The emotional exhaustion was beating me down. I still had a bit more to go to finish my projects but I knew I’d be of no more use tonight. I closed down the open tabs on my computer and started packing away my projects. Surely Logan would understand if I took an extra day to complete things….

I swung my bag over my shoulder and pulled my ponytail through the strap hole on my hat and headed towards the elevators. I contemplated stopping at the Chinese place on the corner but I wasn’t sure my feet would make it that far.

I headed out of the building onto the street and started walking towards my bus stop. I paused abruptly when the screens of werewolves news started a display in English, rather than French. I felt a waterfall of panic rush through me as I recognized the face instantly. Nik.

“Hello Fellow Wolf Citizens. I am Nicolas Cole of the Dark Moon Pack. I’m desperately searching for my mate. She was taken from me three years ago and has been missing since. Please contact the Dark Moon Pack if you have any information.”

A picture of me at the coming-of-age ceremony flashed onto the screen. I lowered my hat over my face. Sure it was three years old but I didn’t look that different. I was grateful he at least didn’t give out my name. I moved to the street corner and raised my hand for a taxi. I started to wave my hand more frantically as cars passed me.

Finally, someone stopped, barely missing the curb. I jumped back. The driver smiled at me apologetically. I got into the cab and kept my face covered with my hat. Nil’s message was playing on repeat and giving out more details of my ‘disappearance’. I shuttered internally.

“Bonsoir Ma’am. Where are you going?” the driver asked with a thick French accent. I gave him my address and hoped he heard the urgency in my voice. I felt desperate to escape and hide away until Nik stopped his obsessive searching. I feel horrified and sick. I thought I was safe and past this…. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t given up.

The driver took a left onto Fleur street and I watched as distinct headlights followed us. I started to panic. How could he have found me here? How could he have known?

“Monsieur, please make a right here,” I begged. He looked at me curiously but did as I instructed. The headlights followed. I knew it was Nik. My vision started to become a little blurry and my forehead was clammy with sweat. I would not go back to him. “Could you just speed up and keep going, s’il vous plaît? I think someone is following us!”

Again the driver glanced at me suspiciously.

“I’ll double, no triple whatever the fee is! Just please, Monsieur!”

The driver sped up down the road and took off in a random direction. The car behind us followed. Tears forced their way out of my eyes without my permission and I could feel myself starting to hyperventilate a bit. I glanced behind us again and the car was still there, almost close enough to tap our bumper.

I urged our driver onto the freeway. Surely we could lose them this time of night. The roads would be just crowded enough…. The driver obliged and drove onto the on-ramp, moving recklessly between other vehicles. I was shaking and couldn’t keep still in my seat.

The car seemed to have no trouble keeping up with us. We passed several more video billboards on the freeway all flashing Nik’s desperate plea for his ‘mate’ or images of me at 18. The tears poured out harder now.

I looked behind us and the car was still there. I urged the driver to make a quick exit and he sliced through the cars barely making the turn-off. There were several honks and screeches from annoyed drivers but I couldn’t think about that. At first I felt relieved, I couldn’t see anyone exit.

He drove the round about way back towards my apartment. But as we turned through the neighborhood there was a similar black car stopped ahead of us. The taxi driver skidded to a stop and I turned to see the previous car had found his place behind us again. My throat ran dry.

I wanted to scream at the driver. Urge him to find a way around but there was no use risking his life.

Two men were already out of the car in front of us and they came up to my door instantly. I didn’t recognize them but I knew they were Nik’s people. I shrank away from the door, covering my face further. There was no way this was really happening.

They ripped open the door and aggressively pulled me out. Each of them took a firm grip on me and walked me back over to the car they came from. I noticed one face I did recognize. This was a face that regularly appeared in my nightmares. His lips lowered into a scowl as I approached. He crossed his arms over his chest clearly not pleased to have spent so much time chasing me. He looked at me like I was a petulant child who lost her way.

“Kate… at least,” he sneered.

“I’m not going back with you, Ben,” I barked, trying to shake loose from the men holding me. I barely budged.

“On the contrary, Kate. You see while Nik has created this obsession with you, I’ve lost interest. I won’t waste more time searching for you all over the globe. He ordered me to bring you home. I don’t need your cooperation to follow through on my orders.” His words came out like a dripping poison. His threat lingering as he reached into his pocket and dialed a number on his phone.

“Tell me you have good news,” demanded a sickened familiar voice on the other end of the video chat. I struggled harder.

Ben glanced up at me with a twisted smile.

“I’ve got her. I’ll bring her home tonight.”

“Let me speak with her.”

Vomit rose up inside of me and I tried to turn away and rip myself from the arms of the men holding me. I didn’t want to see him or talk to him. I felt like I was trapped in one of my nightmares.

Ben held the phone out to my face and there he was. Three years older but the same man. The blond streaks in his hair looked more prominent and he’d let his beard grow fuller. He looked more like a villain this way. I shuttered.

“Aww Kate, my sweet. At least. I’ve been searching forever for you. It’s time to come home,” he pleaded in a sickening my sweet voice. I snarled.

“I have no home. Especially not with you!” I spit on the ground in front of me, wishing it could have gone through the phone and hit him in the face. Nik just looked sad. Like I was a child who disappointed you.

“What are you talking about? Of course your home is with me. Your family. Especially now that our sweet Jessica is gone… we need to stay together.”

“How dare you even speak her name! You murdered her! You’re the reason my mother is dead! I will never have a home with you!” Tears of rage were pressing against my eyes and I willed them to stay back. I wouldn’t show him any weakness.

“Jessica’s death was a tragic accident. Come now, Kate. Do you really think so little of me that you believe I’d murder my own sister?” He sounded truly appalled and I rolled my eyes. “Come home now. Let’s put an end to this and I’ll make you my Luna, as you always should have been.”

“No! No!” I screamed as Ben took the phone back and the men dragged me into their car. I tried to look around for anyone to help. The taxi man had left, there was no one on the streets. I continued to scream until someone jabbed a needle in my neck. Everything turned dark.