Kidnapped

...BELLE...

..."Are you okay? Answer me....

...Belle!" I heard a distant voice...

...that sounded like my...

...brother's. Was that Sean? My...

...head was throbbing with such...

...intensity, I could hardly think...

...straight. But then, through the...

...blur, I saw him peering down...

...at me....

..."What happened?" I asked....

...Sean sighed....

..."When you...

...backed away, you tripped and...

...fell. You must have hit your...

...head on a rock or something,...

...because you were out cold....

...I tried to sit up, but I still felt...

...woozy. I ran my fingers over...

...the new tender bump on my...

...head, remembering flashes of...

...our conversation and the...

...dream all over again....

...The Demon Lord....

...The Werewolf King....

...The truth about who I really...

...was....

...I shook my head. It was still...

...too much information to...

...process all at once. I checked...

...my surroundings and realized...

...I was back in my bedroom,...

...lying in my bed....

..."You brought me back?"...

...Sean nodded. "Mom and Dad...

...are waiting downstairs....

...Whenever you're ready."...

..."I don't want to see them,...

...33 T...

...said tearins up....

..."I can't....

...« know." Sean said, pulling...

...me into a tight hug....

...«But,...

...Belle, they're still your...

...parents. Even if it's not...

...biological. They love you."...

...Love. Something about the...

...word reminded me of the...

...dream again... of the...

...Werewolf King. Had he said...

...something to me? It didn't...

...matter. What mattered was...

...that everything I'd ever...

...believed was a lie....

...Who was I really, I...

...wondered? I'd always...

...thought of myself as the...

...daughter of an alpha of a...

...strong pack. Another typical...

...she-wolf. Now, my wolf's...

...diminutive size made sense, I...

...guess. It made sense why I...

...didn't resemble either my...

...mother or my father....

...But the idea that I......

...belonged...to the Demon...

...Lord? That he was willing to...

...wage war on all werewolves...

...in order to get me back? I...

...couldn't wrap my head...

...around it....

...There was only one way to...

...find out more. I took a deep...

...breath, looked at Sean, and...

...nodded....

..."All right, I said. "Let's go...

...see them__...

...My parents were waiting in...

...the living room for us...

...downstairs. They both wore...

...grave expressions as I threw...

...myself into a chair....

..."Honey, we're so glad you're...

...all right,...

..." my Dad began....

..."You shouldn't have run off...

...like that,...

...» Mom said sternly....

..."Not after-"...

..."The Demon Lord's...

...ultimatum? I interrupted....

...watching both of their...

...expressions ripple with shock....

..."Yeah. Sean told me...

...everything.”...

..."Sean! Mom exclaimed....

...«Sean!" Mom exclaimed....

..."T'm sorry, guys,...

..." Sean said....

...looking aside....

..."But she has a...

...right to know. She's almost...

...eighteen years old."...

..."Which, apparently, is some...

...sort of cut-off date?" I asked....

..."Do you mind explaining?...

...Mom? Dad? Or should I call...

...you by your first names...

...now???...

...Dad looked down, his eyes...

...sadder than I'd ever seen...

...them. I didn't like hurting...

...them like this, but after being...

...kept in the dark for so long, I...

...was angry and needed to lash...

...out. At anything. Anyone....

...These two just happened to fit...

...the bill....

..."You have a right to be...

...angry,...

..." Mom said....

..."But know...

...that we kept the way we...

...found you a secret for a...

...reason."...

..."To protect me, I know. Dad...

...already said that."...

..."But not from the Demon...

...Lord. We knew, one day...he...

...would come back…. one way...

...or another. It was bound to...

...happen."...

..."Then, from what?'...

...Mom and Dad looked at each...

...other with a hint of concern....

...Then, Dad leaned forward...

..."The truth is, our King? He is...

...not always the most...

...benevolent man....

...99...

..."You're saying... you were...

...protecting me from the...

...Werewolf King? Why?"...

..."He would never have...

...approved of your adoption,...

...Dad said....

..."He would have...

...cast you out of the pack years...

...ago, had he known....

..."And now?'...

..."That's why we're sending...

...you away, Belle," Mom said....

..."So he can't get you first."...

..."Do you think he would...

...really turn me over? To the...

...Demon Lord?'...

..."If it meant protecting every...

...werewolf in the world?" Dad...

