Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

IVY

T he tip came in on a cold, rainy Thursday afternoon. An anonymous note, scrawled with haste and carelessness, slipped under my office door. The words sent a shiver down my spine as I read them: "Kael Dusken - the key to the disappearances. Look into his nightclub."

Armed with this new lead, I found myself standing outside one of the city's most exclusive nightclubs, the entrance guarded by a burly bouncer. My investigative instincts kicked in, and with a quick flash of a fake ID, I managed to slip inside. If they knew who I was, they would never let me in. Investigative journalists weren't welcome where crime lords liked to play.

The club throbbed with music and energy, expensive drinks flowing like water. I tried to blend in, but my eyes darted around, seeking any trace of Kael Dusken or evidence linking him to the missing people. In the past five years, an alarming pattern of missing men and women plagued this area. Not just this one nightclub, but several. After years of investigating, I'd discovered he owned most of the clubs and bars in this area of town, leading me to believe he was in one of the worst industries… human trafficking.

As I scoped out the area, I caught sight of a hidden door near the back, discreet enough that most wouldn't notice it. I waited for the perfect moment to sneak through, and it didn't take long for it to be left unguarded. My heart pounded in anticipation as my adrenaline surged. I only had one chance to get inside. There was a bathroom door not too far from here, so I could always feign being lost if someone caught me. No one appeared.

Once inside, I discovered a small room filled with documents, money, and something more sinister - chains and collars, the kind used to enslave others. My hands trembled as I took pictures with my phone. This was it, the proof I needed. But before I could revel in my success, the door slammed open.

"Well, look at who we found here? Thought you could just waltz in here, did you?" sneered a man in a suit, flanked by two equally menacing goons. My heart sank. I'd been caught. They grabbed me roughly, pulling me from the room and into the main area of the club.

"Boss is gonna have to decide what to do with you," one of the goons spat in disgust. Fear coursed through my veins. What would happen to me once I was face-to-face with Kael Dusken? Would he be as merciless as the rumors suggested?

"Please," I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady. "There's been a mistake. I'm just looking for someone."

"Save it," the suit snarled. "You shouldn't have come here. Besides, I don't give a shit about a pathetic human." His grip tightened around my arm as they dragged me away from the pulsing music and towards an uncertain fate.

As we approached what I could only assume to be Kael's inner sanctum, I took a deep breath and steeled myself. No matter what happened next, I refused to back down. The truth was on my side, and I would fight until my last breath to expose it. Except they appeared to be taking me toward an outside door. Maybe Kael didn't stay at the club?

A sudden explosion of shattered glass and splintered wood rocked the room as masked men burst in from all sides. Guns and knives glinted in the darkness, accompanied by snarls and growls that made my blood run cold.

"Get down!" one of my captors yelled, shoving me to the floor as chaos erupted around us. I couldn't believe my eyes… It was like something straight out of a horror movie. Creatures with fangs and claws tore through the room, their supernatural strength and agility wreaking havoc on everything in their path.

As I cowered on the ground, trying desperately to make sense of the madness unfolding around me, a man with elongated fangs and a twisted snarl locked eyes with me. Fear coursed through my veins, and just as I scrambled to my feet, he vanished into thin air.

"Wh-what is happening?" I whispered, more to myself than anyone else, as the sound of breaking furniture and guttural roars filled the air. And then, without warning, a gust of wind blew past me, so powerful that it nearly knocked me off my feet.

I blinked in disbelief at the two snarling men now occupying the space where there had only been one mere moments before. The pair grappled with each other, tearing through the room with terrifying speed and ferocity.

"Who are you people?" I demanded, my voice shaking with a mixture of fear and anger. But my words were lost in the cacophony of destruction, and I knew deep down that answers wouldn't come easily. I shouldn't have come here. It was a real possibility that I would never leave here alive. Not with what I had just seen.

"Stay down, girl," one of my captors hissed, pulling me out of the way of flying debris. He didn't let go, and instead held me in a vice-like grip out of the way. "You don't want to get caught in the crossfire."

As I watched the battle rage on, my mind raced with questions. How could these creatures exist? What did they have to do with Kael Dusken and the disappearances? And perhaps most importantly, how was I going to survive this nightmare?

The room was a cacophony of violence, but amidst the chaos, I saw my chance to escape when the goon guarding me let go and went after someone. My heart hammered in my chest as I sprinted towards the exit, only to be yanked back by strong arms encircling my waist.

"Going somewhere, little mouse?" A voice growled in my ear, smooth and chilling. It took me a moment to recognize it. Kael Dusken. The man I'd spent thousands of hours researching. I'd watched so many videos of him that his voice was permanently imprinted in my mind. He was attractive, but dangerous. I didn't like the way my body was responding to his touch.

"Let me go!" I demanded, twisting in his grip. "I don't know what's happening here, but I'm not staying to find out!"

"Really? After I just saved your life?" His breath fanned across the nape of my neck, raising goosebumps. "You should be grateful, not running."

