Chapter 4 04

Chapter 04

"What are your plans tonight?" Thea asked, searching through her bag for her phone.

"I got a party on the east side to go to. Michael asked me to go, I think he wants to get back together, but I don't think that's going to happen. He's just too immature for me."

Thea snorted, thinking of Shae's own immaturity level. "He must be like a baby then."

"Hey!" Shae laughed, punching her arm. "Whatever. Do you need a lift home?"

"That would be awesome."

The air in the alley felt cooler as dusk settled in, and Thea absentmindedly glanced up at the sky, watching the last hints of sunlight vanish behind the city's skyline. She was about to respond when she noticed two figures standing at the far end of the alley. They hadn't been there a moment ago, and they didn't look familiar. The figures slowly became clearer as they walked toward them.

Shae, ever the bold one, didn't seem phased. She grinned, nudging Thea as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Looks like I get a second chance!"

Thea's stomach dropped. Something about the two men sent a shiver down her spine. Her instincts screamed at her to be cautious, but Shae was already moving towards them.

"No, Shae, something feels wrong," Thea said, her voice laced with concern. She reached for Shae's arm to hold her back, but Shae shrugged her off, winking at her.

"Don't be a baby, lighten up and have some fun!" Shae replied, her voice filled with that familiar confident edge Thea always admired. Shae's free-spirited nature often led her into situations that were... less than ideal, but Thea couldn't help but love her for it.

The men were closer now, and as Shae strutted forward, she flicked her hair back seductively, greeting them with an exaggerated sway in her hips. "Hey, boys. You didn't have to wait around for me."

The smaller man, the one with the strange accent that seemed to mix both American and European intonations, smirked. His eyes held an unsettling, almost predatory glint. "It's not you we were waiting for," he replied, his voice carrying a hint of menace that sent a cold chill through Thea's chest.

Before Shae could respond, the smaller man lunged forward. In a single, fluid motion, he grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off her feet as if she weighed nothing. Shae gasped in shock, her fingers clutching at his hand in a desperate attempt to pry it off. Thea froze, the blood in her veins turning to ice.

"Shae!" Thea screamed, her heart pounding in her ears. She scrambled for the mace in her purse, her hands shaking as she fumbled with the zipper. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt the cold steel of a hand on her own arm.

The larger man had reached her in the blink of an eye. With terrifying strength, he slammed her against the wall, knocking the air from her lungs. The world around her spun as she gasped for breath, her hand instinctively reaching for her neck, where the pressure from his grip already began to make her head spin.

"Well met, Lissandre," the man said, his voice smooth but tinged with amusement, as though this was all some twisted game.

"Lissandre?" Thea managed to croak out, confusion and terror battling for dominance in her mind.

The man's grip tightened, cutting off her ability to speak. "Shut up," he hissed, his cold eyes narrowing as he slammed her into the brick wall again. Her head rattled with the impact, her vision blurring.

The smaller man, still holding Shae by the throat, exchanged a look with his companion. "Get rid of that one. She is not needed," he said flatly.

Thea could only watch, helpless, as Shae's body was thrown against the wall with an unsettling crack. The sickening sound of bones breaking echoed through the alley. Shae crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll, her eyes vacant and unblinking, staring up at the sky.

A cold wave of dread washed over Thea as she realized what she had witnessed. The blood drained from her face as her gaze locked on Shae's lifeless eyes. There was no sign of life in them-just an unspoken, paralyzing terror frozen in time.

Shae was gone.

The overwhelming weight of the moment threatened to crush Thea as her stomach twisted in agony. This was real. Shae was dead. She had no way to save her, no way to bring her back. Her body went numb, her hands trembling as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. The pain, the fear, it was too much.

The man holding her still watched the scene with a detached, almost clinical interest. He barely seemed to care about the life he had just snuffed out.

But then, something deep within Thea stirred-an instinct, a primal urge, something she'd never felt before. Her hands began to tingle with a strange, searing energy. It was as if her entire body was charged with an electric current that only grew stronger with every passing second. Her heart pounded as the rage inside her flared into something undeniable, a force she could no longer control.

Without thinking, she raised her hands in front of her, her fingers curling into fists. The tingling sensation spread through her body like wildfire, and before she even realized what was happening, flames erupted from her fingertips.

"No!" she screamed, not at anyone in particular, but at the fire she could not control. The flames swirled around her hands, reaching toward the larger man who held her by the throat. The fire surged forward with an almost mindless intensity, catching the man off guard as it wrapped around his body, igniting his clothes and skin.

He howled in agony, his grip loosening for just a moment as he tried to bat the flames away. Thea could barely comprehend what was happening as the fire continued to consume him. His screams echoed in her ears, and the world around her seemed to slow as she watched in shock. She had done this. She had set him on fire.

The larger man stumbled back, frantically trying to extinguish the flames. His movements were wild, desperate, but the fire refused to die. It was as though it had a life of its own, relentless and unforgiving.

The man spat, his face contorting in fury as he slapped at the last remnants of the fire on his body. "You little bitch!" he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "You're going to pay for that."

Thea, her body trembling with shock and adrenaline, stood frozen. She had never felt anything like this before-never even imagined she could do something like this. The flames had burned out, but the man was still standing, completely uninjured, as if the fire had never touched him.

"What the hell?" Thea whispered, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. Her breath came in shallow gasps, her body feeling weak and unsteady as the adrenaline began to wear off.

The larger man's fist swung toward her with terrifying speed. His hand came down like a hammer, aiming for her face. Thea closed her eyes, bracing for impact, certain she wouldn't be able to move fast enough to avoid it.

But then, a powerful arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against a firm, muscular chest. The man's blow missed her by mere inches.

The smack of a fist meeting flesh echoed through the alley as Thea opened her eyes in surprise. She saw the dark, smoldering man from the bar standing in front of her, his face expressionless. With a swift movement, he gripped the larger man's wrist and twisted it, forcing him to release his hold on Thea.

"Not today," the dark man growled, his voice low and menacing.

The larger man grunted in surprise, his gaze flicking between the dark man and Thea. It was clear he hadn't expected anyone to intervene. "You... you're making a mistake," the larger man snarled, his eyes narrowing as he sized up his new opponent.

The dark man didn't flinch. He held the larger man's wrist tightly, his eyes dark and unwavering. "You're the one who's made a mistake," he said coldly, tightening his grip.

The smaller man, watching from the sidelines, seemed equally surprised. "What the hell is this?" he muttered, his accent thick with disbelief. "Who the hell are you?"

The dark man's lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile. "I'm the one who's going to make sure you don't leave this alley alive."