Golden eyes

ELARA's point of view.

Hunger made people do desperate things.

At least, that was how I justified slipping past security and into the grandest gathering I had ever seen.

This was the definition of a luxurious event, the kind that was only made for the wealthiest and most powerful people. Everything seemed to be in gold, the plates, wine cups, m there were no flimsy paper plates or plastic cups here, everything was rich with money.

My stomach grumbled out loud, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten all day. I pulled my shawl tighter around my shoulders and walked forward with an aim. I walked with the kind of confidence that would make it hard for any of them to point out that I wasn’t meant to be in there.

People didn’t question you if you acted like you belonged. It was a trick I had perfected over the years, pretend you were rich, pretend you were important, and no one would look twice. At least, that was how it usually worked.

Tonight felt different though. There was something about this gathering that made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. My instincts screamed at me to turn around, to leave before it was too late. But hunger was louder than instinct, and it didn’t care about warnings.

I slipped between guests, my eyes darting to the nearest table piled high with food. Just one piece of bread, maybe some fruit, something to keep my stomach from devouring itself.

I was reaching for a roll when it happened. A low, growling sound rumbled. It wasn’t music. It wasn’t laughter. It was a growl and I wasn’t hallucinating.

The conversation around me died instantly. Everywhere became totally silent, meaning that they heard the growl too. A shiver ran down my spine as I lifted my head and truly looked at the people around me.

Their backs had gone rigid, their eyes gleaming unnaturally and in no time, something shifted in their posture, something animalistic.

And then I saw them. The people at this party weren’t people at all. They were monsters.

Tall, broad men stood in clusters, with their bodies radiating power, while elegant women with sharp, piercing gazes watched the scene unfold. They were supposed to scream for help but they didn’t seem surprised.

What the hell had I walked into? Who were these people?

Panic clawed up my throat, but I forced my body to stay still and make no sudden movements or show any sign of fear.

I took a small step back, scanning the area for an escape route. That was when I saw him.

At the center of the gathering stood a man who oozed authority like a damn king. He was tall, his muscular frame wrapped in an expensive black suit that fit him too perfectly. His dark hair was neatly styled, his sharp jawline tense as he surveyed the crowd. But it was his eyes that trapped me in place.

Golden.

Not the warm, honeyed gold of a summer afternoon. No, his eyes burned, intense and piercing, like molten fire. He was staring directly at me, and my legs began to shake uncontrollably.

And then, as if the universe itself decided I hadn’t suffered enough, he spoke. “Mate.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Mate? I didn’t know what it meant. Not fully. But I knew enough. I had read a lot of fictional stories but now it felt like those stories were turning to reality.

And now one of them was looking at me like I belonged to him. I took another step back, my mind screaming at me to run.

His eyes flashed dangerously, his entire body moving like a predator preparing to pounce.

“Don’t.”

The single word was an order, but I didn’t take orders from anyone, especially not from a monster.

I turned on my heel and began to run. I heard the gasps of the others, they seemed shocked and murmured between themselves. Finally, the place wasn’t as quiet as earlier.

I kept running, my only focus on getting the hell away from whatever this was, but it was hard to get to the exit .

I made it halfway to the park’s entrance before something massive crashed into me from behind, knocking the air from my lungs. A rough arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me back against a strong chest.

I kicked, I struggled, I did everything I could to break free but it was like fighting against steel.

“Let me go!” I snarled, my nails digging into his arm.

A low growl vibrated against my back.

“I told you not to run.”

His voice was deep, velvety, and holding something dangerous.

“Get your hands off me, you psycho!” I thrashed harder, trying to stomp on his foot, but he barely reacted.

“You don’t come into my territory and tell me what to do,” he muttered, more to himself than to me.

I glared up at him. “Yeah? Now that I did, what happens then? You eat me up?”

His golden eyes burned as they roamed over my face, frustration warring with something else. Something possessive.

“You don’t belong here, how did you get in?” he asked with a stern look.

“No shit.”

He exhaled sharply, clearly exasperated.

I opened my mouth to spew more insults, but before I could, he moved. One moment I was on the ground, and the next, I was being lifted into the air.

“What the…” I barely had time to react before I was thrown over his shoulder like a damn sack of potatoes.

I was starting to panic. “Put me down, you lunatic!”

“No.”

I slammed my fists against his back, but he didn’t even flinch.

“The hell is wrong with you?!”

“Too many things to list,” he muttered, striding away from the gathering.

I twisted, trying to see where we were going, but all I could see were rows of unfamiliar faces watching me with curiosity, amusement, and something that looked suspiciously like pity.

“Someone call the cops!” I shouted.

Silence.

No one moved. No one spoke. Dread pooled in my stomach. No one was going to help me because apparently, they were all like him. I had crashed the wrong party and now, I was paying the price.