Chapter 1 Trapped

~ELENA~

I paced around my vast living room anxiously, as my eyes drifted from my phone to the wall clock that hung on the wall.

It was exactly 2:45 am and my husband, Derek, was yet to arrive home. His phone switched off, making it impossible to know his whereabouts.

I'd lost count of how many times I've called his best friend Sabastine and asked about his whereabouts and he gave me the same response of "I haven't seen him Elena," but I dialed his number again.

The call rang out, but it diverted to voicemail. I hissed and flung my phone onto the couch frustration boiling over.

I buried my fingers in my hair, desperate lost. This wasn't like Derek.if something had come up, he would have told me. Always had. His secretary wasn't answering either and that only made my nerves worse.

Should I inform the police? The thought surfaced and without hesitation i reached for my phone to dial 911 silently cursing myself for not doing it sooner, but just as my hands hovered over the screen an incoming call lit up the display.

An unknown number.

I stared at the screen sconfused about if I should take the call or not.

What if Derek has been kidnapped? What if this was a ransom call? I felt a lump stuck in my throat at the thought.

Whatever it is. Whatever it costs, I'll pay it, I told myself and answered.

"Hello," a female voice mixed with anxiety and hurry said. "Am I speaking with Mrs. Elena burrows?"

"Yes. Who's is this? Why are you calling me?" My voice trembled barely above a whisper.

"I'm a nurse from Amanda special hospital, Ma'am. Your husband was involved in a serious accident. We need your presence at the hospital, immediately"

For a moment everything stopped. I froze, then blinked back tears and found my voice. "I... I'll be there," I stuttered and hung up.

I grabbed my car keys that was on the table, slid my feet into my slippers, without caring if I the were on right. My dog suki barked behind me as I rushed out, but I ignored her. I jumped into the car and sped off into the night.

"Oh moon goddess, please save my husband," I muttered as I kept on accelerating at a rapid speed. It was late, so there weren't many cars on the highway.

My phone rang again and I tucked it out of my back pocket with one hand on the staring, barely focusing on the road. Same number.

"Hello," I answered breathlessly.

"Mrs Elena..." the voice said hesitantly.

"Yes? what is it!" I shouted, dead settling in.

"Ma. I'm sorry but your husband... Has been confirmed dead,"

My breath hitched. My palms went cold on the wheels

"What!" I gasped, tears clouding my vision.

No response.

I was still trying to process what I had just heard when I noticed a binding light and loud honking.

I shielded my eyes, then dropped my hand just in time to see a jeep charging towards me. I didn't even have time to swerve before-everything went blank.

"Elena"

"Elena"

"Is she dead?"

The echoes of my name made me regain consciousness and I opened my eyes.

It was too dark to make out anything but a familiar scent drifted into my nose. I tried to stand, but something held me down. My head throbbed like it had been slit open.

I was in a car crash. The memory slammed back into me. I heard rustling of leaves, lights coming from behind and hoped flickered in my mind. "Please... Help," I barely stated.

"There you are," a voice said and my eyes enlarged. The voice.

Derek.There he was. Standing outside the shattered window of my car-Alive.

"What the hell?...I whispered.

He snickered "Hello, wife."

"You are supposed to be dead?" I muttered coughing up blood.

Derek just smiled Infront of me. "You thought I died in an accident? Looks like you're the one that ended up in one-and you won't be getting out alive.

Laughter rang out behind him. A voice I hadn't heard in a longtime. Jacob.

My step brother.

He stepped into view, grinning with that cruel glint in his eyes. "Surprise, Surprise... almighty Elena."

I struggled to move inside the car but I couldn't move. Fear surged through me as I shifted me gazes in-between them.

Jacob leaned in through the broken glasses car and grabbed my neck.

"You are too stubborn, Elena. Very stubborn. You should have just handed over the inheritance when I asked. Then I wouldn't have bribed Derek to marry you." Jacob said gruffly.

Each drop of his statement felt like adding salt to a wound. It felt like I was stung by bees. I gasped for breath as he tightened his grip, my vision flickering.

Then-another voice.

"You don't have to stain your hands with her dirty blood, son." Monica, my stepmother's voice sounded out of the blue, and she pulled Jacob away.

I followed in a fit of coughing, my body screamed in pain. Blood gushed out of my wounds.

My eyes trailed from Derek to Jacob and then to Monica, as I felt a hot trial of fresh tears run down to my chin partaking in my mystery.

I couldn't bring myself to believe that I didn't mean anything to Derek, my childhood crush turned lover, who I loved and cared for with everything in me.

And also the fact that our marriage of 1 year was nothing but a complete facade planned by my step-family, who I thought I had escaped and finally settled in for a happy life, made my heart bleed.

Why?

All because I didn't agree to give up my assets which I inherited from my late grandfather (Mac Odell's).

My name is Elena Mac-Odell, and I'm a werewolf. I've hidden that truth for years because of my late mother, Mirabel. A werewolf who left her pack for reasons she didn't tell me before her that, settled with the humans's and got married to one.

I've lived as a human in New Orleans, protected by a scent blocker my mother gave me. Derek never knew of my identity neither did Charlotte-my best friend.

"Come here Charlotte," Derek called out. " Come say goodbye to your best friend so she doesn't get angry at you in the afterlife,"

I blinked in disbelief as Charlotte stepped into light...and wrapped her hands around Derek's shoulder. The same shoulder I used to cling to every night. The same shoulder I'd thought was my safe place.

Just the sight of Charlotte with Derek made me want to puke. My mind lingered back. Was it her voice? The one that had said "Is she dead?" Earlier? My heart shattered-it was Charlotte's voice.

I was literally running out of breath and losing my vision at each passing second, but the people that surrounded me cared less as they found solitude in seeing me wince in excruciating pain.

Charlotte looked at me but didn't utter a word. Her silence said enough. They all want me gone.

"Ha ha, I never knew you could look this pathetic," Jacob sneered. "You should have known better than to steal my birthright,"

"You mean the one grandpa gave to me?" I spat weakly.

Jacob's face darkened. "Your mother was a slut. She seduced my father even as a maid... You should never have existed. I despise you Elena and I wish you nothing order then death."

"And like your studied mother. You will die the same way," Monica added coldly and my heart constricted.

The killed my mother. All this while I'd believed it was an accident.

"Let's finished the job," Jacob snapped.

"Good bye bestfriend," For the first time Charlotte whispered and the all moved away from the car." Then I heard it. " Light it up."

The car began to roll, pushed deeper into the woods. I fought to escape out of the driver's seat, but to no avail. I felt as if I was tied up to something invincible.

I was literally seeing my own death as the car kept rolling.

After seconds of trying to break free from whatever was withholding me captive in the car. I finally submitted to my unfortunate fate, with clenched hands and closed eyes.

I prayed to the moon goddess to grant this poor orphan a second chance before darkness surrounded me like a fog.