6: Fragile Peace

Ellie’s POV

The shadowy figure lunged at us, snarling, “Your time is up.”

My breath caught in my throat, my body locking up in pure terror. But Liam reacted instantly. In one swift motion, he shoved me behind him, shielding me with his body as if he was made for battle.

Chaos erupted. The waiting room was a blur of movement—glass shattering, fluorescent lights flickering like a horror movie. I pressed myself against the nearest chair, heart hammering as I tried to process what was happening.

Liam moved too fast for me to keep up. One second, he was blocking me from the attacker; the next, he had him pinned against the wall, his fangs bared in a deadly snarl. A growl tore from his throat, raw and animalistic, and then—just like that—the figure dissolved into nothing but smoke, vanishing before my eyes.

A chilling whisper lingered in the air: “He’s coming for her.”

I gripped the chair, my legs shaking so badly I wasn’t sure I could stand. “Who was that?” My voice barely made it past my lips, weak against the heavy silence that followed.

Liam didn’t answer right away. His golden eyes flickered around the room, scanning for more threats. Only when he was sure we were alone did he turn to me, his face grim.

“Victor,” he said, his jaw tightening. “And this changes everything.”

---

By the time we left the hospital, I felt completely drained—mentally, emotionally, physically. Liam stayed glued to my side, an overbearing force of protection I wasn’t sure I needed but couldn’t bring myself to reject.

“I’m walking you home,” he insisted. His tone left no room for argument.

Once inside my apartment, he locked the door behind us and leaned against it, arms crossed over his chest. “I’m not leaving,” he added, as if daring me to challenge him.

I didn’t. I didn’t have the energy.

Instead, I collapsed onto the couch, pulling my knees to my chest. Liam paced the living room like a caged predator, muscles tense, his every movement crackling with restless energy. Every so often, he glanced at me, his expression softening before hardening again.

“You scared me back there,” he admitted finally, stopping in front of me. His voice was rough, stripped bare. “If anything had happened to you…” He clenched his fists, shaking his head.

I stood slowly, closing the small gap between us. Reaching up, I cupped his face, forcing him to meet my eyes. “But nothing did happen,” I murmured. “You saved me. Again.”

Something in him snapped. One second, he was tense and guarded; the next, his arms were around me, crushing me against his chest. His lips crashed into mine, hot and desperate, sending a shockwave through my system.

I melted into him, my fingers tangling in his hair as he devoured me like he’d been starving for this. The tension between us had been building for so long, simmering beneath the surface, and now it boiled over, uncontrollable.

Liam lifted me effortlessly, carrying me toward the bedroom without breaking the kiss. Clothes were stripped away, forgotten on the floor. When we finally collapsed onto the bed, skin against skin, nothing else existed.

His lips traced a path down my body, worshiping every inch of me with a tenderness that made my heart ache. His touch was fire, igniting something deep and primal inside me.

“I need you,” he growled against my neck, his breath ragged.

A shiver ran down my spine. “Then take me,” I whispered, trembling with anticipation.

And he did.

It wasn’t slow or gentle—it was a frenzy of passion, all-consuming and raw. Teeth, tongues, nails scraping against skin. The world blurred around us, pleasure coiling tight in my core, pushing me higher and higher until I shattered in his arms.

When it was over, we lay tangled together, our bodies slick with sweat, our breathing still uneven. Liam held me close, his fingers lazily tracing patterns on my back.

“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you,” he murmured against my hair.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and tightened my grip on him. “You’re not going to lose me,” I promised. “Not ever.”

---

The next morning, golden sunlight streamed through the curtains, warming my skin. Liam’s arms were still wrapped around me, his steady breathing lulling me into a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in forever.

For the first time in days, I felt safe.

Then my phone buzzed.

I groaned, stretching to grab it off the nightstand. Riley.

“I’ll be home by evening,” she said cheerfully. “Don’t worry about Mom or anything else. Just focus on taking care of yourself for once.”

I barely had time to let that relief sink in before another call came through. Work.

By noon, I was staring at my phone in shock.

The café had been sold. Everyone was out of a job.

Panic surged through me. No income meant no way to help Mom, no way to keep things stable while everything else crumbled around me.

That evening, I sat at the kitchen table, scrolling through endless job listings, trying to find something—anything—that could fix this mess. Then I saw it.

Waitress Position Available – Café Luxe, City Outside Prague.

Better pay. A fresh start. And, most importantly, distance from Victor’s reach.

I applied without hesitation.

As I shut my laptop, Riley walked in, holding two mugs of tea. She took one look at me and smirked. “You look like you’re about to throw that thing across the room.”

“Close,” I muttered.

She slid into the chair across from me, studying me with her sharp, knowing gaze. “Want to talk about it?”

I hesitated. Then, with a sigh, I nodded. “Yeah. I guess I do.”

Riley listened as I spilled everything—the café closing, the new job opportunity, the uncertainty twisting inside me. When I finished, she leaned back, considering.

“So you want to move?” she asked. “Like, actually leave Prague?”

“Just for a little while,” I said quickly. “Until things settle down. Mom needs peace and quiet anyway, and Dad…” I hesitated.

Riley rolled her eyes. “Still MIA?”

“Actually… he showed up last night.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “And let me guess—he apologized and swore he’d change?”

I nodded.

“And you believed him?”

I exhaled slowly. “I don’t know. I want to, but…”

“But you’ve heard it all before,” she finished.

“Yeah.”

She reached across the table, giving my hand a squeeze. “Look, I’m not saying don’t give him a chance. Just… don’t let him hurt you again, okay?”

I nodded, grateful for her honesty.

Then, of course, she smirked. “Now, let’s talk about what’s really important—Liam.”

I nearly choked on my tea. “What?”

“Oh, come on. You’re practically glowing. Something happened.” She waggled her eyebrows.

I groaned. “It’s complicated.”

Riley grinned. “Uh-huh. So, does he make you happy?”

I hesitated, then thought about his unwavering protectiveness, the way he made me feel safe, the way he looked at me like I was his whole world.

“Yeah,” I admitted softly. “He does.”

“Then hold onto that,” she said. “Life’s messy enough without second-guessing the good stuff.”

For the first time all day, I smiled.

Then—BANG.

A loud thud echoed from the front door.

Riley and I froze, our hearts pounding in unison.

Someone—or something—was on the other side.