UNEDITED-
Annabelles POV-
"Do you feel better now?" I chuckled looking down at her.. not waiting for her to answer..
I pulled her into me by her waist hugging her..
As I did she wrapped her arm tightly around my neck, placing a hand on the side of my head holding it against hers..
Blissful euphoria begins to flow through me.. it washes over my body like waves on the sand..
A light burning sensation begins in my heart.. like something is being etched into it in flames.. it travels from my chest, down my arms and feels like thousands of hot needles piercing into me at once.. it's bearable but only just..
I felt her begin to tense up in my arms, she pulled her head away from mine watching me with her beautiful crystal blue eyes..
I can see the discomfort written across her face even though she's trying to contain it.
The burning sensation had travelled down to my hips up my back, then it rose up to the side of my neck reaching the left side of my head onto my face.. I watched her eyes widen, directed at where I can feel it on my face... Then the pain suddenly stopped, the only feeling I have right now is love.
Pure love for this woman I barely know..
She gently took my face in her hands turning it to the side, then she slowly traced her fingers down my face to my neck, leaving her hand on the collar of my shirt.
Her face soon changed to shock..
"Shit" she muttered.. looking down at her hand still rested on my collar.
"You say that alot" I smirked..
She let go of me and walked a few feet away.. I just stood there puzzled..
"Florence?"
She turned back to face me, she looks worried.. what changed?..
"Florence?" I asked again..
"We have our mate marks Annabelle." she stated.
"Well that's a good thing right?" I asked confused..
"It would be.. if they were hidden".. She argued..
"I can't see yours." I said simply..
"But I can see yours.." she raised her hand up gesturing to my face..
"Your the one that wants to hide.." I sighed.. really who cares if they see mine?.
Shouldn't she be happy that people can see I'm taken?.. She finally accepted me, why is she still trying to find reasons to make it a bad thing?.
"Where is yours?" I asked looking her up and down..
"Don't do that." she demanded calmly..
"Do what?"..
"Don't look at me like that"..
"Don't change the subject.." I retorted.
She gave me a death stare before rolling her eyes and giving in..
"My arm. My back. My legs. My stomach." she said as if she was reading off of a list..
I want to see.. I closed the distance between us gently taking her left hand in mine.. I lifted it towards me rolling up her sleeve as I did.. nothing.
She looked up at me amused..
"Wrong one.." she said with a smirk holding her right hand out for me to take.. I did and rolled up her sleeve..
A dark coloured intricate design laced itself around her arm like the branches of a curly oak.
"Wow.. it's.. it really is beautiful Florence."
After a few more seconds of admiring what I could see of her mark I looked back to her blushed face..
"I won't tell them it's you.. not until your ready.. but I'm not going to pretend you don't exist. I can't."
Not only mentally but physically now too.
"This is just our luck isn't it?" she asked rhetorically.
"What do you mean?"..
"It doesn't matter, I know you won't say anything. And I am sorry that you're stuck with me.." she sighed looking away..
"I'm not stuck with you.." I stated firmly..
"You might be a mate that was chosen for me, but you also know Marcus and Gigi, you know that love can be found elsewhere.. this is something that I choose.." I need her to believe me.."Do you feel like your stuck with me?" I asked, sounding more hurt than I'd intended..
"Honestly?"
"Always.." Even if it stings.. the bitter truth is better than a sweet lie..
"Not at first.. not when I felt like I had a choice.." What the fuck is that supposed to mean?.
"So.. you wanted me when you didn't know if you could have me.. but now that I'm yours you feel stuck?" I asked with a puzzled expression.
"Now I don't obviously.. we wouldn't have our marks if I didn't want you too"..she said firmly, looking back up to me. Such sweet information in such a bitter tone.. I still can't help but smile.. I raised my hand to the side of her head, I can feel the heat coming from her rosey cheeks.. I brushed my thumb across lightly..
Her face relaxed, I almost saw a smile but before I knew it.. she wrapped her hand around the back of my neck pulling me into her.. she crashed her soft lips into mine.. it was a slow sensual kiss that lasted all but 6 seconds. I took time breathing her in before we parted.
It might not make sense to anyone but I don't know when we will next be free like this..
I think that was the most passionate kiss I've ever participated in..
I thought I'd look back to find a red flustered Florence but instead she looks calm, collected, happy even.
I lifted my hand softly tracing from her forehead to head chin moving a few strands of her hair to the side as I did.. I pulled her chin up with two fingers and placed a gentle kiss on her lips..
I could get used to this.
"I better go.. Marcus is probably wondering where I am." She stated shyly..
"Uh.. yeah.. me too." I stuttered parting from her.. "You go first.." I said gesturing the way with my hand..
"I'll see you soon okay." she tried to reassure me.
"I know." I said half heartedly with a small smile.. I love that we have come this far.. but we still have a long way to go.
A second passed before she wrapped her hand around my neck again, holding her forehead against mine with her other hand rested on my cheek.. I closed my eyes wrapping my hands around her waist, pulling her closer to me.
I love this.. it's warm.. endearing.
We stood like this for awhile before she finally slowly let go.
She didn't say another word, she didn't need to.
