Sadie
I sat on the empty plane, the seat beside me unnervingly cold. The past week had been a blur of packing, tearful goodbyes with my family and friends, and a strange, quiet anticipation that hummed beneath the surface. My life was about to change in ways I couldn't even begin to comprehend, and it was all because of him.
I stared at my phone, the screen still showing the last text message from Josie: "Call me the second you land! Please stay away from him. He's crazy, Sadie!" Her words echoed in my head, but they were no match for the memory of Zane's voice, a low rumble that had promised to burn the world for me. I knew he was dangerous, I knew he was unhinged, but I couldn't stop the thrill that coursed through me. I was a moth drawn to a flame, and the flame was Zane.
The plane landed with a gentle jolt, and I felt my heart pound against my ribs. I was in Seattle. The city was a sea of glass and steel, a labyrinth of concrete and towering skyscrapers, and somewhere in the middle of it all, was him.
My new apartment, a sleek, modern space with a floor-to-ceiling view of the city, was waiting for me. It was beautiful, but it felt sterile and cold. It lacked the warmth of my family home, and the scent of Zane's cologne was nowhere to be found. A pang of disappointment hit me, surprising me with its intensity. I had expected him to be there, to be waiting for me, to surprise me with another one of his dramatic entrances. He was right when he said he would stalk me. It felt more comforting than terrifying.
I unpacked my bags, my mind replaying our last conversation. His words were a warning, a declaration of ownership, and a promise. He would monitor my every move. He would protect me. And if I didn't tell him when I was mistreated, there would be consequences. The thought was both terrifying and strangely exciting. I was giving up my freedom for a promise of protection, for the security of knowing that someone, however dark, was watching over me.
My phone vibrated, an unknown number. I stared at it for a full minute, my fingers hovering over the screen. It couldn't be him, could it? My heart was a drum against my ribs. I had to know. I answered.
"Hello, princess," his voice, a low, husky whisper, sent shivers down my spine. "Welcome home."
I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. "Zane… how…?"
"Did you think I was kidding?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his tone. "I told you, nothing about you is hidden from me."
I felt a new kind of fear, a primal, chilling dread that coiled in my stomach. He wasn't just a possessive man; he was a phantom, a whisper on the wind, a shadow I couldn't escape. "I… I just got to my apartment," I stammered.
"I know," he said, and I felt a jolt of alarm. Was he watching me? Was he outside my window?
"Are you… are you watching me?" I whispered, my eyes darting to the windows.
He let out a low, dark chuckle. "Maybe. Maybe not. But know this, princess. You are mine. And I will protect you. I will protect you from the shadows, even if I am the one casting them."
He hung up, leaving me standing in the middle of my empty apartment, my heart pounding in my chest. I looked at my phone, a new contact saved under the name "Shadow". I knew I should be running, but all I could do was smile. I was in his world now. And I was ready to see what kind of monster he really was.