CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO
NADIA
I walked into a trap!
It was a Saturday, the sun barely rising, casting a soft, golden light over the quiet street as I got ready for my early morning shift at the grocery store. The air smelled fresh and crisp, a hint of autumn intermingled with the scent of dew on the grass.
I rummaged through my small closet, shifting clothes left and right until I found my uniform shirt, its bright green logo shining like a beacon of my mundane life. Suddenly, just as I was about to slip it over my head, my phone buzzed in my pocket, startling me.
I hadn’t expected anyone to call me this early, assuming my friends would still be asleep, dreaming of their weekend escapades. For a fleeting second, I thought it might be Alex or Sandro, since I had finally given them my number as a token of gratitude for saving my life from Lara, Bethany, and their new boyfriends. But I quickly brushed the thought aside and didn’t grab my phone right away. After all, what could they possibly want this early?
When the call persisted, a deep sense of curiosity emerged. I pulled my phone out, glancing at the screen. My brows knitted together as I realized the number was unknown, one of those strange lines that usually filled my inbox with ads for products I would never buy. With a sigh, I hesitated before finally answering the call, trying to ignore the persistent gnawing in my gut.
“Hello?” I said, my voice wavering slightly.
“Hello, Nadia,” came the voice on the other end. It sounded distant, almost eerie. The instant I heard it, a chill crept along my spine. This wasn’t a voice I recognized, and it didn’t seem to hold any kindness. Instead, I felt a strange sense of foreboding.
“Who is this?” I asked, trying my best to sound more demanding than afraid.
“Who we are is not important,” the voice replied dismissively, almost too casually for my liking.
My heart raced. “What do you want?”
“We have something you will be interested in buying,” he sounded confident, almost like he knew what I needed, and what I didn’t need.
“I’m not interested in whatever you’re selling!” I snapped back, feeling an anger bubble beneath the surface. “I’m too busy for some faceless people.”
With that, I hung up, shaking my head in frustration and stepping outside. Nothing could ruin my Saturday morning… At least that was what I hoped. I grabbed my bicycle from its resting place in the yard, ready to pedal away and forget the weird exchange.
Just as I was about to mount the bike, my phone beeped again. The unpleasant surprise sent a shiver of annoyance down my spine. Seeing a new message notification, I felt my heart race.
I picked up my phone, barely holding back an exasperated sigh, and opened the text. It was from the same strange number. Frowning, I read the message: “Don’t you want to see your mother? We have her.”
Shock coursed through me like icy water. My mother had disappeared a long time ago, leaving me with nothing but memories of the woman who once held me tight. I had spent the past two years trying to convince myself that I didn’t care, that I didn’t want to see her again after she abandoned me. But now, the thought that she was still alive, and the potential danger she was in tugged at the frayed edges of my heartstrings.
I clenched my jaw, fighting against all the emotions that surged within me. I couldn’t let any bitterness and anger stop me from acting if she was in trouble. I knew I had to figure out what was going on.
I felt a storm brewing inside of me as I pressed the call button, my hands trembling slightly as I waited for an answer.
“Hello?” he answered, his voice smooth as honey, but sharp like a knife.
“Are you lying to me? Do you really have my mother?” I shot back, despite the turmoil swirling in my heart.
“I just sent you proof that we have her,” he replied.
Just then, my phone beeped again, and I quickly checked my messages. My breath hitched in my throat, and my heart dropped as I saw the picture that accompanied the message. There it was, a snapshot of a woman, her hands and feet bound in chains, the dark background obscuring the details. I couldn’t see her face clearly, but I felt deep in my bones that it was my mother. Panic filled the pit of my stomach, churning with rage and fear all at once.
“What do you want?” I asked, gnashing my teeth in anger.
“I’ll send you a location. Make sure to come alone,” he instructed, a cold edge creeping into every syllable. “If you come with someone else, I’ll kill her.”
The threat was clear, and it left me breathless, my mind racing with the impossibility of the situation.
“Fine. Send me the address,” I snapped defiantly. I could feel every pulse of my heart, the urgency of the moment demanding my attention.
“Just remember, Nadia,” he cautioned, “come alone.”
