Ignite | ✔

28

28 - Unexpected Collisions

ZARA

     The warmth of the fire pit danced against my skin as I slowly woke up, my vision blurred as I tried to take in my surroundings. Where the hell... oh no. Panic held me by the throat as the events of last night flooded back to memory. I shot up almost immediately, my eyes surveying the surroundings until they landed on one familiar face.

Drake.

He sat on the opposite side of the fire, calmly munching down on what appeared to be a makeshift meal. I narrowed my eyes at the man, my kidnapper, feeling the anger swell within me, along with a hint of fear.

"You," I growled out as I rose to my feet.

"Me," he simply said, a tiny smirk hanging from his lips. I couldn't help but gap at him.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I demanded as I rose to my feet. "You... you kidnapped me from the pack house! You hurt Rebecca! God, I don't even know if she's okay,"

He didn't look up from his meal but calmly continued to eat as if my outburst meant little to him. His nonchalant attitude to this entire ordeal wasn't entirely comforting.

"You told me you wanted to escape," he replied, finally glancing in my direction. "So, I made that possible."

I parted my lips, the words failing to escape. It all felt surreal, almost too unreal to be true. The man I had met at the diner was a world apart from the one now casually seated by the fire. My throat tightened as I observed him, his eyes fixed on the food before him while his fingers deftly picked at the remnants of his meal. He wore that same black leather jacket I had seen him wear when we first met, paired now with black rugged jeans and sturdy black boots. The man was an intricate puzzle, an enigma beyond comprehension, and it was clear that he was unafraid to dance with danger.

That alone made him dangerous – unpredictable.

"You made that possible?" I repeated with a scoff, "Who the hell are you? Some kind of bounty hunter? You physically took me from that house and once Haden finds out, he'll..."

Oh fuck.

Haden.

My eyes widened suddenly, the thought of my fated mate finding out about this unexpected disappearance lingering in my thoughts. Considering how well he took it last time when I snuck out, I couldn't possibly imagine the lengths he would go to now to get me back. The memory of his piercing intensity in his gaze when I walked into the office that night replayed in mind, anxiety settling deep into the pit of my stomach.

This wasn't the way I wanted to leave. It was too messy, too unstructured. I wanted to leave on my own terms – my own way – without worrying about another Alpha coming to find me.

A painful whine came from my wolf, reacting to the faint tug of the mate bond, and I yelled out in frustration. My hands ran anxiously through my hair as I paced the uneven ground, consumed by inner turmoil.

"I didn't want to leave like this," I told him, my voice wavering as I considered my options. "If I go now, it'll only create more problems."

Drake seemed to consider my words as he set his plate aside and glanced up at me, brushing the cribs from his fingers down his pants.

"The way I see it, blondie, I took you from a situation you didn't want to be in. Or is that no longer the case?"

"Quit twisting what I said," I glared at him, "the night that we met I was upset, understandably, but that doesn't give you the right to up and kidnap someone! Are you insane?"