UNEDITED-
Annabelle POV-
"I can't imagine what your going through right now, I just want you to know that I am here. No matter what it is I've got you..your safe now." Florence's words are sweet, but they aren't true..
I'm not safe.. I might never be safe again..
I can't say that to her..
"Come on.. it's time to go." Bea's voice interjected, saving me from having to reply to Florence.
Wait.."umm...where are we going?" I asked with a slightly puzzled look.
"A place that I had built for an old friend.. it's the only one of my properties that aren't.. 'his'.." Bea informed.
"How far is it?"
"Another half day of travel and we should be there." she said smirking.. "If you can walk that is"..
"I can walk" I said standing up.. I feel much sturdier on my feet today, I'm glad of that. I hate relying on people, even worse ones that I care about.
I don't want to be a burden for anyone.
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We had been walking in silence for a few hours, when Bea decided she had something to get off her chest.. "Annabelle you stink".. I looked behind to glare at her.. does she think I'm going to smell good after where I've been for months?
"I mean.. you smell of a burnt out fire it's quite off putting." She chuckled holding her nose as she walked infront of me.. "Ah that's better.".. releasing her nose she laughed..
"What would you like me to do about it.. we are in the middle of nowhere?"... I know I smell bad.. my senses are still numbed but even I can smell it..
She took off the black jacket she'd been wearing and threw it to me..
"You could try changing into this.. it might help abit." Florence laughed forcing my eyes on her, she looked away just as quick.. I doubt she wants any part in this.
"Is it really bothering you that much?" I asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow.
"Not anymore as the breeze is not suffocating me with it.. but I doubt the wildlife is enjoying it very much."
"Bea your so kind... a genuine pleasure to be around." I replied sarcastically.. I can't even argue.. I really do stink. "Can you two face the front so I can change please?" They both did and I removed the crispy jacket and replaced it with Bea's.
I hadn't realised how itchy and irratating it had been on my skin until it was no longer on me..
Sometime throughout our journey Florence managed to sneak off, she must have only been gone a few minutes as neither me or Bea noticed. Well I guess Bea might have, I was just to engrossed in my own thoughts. She had collected some wild buries and some kind of pear fruit for us to eat.. I was greatful that she did, I had honestly been starving.
The sugar in the fruit brought up my energy levels.. It's funny how much we take simple things like sweet fruits for granted. Since I woke up I have been feeling more and more myself. Though some things inside will never be the same, I am glad that I no longer feel drowsy and in a constant state of numbness.
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"Hey look.." Bea spoke pointing at the bottom, between two mountains..."That's where we are going." She smiled at me then looked back to where she had pointed.. I'm not sure what comes next but I hope it's better than what came before.
"Wonderful" I hummed smiling as I looked off in the same direction..
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Finally we had arrived at our destination.. two towering mountains stood either side of us..
Bea pointed to a 7 ft crack in one of the mountains..
"That's it..." We began approaching when she spoke again.. "Wait." she said holding her hand up to us.. We stopped dead in our tracks..
"What is it?" I asked in a hushed tone..
"Do you smell that?" Bea asked concerned.
"Smell what?" I don't smell anything unusual.. a few animals near by but I don't smell anything dangerous.
"Nothing.. it's gone.. let's go." she said continuing on towards the crack. A few feet into the small cave was a large wooden dark brown door. As soon as she opened it a familiar scent reached me.. pure rage bubbled through me.. seething I pushed past Bea and Florence through the door to see if what I was smelling was correct.. All I could see was a large room, I didn't take in any details.. I was too focused on something else.. standing just 10 feet away was a face I'd been dreaming off for many months..Ronan.. I heard a sharp inhale of shock from behind me.. he looked just as surprised to see us as we were him.. I ran at him not sure what would happen... I wasn't about to let him hurt them too...
With every step across the room the warmth and rage in my body intensified.. I couldn't feel or hear.. all I could do was see his face getting closer as I charged forward.. before he could move I wrapped my hands around his throat.. only when I see my own hands did I realise I was transformed.. his face turned red with the pressure I was putting on his neck..
I watched as his face distorted, he was begining to shift.. this only made me angrier.. it only took a few seconds for him to transform but unluckily for him.. I'm still considerably larger..
He grabbed onto my shoulders piercing them with his long claws.. I could only smell the blood.. I felt no pain.. only heat.. all I could think was fire...he roared in my face and I roared back..
Then it appeared.. a spontanious fire had erupted covering my entire body..
I've never felt this power before, I can feel the burning heat of the flames dancing across my skin.. I squeeze even tighter around his neck.. cutting off an agonising scream in his throat.. I want him to know what it feels like to be helpless.. and then I want him to die..
Out of nowhere a table came flying at us both knocking me away from him.. he dropped to the floor pawing at his smouldering neck gasping for air.. Just as I was about to resume my attack a chair came flying at my head breaking at the force.
I looked to see where it was coming from and to my shock.. it was Bea.. I could see she was shouting something but I couldn't hear what it was..
