Mahnoor lay on the soft blanket, her body still tense and trembling from the overwhelming emotions flooding her mind. She closed her eyes, desperately trying to process everything that had happened in the past few moments—Lazarus's powerful kiss, the feel of his immense strength, and the reality of being trapped in his den with no way out. The fear gnawed at her, a sharp and persistent ache that only intensified with each passing second.
Her breath slowed, and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to imagine that perhaps he had calmed, that perhaps she could lie there without further incident. But that fragile sense of peace shattered in an instant.
Without warning, she felt a sudden tug at her clothes. At first, her eyes snapped open in confusion, her body stiffening as her mind tried to catch up to what was happening. Then she heard it—the unmistakable sound of fabric tearing.
Lazarus was clawing at her clothes.
Her breath hitched, and she froze in place as his powerful hands gripped the fabric of her shirt, his claws slicing through the material with terrifying ease. The sharp sound of ripping fabric echoed in the cave, each tear loud and violent, as if the very air around them was being split apart.
Mahnoor's heart pounded in her chest, her mind going blank with fear. She could feel the roughness of his claws scraping against her skin as they shredded her clothes, pulling and yanking the fabric away from her body with an almost careless brutality. Her shirt came away first, torn apart and discarded in a matter of seconds, leaving her exposed and vulnerable.
She wanted to scream, to tell him to stop, but the words wouldn't come. Her throat felt tight, her voice trapped somewhere deep inside her as she lay there, completely frozen. She could feel his breath on her skin, hot and primal, as he continued to work his way down her body, ripping and tearing at her clothes as if they were nothing more than an inconvenience.
The sound of tearing fabric filled her ears, each piece of clothing being shredded and tossed aside with ruthless efficiency. Her jeans were next, the thick denim no match for his strength as he tore them apart with a single, powerful motion. The force of it made her body jolt slightly, but she remained silent, too shocked to move or fight back.
Her mind raced, but her body refused to respond. Every muscle was locked in place, her limbs stiff as she lay there, completely at the mercy of the massive creature towering over her. She could feel the cool air of the cave against her bare skin now, the sharp contrast between the cold and the heat of Lazarus's body only amplifying her sense of vulnerability.
She was exposed, stripped bare in a matter of moments, and still, she couldn't move. Her breathing was shallow, her chest rising and falling rapidly as panic set in, but her body remained frozen, as if her mind had shut down in the face of such overwhelming danger.
Lazarus let out a low growl as he finished tearing away the last of her clothing, his eyes dark and intense as they roamed over her now exposed body. His gaze was heavy, predatory, as if he was appraising her, deciding what to do next.
Mahnoor's heart raced in her chest, the fear gripping her so tightly that she could hardly breathe. She wanted to scream, to run, to fight back—but she couldn't. All she could do was lie there, completely at his mercy, her body trembling beneath his gaze as he loomed over her like a lion stalking its prey.
The silence in the cave was deafening, the sound of her shallow breathing the only thing breaking the stillness. Lazarus said nothing, but his presence was overwhelming, his massive form casting a long shadow over her as he crouched beside her, his movements slow and deliberate.
He had stripped her of more than just her clothes. He had stripped her of control, leaving her vulnerable and powerless in a way she had never experienced before.
Mahnoor's mind raced, trying to grasp onto something—anything—that would make sense of the situation. But there was no logic here, no way to understand what was happening. All she could do was lie there, her body stiff and trembling, as Lazarus's gaze lingered over her.
He was in control now. Completely. And Mahnoor could do nothing but wait.