Chapter 5 Marry Me

• Ellie's world trembled.
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• The man's words echoed in her head, refusing to settle into reality.
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• "Marry me."
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• It was absurd. Unbelievable. Impossible.
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• Her face turned from an ashen white to a deep red, so intense that she felt as if she might burn from within. Her heart pounded so fast it hurt, as if trying to escape her chest.
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• Never... never in her life had she received a confession. And now, out of nowhere, this man : with his deep voice and piercing eyes : had dropped such a bombshell on her, as if it were logical, as if it made sense.
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• Ellie felt her legs tremble.
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• "Why me...?" she murmured in a faint voice.
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• The weight of confusion and disbelief crushed her. She couldn't process it. Her mind spun in a desperate attempt to find logic in this, but the more she thought, the more absurd the situation became.
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• She tried to pull her hand away from his grasp, but it was useless. His grip was firm, unyielding, as if he feared that if he let go, she would vanish into thin air.
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• "You saved my life" he said in a deep voice, with a conviction that made her shudder. "And not just mine... you'll also save my entire pack."
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• A shiver ran down Ellie's spine.
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• Pack?
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• Her confusion deepened. This wasn’t just strange, it was madness.
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• The man didn’t let go. On the contrary, he pulled her closer, as if ensuring she understood the gravity of his words.
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• "L-Let me go..." her voice trembled more than she wanted.
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• But he didn’t even blink.
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• "According to my pack’s law, we must repay those who save us. And you have saved us, Ellie. We cannot ignore that. I cannot ignore that. The only thing I can offer you, the only thing I can do... is marry you."
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• The pressure in her chest intensified.
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• Ellie felt like she couldn’t breathe. Every word he said wrapped around her like a net she couldn't escape from. There was something in his gaze... something strange, as if he were hiding a greater truth, something he wasn’t telling her.
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• Fear coursed through her.
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• "I don’t know what you’re talking about" she shook her head desperately. "You’ve got the wrong person. I haven’t saved anyone."
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• He shook his head calmly.
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• "I am not mistaken. I know exactly what I’m saying."
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• Panic gripped her throat. Her body trembled, and anxiety paralyzed her.
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• Run. Run. Run.
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• Her instincts screamed at her, but she was trapped in the moment.
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• "I will not accept your proposal" she whispered, feeling how her voice barely managed to come out.
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• For a second, he didn’t respond. He only stared at her. But then... he let go.
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• The sudden emptiness made Ellie feel off balance.
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• "Do you hate me, Ellie?"
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• The question caught her so off guard that she didn’t know what to say. She just shook her head, unable to speak.
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• But that didn’t change anything.
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• She didn’t wait to hear more. She turned around and entered her house, slamming the door shut.
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• She didn’t look out the window. She didn’t want to risk seeing him still there.
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• ...
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• That night passed with a strange air of unreality. Ellie forced herself to focus on cooking. It had always helped clear her mind, and now she needed it more than ever.
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• The familiar sounds of knives hitting the wooden board, the aroma of spices, the heat of the fire… All of it gave her a sense of control.
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• Just a misunderstanding.
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• A bad dream.
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• But when the sun disappeared beyond the horizon and the night covered the sky, a noise abruptly shattered her false tranquility.
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• A dull thud.
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• Ellie froze.
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• A creeping unease crawled up her spine like invisible fingers.
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• She took a deep breath and walked to the window, telling herself she was overreacting. It couldn’t be him. It just couldn’t.
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• She peeked outside.
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• Nothing.
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• The silence was too thick.
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• She let out a nervous laugh. Ridiculous. She was just being paranoid.
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• But then, another noise. Louder. Closer.
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• Fear slammed into her like a hammer.
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• No.
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• She stepped outside to shake off her doubts, but her body tensed when she heard it.
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• Footsteps.
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• Not hers.
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• Not those of a casual passerby.
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• They were sure, determined. Approaching.
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• Ellie felt the air grow heavier around her.
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• And then, a sound shattered the night.
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• A howl.
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• Her skin prickled instantly.
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• The pounding in her ears was deafening. She wanted to back away, but before she could move, a deep voice filled the air with an icy threat.
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• "Ungrateful woman. You have rejected the gratitude of the Alpha of the Half Moon pack."
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• Her heart froze.
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• Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and then she saw them.
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• Faces. Eyes fixed on her. Stares filled with something indescribable, an invisible weight that made her feel trapped, as if they had cornered her.
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• Her breathing turned erratic.
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• Why? What was happening?
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• Another man stepped forward. His presence was imposing, so heavy that Ellie felt the ground beneath her grow unsteady.
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• "We cannot wait any longer" he said calmly, though his voice had a dangerous edge. "She is the one. We cannot let this end like this."
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• His gaze locked onto Ellie.
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• "You must marry our leader. The Alpha."
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• Ellie’s world crumbled.
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• Marry?
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• The Alpha?
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• She wanted to speak, but fear strangled her words.
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• Before she could react, she felt a rough hand close around her wrist with such force that it drew a strangled gasp from her.
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• The pain jolted her out of shock.
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• "Let me go!" She struggled desperately.
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• "Leave her!" A voice from within the group shattered the tension.
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• For a second, she thought they would release her.
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• But then, someone stepped closer.
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• She saw her. A woman with red eyes that gleamed in the darkness.
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• The expression on her face was cold.
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• Ellie barely had time to process it before she felt a sharp blow to the back of her neck.
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• A burning pain
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• Her body lost balance.
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• Darkness swallowed her whole.
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• The last thing she heard before everything faded was a furious shout.
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• "What have you done?"
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• And then… nothing.