Romance

  Aurora&#39;s Perspective
  For the next day—or what I guessed was a day; in this lightless hole, time was a goddamn joke—I sat stewing in my own anxiety, the feeling of something being deeply *off* growing stronger with every passing, unmarked hour. I was a specimen pinned in a jar, festering.
  The two masked idiots hadn&#39;t shown their faces since the call with the shitty flip phone. No food, no threats, not even a check through the door&#39;s slot to see if I was still breathing. Just dead silence, thick enough to choke on, broken only by my own ragged breathing or the angry growl of my empty stomach.
  This was wrong. So wrong. What kidnapper doesn&#39;t keep an eye on their prize? Unless… they didn’t care if I saw them. Or they had more pressing business. Or they were just that confident this place was an inescapable cage.
  Hunger and thirst became real torment. My lips were cr

  Aurora &#39;s Perspective
  Through the arm locked around his throat, I could feel his pulse jackhammering, wild and frantic. A choked, gurgling sound escaped him, his face flushing, glasses askew. The scent of fear—sharp, sour, purely human terror—poured from him, overwhelming the smells of disinfectant and dust. Good. Fear was good. Fearful people told the truth.
  &quot;Don&#39;t move! A sound, and I snap your neck!&quot; I hissed, my voice low and guttural, carrying an unconscious, predatory rasp. &quot;Talk! Where is this?! Who are you people?! Why am I here?!&quot;
  &quot;Mmph… grrh…&quot; He struggled weakly, fingers clawing at my forearm. I eased the pressure just enough for him to breathe and speak, but kept my hand clamped over his mouth.
  &quot;Talk!&quot; I tightened my grip for a split second.
  &quot;D-don&#39;t kill me!&quot; he whimpered, the words muffled. &quot;I… I

  Jacob&#39;s Perspective
  Damn it.
  My boy. My Brett. He was really gone.
  When Lily told me Aurora &nbsp;had been kidnapped and Brett was likely caught up in it, I knew it was bad. The kid was quiet, but stubborn to his core, especially about Aurora . Following her around like a devoted shadow. Him going on one of her joyrides? Not surprising at all.
  But now… this.
  I gunned the engine, tires screeching as I sped toward the area the pack’s network had pinpointed as their last known location. Selena wanted to come. I made her stay. Her eyes were red-rimmed, holding back tears by sheer force of will. I knew she was breaking inside. I couldn’t let her see whatever might be waiting. I had to find a trail. I had to bring my son home.
  The industrial zone on the city&#39;s edge. The pack had invested in its redevelopment years ago. The road was half-finished, stalled by permits—a perf

Aurora&#39;s Perspective
  For the next day—or what I guessed was a day; in this lightless hole, time was a goddamn joke—I sat stewing in my own anxiety, the feeling of something being deeply *off* growing stronger with every passing, unmarked hour. I was a specimen pinned in a jar, festering.
  The two masked idiots hadn&#39;t shown their faces since the call with the shitty flip phone. No food, no threats, not even a check through the door&#39;s slot to see if I was still breathing. Just dead silence, thick enough to choke on, broken only by my own ragged breathing or the angry growl of my empty stomach.
  This was wrong. So wrong. What kidnapper doesn&#39;t keep an eye on their prize? Unless… they didn’t care if I saw them. Or they had more pressing business. Or they were just that confident this place was an inescapable cage.
  Hunger and thirst became real torment. My lips were cracked, my throat on fire, my stomach clenching on nothing. The cold, greasy fast-food burger and s

Chapter 255