Zoya’s P.O.V
I heard Sam calling out to me, but I didn't want to stop. I didn't trust him anymore, not after what I had seen. I stumbled over a root and fell to the ground, my breath coming in short gasps. I tried to get up, but my legs refused to cooperate.
I could hear Sam getting closer, his footsteps crunching on the dry leaves. I could smell his scent, the musky odor of a wild animal, almost like a wet dog, but I couldn't understand how that could be possible. It didn't make sense. Nothing made any fucking sense now!
Sam came into view and he crouched down near me, trying to reach out with his hands to touch my foot, but a strangled cry escaped my lips as he drew near, my heart slamming against my ribcage in a mix of dread and trepidation. “No! NO! Stay away from me!”
Sam retreated almost immediately, and I took the opportunity to force my legs to work again as I scrambled to my feet on my hands and knees and began to run once again.
I walked all the way back to my cabin in a state of panic, my mind racing with fear and confusion. My body ached from the impact and my head spun dizzily, making it difficult to keep my balance. Panic gripped me tightly as I stumbled along the forest path, my heart racing with adrenaline-fueled terror.
Limping closer to my cabin, my thoughts turned to my phone, which I desperately needed to call for help. But then I remembered that it was still in my car, which was now a twisted wreck of metal, and I was also too scared to go outside and retrieve it in case the other girl/wolf returned. My heart sank as I realized that I was completely cut off from the rest of the world.
When I finally reached my cabin, I fumbled with the lock, my shaking hands making it difficult to insert the key, which had been thankfully inside my pocket. Once inside, I immediately locked the door and retreated to my bedroom, feeling a sense of safety in the familiar space. I collapsed onto the bed, my breathing ragged and shallow, as I tried to calm myself down.
But even as I lay there, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air. Every sound seemed amplified, and my nerves were on edge, as I waited for something - anything - to happen. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I heard a distant howl, and I knew that I was not alone in the forest.
At some point, it seemed that Sam had followed me home because he knocked on my door and tried to convince me to let him in, but I no longer trusted him and was very afraid.
I sat down at the foot of my bed, holding my knees close to my chest, listening to Sam pleading outside my door. "Please, Zoya let me in," he said, his voice echoing through the living area before it reached my ears in an almost faint murmur. "I won't hurt you. I just want to explain everything."
I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. "I don't want to hear it," I wanted to yell back, but I knew my voice would tremble, so I did not trust myself to speak. I wanted to continue, "I trusted you and you lied to me. You're not who you said you were."
When I didn't respond, Sam sighed heavily. "I know I messed up. I should have told you the truth from the beginning. But please, Zoya, I’m never going to harm you. I promise you! I will never in my life harm you!"
I bit my lip, considering his words. Despite my fear and anger towards him, a part of me knew he was right. If he wanted to hurt me, he had had plenty of opportunities till date to try to harm me. But I had never once felt unsafe with Sam in the house. But after what I had witnessed today…no! I didn’t know anymore! I didn’t know who to trust anymore!
Instead of going further with the conversation, I didn't want to think about it anymore, so I stayed exactly where I was, curled up on myself and I wrapped my arms around myself tighter and buried my face in my hands. Part of me wished I could believe him and let him in, but another part was too afraid to take that chance.
I locked myself in my room, thinking that I was safe, and allowed myself to calm down a bit, even though it seemed almost impossible to calm my racing heart. I stayed in my fetal position, replaying the events of the night in my head. My heart was pounding, my hands shaking, and I could barely think straight. What had I just witnessed? Werewolves? Was that what these things were called? Was that even possible? My mind was racing with questions and doubts, but one thing was for sure, I couldn't trust anyone anymore.
All this time…I kept having suspicions about the mysterious man who I had found laying naked in my cabin…but I kept on delaying the inevitable by stalling to save him, when I should’ve just handed him over to the Sheriff instead! Did he really kill Lily? Did I help a murderer? A liar was one thing, but a murderer? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that was the case.
But then, suddenly, I heard a window break in my dining room. I froze in terror, heart pounding in my chest so hard that it threatened to break out of my chest. It was Sam; he had broken into my house. It had to be him…after all he was used to breaking in, wasn’t he?
My mind was racing with fear and confusion. Why had he broken in? Was he going to hurt me? I felt trapped and helpless, knowing that I couldn't escape. I tried to calm myself down, so I could come up with an escape plan, but the fear was too overwhelming.
Everything felt too quiet all of a sudden. Every second ticked by painfully like hours, as I waited for him to burst through my door and rip me apart…and just then, the door to my room flew open.
I screamed, scrambling to the farthest corner of the room, away from him. At least this time he was wearing his normal clothing, I noted. But still, fear was the only thing on my mind as I whispered out, “What do you want from me?”
But instead of attacking me, he held out his hands in surrender. "Zoya, please, I need to talk to you."