I'm sold.
She gave me a warm smile and began to walk back to the camp. I still get a gut wrenching feeling when she walks away from me.. even if she is marked as mine.
I waited half an hour before deciding to walk back.. instead of walking the way Florence went I took a detour, adding an extra ten minutes to my walk but I'll come through the other gate making it easier for Florence to deny she was with me.
Anything for love right? Maybe just me.
I walked for five minutes before I smelled something off. I don't know what it is or where it's coming from.. it's like it's everywhere.. I think I know it but I can't place it..
Out of no-where an arrow flies through the trees, I heard it whistle through the air before it stuck straight into the back of my thigh, all the way through and out the other side.
"Ahh!" I screamed out in pain.
Immediately I snapped the head off the arrow, pulling the rest out the way it came in..
I must remove it before I can shift... already I can feel my trousers sticking to the blood..
I began to feel the heat in my body as I summoned the transformation.. a fog started to cloud my vision but not enough to deter me.. whoever fired that arrow is a dead man..
Just as I felt the first signs of the transformation taking hold another arrow came whistling through the air striking me through my side.. before I could think of removing this one another came hitting me in the shoulder..
With each second that passed the fog grew thicker, until I could no longer see.. then there was nothing.
-----
I woke up in a daze.. I can barely lift my eye lids.. it's dark.. my hands.. they are cuffed?.. shit.. shit.. fuck.. shit.. I began to panic realising I am once again heavily restrained. And apparently drugged too..
I can't transform..
"Ah your awake.." Came a familiar voice from the shadows..
I panicked squeezing my eyes shut, urging the wolf to help me.. Leopold.. anything..
"That's not going to work this time, you have been poisoned. With quite a heavy dose I must say." The man mocked in a deep voice drawing nearer.. before he fully emerged from the shadows it all clicked in my head.. Ronan..
"I will get what I deserve.. you owe me that much!" He growled now standing right Infront of me.. it's taking all my energy to stand on my own feet and not hang in these chains.. "You don't need to play the silent game anymore either. I saw you in the forrest.. playing with your bitch.." He smirked devilishly, obviously getting some pleasure out of that..
I stayed quiet.. I don't need to waste any energy right now..
"Hmm, no problem. I'd rather you keep your mouth shut anyway." he shrugged.
"And just incase you get any sudden bursts of energy while I'm sleeping." he started, pulling another arrow from his back, he revealed a jar, after dipping the arrow in the contents he walked closer to me.. until his face was a few inches from mine..
I did my best at a scowl despite the drowsiness.. after a second he realised I wasn't going to show him any weakness he jabbed the arrow in the same shoulder the other one went in. It hurt for a few seconds before I lost consciousness again.
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I don't know how many days it's been, or maybe weeks. I haven't eaten anything since Ronan captured me.. Everytime I wake up he doses me again with that poison.
Occasionally I wake up and he makes me go to the toilet while chained to a tree. I assume he's been carrying me or dragging me most of the way because I haven't seen him have a horse or anything for one. Also I'm covered in more scrapes and bumps everytime I wake up.
The first arrow holes have almost healed, at the rate I'm healing it means we've been out here for awhile..
I wonder what Florence is thinking..
I hope she can find me again.
So much for me leading anything..
-----
This is agony, everytime I wake up in more pain, only to be thrown into pitch black again..
Originally I was trying to keep count how many times it happened but when the number got to over 25 my memories became abit scrambled.
Feeling emaciated and drugged leaves your mind in a weird state of limbo. I just want to see Florence.
----
I hazily opened my eyes to find myself looking at the floor. My upper body was swinging loosely upside down. Jolting everytime Ronan took a step.
I didn't want to show him I was awake just incase he drugs me again.. I've tried this before but somehow he can always tell. I've never woke up with him carrying me though.
I soon realised the floor was concrete.. Ronan's voice snapped me from my thoughts..
"I'm here to see the king" He bellowed, I felt his deep voice rumble through me as he spoke..
"State your business." Called someone from a little distance away..
"Tell his majesty it's Ronan.. and I have his prize." he called back.
It was silent and still for a minute causing me to nod back off.. the next thing I knew, I was dropped in a heap on the floor like garbage. I couldn't move.. everything in me wants to run but I can't even lift my head.
"Take her." ordered a man's deep voice..
next thing I know two sets of large hands grab my arms pulling me backwards.. I open my eyes to see a chubby man who looks to be in his mid 50s grinning a wide sinister smile. He is dressed in A red Kaftan like the soldiers, only his is embroidered with gold and silver all over. A golden crown sits upon his mid length ash grey hair.
If greed was a person.. I figure it would look like this. A slender woman who largely resembles Bea sits next to him. That's all I caught before my head flopped back and once again I floated away into darkness.
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NOTES
Hello people, I honestly can't say it enough how thankful I am that your reading.
I did actually end up making a plan for how I wanted this chapter and the next few chapters to go, but I wasn't really feeling that towards the end of this one so I just ended up writing this instead.
This is why I don't plan, I don't follow it anyway aha.
Not that you wanted to know any of that but now you do soooo.. Thank you for reading :D
Love Love.