The sound of roaring flames had filled my ears..
I looked back to where Ronan had been.. he was now trying to run for the door.
I ran at him just in time to grab his hind leg and throw him into the cave wall.. he yelped as his body crashed against it.. I want to make him bleed.
I see him fumble to pick something up.. I wasn't even concerned what it was. When I had got to him he stabbed me with an arrow.. I ripped it out of my shoulder and watched it burn away in my hand.. this fool thinks his weak ass poison will do anything to me now? I've been dosed with this stuff daily for a long time.. idiot.. let's see how he likes it..
Noticing more arrows that had fallen on the floor I quickly picked one up and stabbed it into his shoulder before the fire could burn it away. He howled in pain falling to the floor instantly. And now to take his head..
I leant down taking his throat in my hands once more.. slowly letting my claws pierce the sides of his neck..
"Annabelle!" Florence's voice echoed clear as day forcing me to look in her direction with my hands still firmly around Ronan's throat.
"She has a knife.." her mouth didn't move which means she's talking to me through the mate bond..
The happiness that came with that was short lived as I realised what she was talking about...
Stood to the side of the door was Bea.. with her arm around Florence's neck and a knife pointed to her ribs.. The sudden change in circumstance made me have to contemplate my next action.. do I have to hurt Bea? The fire subsided but I was still left holding onto Ronan's throat..
"Let him go..please.." Bea pleaded when she realised she had my attention. How could I let him go after what he did to me? and he will tell the king where I am...I looked to Florence..
'He deserves to die..' I told her..
'Do you think Bea is bluffing?' Florence asked sincerely..
'I don't know' I admitted, coming to the realisation that I will not get to kill Ronan today.. I slowly took my hands back standing up straight.. The whole room smelt of singed hair.. Ronan looked like he'd had a fight with a gas cooker.. He barely made his way to his feet, unable to stand up he used all fours to stumble as fast as he could from the room.
I just stood there in utter disbelief... how could she betray me like that?... after everything.
We stood there still for a few minutes as Bea was probably giving Ronan a head start, just in case I decide to go after him.. which I will I after I deal with her.. "I'm sorry Anna.. I couldn't let you hurt him." Bea pleaded with a lump in her throat.. tears welling up in her eyes..
'ask her why'
"Why?" Florence asked..
"I thought he was dead.. but he isn't.. my father must have done something to him.. he's.. he's not himself." I've never seen her this torn up before.. but I still do not care.. "Let me help him.. please." she pleaded..
"Bea he was the one who kidnapped Anna in the first place."...'and the second' I relayed in my head. Florence's revelation distracted Bea long enough for her to slightly lower the knife.. Florence saw an opportunity. Quickly she twisted the knife out of Bea's hand, earning a hiss of pain.. she nimbly used Bea's own arm as leverage to spin her around.. pointing the blade of the knife against Bea's neck. Would Florence really kill her for me?
"And the second?.. it was him?!" I watched her face change from concern to pure anger.. she twisted Bea around again.. slamming her against the wall repositioning herself holding her forearm under Bea's chin pushing her head up, and the knife jabbing at Bea's stomach..
"It was his fucking fault we lost her and you just let him go!!" Florence shouted in Bea's face.. "You want to know where he is going?.. my guess.. he's running to your father." she scoulded.. 'kill him' she said so only I could hear. I ran out the door on all fours..
He might be masking his scent but I can smell his charred fur and blood.. no amount of scent maskers are going to keep me from finding him.
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I sprinted as fast as I could.. I caught up about a mile away from where we had started, he'd been limping and stumbling which made everything much easier... I bet the poison is doing wonders to his body. This coward was on his way back to the palace.. probably to tell the king where I am.. can't have that now can we.
Only when I was a foot away did he notice I was there at all, he turned his head just quick enough to catch a glimpse of me tackling him head first at full speed.. sinking my claws into his chest.. it's no surprise we both went tumbling over.
I used my weight to get on top of him pinning him to the ground.. at this close proximity all I could do was try to elbow him..
he grabbed my arm with his jaws, I let out a snarl as I gripped onto his lower jaw with my free hand.. without anymore thought I closed my eyes, and I pulled down as hard as I could.. I was surprised at how easily it came free. Blood poured out of the gaping hole, splashing everything around us.
Well I didn't take his head, but his jaw will do just fine.. after a few long seconds of bleeding out as a Lycan.. his body for some reason began to transform back to human. I watched while he mumbled and gurgled away his last moments of life.
I never wanted to be this.. I saw what Leopold did and I was terrified, but now I'm exactly the same. I really thought that this is what I needed.. but seeing his lifeless, jawless body on the ground.. I feel, nothing. If anything I feel pity for him..
A servant just like the rest of us.
I hope Florence and Bea are alright..
NOTES-
I don't know if you realised where I was going with the Ronan thing but I have been waiting to do this chapter for awhile.. had no idea when it was going to happen or how it was going to go.
I make myself laugh at how little I know about my own story.. it's honestly funny.