Primal Desires

Chapter 26

Rose's POV

Running. Always running. Barefoot. Bruised.

Trees - so many trees. In front. To my Left. Right. Behind. Always so many trees.

I couldn't seem to escape. No matter how far I ran, I couldn't get out of this canopy surrounding me. My desperation was painful – I needed to get out of here. Away from here. Away from him.

He couldn't hurt me anymore.

Stumbling through the thick branches, I felt my elation as I came to a clearing - I could see a house in the distance. I felt free.

I broke off into a sprint, running towards the orange glow from the windows, hoping and praying to find help.

I screamed at the top of my lungs to open the door, to let me in, to help me. Desperate tears flowed down my cheeks as I reached the door, banging on the dark wood as hard as I could until it swung open in front of me.

No.

Please, no.

"Rose," the man in front of me snarled, his lips curling upwards in a smirk to reveal his pointed teeth. "I knew you would come back to me. I knew you would give in. I knew you would realise you can't be without me."

My body began to tremble as I backed away from the monster in front of me, desperately searching the area around me for points of exit.

I needed to escape.

I needed to get away from him.

I took barely three steps before I found myself backing into someone standing close behind me.

My head snapped up to the door frame, only to find it empty. Arms snaked around my chest tightly and I felt his hot breath on my neck, just below my ears.

"Why did you try to leave, Rose?" He whispered, licking a line from the base of my neck up to my ear lobe. "Why don't you just love me?" His fangs traced the skin of my neck. "Let me show you how much I love you."

Without warning, his teeth sank into my neck and suddenly the forest around us dissipated. I found my self bound to a bed, in a dark room. In that room.

He was standing at the foot of the bed, staring at me intensely, his desire for me clear in his eyes, in his smile, in his pants...

"Please..." I managed to choke out before he lunged, pinning me down beneath his body weight and I screamed. I yelled until my throat hurt.

"Please -" I whimpered. "Please, Nathan!"

***

A loud bang echoed across the room. Then another and another, drawing me out of my nightmare. As my eyes fluttered open in a panic, I struggled to stop the tears from falling over my face and the screams and whimpers from escaping my throat.

I was home. Actually home. Why then was someone trying to break into my bedroom? Terrified and disoriented from my dream, I backed myself into the corner of the bed, drawing my knees up to my chest and sobbing into my elbows.

The banging continued until the door finally gave way and detached from its lock, and I flinched when I heard the cause of the intrusion enter the room and head towards me.

"Roza?" they asked tentatively, slowly edging closer to me.

Dimitri.

My head shot up and his worried filled eyes met mine.