"What are you talking about?" Panic thrummed through my veins as I struggled against him. "What is all this?"

"Something far beyond your understanding," he replied cryptically. Before I could protest further, darkness enveloped me as a blindfold covered my eyes. I felt myself being lifted off the ground, carried away from the madness that had overtaken the office over what felt like someone's shoulder. It dug into my stomach as I dangled helplessly. He was one of those creatures. Plus, I'd felt his strength when he'd grabbed me. There was no point in fighting.

I heard a heavy door open, echoes of footsteps, and then I plopped into a seat. No one spoke as a vehicle engine turned over. Briefly, I wondered if I could jump out of the vehicle before anyone caught me.

When I moved my hand slightly, Kael's deep voice ended all my hopes. "Don't bother trying to escape. I would catch you before you grasped the door handle."

Several minutes later, and another trip as a sack of potatoes, I found myself back on my feet. The blindfold disappeared, and I blinked up at Kael, who towered over me like a malevolent demon. Maybe he was an actual demon?

"Tell me about your investigation," he demanded, his voice deceptively calm. "Why were you snooping around my nightclub?"

"Disappearances," I stammered, trying to sound braver than I felt. "People have been vanishing, and... and I received an anonymous tip that led me to you."

"An anonymous tip?" He raised a brow, seeming more intrigued than angry. "And you believed it?"

"Isn't it true?" I countered, my curiosity getting the better of me. "The creatures in your club... they're not human, are they? What are they? What are you?"

"Things you should never have seen," he replied, his voice dark and foreboding. "And now that you have, you're no longer safe."

"Safe?" My fear turned to anger as I gritted out, "You think this is about safety? I want answers, Dusken."

"Be careful what you wish for." Kael's eyes flashed with a hint of menace, but there was something else lurking beneath the surface… An intoxicating allure I couldn't quite define.

"Fine. I accept that I'm in danger," I snapped, folding my arms across my chest. "Now tell me what you are. Tell me what the hell just happened."

"You witnessed a turf war, Ms. Monroe. My enemies won't stop until they kill you."

"Then let me go!" I shot back, trying to keep my voice steady. "I can handle myself."

"Can you?" He raised an eyebrow, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. "Do you truly believe you can take on the creatures you saw tonight?"

My annoyance flared, but I knew that angering Kael Dusken would be just as foolish as facing those monstrous beings alone. Instead, I swallowed my pride and asked the question that had been gnawing at me since the moment I saw something that wasn't human. "What were they?"

"Those creatures are the stuff of nightmares," he answered cryptically. "The supernatural world is vast, and not all of its inhabitants are friendly."

"Are you one of them?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Perhaps," he said, his eyes boring into mine. "But for now, your concern should be surviving this ordeal."

"Fine," I muttered, my frustration simmering beneath the surface. "Just promise me one thing."

"Name your price," he replied, a dangerous glint in his eyes. The black of his suit contrasted with the cream colors that filled the elegant suite he'd brought me to. His hard lines didn't seem right with all the plush pillows and furniture. Pastel colors filled the space, looking warm and inviting. Kael violated the space with his dark, dangerous aura.

"Tell me the truth," I said, staring at him intently. "I want to know what's really going on here, and what role you play in it."

"Very well," he agreed, his voice softening ever so slightly. "But be warned, Ms. Monroe: the truth is not always kind."

"Neither is ignorance," I retorted, my resolve strengthened by his words.

"Indeed," he acknowledged, a hint of admiration in his gaze. "Remember that, little mouse."

"I'm not going to stop asking questions."

A shiver of anticipation ran down my spine as he closed the distance between us, his footsteps silent on the plush, off-white carpet. I felt the heat radiating off his body, and it took every ounce of willpower not to flinch when his long, elegant fingers reached out to gently lift my chin. The sudden pulse between my legs caught me off guard, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from his as they bored into mine with an intensity that was both thrilling and terrifying.

"Have you ever heard of the boogeyman?" he asked, his voice a low rumble that sent delicious shivers down my spine. My breath hitched, but I couldn't find any words to reply. Before I even had a chance to process what was happening, he flashed fangs that hadn't been there a moment ago.

"Because, little mouse," he continued, his voice taking on a dangerous edge, "I am what goes bump in the night."

My heart slammed against my ribcage, a confusing mix of attraction and fear surging through me. I tried to ignore the way my body responded to him. This was no time for distractions. Swallowing hard, I managed to find my voice. "What are you?"

His glare bore into me, feeling like ice and fire all at once. The silence stretched on, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife. And then, without another word, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click that echoed in the sudden quiet.

As I stood there, the reality of my situation finally hit me. I was in over my head, trapped in a cage with a man - or creature - I barely understood. But despite the overwhelming fear, a stubborn spark of determination ignited within me. I had to survive this, to uncover the truth behind the missing people and the supernatural world that had been hidden right under my nose.

That determination would be my lifeline, the one thing that kept me grounded as I navigated the treacherous world of Kael Dusken. And no matter what happened, I would not let my body's reaction to him distract me.