Page 62 of The Madness Within

His presence haunted every corner. His voice, his touch, hiscontrol, I could feel him in every inch of this place, like he was inside my skin.

But I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t let him break me.

I had to leave.

The door had been locked earlier, I was sure of it. But now, it clicked open on its own.

A chill swept in.

On the floor just outside, a silver key lay where it hadn’t been before. Beside it, a faint trail of wet footprints, bare, child-sized, leading down the hall.

I followed them, heart hammering.

Candle flames flared as I passed, illuminating my path like the house itself was guiding me.

Someone, or something, wanted me to see how to get out of this place, because I was done obeying.

The mansion was like a living, breathing thing. The air itself seemed to shift as if it was aware of me trying to escape. But tonight, something was different. The house,the mansion, felt more alive than it ever had.

I crept through the dim hallways, heart pounding in my chest, until I finally reached the door that lead to my freedom. It was unlocked, just like my room. Almost too easily. As if itwantedme to go.

Once outside, I ran toward the stable.

Inside, the scent of hay and fresh leather hit me, mingling with the faintest trace of somethingunnatural.

I barely had time to take a breath before a horse, sleek, dark stallion, stirred in his stall. His nostrils flared as he sensed me, and I held my breath.

His eyes locked on mine, glowing with an almost unnatural intelligence. I hesitated, my body tensing, but there was something in his gaze that made me move forward.

The mansion had brought him to me, and the rest of the night had already been written in the shadows.

I saddled him quickly, my hands shaking as I tightened the reins. The horse snorted and stamped his hooves, but whenI climbed into the saddle, he immediately calmed. Without a second thought, I urged him forward.

He moved like lightning, faster than any normal horse could, weaving through the mansion grounds, galloping toward the woods that surrounded Dorian’s home like an impenetrable barrier.

I didn’t look back. Not once.

Not until I heard the sound. A low growl, like thunder rippling through the air.

The horse’s ears flicked back, and I knew we weren’t alone.

I didn’t have time to react. From the darkness of the trees came the creatures, three wolves, each of them massive and with eyes that gleamed like molten amber. They circled us, their growls filling the air, and I couldn’t help but tremble, despite my best efforts to stay calm.

The first lunged at the horse’s flank, claws raking at the animal’s sides, and he reared up, throwing me off. I hit the ground hard, gasping, but I didn’t have time to panic. I scrambled to my feet, heart hammering in my chest, adrenaline surging.

But they were too fast.

One of the wolves was already on me, teeth bared. It lunged, its claws tearing through the fabric of my clothes, and I barely managed to dodge. I rolled to the side, but another one caught me, its claws scraping down my back. I cried out as the pain jolted through me, but I couldn’t stop moving, couldn’t stop fighting.

The third wolf circled, its eyes narrowed, its growl vibrating through the air. They were toying with me. Playing with their prey.

And then, I felt my strength waning, as I realized there was no escape, there was a sound. The earth itself seemed to tremble. A rush of power surged through the trees, and suddenly, thewolves were thrown backward, their snarls turning to panicked howls.

I didn’t have to look to know who had arrived.

Dorian.

His voice came low and dark, like a rumble of thunder. “Enough.”

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