...said, shaking his head....

...believe he would. That is...

...King Keith's way. The greater...

...good"...

...I shook my head with...

...disbelief. And here I thought...

...I'd only have to worry about...

...one powerful enemy. My...

...parents were saying both...

...were bad?...

...Mom started tearing up, and...

...Dad tenderly grabbed her...

...hand. The look he gave her, it...

...reminded me how much these...

...two meant to me. To each...

...other. After all these years,...

...they were still madly in love....

...Sometimes, I couldn't believe...

...their spark still remained so...

...alive and strong. One day, I...

...wanted to be in love like that....

...But none of my fairytales...

...were going to come true if the...

...Werewolf King and the...

...Demon Lord were after me....

...How was I ever supposed to...

...find my mate when my life...

...was falling apart?...

..."Pack your bags, Belle," Dad...

...finally broke the silence....

...We leave first thing in the...

...morning....

..."Won't I have time to...to say...

...goodbye? To my friends?'...

...They looked at each other...

...again, then Mom shook her...

...head....

..."I don't think so, Belle. Not...

...this time."...

...I could feel the tears welling...

...up. The reality of my...

...situation hadn't kicked in...

...until now. Mom leaned...

...forward to hug me, and I...

...recoiled....

..."Don't. Just...leave me...

...alone."...

...Mom and Dad both nodded....

...stood up, and left the room,...

...leaving me and Sean in...

...silence. He squeezed my...

...shoulder....

..."Hey" he said. "You may get...

...to say goodbye to one person,...

...at least."...

..."You? No offense, Sean, but I...

...was thinking more like... "...

..."Not me.? He winked. Just...

...then, there was a loud knock...

...on the front door. My eyes...

...widened. and Sean smirked....

..."Relax," Sean said, walking...

...to answer it....

..."The Demon...

...Lord doesn't knock."...

...Very funny, Sean....

...He went to the door, and who...

...should he come back with but...

...Gregory… the boy I was...

...madly in love with. The one I...

...always imagined when I...

...thought of who my mate...

...might be....

..."Hey, Belle," he said....

...blushing and looking away....

...Gregory was the son of the...

...pack's beta. He was shy but...

...in a cute sort of way. He had...

...curly black hair that fell down...

...to his shoulders, and vivid...

...green eyes with long lashes. I...

...loved watching how he...

...twirled the locks at the back...

...of his nape, or how he...

...chewed the inside of his...

...cheek whenever he was...

...nervous....

...He had a killer body, which I...

...had ogled on many occasions,...

...but he carried it with the...

...uncertainty of a lanky...

...teenager, hunching his broad...

...shoulders and keeping his...

...chin down....

...I never understood why he...

...was so insecure with such...

...amazing looks....

...Sean knew we were close, but...

...he didn't know the way I...

...really felt about Gregory. Or,...

...so I thought, anyway....

...Something about his knowing...

...smirk suggested otherwise....

..."So." I said....

...What brings...

...you here, Gregory?'...

..."I guess, uh, I just wanted to...

...check in and see how you...

...were doing.....

...I heard about...

...the, uh, the ultimatum....

...I stepped closer toward...

...Gregory, to kiss his cheek, to...

...show him how much his care...

...meant to me-...

...thinking, this...

...could be my last chance-...

...when we heard a commotion...

...outside....

...Wolves were howling. I could...

...hear the scratching of their...

...paws as they circled the...

...house. Before I could ask...

...what was going on, my father...

...rushed downstairs and flew...

...out the door. Sean and...

...Gregory followed close...

...behind....

..."Where are you going?' I...

...asked in vain. Then, I caught...

...sight of my mother, her...

...beautiful face riddled with...

...worrY....

..."He's here;...

..., 99...

...she said in a...

...shaky whisper....

..."Who? The Demon Lord?''...

..."No. The King."...

...I didn't like how spooked...

...everyone was. The Werewolf...

...King's appearance at our...

...home was highly unusual....

...After what my parents had...

...told me, I knew it could only...

...mean one thing....

...I stepped outside, and my...

...father held out an arm to stop...

...me....

..."We're too late," he said,...

...helpless. I couldn't bear to...

...see this despair on his face....

...He was the pack's alpha, and...

...any emotion besides supreme...

...confidence was cause for...

...alarm....

