It All Started With The Kidnapping

Chapter 30- Shattered Peace and the Desperate Chase

 Theo pov

The dinner had been going so well, better than I could have hoped. Despite everything we'd all been through, there was laughter and warmth filling the room. It felt like, for once, we could enjoy being together without the shadow of danger looming over us. But then, it all shattered in an instant.

Luna's scream ripped through the air, freezing me in place for a split second. It was a sound I never wanted to hear from her, filled with terror and pain. Instinct kicked in, and I shot up from my chair so fast that it almost tipped over. My mind was racing, my heart pounding as adrenaline surged through my veins. Luna was in trouble—that was the only thought that mattered.

Before I could make it to the door, Leo's calm but authoritative voice stopped me in my tracks. "Dakota and Renee, go to the back door and block it in case they try to escape that way. Elijah and I will take the front stairwell. Lilly, Sara, head to the basement door and block it. Theo is already heading upstairs—yell if you hear something."

The last thing I heard was the unified response of, "Yes, Leo," as everyone sprang into action, taking their assigned positions. Leo's leadership was impeccable, his confidence unwavering, but that didn't calm the storm raging inside me. My only thought was to get to Luna as quickly as possible.

I took the stairs two, sometimes three, at a time, my mind solely focused on reaching her. As I ascended, I called out, "Luna, you okay?" The silence that followed only fueled my panic. I reached the second floor, my eyes darting around frantically, searching for any sign of her.

And then I saw her.

Luna was lying on the ground, her body eerily still, and crimson blood was pooling around her. It was a sight that made my blood run cold. My heart clenched painfully in my chest as I stared at her, time seemingly slowing to a crawl. I wanted to scream, to rush to her side, but my body felt frozen, paralyzed by fear and disbelief.

Just as I willed myself to move, a sharp, blinding pain exploded at the back of my head. I didn't even have time to react before I collapsed to my knees, and then to the floor. My vision swam, and I struggled to stay conscious, but everything around me was slipping away. The last thing I saw before my vision went dark was Luna, lying motionless, covered in blood, just out of reach. I tried to extend my hand toward her, desperate to touch her, to make sure she was still alive, but my body wouldn't respond.

As I lay there, helpless, a shadowy figure loomed over me. He crouched down, close enough that I could make out the twisted smirk on his face. "Nighty night, then," he sneered, his voice filled with malice. My mind screamed at me to fight back, to do something, but my body wouldn't obey. He kicked me hard in the face, and I felt a sickening crunch as pain exploded through my jaw and cheek. The stars that had been dancing in my vision now swirled into a vortex of darkness, pulling me under.

I was barely clinging to consciousness when I saw the second man move toward Luna. He lifted her limp body as if she weighed nothing and moved toward the window. Every part of me wanted to scream, to stop him, but I couldn't make a sound. All I could do was watch as he climbed out the window, taking Luna with him onto the roof.

"Let's make sure you're out of the way," the first man growled. He grabbed me roughly, hauling me up off the ground with brutal force. My head was spinning, my body weak and uncooperative. I tried to push him away, tried to fight, but it was useless. My strength was gone. He carried me like I was nothing and, with a vicious snarl, he hurled me down the back stairwell.

I tumbled down the stairs, the world spinning violently around me as I hit each step with bone-jarring force. Pain radiated through every part of my body, sharp and relentless, but my mind was elsewhere. All I could think about was Luna. I couldn't let them take her. I couldn't let her be hurt again.