Mated to my Victim

Chapter Twenty

Trae

I'm holding Kyna close, her warmth seeping into me, the flickering light from the fireplace dancing off her skin. But her eyes—they're a fucking storm. I can feel it. A mess of emotion swirling behind them, and my gut twists. My smile fades as I brush a thumb over her cheek, trying to catch her gaze, but she's not really here with me.

"Hey, baby... talk to me. What's goin' on?" I whisper, my voice soft, trying to coax her out of whatever hell she's in. Her lips part, and I think she's about to let me in—finally tell me what's been clawing at her.

But instead of words, the sound hits. A blaring, shrieking semi horn—loud, so fucking loud it drowns everything out. It's wrong, unnatural, like it's ripping the world apart. My head's throbbing, and I slap my hands over my ears, desperate for it to stop.

The sound swells, crashing into me, and I shut my eyes, but that doesn't help. My stomach flips, and suddenly, I'm not with her anymore.

Cold. Wet. I'm on my knees on a rain-soaked road. My breath catches in my throat as I look up—headlights, bright as hell, coming right for me. No time. No time to think, to move. My heart slams against my ribs. Fuck, fuck, fuck. The truck's barreling toward me, way too fast. Faster than anything should move.

I throw my hands over my face. This is it. It's over. I'm gonna die right here, alone, on this road.

But the impact never comes. Instead, there's this force—like the air's been sucked from my lungs, a giant gust that slams me backward, hard. And just like that, the world changes again.

I'm on a stretcher now. Sirens are screaming, and rain's hammering down, cold and relentless. My head's spinning, but I can hear her. Kyna. She's screaming my name, but it's so faint, like she's miles away. Her voice is drowned out by the chaos—thunder, the blare of sirens, people yelling, all of it swirling around me, deafening.

I blink, and the dream shatters.

I'm in bed, alone. The sheets are cold, and golden light pours through the window as the sun rises. I sit up, the emptiness hitting me like a punch to the gut. Kyna's gone. Her parents too. But I hear something—the faint sound of movement coming from the bathroom.

My heart's in my throat as I get up, dragging my feet to the bathroom door. I knock, my hand trembling like a damn leaf in the wind. The sounds inside stop, and the silence that follows feels like it's suffocating me.

"Kyna?" I call out, even though I already know it's her. Who else would it be? No reply. My pulse quickens. "Kyna, honey, can I come in?" I ask again, my voice barely steady, holding onto hope that she'll just say yes, that she'll let me in.

"No... just... go away, Traeger..." Her voice is wrecked, thick with tears, and it cuts through me like a fucking knife.

I press my forehead against the door, the cool wood grounding me for a second. I have to help her. I have to. "Kyna, please... let me in. We don't have to talk. Just let me sit with you," I beg, my voice trembling with desperation. Nothing. Just that awful silence.

I swallow hard, forcing myself to keep talking. "No one told you, did they? I was losing my fucking mind. I—I hit a cop, Kyna. Punched him square in the face because they wouldn't let me see you."

I hear a tiny snort from inside, and for a second, I let myself breathe. It's not much, but it's something. "Yeah, you heard me. Punched him. Look, I—I dreamt about you last night. We were in a log cabin, by a fireplace. I could feel you in my arms, and it was perfect. You looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the whole world, and I swear to God, I didn't want to wake up." My voice cracks, but I keep going. I have to keep going.