I yelp as my body hits the gravel ground. My hands are still tied behind my back, the rope is rubbing raw against my wrists. My rain-drenched hair falls in front of my face and sticks to my skin, obscuring some of my vision. I moan quietly as the pain moves through my body.
The man standing inside the train car kicks my shattered phone out as well. It disappears when it hits the ground, I can hardly see a thing out there. It's pouring too much to see through the already pitch-black trainyard.
He jumps down, his feet crunching the gravel when he hits the ground, and walks towards me. He leers down at my bound body and prods my side with his boot. "Did you think you could get away with that?" he challenges.
I say nothing in return, hoping the silent treatment will stall long enough for Hobi to arrive. My tears continue to slip down my face but now they blend with the falling rain. My body is shaking from both wasted adrenaline and the freezing night air.
Out of all the outcomes for tonight, being kidnapped was not on the list.
I still don't understand why they kidnapped me in the first place. If it wasn't so terrifying, I would have thought it dumb. Yet another plot hole in the story we call life. Yet here I am with my hands tied together, my phone smashed, in the ungodly hours of the morning, facing off with a kidnapper in a trainyard.
These dark events happen, you just never expect them to happen to you.
"If he were on time, you would already be gutted right now," the man sneers, breathing up through his nose as he speaks.
An age-old warning echoes in my mind. "You don't live past the second location."
My stomach twists with panic as my eyes flick to the man. He's is going to kill me. He is really going to kill me.
He looks up and down my body in a slow motion that makes me sick to my stomach. Lightning flashes above us causing his body to be silhouetted with darkness. My heart sinks realizing he is larger than I thought. I can't fight a man of this size, and I am beginning to doubt his patience.
He will kill me if I upset him.
The man leans down, squatting beside me, and reaches out with a dirty finger to touch my cheekbone. I grimace at his touch, trying to pull away from him and do everything I can to block out the dark hunger in his eyes. "A couple of bites won't hurt anybody," he muses and his voice turns into a soft trilling, almost like purring. "I'll be so careful... all he wants is your..." He lays his hand flat on my lower stomach with his thumb nudging down. "I just want..." He slides his hand up my stomach and his fingers hit the base of my bra wire.
He flashes me a dark grin, "You wouldn't mind, would you?"
I stare at him, horror-stricken. "I--," I shake my head violently, "I don't want to, don't, please don't do this."
His grin slips off his face. "It was a rhetorical question." His fingers dig into my ribs and curl around the base of my bra, pinching the skin.
I suck in a sharp breath and fight to roll backward. My back pressed into a wet track and I felt the water seep through my clothes, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin. My wrists are squished behind me and I feel my shoulders ache as I try to pull my arms apart. "No, leave me alone!" I shout, rearing my legs to kick him away. I shoot my legs out but my legs swing out and move through empty air.
I freeze in place and blink in shock.
The man is gone.
Another rumble of thunder causes the sky above to tremble, threatening to burst open at the seams.
Then the man returns with vengeance. A pair of hands grab my body and I let out a shriek. My body jerks backward and I fight violently against the man's hands. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" I scream, trying to kick at him.
"Finley! Finley, stop it's me!"
My scream dies in my throat and I look up, only to be blinded by the falling rain. I blink away the water and squint into the darkness, realizing I am staring at Hobi. He came. He's here with me.
He drops to his knees, the wet gravel crunching from his weight, and his hands snake behind me to find my tied wrists. He is breathing from sprinting but he moves quickly. With a sharp yank, the ropes snap and briefly hurt my wrists from the force but I don't care. I launch into his arm, almost knocking him back, and tightly wrap my arms around his neck unable to fight back the tears again.
"You came," I sob, pressing my head down into his shoulder. He smells like the restaurant and fresh rain. There are traces of spicy seasoning on his clothes with faint notes of alcohol I can't name. He feels so warm. His skin is soft to touch, to hold in my arms... I fear I may never let him go.
He saved me from a fate worse than death.
"Are you alright?" he asks hurriedly, holding me so tightly. He attempts to pull away but I fight to keep him pressed against me. I don't want him to go. I have never felt so dependent on somebody before. He makes me feel safe, he makes me feel comfortable. I want to hold onto that feeling for just a moment longer.
"I'm okay now," I answer weakly, sniffling loudly.
Hobi looks over his shoulder, his chin brushing past my arm. "Namjoon and Yoongi are here," he explains, "they are taking care of it."
I nod stiffly and continue to cling to his body like a koala bear.
Behind Hobi, I watch as the shadows of the three men dance in a deadly battle. An occasional flash of lightning illuminates the fight of their hulking bodies, clawing and lunging for each other with... I blink rapidly, stunned with confusion, as their bodies don't line up with... human figures.
