Robbin's POV
My escape will happen in time. For now, It'd be best to stay quiet. I don't want to risk anything, not with that brotherhood trio watching my every move. It has to be sudden, but unexpected. That's how you get the upper hand, acting suddenly and unexpectedly. It takes you by surprise and catches you off guard. But apparently, I'm not the only one catching the king off guard.
After walking out of the board room, part of me expected Xander to stop me, and he did, but not for the reason I thought of. His arm snaked around my stomach as he pulled me to his back, halting my steps. I stood immobile, very unsure of what to do, and confused with his body language. That was unexpected.
"I won't keep tolerating this behavior, dragon."
Keep tolerating? When as he ever?
He still held me as he moved closer to my neck. My first instinct was to pull away from him. I wasn't used to this type of physical contact.
Xander's breath cascaded down my body, making my eyes squeeze shut.
"Go, "his breath hot as it trailed, "Be social with the other pack members. They need to know their luna. I'll have your stuff brought to our room."
Great. I was hoping to permanently avoid that. Now I'm going to be sharing a room with this mutt. My escape is going to have to happen soon because, by the looks of it, Xander might want to do more than just share a room.
His hold wasn't tight on me. I stepped forward and he released me. I didn't want to look at him. This man makes it uncomfortable, which isn't like me at all. I'm not scared of anyone or anything. Why would I be now? Well, not scared, more like nervous.
I shook my head and shrugged off the thoughts. There were retreating footsteps from behind me and I assumed Xander left to do alpha business. Since I'm now relieved of omega duties, I'd like to get some training in.
There are three training areas at the palace: one inside sub-level and two outside, east and west wing. I found them while on my scavenger hunt for my escape location. I'm not an indoor kind of person, especially underground. Dragons don't like to be isolated from the sky; it's our escape route, our freedom.
I make my way to the training area on the east wing.
It was a large circumference of space with walls of stone surrounding the perimeter. Some of the stones were chipped or broken, indicating its age. Before my banishment, my family and I traveled to the Northerner palace. I once snuck away and trained here with the werewolves and guards, never once losing a fight. The east wing training center was the only familiar thing about this place.
I get to the gate of the training center and the guards let me in instantly. This one isn't used often. It's not as modern as the sub-level one or equipped with long-ranged weapons like the one in the west wing. It did, however, have swords, something I'm very comfortable using. Back home, I double wielded with the finest dragon steel swords.
Dragon steel is only found on the westerlie territory west of its kingdom. It's where we raise the dragons themselves. When a dragon is born, their DNA sticks to the inside of the shell they're hatched from. Once the shell is broken, the liquid hardens and forms a type of power metal. We turn them into swords for dragon riders to wield.
I thought that it'd be empty today, but some of the first-class trainers are holding a class for recruits and young werewolves. All pack members must be used to different types of weapons, I suppose. The class is being held in the center of the arena. The crowd watches as the trainer shows them different types of swords.
They stand in shock as the sword is swung around. Seriously? They aren't that old, although, given my age and era, I'm not one to comment on the age of weapons. With such advanced technology, it's no surprise they'd choose it over "antiques".
I try to grab a bo staff since all of the swords are on display for the recruits and make my way over to a secluded corner, but something bumps my shoulder hard, causing me to stumble forward.
I look and see Sage walking past me before turning to stand face to face. She gives me a disgusted look as if she had bumped into a filthy beggar.
"Are you lost, little girl?" She spat out.
I gave her a bored look because truthfully, she bores me to the core. Her irrelevance spreads wide around me.
I walk around her to retrieve the staff and head to my corner. I couldn't practice in my current attire. I still had on a buttoned blouse from cleaning earlier, so I removed it, leaving me in a black non-wire bra that supported my breasts in a comfortable way and black trousers. They were breathable and flexible; all of the guards and staff wore them in case of an attack or fight.
I began swinging the staff in circular movements, bringing it behind my back and above my head. I'm glad to see my skills hadn't waivered from the basics, though I have my midnight sessions to thank for that.
During my short omega period, I snuck to the training area to get in some practice. I needed my strength. It helped but only lasted for twenty minutes. That's how long it took for the guards to come and check the area.
I swung the bo staff swiftly and with ease. My mind and body were so connected with it that I hadn't noticed the crowd from earlier slowly drawing closer for a better view.
The staff flew above my head and did a quick spin, all the while I did a summersault before catching it behind my back, still kneeling on the ground.
The simple skill caused a thunder of claps of admiration from the trainees. Even the trainer stood along with them and watch in awe.
"That was amazing luna!" One red-haired girl spoke.
"Where did you learn that?" Said another.
The compliments piled on, causing me to feel a bit uneasy. I'd never been the show-off type like my brother. If he were here, there'd be an entire show going on with him as the opening, main, and closing event.
"Are you kidding me?" the poisonous voice spoke once more. Some stupid circus trick have you begging for more?"
She looks around the crowd but her eyes ultimately landed on me. "Anyone with skills like that can be taken down easily."
