe here—"

"Safe?" Zephyr interrupted, the sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Safe? You really think she feels safe after everything? Look at what we did to her!"

My heart raced faster at their words. They were arguing about me. I wanted to scream, to lash out, to demand answers, but all I could do was sit there, frozen under the weight of the blanket and my fear.

"Fuck," Zander growled, the frustration palpable. "We were trying to protect her! Can't you see that? If she doesn't understand that she's ours, we'll lose her for good."

A sharp pain cut through my chest. Ours? Did they really think they could claim me like some possession? The anger swelled inside me, but fear kept me silent. I didn't want to face them. Not yet.

The door creaked open, and my breath hitched in my throat. I held my breath as they stepped inside, their presence overwhelming the room. They looked different, each one of them. There was an edge of worry etched into Zephyr's features, a rigid tension in Zander's stance, and Lysander... I couldn't read him.

He stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable, but his eyes were dark pools of concern. I shrank back, feeling the urge to retreat into the blankets. My heart raced as I remembered the last time we'd been together—how they had loomed over me, all anger and intensity.

"Is she awake?" Zander asked, urgency coloring his tone.

"No, not yet," Zephyr replied, his voice softer now, but still tense. "Just give her a minute."

They approached cautiously, and I could feel the air thickening with unspoken words. I wanted to scream at them to leave me alone, but I remained silent, caught between the instinct to flee and the desperate need for safety.

Zander stepped closer, his gaze fixed on me. "Elowen?" His voice was gentle, an unfamiliar tone that made me wary. "Can you hear me?"

I nodded slowly, feeling exposed under their scrutiny. The tension in the room shifted, and I could sense their unease. They were afraid.