What's going on? What am I watching?
"Hobi?" I whisper shakily, "What is going on...?"
Hobi's arms tighten around me before he lifts me off the ground. He places his arms underneath my butt and hoists me up against him. He holds me with such ease and turns around so I can't see the fight anymore. "Yoongi and Namjoon have it handled. We're going to the car," he says quickly, "just hold onto me."
"But the others!" I say, trying to look behind me again. What is going on over there? "Are the police coming? Hobi, that man is huge, he's going to hurt them--"
Hobi hushes me gently as he starts trying to run with me in his arms. He is struggling but it isn't enough to stop him. "They can handle him. Everything is under control, just breathe."
"Hobi--"
A low howl cuts me off. I crane my head to look behind me just as the lightning flashes across the trainyard.
My jaw slacks as the violent scene flickers in the darkness.
Two large wolves circle the large man with teeth bared and hackles raised. The fur on the ridge of their spines is standing straight up despite the pouring rain. They walk in terrifying unison as they encircle the man in their deadly trap, snapping their jaws and growling.
My fingers dig into Hob's shoulders as my heart jumps up into my throat. I jerk backward and nearly fall out of his arms, "Hobi, run!" I urge, panicking at the sight of the wolves. They are focused on the man for now, but they won't be for much longer! "Hobi, you need to run!"
Hobi holds me closer and my head buries itself into his shoulder. "It's okay, don't worry, we're almost there!"
Why are there wolves here? We don't live near a forest. This doesn't make any sense! Are these the wolves responsible for all of those dead chickens? Where did they come from?
"Where are Yoongi and Namjoon?" I ask as we run towards his car. The headlines were off but its glistening surface affirms that it is there. "Are they waiting for us?"
Hobi shakes his head firmly, still holding onto my body. "Don't worry about them, it will be okay soon."
We reach the car and he sets me down. He opens up the car door and gestured for me to hurry inside. "Come on!" The lights inside the car turn on and I half-expected the others to be waiting inside but the car is empty.
"But the others!" I remind him, hesitating to enter the car. "What about--?"
A deep howl echoes through the night causing goosebumps to rise across my skin. My hair stands on the end as I listen to its deadly song.
Hobi opens his mouth to answer but no words follow. He withdraws his hand with reluctance shining in his eyes, an emotion akin to panic.
He is hiding something, I realize.
"Hobi, where are they?" I demand, terrified for their fate. With those wolves back there, who knows what type of danger they are in! Why isn't he worried about them? It's almost as if...
My expression slacks and my jaw falls open.
Hobi quickly turns around to look behind him but then realizes I am still staring at him.
"Finley?" he asks worriedly, "What's wrong?"
I blink the rain from my wide eyes before daring to take a breath. I look behind him again and the lightning flashes once again, confirming my suspicions.
Standing over the large man, tanned skin exposed to the pouring rain is Namjoon in his muscular glory. His hands remain curled at his sides, his body trembling as the rain flattens his hair against his head. Only a cloth scarf is wrapped around his lower waist with the lines of his muscles shadowed in the lightning flash.
A large wolf stands beside Namjoon, calm as ever, and stares down at the man lying in the gravel. Namjoon reaches over and lightly brushes his fingers over the wolf's fur before turning his head to look at me--
I avert my eyes and find myself staring back at Hobi. The poor man is petrified.
I swallow hard and make an effort to calm my racing heart. Then I take Hobi's wrist and nod, "Okay," I say, breathless, "let's go. Go get them, we have to leave."
Hobi mouth opens in surprise but he doesn't argue. He looks over his shoulder and shouts, "Come on! Let's go!"
I jump into the backseat and slam the door behind me. After a few moments, the lights in the car fade away and I am left in dry darkness. I rub my aching wrists and press my lips together, falling into my thoughts.
I can't believe it...
It takes a few moments but soon the others find the car. First, the passenger door opens and Namjoon jumps in, now dressed in a long coat and gray sweatpants. Then the driver's side door opens and Yoongi jumps in next. He is swearing oversized clothing with his hair slicked back, exposing his forehead, and he flashes me a worried look over his shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asks.
I nod quickly, "I'm okay now. Are you?"
Yoongi scrunched up his face in response. "Of course." He turns his head away from me but watches me through the corner of his eye, "You don't need to worry about me."
Hobi jumps into the car, crawling into the backseat with me, and tosses the keys to Yoongi. "We're going home," he says with a voice of authority. "Namjoon, call Jin hyung." Then he turns to me and grabs my hands, enclosing them in his, and holding on tight as if he feared I may pull away. "Are you sure you're okay? Did they hurt you?" he asks.