Without waiting for another word, I hung up the call, my heart pounding. Time felt suspended as confusion and anger swirled inside me. I wished I could take a moment to gather my thoughts, but I had no luxury for that now.
Minutes later, my phone beeped again, and I quickly opened the text. It contained an address in a remote part of the woods, not far from the edge of town, but less traveled and often considered dangerous after dark. My blood ran cold, but my resolve was fierce.
I knew I wouldn’t accept defeat. With determination seeping through my veins, I grabbed my bicycle and started pedaling toward the location, muscles coiling with anticipation as I prepared for whatever awaited me.
The road was eerily silent as I sped past trees, and I couldn’t shake off the notion that I was being watched. I tried to push the thoughts away; I had to focus on what lay ahead.
Finally, I arrived at the edge of the woods surrounding the location.
“Stay calm, Nadia,” I muttered to myself, taking a deep breath. I had to stay focused. Just ahead was a clearing, the remnants of a decrepit old cabin standing defiant against the elements. Dark shapes moved within, and my heart raced painfully as I approached.
I crept closer, adrenaline surging. The air felt thick with tension, and I heard muffled voices just beyond the door. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the creaking door open, the hinges groaning with age as I stepped inside.
What I saw froze me in my tracks. There stood Bethany, Lara, Tony, and Fletcher. My heart sank as recognition surged through me… the very faces of my tormentors from College, the ones who had taken over from Alex and Sandro in making my life hell. Anger bubbled inside of me, and I couldn’t quite understand why they were here, lurking under the pretense of a threat.
“Nadia! So nice of you to finally join us,” Bethany purred, her smile dripping with malice. The others stood behind her, menacing shadows, as if they had been born from my deepest fears.
“Where is my mother?” I demanded, my voice coming out steadier than I felt. Despite the anger coursing through me, I couldn’t let them see my weakness.
Lara stepped forward, her lips curling into a wicked grin. “We wanted to help you, of course. You seemed so lost without your precious mother. But now, you know the truth, don’t you?”
“What truth?” I asked, brow furrowing, trying to make sense of their twisted intentions.
“That your mother was just imaginary. We never had her, but we knew we could use her as a bait to lure you here. It is you against us,” Tony chimed in, his arrogance evident. “Not even Alex or Sandro would come to save you now.”
My heart raced, anger building as I felt the wolf in me surging to the surface, revealing my true nature. The thought of them mocking me ignited a fire deep within. “You’re wrong!” I shouted, piecing together their intentions. “You think I’m afraid of you? You’re pathetic!”
With that, they launched at me, their laughter echoing like the hollow cracks of thunder. I fought back instinctively, claws extending as I transformed into my wolf form, a blur of fur and strength.
But there were too many of them.
I felt their hands grip me as they lunged forward, wrestling me to the ground. I struggled and growled, my heart pounding in my chest, but their numbers were overwhelming. They pinned me down, and just as quickly as darkness loomed in the cabin, they blindfolded me with a piece of cloth, filling my senses with nothing but confusion.
“Let me go!” I growled, adrenaline flooding through me. “This isn’t going to end well for you!”
“Too late for that,” Lara taunted, her voice dripping with malice. “You should have stayed away from things that don’t concern you.”
The world spun around me as I was dragged deeper into the interior of the cabin. I tried to dig my claws into the ground, but it was useless. The more I struggled, the tighter they gripped me, their breath hot against my skin.
In seconds, I felt myself being shoved into a dark room, my instincts screaming as the door slammed shut. I could sense their presence lurking just outside, their laughter fading as they reveled in the chaos they had created.
“Let me go!,” I growled.
“You would have to fight your way out,” Lara said, laughing hard.
I strained against my bindings, desperation feeding my growing anger. Memories flooded back, each incident of bullying and ridicule, each time they laughed at my expense.
My heart pumped fiercely, as I plotted my next move. I would show them the strength that lay in me, one they had utterly underestimated.
“What do you want?” I yelled out.
“Your wolf power,” Bethany whispered to me.
Her response was not what I had expected but I put myself together and fought back. “You can’t have it!”
She chuckled. “Watch us take it from you.”