Everyone grew silent. I felt their eyes trained on me, waiting for a response, or a challenge. In their minds, if someone challenged the alpha or luna, the battle should be fought. But I am not their luna, I almost spoke out loud.
"What's the matter, little dragon? Afraid?"
Now that caught my attention. Only one person calls me that, only when she said it, it didn't sound as right. She didn't get his condescending tone right at all. It came out like she was spitting out a fire.
I let out a sigh and turned to put the staff back against the wall.
"Fine. But if I'm going to kick your ass, it's going to be with my fists."
I hear her let out a snort. "Fine. but you're the one whose teeth are gonna get knocked in. Let's see how Xander feels when your face is more fucked up than it already is."
"Are your insults suppose to be the thing attacking me? Shut up and bring it, bitch."
My words set her launching towards me, and I get in my defense position.
Sage swings her claws at me, but I avoided them easily. She tries a jumping round kick, but I ducked and rolled around her. I kept up the defense tactic, then a thought occurred.
Do I even want to win? If I did, then I'd beat her and would still be the soon-to-be-luna. But if I lost, I wouldn't have to deal with this anymore. I wouldn't be the luna of the Bloodmoon pack or queen of the Northerner kingdom. It'd all go to her. But would Xander let me go?
My thoughts were halted when I felt a sharp pain in my back. Dammit, I got too distracted and she took advantage. But she's not the only one. The way Sage moves; her fight pattern consists of the same movements.
Instead of avoiding her attacks, I strike back, first blocking her next scratch by moving my head to the side and grabbing her arm. I pull her towards me and slam her face against my knee, causing a loud screech from Sage. She yanks herself back, grasping her arm on the ground.
She didn't let that stop her though. Sage pulled herself up and wiped the blood from her nose.
"Oh, you look angry, Sage. Did that upset you?" I taunted in a monotone voice.
She let out a scream and ran towards me, swinging for my face. With the speed and force she used, I was knocked to the ground with her straddling me.
"Fool. Do you think winning this will make Xander want you?"
I barely caught the end of her tantrum. My face was getting mauled by her claws. I tried my best to cover my eyes and my hands were dug into instead.
I wanted her off of me. It's time this petty fight ended.
I pushed her off of me. And crawled before swinging my foot back, colliding it with her mouth. I got up from the ground and waited for her. I'm not a dirty fighter, although at the moment it seemed like a quicker end to this.
Sage stood there on the floor, coughing up blood. When she finally got up, I charged towards her, jumping to get some air, and stepped on her slightly bent knee before having my other foot kicked her in the chest.
My energy was draining and I was afraid this fight would go on longer than it needed to.
"Enough, Sage." I tried to halt the fighting. I looked around us and was surprised to see the crowd double in size. I direct my gaze back towards sage and see her coming to me once again.
"Never." She growled as she lunged forward.
This back and forth went on before I finally had enough.
"Enough!" I almost roared as I approached her. Her eyes narrowed as she came forward. Just as their bodies were about to clash, the sound of loud bells rang throughout the training area. They were fast. In the westerlie kingdom, it meant an attack was happening. Was it the same here?
Sage and I pause in our movements and look around. The crowd seemed to have tensed up before running out of the arena. She runs out as well.
What the hell? I follow them out, but not before grabbing a sword from the center. The crowd leads me to the front of the palace where all hell as broken loose.
This is an attack. I look around the chaos and see werewolves breaking through the gate. The pack members defend their land fiercely. Our wolves are strong and we outnumber them. Wait, did I just say ours?
Both sides are rough, it's a coin flip on this battle. But this is the perfect opportunity for me. I need to escape now!
I turn and head for the pathway that leads to the woods. If they're attacking from the south side of the palace, then the west tower must be abandoned.
But once I turn the corner, I see two children, barely five years old being backed into a corner. A large grey wolf strides towards them with hunger in its eyes. No, I can't let this happen!
I sprint to the wolf, unsheathing my sword and strike down on its neck. The head slides off its body and the kids look at me with terror's eyes. I motion for them to take refuge inside and they listen.
I turn back to the bloodbath and see a few more wolves stalk towards me. I guess the amputation of their pack member upset them. They charged and I did what came naturally to me. I fought. Adrenaline raced through my body as I slew my enemies, Limp body after another.
My sword swung left and right as the wolves piled on. When I finished the last one, a roar echoed through the grounds, and I turned and headed for the source. After running through bushes and trees, I find a large black wolf with deep wounds on his body. It felt strangely familiar even though I'd never seen it before. It's surrounded by six wolves of the same size at it.
The wounded wolf starts taking them down one by one but is too weak to fight the last one-off. It puts up a fight but is backed into a corner in the end. Instead of watching the battle come to an end, I charged toward the non-injured wolf and shoved the sword through it's back.
The wolf slid off of my sword and my eyes met with the injured one. That's when it clicked. He was Xander. This was his wolf form. His eyes grew wide as he approached me, making mine do the same. He looked at my injured body, his eyes stopping on my hands which were still bleeding thanks to Sage.