I shake my head. "I'm okay, I'm okay. You came just in time."
Yoongi starts the car and drives in reverse for a moment. He turns the car around and the car takes off down the darkened streets.
"We're going back home," Hobi explains, "Is that alright with you?" He looks over me with worry shining in his eyes. "You're soaking wet, you are going to catch a cold."
"I'm okay," I repeat trying to calm him down. "Don't worry about me, it's okay now."
Hobi remains unconvinced and promises to stay by my side. I don't argue with that. In fact, I feel safer now that we are together. I don't want to be alone tonight.
I know I have work in the morning, but I know I won't sleep. Memories of the crash flash through my mind as the sound of my windows shattering echo in my ears. I remember vividly how it felt to flip upside down, strapped into the car, with my hands gripping the steering wheel. It's a miracle I survived that, and more so that I lived as long as I did.
Those men kidnapped me and wanted to steal my organs. Girls don't typically survive those encounters.
"Finley, did you see..." Hobi's voice falters momentarily. "Did you see anything?"
"The man?"
"No, I mean..." Hobi nervously looks to the front of the car then back at me.
I realize he is talking about the wolves.
I don't want him to worry about that. He doesn't need to worry about it. It's not like I am ignoring it, or that I don't care about it, it only means that it's not my main priority. It doesn't matter what I saw, only that whatever they did worked and we are safe from harm. There could have been dragons flying in the air and I wouldn't have batted an eye.
My hands almost reach to his face, but I hesitate. It is so early in our relationship. I don't know how he feels about touch yet. I have no idea how fast things work and if I am allowed to touch him or hold him. It feels too new, too unfamiliar to make any advances towards him.
"The wolves?" I assume, keeping my voice calm as ever.
A look of fear passes over his face.
My heart sinks at the sight of that worry. I don't want him to be scared. He has no reason to. I squeeze his hand in mine and cast him a reassuring look. "The wolves saved me so why would I be worried?" I look to the front of the car and briefly make eye contact with Yoongi in the rearview mirror. "It might have surprised me, but I felt safe. I knew I was going to be okay." I turn back to Hobi with a sincere gaze. "I trust you. So don't worry about it."
Hobi's eyes widened. "You aren't afraid?"
"Not of you, or anybody in this car, no."
In the background, I hear Namjoon talking in hushed tones on the phone. I heard something about boiling water and finding a fresh change of clothes.
Hobi's shoulders sink with relief. "Really?" he asks hopefully.
I nod. "Of course. And..." I shrug before settling back into the seat, "I guess I don't mind it. If you're not afraid, why should I be?"
"You're not angry with me?" he asks.
I shake my head, "No." I offer him a small joking smile, "If the wolves count as that secret you mentioned, I think it's alright. After all, we haven't had our first date so I can't expect you to spill your darkest secrets to me before then."
He breaks into a playful smile. Small dimples appear on the upper corners of his mouth. "I'm glad you feel that way."
"We are almost home," Yoongi comments as he makes a turn that leads us into the downtown area. Rain continues to pour in heavy sheets but the lights of the streetlamps and signage in the darkened windows provide a warm feeling. The water on the streets reflects the light and glistens like diamonds in the night.
"You're shivering," Hobi mutters as he looks over me.
I attempt to force my body to stop but it doesn't work. I clench my teeth together to force them from clattering. I hunch my body over itself and take shaky breaths to ease the cold away from myself. "It's not so bad."
"We're almost there," he encourages. "When we get there, I'm getting you a change of clothes and a warm drink, okay?"
"That sounds lovely, but I don't want to be a burden..."
"Finley," Hobi gently lifts my chin to face him and watches me softly, "let me take care of you tonight. Please."
My heart melts like butter and I stare at him with withheld awe. I nod slowly at him, "Thank you..."
Hobi smiles again and cups half of my face in his hand. He cradles my cheek and I lean into his touch, comforted by it, welcoming it. I stare into his eyes, exploring the warm emotion with newfound curiosity. Is this how people in love look at each other? It feels so nice...
"When we get home, I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate," he promises softly. "Okay?"
"Sounds great."
And the warmth in my expression spreads through my body in a wave of comfort, wishing for this brief moment to last forever in my memories.
A/N: We are safe! And the secret is out~ What do you guys think? Sorry again for the wait, I am very tired these days. Thank you again for reading this story! I didn't expect people to like it, to be honest, so I light up every time I see a vote or comment! Remember to take good care of yourselves, and I will try to as well! Stay safe, and I love you al!