Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Fear and Whispers

Noah’s

A glass cup hit the floor, shattering loudly with a harsh crash that made me jump violently. My heart pounded hard as I looked up at Enzo’s face, his eyes dark and truly terrifying, glaring intensely at both me and Ren as if we had just done something completely unforgivable. I stood frozen in the doorway, my school bag slipping in my sweaty hands, Dean’s creepy, lingering smile still burned into my mind. Ren stood calmly beside me, his face blank and unreadable, as if he was completely used to Enzo’s powerful anger, waiting patiently for a punishment.

Enzo moved toward Ren, his heavy boots sounding loud on the floorboards. “How in the hell was Dean even there?” he asked, his voice low and sharp, cutting through the air like a knife. “You were supposed to be watching him closely!”

Ren didn’t flinch or move at all, his scarred face remaining steady. “I didn’t know, Alpha,” he said, his voice calm but firm in his defense. “I was as surprised as you were. I saw him standing in the classroom and immediately stepped in to stop him.”

Enzo’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he turned his focus sharply to me, stepping so close I could physically feel the heat radiating off his large body. His hand shot out instantly, grabbing my neck—not hard enough to cause serious harm, but definitely enough to make me gasp for breath. My heart raced uncontrollably, and I froze, my eyes wide with sheer panic and fear. “What exactly did Dean say to you?” Enzo demanded, his voice loud and almost a low, menacing growl. “Tell me everything, Noah. What exactly did he do to you in that room?”

I tried desperately to speak, but my throat was tight, and my words were stuck. “I—I don’t—” I stammered, my voice shaking uncontrollably. His grip tightened slightly, just a fraction, and I panicked. “Please, just let go of my neck!” I begged, my hands grabbing frantically at his wrist. “He didn’t do anything serious, I swear it! He just… talked to me, and said some weird stuff. Please, you are actually hurting me now!”

Enzo’s eyes softened for just a second, but his voice was still dangerously hard and possessive. “You are completely mine, Noah,” he said, his face inches from mine. “Only mine to touch. No one else has the right to touch you, or even talk to you, or even look at you in that way. Do you clearly understand what I am telling you?”

I nodded quickly, tears stinging and blurring my eyes. “Yes,” I whispered, my voice breaking with relief and fear. “I truly understand.”

He immediately let go of my neck, pushing me back a little, and I stumbled, falling down hard to the floor. My knees hit the ground painfully, and I sat there, fresh tears streaming quickly down my face. I couldn’t stop shaking violently, and I couldn’t stop crying now. Enzo turned away from me, his back to me, and said coldly, “Get out of my sight.”

I didn’t move an inch, too scared and too emotionally overwhelmed to function. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t take a full breath. Enzo’s voice came again, much sharper this time, cutting through my fear. “I said get out of here now!”

Ren stepped forward quickly, his face still blank and impassive, and grabbed my arm, pulling me up firmly. “Come on now,” he said, his voice low and steady. “You need to clean yourself up and then eat some food.”

I looked at Enzo one last time, his back still completely turned away from me, his shoulders tense and rigid. I wanted desperately to say something, to ask him why he cared so much about me, but I couldn’t find the courage to speak. Ren tugged me out of the room, and I followed him, my legs shaky, my eyes still wet with tears.

In my small room, I sat quietly on the bed, my hair dripping wet from the recent shower. The hot water hadn’t helped me much—my hands were still visibly shaking, and my mind was still completely stuck on the memory of Enzo’s grip on my throat, and his words. You’re mine. What did that statement even mean in this context? I wasn’t a person to him, just a thing, his slave. The thought made my stomach twist painfully, and I hugged my knees tightly, trying desperately to push the feeling away from me.

Ren walked back in quickly, carrying a small tray of food—soup, a piece of bread, and some fruit. He set it down silently on the small table next to the bed. “Eat all of it,” he said, his voice flat and commanding. “When you’re finished eating, clean the house thoroughly. Enzo wants it absolutely spotless tonight. And don’t fall asleep until he’s back home.”

I looked up at him, my voice barely a whisper of sound. “Where exactly is he going?” I asked. “Where is Enzo going now?”

Ren’s eyes narrowed at my question. “You don’t get the right to ask that kind of question,” he said, immediately turning to leave. “You just need to follow every rule you were given.”

“Wait, please,” I said, my voice much louder now, filled with desperation. “Please, just tell me why I’m here in the first place. What does he actually want with me? I truly don’t understand any of this situation!”

Ren stopped moving, his hand already resting on the doorknob, but he didn’t turn around to look at me. “You don’t need to understand anything,” he said dismissively. “You just need to follow his rules exactly.” Then he was quickly gone, the door clicking softly shut behind him.

I stared at the food, my stomach loudly growling but my appetite completely gone. I forced myself to eat anyway, spooning the soup into my mouth, the bread feeling dry and tasteless. When I finished the meal, I started cleaning immediately, moving through the large house like a robot on a programmed mission. I swept the floors thoroughly, dusted the shelves carefully, and wiped down all the tables, the whole time wondering endlessly why I was here, why Enzo kept me around at all. Was it just about the debt my father owed? Or was it truly something else entirely? That weird, confusing pull in my chest, the one I felt whenever he was close to me, was back again, and I truly hated it. It made absolutely no sense to me.

Hours later, I sat down tiredly on the main staircase, my arms feeling heavy, my entire body exhausted. I had cleaned every single room Enzo told me to, and the house was now silent, too silent and still. I leaned my head against the cold wooden railing, my eyes feeling heavy with sleep. I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but the intense exhaustion was too overwhelming, pulling me under like a powerful wave dragging me down.

I felt my body suddenly lift off the stairs, and my eyes fluttered open weakly. Enzo was carrying me in his arms, which felt strong and surprisingly warm. I whispered his name softly, “Enzo,” my voice weak and barely audible. He looked down at me, his eyes now softer than I had ever seen them before. “Go back to sleep now,” he said, his voice low and almost gentle.

He laid me carefully on the bed, the mattress feeling incredibly soft under me. His hand brushed lightly against my hair, his fingers lingering for a brief moment. “Why?” he whispered to himself, his voice sounding like it was genuinely breaking with emotion. “Why does it truly have to be a human? Why can’t I just simply hate you completely?”

I stared up at him, my heart racing fast now. He was talking to himself, his face strangely twisted with both anger and something else entirely—raw pain. “Humans are generally weak creatures,” he said, his voice much louder now, sounding like he was arguing with someone unseen. “But I can’t let go of this specific one.”

He leaned down slowly, his lips brushing my forehead softly and warmly. “Sleep now,” he whispered, his voice so quiet I almost didn’t hear it at all. My eyes felt incredibly heavy, and I watched him intently, his face close, his eyes full of a powerful, confusing emotion that I truly didn’t understand. Then my eyes

closed, and I slipped quickly into a deep sleep.