...I have to be strong for all of...

...us. Even if I'm not this man's...

...real daughter, I was still...

...raised as an alpha pup, and I...

...know how to act like one....

..."It's okay, Dad. Take me to...

...meet the King....

...«I won't let him take you...

...away from us. I swear to you,...

...Belle.?...

...But this was one promise we...

...both knew he couldn't keep....

...The Werewolf King was the...

...alpha of all the alphas, and no...

...one, including my father, had...

...the power to disobey him....

...I took a deep breath and...

...walked forward, past my...

...father. My legs trembled as...

...adrenaline surged through...

...me....

...Sean and Gregory had already...

...shifted into their wolf forms,...

...while other members of the...

...Pack began to appear in small...

...groups, working themselves...

...into a frenzy, baring their...

...teeth and nipping at each...

...other. Their soulful howls...

...rose to the heavens, paying...

...tribute to the Moon Goddess,...

...asking for strength and...

...bravery....

...When they saw me, they...

...rushed to my side, forming a...

...ferocious shield of fangs and...

...vicious growls. They were a...

...loyal pack of soldiers and...

...would lay down their lives to...

...protect me, the alpha's...

...daughter....

...If only they knew the truth....

...This is all very noble, but I...

...would stand down if I were...

...you....

...The warning came from a...

...voice with a deep timbre....

...Behind the shield of wolves, I...

...couldn't see the man it...

...belonged to, but his voice...

...alone was enough to make...

...my heart tremble and my legs...

...give out. I felt dizzy....

...Is he doing this to me, or is it...

...my own nerves?...

..."Please, my King,...

...99...

...my father...

...growled...

..."She's my daughter....

...We can't-"...

..."Step aside!' shouted the...

...King, this time issuing an...

...alpha command that not even...

...the strongest mind could...

...withstand....

...Within seconds, all the...

...wolves except for Sean and...

...my father submitted, bowing...

...their heads....

...My brother and father were...

...resisting the order with all...

...their might. They struggled to...

...tolerate the explosive pain in...

...their heads....

...My father pressed his fingers...

...to his temples, wrenching his...

...head from side to side like his...

...mind was being eaten from...

...within....

...I couldn't bear to see my...

...family like this. I pushed...

...myself forward and threw up...

...my hands....

..."Stop it! Stop it, please! You...

...can have me. Just don't hurt...

...them any more!" I cried out....

...Sean howled, collapsing to...

...the ground, finally free from...

...whatever torture the King had...

...made him endure. I looked to...

...my father, who lay motionless...

...in the dirt....

...He will be fine,...

...' the King...

...growled...

..."Now, come here,...

...girl. Let me see you."...

...I finally turned to see the...

...King in all his colossal...

...wonder....

...He had daunting black eyes...

...with such depth, it felt like...

...you could fall and keep...

...falling into them forever. His...

...eyelashes were thick, his jaw...

...chiseled as if from stone....

...I found myself drawn to him...

...by some mysterious pull....

...wanting to know him on...

...every level. His broad...

...shoulders, muscular chest,...

...and ripped abs heaved with...

...his every breath. I couldn't...

...stop staring, feeling,...

...imagining…....

...Hold on. What the hell is...

...happening to me?!...

...I shook myself out of my...

...stupor. He was the enemy....

...Look what he'd done to my...

...father and brother! He was...

...here to take me away....

..."So, you're Belle, are you?"...

...he asked....

...All I could do was nod in...

...response. There was a hint of...

...a smile on his lips, a glint in...

...his eyes, as if he knew...

...something about me I didn't....

...For a second. I remembered...

...the faraway dream in which...

...the Werewolf King lay dying,...

...whispering four words to me:...

..."Belle, I love you."...

...How could this man, this...

...beast, this King ever love me?...

...It was impossible. Without...

...another word, he morphed...

...into the largest wolf I had...

...ever seen. Then, he threw me...

...onto his back with one lethal...

...paw....

...I was powerless to resist him....

...I spun to see Sean and my...

...father howling in heartbreak....

...But there was nothing I could...

...do....

...Suddenly, I felt myself flying...

...through the air. The trees...

...flashed by in a blur as I...

...gripped desperately to the...

...King's fur....

...I had no idea where he was...

...taking me...but I knew, from...

...here on forth, my life would...

...never be the same....

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