Nightmares

...Drip. 💧💧...

...Moisture from the ceiling...

...crashed to the ground,...

...echoing off the dark dungeon...

...walls. The smell was almost...

...unbearable, a reminder of my...

...current circumstances....

...Drip....

...Tears slid down my cheeks...

...and joined the odorous...

...moisture on the ground. It...

...was fitting, really. Everything...

...I knew before today had been...

...flipped on its head....

...Being a wolf meant being...

...free, wild, and doing what...

...was in the best interests of...

...your pack. This wasn't the...

...best for anyone except the...

...monster king keeping me...

...here....

...But, why?...

...The answer evaded me as...

...other fears filled my mind. I...

...had wanted someone to notice...

...me and take me from the...

...boredom of my life....

...So much for wishes coming...

...true.....

...My family would be worried....

...The daughter of the alpha...

...taken in the middle of the...

...night would not be a good...

...look to the others in the pack,...

...even if my captor was the...

...Werewolf King....

...Sean would be no doubt...

...pissed, his little sister taken...

...and him helpless to do...

...anything. He'd be searching...

...for my scent anywhere it led....

...But would it lead them here?...

...Did it even matter now that...

...the king had me?...

...I shivered in the cold...

...dungeon, allowing the walls...

...to enclose me in their cold...

...embrace. It was better than...

...being anywhere near the...

...monster...

...As the memory of riding on...

...his back came to me, so did a...

...burning heat that slowly grew...

...in my body. It felt good. And...

...there was something more...

...than just heat....

...Desire....

...Lust....

...I could hear them kissing....

...I could see their tongues...

...searching for each other's....

...I screamed at the thought of...

...wanting anything to do with...

...him....

...The tears began again, faster,...

...and with more purpose. I...

...would fill this dungeon with...

...my tears and float to the top,...

...out of the castle, and the...

...stream would take me home....

...But what if this was my...

...home?...

...I closed my eyes, feeling the...

...new tears warm my cheeks....

...Darkness was my solace now....

...And I let it carry me away to...

...a deep sleep....

...The sounds of dripping...

...almost covered the...

...approaching footsteps....

...Instinct tore me from my...

...sleep and pulled me to a...

...sitting position....

...I wiped away the tears, but...

...they were no longer there....

...My cheeks were dry and...

...chaffed, no doubt red....

...I knew how I must look, and...

...the thought of him seeing me...

...this way made me nauseous....

...A figure filled the...

...passageway carrying what...

...looked like a lantern....

...The light was warm and soft,...

...but my eyes could not adjust...

...quickly enough to the new...

...sensation. I shielded the light...

...with my hand and looked...

...again....

...He was smaller than the king...

...but built in such a way I knew...

...it was a man....

...Tall....

...Strong....

...Cold. Like these walls....

...Would I even try to fight...

...back? What would be the...

...point?...

...He watched me as I watched...

...him but did not come any...

...closer....

..."Annabelle,...

..." said a voice. It...

...was like thunder in the small...

...dungeon, but kind and...

...curious....

..."I brought you some...

...amenities....

...The lantern was lifted higher,...

...and my eyes adjusted. I could...

...now see his face....

...It was Xavier! And in his...

...other hand, he held folded...

...blankets....

..."Are you all right?" he asked....

...Great question....

..."Do I look all right? The...

...stone gives it a nice medieval...

...feel but I'm sure the blankets...

...will help."...

...Xavier laughed. It was warm...

...and inviting. I wanted to let...

...that laugh close around me...

...and give me strength....

..."I don't mean to laugh."...

..."Then tell me what is going...

...on. By the Moon Goddess, I...

...demand to know!' My...

...screams echoed off the walls,...

...ghosts of my anger swirling...

...around us....

...I could see the smile on his...

...face. If it was not for the...

...sadness in his now visible...

...eyes, I would have screamed...

...again....

..."He is worried you are not a...

...werewolf."...

...Now, it was my turn to laugh....

..."You demand I leave my pack...

...and go with you, throw me in...

...a basement, and then refuse to...

...believe I can shift like anyone...

...else?'...

...I closed my eyes and tried to...

...shift...

...Nothing....

...The damp darkness seemed to...

...cool off all my instincts,...

...turning my willpower against...

...me. I could only look on...

...helplessly....

...What would he think of me?...

...This beautiful, kind man...

...watching such a weak...

...member of the species unable...

...to do what had been natural...

...for so long....

..."We know you can shift. But...

...there are other beings who...

...possess such powers. A being...

...such as a witch....

...Witches?...

...This was a riot! Laughter...

...bubbled up from deep inside,...

...erupting from my throat....

..."Thanks. It felt good to...

...finally laugh. And to think,...

...now, this dungeon feels kinda...

...cozy."...

..."Keith is beyond reasoning....

...He is convinced that if the...

...Demon Lord is after you,...

...there must be more to you...

...than meets the eye."...

...I looked at him again....

..."Thanks. That's a real boost...

...to my ego."...

...The expression on my face...

...changed, becoming gentle...

...and soft. I hoped he could see...

...it. If only the monster they...

...called King could be more...

...like Xavier....

..." And you? What do you...

...think?" I asked...

...Xavier shifted from side to...

...side uncomfortably....

...«That is not up to me to...

...decide."...

...Of course not....

