Chapter 4 MATE

The air crackled with tension, the scent of ozone thick in the air. Mason Allen, a scrawny, freckled boy of sixteen, struggled to breathe, his face turning a sickly shade of purple. The monstrous hand, a tapestry of dark scales and sharp claws, tightened around his throat, cutting off his air supply. His eyes, wide with terror, met the crimson gaze of Ste-phen Draven, a creature of nightmare, a being of raw power and untamed fury.

"Fine, I won't kill you. But only on one condition, Mason," Ste-phen's voice, a deep rumble that vibrated through Mason's bones, echoed through the abandoned warehouse.

Mason, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs, could only gasp, his lungs screaming for air. He didn't understand. Why was this creature, this monster, talking to him? What condition could possibly be worse than death?

"Accept my rejection and I'll let you go," Ste-phen demanded, his grip loosening slightly.

"I don't know the fuck you're talking about," Mason choked out, his voice a mere whisper.

Ste-phen let out a low growl of frustration. "Fine, repeat after me. I, Mason Allen, accept your rejection, Ste-phen Draven."

Mason, his body trembling uncontrollably, could only nod, his mind struggling to comprehend the words. He repeated, "I, Mason Allen, accept your rejection, Ste-phen Draven."

Ste-phen felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. The string tying their souls together, a bond forged in the ancient rituals of his kind, should have snapped, shattering the chain that bound him to this fragile human. Yet it was still there, strong, gnawing at his soul, a constant, unwelcome reminder of the connection he desperately wanted to sever.

"Fucking damnit," he growled, his voice laced with a raw, primal frustration.

Mason whimpered, his hold around his neck tightening again. "You said you'll let go... Did... I do it wrong?"

Ste-phen let out a low, guttural growl, his frustration reaching a boiling point. He would do it again. He had to. This bond was driving him mad, twisting his very essence.

"I, Ste-phen Draven, reject you, Mason Allen, as my mate," he repeated

Mason's eyes widened in disbelief. "Mate?" he croaked, his voice barely audible. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Ste-phen's hand, still gripping Mason's throat, loosened its hold, allowing him to gasp in much-needed air. "You don't know?" he asked, his voice laced with an unsettling calmness.

Mason shook his head, his mind struggling to make sense of the situation. "No, I don't. What the hell is going on?"

"I'm a Lycan, a creature of pure energy, bound by ancient laws," Ste-phen explained, his voice echoing with a raw, untamed power. "And you, Mason, are my mate. You're the only one who can contain my power, the only one who can keep me from losing control."

Mason stared at him, his eyes wide with terror. "What are you talking about? I'm just a normal guy. I can't control anything."

"Not yet," Ste-phen replied, his voice softening slightly. "But you will. We're bound together, Mason. We're connected in ways you can't even begin to imagine."

The weight of the words hung heavy in the air, a suffocating truth that Mason couldn't ignore. He looked at Ste-phen, his gaze meeting the crimson eyes that held a strange mixture of power and vulnerability.

"I don't understand," Mason said, his voice barely a whisper. "What do you want from me? What's going to happen to me?"

"You're my mate, Mason," Ste-phen repeated, his voice laced with a strange, almost desperate plea. "I need you. And you need me. We're meant to be together."

The words, echoing in the silence of the abandoned warehouse, seemed to hang in the air, a cruel mockery of Mason's reality. His life, his world, had been shattered, replaced by a nightmare he couldn't comprehend.

"I don't want to be your mate," Mason whispered, his voice trembling. "I don't want to be a part of this."

"You don't have a choice," Ste-phen replied, his voice a cold, hard truth. "We're bound together, Mason. Forever."

Mason felt a wave of despair wash over him, a cold, chilling realization that his life would never be the same. He was trapped, a pawn in a game he didn't understand, forced to play a role he never wanted.

Ste-phen, sensing Mason's fear, reached out a hand, his touch as cold as the night air. "Don't be afraid, Mason," he said, his voice soothing yet commanding. "I'm not going to hurt you. I need you. And you need me."

Mason stared at the hand, his own trembling as he reached out and hesitantly took it. The touch sent a jolt of energy through him, a strange sensation that left him breathless.

"What's going to happen to me?" Mason asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"You'll learn," Ste-phen replied, his voice a low rumble. "You'll learn to control your power, your connection to me. You'll become something more than human."

The words, heavy with promise and danger, filled Mason with a mix of fear and fascination. He had no idea what Ste-phen meant, but the sheer power emanating from him, the raw energy that pulsed around them, filled him with a sense of awe and dread.

The air grew colder as they walked, the temperature dropping with each step. The abandoned warehouse, once a symbol of urban decay, had become a portal to another world, a world of shadows and secrets.

As they approached a large, rusted metal door, Ste-phen paused, his crimson eyes glowing with an intensity that made Mason's heart pound in his chest. "This is it," he said, his voice a low rumble. "The gateway to our new reality."

The door, heavy and imposing, was adorned with strange symbols, etched into the metal with a precision that hinted at an ancient knowledge. Mason stared at the symbols, his mind racing, trying to make sense of their meaning.

Ste-phen reached out and touched the door, his hand glowing with an ethereal light. The metal seemed to pulse with energy, the symbols coming alive as if they were breathing. Mason felt a strange pull, a sensation of being drawn into the door, as if it were beckoning him to enter.

"Are you ready, Mason?" Ste-phen asked, his voice a whisper.

Mason swallowed hard, his throat dry with fear. "I don't know," he said, his voice barely audible. "I don't understand any of this."

Ste-phen smiled, his crimson eyes gleaming with an unsettling light. "You will," he said, his voice filled with a confidence that both reassured and frightened Mason. "You will learn everything. You will become everything."

With a final, decisive push, Ste-phen opened the door, revealing a swirling vortex of darkness beyond. The air crackled with energy, the scent of ozone filling Mason's nostrils. He stared at the vortex, his heart pounding in his chest, his mind filled with a sense of dread.

"Come, Mason," Ste-phen said, his voice urging him forward. "The future awaits."

Mason hesitated, his feet rooted to the ground, his fear holding him back. He wanted to run, to escape this strange, terrifying world that had suddenly opened up before him. But he knew he couldn't. He knew he was trapped, a prisoner in a game he didn't understand.

Taking a deep breath, Mason stepped forward, his heart pounding in his chest, his every sense on high alert. The vortex seemed to pull him in, its dark tendrils reaching out to him, beckoning him to step into the unknown.