Annabelle slowly fluttered her eyes open, greeted by the gentle rays of sunlight filtering into the room.
As the memories of her encounter with the strange man flooded back, she shot up in bed, scanning her unfamiliar surroundings.
To her surprise, she was no longer in her old, worn-out room but in a grand mansion, lying on a king-sized bed.
Throwing off the soft blue duvet, she gingerly got out of bed and tiptoed toward the window, contemplating an escape route.
Before she could reach the window, the door creaked open and swung inward.
A lady entered the room, and Annabelle froze, her head turning slowly to regard her unexpected visitor.
"Good day, Luna," the lady greeted her, carrying a pail of water into the bathroom. Annabelle's curious gaze lingered on her.
"Excuse me, wasn't I abducted?" Annabelle asked, her face etched with confusion. It was bewildering to wake up in a comfortable room and be greeted respectfully the morning after her abduction.
"I'm sorry, Luna, but I can't provide answers to your questions at the moment. Everything will be explained in due time. Please come to the bathroom so I can tend to your wounds before they worsen," the lady replied, avoiding eye contact, and Annabelle shrugged before reluctantly following her. Her injured leg made it difficult for her to walk properly.
The bathroom was a marvel of modern luxury, with its spacious and well-appointed design.
"This morning, I woke up in that room we just left. Does that mean it's mine?" Annabelle inquired, wiping away her tears. The lady had just finished massaging her sprained knee, and the process had made Annabelle cry like a kid.
"I apologise, Luna, but I can't answer your questions. Someone else would."
After such a blunt reply, the lady proceeded with cleaning Annabelle's wound, while Annabelle looked around in awe at the magnificent beauty of everything.
"Ouch... It's too hot!" Annabelle cried immediately when the water came in contact with her skin, burning her injury.
"I'm so sorry, Luna," the lady apologised, panic lacing her voice, and she immediately added more cold water. Annabelle whimpered, blowing soothing breeze on her injury.
She raised her head, her gaze meeting briefly with the lady, before she asked, "Am I, by any chance, the one you are referring to as a Luna?"
Annabelle was even more confused. She has been wondering if there was an invincible presence with them that the lady has been referring to as Luna. But come to think of it, it was whenever she was making a reply to her questions that she would say 'Luna'
The lady only nodded, and continued treating Annabelle's arm gently.
"So why did you call me Luna? Is it because you don't know my name?" Annabell asked further, but the lady shook her head.
"Do you presume me to be a lunatic?"
Annabelle tried figuring out why she'd be called a Luna. Was it her abductor that had told everyone how weird she had behaved? She was embarrassed.
"No, Luna," the lady answered again, and Annabelle heaved a sigh of relief that it wasn't what she was thinking.
She then released her hand from the lady's grasp and return to the bedroom, where she collapsed on the bed in frustration, drifting into sleep.
...
A knock on the door stirred Annabelle from her slumber, and she groaned before opening her eyes, her disheveled hair obstructing her view.
"What is it?" she grumbled, a touch of irritation in her voice as a lady entered.
"I brought you some books."
"What kind of books?" Annabelle inquired, eyeing the books in the lady's hands.
"Storybooks," the lady replied softly, her gaze fixed on the floor.
"I don't read storybooks," Annabelle stated flatly before lying back down on the bed.
"They're on the table. They're about wild animals, with a complete set of four feet," the lady added, seemingly aware of Annabelle's penchant for animal-themed books, before leaving the room.
As soon as the lady departed, Annabelle opened her eyes, sitting up lazily.
She gazed silently at the stack of books neatly arranged on the table, feeling as though they were beckoning to her.
She pushed aside the fragrant duvet, swung her legs off the bed, and strolled over to the table.
Upon reaching the books, she selected one and read the title, "Origin of Werewolves."
"I can't read now; I'm too upset. Maybe later," she grumbled to herself before placing the book back.
At the moment, her priority was finding a way to escape, but she was still too weak.
She couldn't help but wonder what the strange man had done to her that left her feeling so vulnerable.
Another knock on the door disrupted her thoughts, and she sighed before reluctantly opening her eyes and asking, "What do you want?"
"We brought you dinner," two feminine voices replied.
"I'm not hungry; thank you," she replied, dismissing them, before returning to sleep, covering her ears with a pillow to block out their pleas.
She couldn't fathom why they would beg someone they had abducted to eat. It was irritating.
...
Once more, a knock on the door roused Annabelle from her slumber, and she groaned.
"What!" she yelled, rubbing her temples.
"Luna, please, I need to prepare your bath," a female voice said gently.
"I'll prepare it myself," Annabelle replied, returning to sleep immediately.
Another knock on the door came, and she whimpered.
"What!" she snapped, frustrated.
"Luna, please, you should have breakfast this morning," a pleading voice urged, though Annabelle wondered how long she had been asleep, as it was already dawn.
"I'm not hungry," Annabelle replied curtly, locking the door angrily, then sinking back into bed.
"Luna, please, don't lock the door. Please come and eat; then you can sleep for the entire day. Luna, Alpha would be angry if he finds out you haven't eaten in two days," the voices continued, beseeching her. Annabelle's eyes widened. She had been here for two days and haven't eaten, but didn't realize it? She thought to herself.
"Then eat the food yourselves and ensure your Alpha remains ignorant about it. I was kidnapped, for God's sake. Stop treating me like royalty; I don't like it! I need peace, and your constant noise is unbearable!" she snapped in frustration.
"Luna, please. Please, Luna, have mercy on us and come out of the room," they begged, their voices trembling.
"What's wrong with all of you?" Annabelle yelled, but her voice came out as a weak whisper.
She clutched her chest, groaning in pain, and the room suddenly fell silent as a graveyard.
"Luna, are you alright in there?" they asked, breaking the silence with their anxious voices.
"Leave me alone; it's not like any of you will let me go home," Annabelle muttered as she walked into the bathroom, using the wall for support. She needed to eat something to avoid starving to death.
After brushing her teeth, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, then decided to take a bath despite her breathing difficulties.
Emerging from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her body, she went to the closet.
After unlocking all the closets and failing to find any women's clothing, she settled for a shirt from the men's closet.
The shirt was oversized, but she couldn't afford to remain in a towel in an unfamiliar place.
As she gingerly made her way to the bed for support, the pain in her chest intensified, causing her to wheeze like an asthmatic.
Unable to stand on her own, she collapsed on the floor, her head hitting the bed's hard edge before she succumbed to the darkness.