..."But I would not have been...

...with you this long if I thought...

...you were a danger to us. I...

...truly am sorry for all that you...

...are going through. I pray the...

...Moon Goddess will show us...

...the right path."...

...I shook my head and waved...

...him away. It was such a...

...dismissive gesture to the only...

...kind soul I knew, but it was...

...all I could muster....

..."There will be food sent...

...down shortly."...

..."I don't want it....

...If only I were a better liar....

...Food sounded amazing. My...

...stomach seconded those...

...thoughts with a loud rumble...

...Xavier was sure to hear....

..."But you haven't eaten all...

...day,...

...» he pleaded....

..."And I won't. Now, leave me...

...alone. I need some peace and...

...quiet.»...

...The pain on his face made it...

...clear I had wounded his best...

...intentions....

..."Very well. But I promise,...

...you have nothing to fear. We...

...want to find out what is going...

...on as much as you do....

...I could only turn away from...

...him....

..."I understand. I promise you...

...this..I will do my very best...

...to try and talk some sense...

...into him. But there is a reason...

...he has been the Werewolf...

...King for so long. You must...

...remember that as well."...

...Did I truly have an ally here?...

...I wanted to reach into the past...

...and take back everything I...

...had said to him....

...When I turned around. he was...

...gone. His footsteps...

...disappeared up the steps,...

...moving farther and farther...

...away until I could hear the...

...rumble of the closing door. A...

...lock slid into place, ensuring...

...my capture....

...With the number of blankets...

...Xavier gifted me, I was able...

...to make a layer to lie on as...

...well as one for my body and a...

...pillow to rest my head....

...I turned the lantern down to a...

...lower burn to ensure it would...

...last. Shadows grew along the...

...walls, forcing me to...

...remember the nightmare I...

...now found myself in....

...It seemed impossible to sleep....

...So many things had happened...

...that it didn't seem real. The...

...decree that I was to be mated...

...to the Demon Lord, the attack...

...on the werewolves, and the...

...subsequent victory. Seeing...

...Keith kissing her!...

...My blood began to boil, so I...

...closed my eyes hard. Tiny...

...specks of light flickered...

...across my darkened vision,...

...stars of brightness in this...

...otherwise dark dungeon....

...I couldn't believe sleep would...

...find me. Refused to think I...

...would find calm in this...

...turmoil....

...CLINK...

...I awoke in the middle of the...

...night. New shadows had...

...found their way onto the...

...dungeon walls, shifting into...

...different shapes with each...

...blink of my still adjusting...

...eyes....

...I turned up the light of the...

...lantern and looked around....

...Nothing....

...Sleep pulled at my eyelids,...

...nearly ushering me back into...

...the dream world....

...Then, I heard something...

...else.....

...CREAK....

...The hinges of a door opening....

..."Who is there?" I called out,...

...my voice showing more panic...

...than I intended. Receiving no...

...answer, I gathered the lantern...

...and moved toward the stairs....

...The stones were cold on my...

...feet as I climbed each step...

...one by one. I followed the...

...spiral path until more light...

...caught my attention. What I...

...saw at the top was too much...

...to be believed....

...The door was open!...

...Was this a trap? I didn't know...

...and wasn't intending to find...

...out. But the deep, resonating...

...voice calling my name made...

...sure I would not descend. Not...

...yet....

...Annabelle....

...I hated that name and shook...

...my head. I wanted to go back...

...down and curl up in the...

...warmth of my blankets. My...

...feet had other ideas....

...With only a few more steps, I...

...was through the door! Long...

...corridors lit by lanterns on the...

...walls seemed to go on...

...forever, unending....

...Annabelle....

...My body turned involuntarily,...

...pulled by the soothing...

...baritone sounds....

...Soon, a large door stood in...

...front of me. Its wood was...

...strong, with ornate carvings....

...An energy I had never felt...

...pulled my hand forward. Like...

...a magnet attracting iron, I...

...could only be sucked forward...

...by this invisible force. It...

...seemed to be my destiny....

...The throne room was vast and...

...empty. It was a minimalist's...

...dream: nothing besides...

...lanterns emanating a tired...

...light that fell on crimson-...

...colored banners....

...In the middle was a large...

...throne made of dark wood....

...Once again, I could barely...

...believe my eyes. Someone...

...was sitting on the throne!...

...A fire grew in my body once...

...more. But it was not the same...

...as before. This time, it felt...

...different....

...My feet carried me closer. It...

...was too late for me to turn...

...back now, even though I...

...knew why it did not feel the...

...same....

...Sitting on the throne was not...

...Keith, King of the...

...Werewolves....

...This is someone else....

...Someone whose energy was...

...darker, fiercer. This person...

...was part of no pack...

...He looked up at me, and my...

...blood froze...

...the same blood...

...that had burned moments...

...earlier....

...The Demon Lord was looking...

...at me with a large smile on...

...his face....

..."There she is. My love. My...

...Annabelle."...

...I tried to scream, but his evil...

...smile sucked the air from my...

...lungs....

...The lantern fell from my grip....

...As it hit, flames erupted....

...The flames engulfed the...

...throne and the Demon Lord....

...giving him sudden powers...

...that fed the fire, shooting it...

...toward the ceiling....

...I felt my skin boil as my body...

...landed with a thud at the foot...

...of the throne....

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