Xander moves closer to me with angry eyes and I thought I was receiving another reprimand, but instead, he licked the blood off my hands.
When he stops, his heated gaze meets mine only for a moment, before directing his attention to whatever was behind me. Before I could fully turn around, Xander has already lunged past me and caught a wolf's neck with his mouth. He gave it a hard squeeze and the wolf let out a whimper before meeting its demise.
Xander and I head back to the center of the chaos and are glad to see it has died down. As we walk through the blood-filled grass, many of the pack members bowed their heads in respect for their alpha.
About 10 yards ahead of us stands half-naked Alec and Gus, who are still putting their clothes back on. We approach them; Xander shifting mid-walk. He was in front of me, and I got a clear view of the back of him. The wounds on his back weren't as deep as they were on his wolf. He probably started healing the second he got hurt. Must be nice. The wounds Sage gave me aren't that bad but might sting for a while.
His shoulders were toned. All of him was, including his...
I had to keep my eyes from trailing too far south, but it didn't matter. There was a pounding in my head. The adrenaline must've worn off completely because I felt everything. The scratches on my body stung, but my head felt like it was going to explode.
I stopped in my tracks and kneeled to the ground holding my head. The pain must've been too much for me to bear. The last thing I saw was Xander bending down to grab me, his eyes searching mine for answers.
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According to Alec, I'll need two days to rest before I can "roam the palace" again. But I'm not waiting for two days. I can barely make it through the rest of the day.
I woke up in the treatment room once again. My head felt heavy and more wires were connecting to my arm. The doctor informed me that the adrenaline rush I experienced was too much for me, and caused my body to fail once my high came down. My head was hurting the most because of my previous injuries, but they healed some time ago. Could it have been something else?
Right now, it's dark outside. The time on the clock says four am. I have another window. They think I'm resting and won't expect me to escape today.
I unhook the wires and put on the torn clothes I wore earlier. I made my way out of the room and found no guards outside my door. Quickly, I maneuver far away from the treatment room and down many flights of stairs. Once I reached the west tower, two guards were already posted there. I waited until they left again and when they did, I didn't hesitate to rush for the path that leads to the woods.
The second I crossed into the woods, Xander's roar screeched from the palace, the loudest one I've heard so far. It was enough to make my legs shake and almost turn around. Almost.
But I kept running. I didn't care at this point. This was my chance and I was taking it. I'd probably get caught again, and if I did, I wasn't going back to the palace alive.
I might've made it a mile away from my prison when another roar erupted from the trees.
He's close.
My legs tried to give out again, and the bite wound I received from one of the wolves earlier didn't make this escape any easier.
I ran as fast as I could before something large knocked me over, causing me to roll down a small hill. When I tried to get up, large paws held me down, hovering over my body. I looked up and wasn't surprised to see that it was no other than the king himself.
Xander had anger in his eyes. Pure anger. He leaned down and growled loudly in my face before letting out another roar.
No. I can't go back there.
His grip on me loosened when six more wolves joined him. Xander pushes his head down in a scooping motion, wanting me to get up. When I refused, he let out a rough warning growl.
Dammit, I can't afford to be any more injured than this. Xander would drag me back if I didn't comply. I hated myself for this. I hate that I'm obeying him like this.
I get off the ground and he pushes me forward with his nose. When we reach the palace gates, bones crack from behind me as Xander turns back to his human form.
He grips the back of my neck and pulls me back to him.
"You must miss that freezer."
My eyes widen and hatred ran down my throat. I fight out of his grip and punch him in his face.
A look of shock spreads on his face before turning it into fury.
Xander lunges for me but I kick him between his legs. He bends down and grabs his manhood.
"Ugh. You bitch."
I wanted to make another run for it, but the wolves who help escort me already turned back as well, and two of them held my arms.
Xander finally got back up and rushed toward me. He motions for my release but once they do, his grip transfers to my hair, and I brought close to his face.
"No more." It came out as a growl. His eyes are now a bright red.
"I am sick of your shit. I was going to wait until you fully submitted, but now you don't get a choice."
I furrowed my brows at what he said. But before I could break down what he said, my head was yanked to the side and large fangs pierced my neck.
NO.no no no no no!
"NO!" the word finally left my mouth. I pulled myself away from him, his teeth scraping my neck in the process.
"No!" I cried out again, but it came out in a deeper voice. My vision felt more intense, and my head started pounding again.
Suddenly, my senses were through the roof. Sounds were blowing through my ears and the forest smelt stronger than ever. But my vision, it instantly cleared and because more vivid. The color, however, was a faded blue, and that only meant one thing. My eyes. My dragon eyes have returned. But how?
I stared at Xander who for once was quiet. His eyes came back down to his regular blue. He just stood there, motionless. His mouth hung lowly his face showed a look of disbelief.
I couldn't even contemplate my emotions. Instinct took over and rage still filled my body. I fell on all fours and let out a roar myself, but it wasn't like one of the wolves. It was one of the dragons.