Lily slowly fluttered her eyes open. She blinked thoroughly before glancing around, analyzing where she was. It was dark, very dark. Wherever she was, it didn't seem to look like a forest.
Until she noticed the little moonlight reflecting from a small window. Lily felt her heart sink as she began panicking. Had she come back??
She finally remembered what happened. She could recall herself running through the woods after the incident that happened back at the palace.
While she was running, she suddenly felt a grip pull her to a strong body. And when she heard that cold voice that gave her nightmares, she thrashed around. But soon, she felt her neck stabbed with something sharp and she lost consciousness...
Her eyes slowly widened. Alpha Jederek!
She got up on her feet and squinted her eyes to make off anything. It was really dark.
Until she saw another dim light from a door of rusted bars. And the light seemed to get brighter, it was coming closer.
Lily began hearing footsteps coming closer, towards the door, so as the light. Until she saw the door open, revealing Luna Valerie and Tessa, holding a torch in her hand. It then made Lily finally understand that she was in a cell.
Lily couldn't help but glare at the heartless people. She knew she would be punished, but she didn't think they would go this far.
Valerie walked towards her, a wicked smirk on her face. She seemed happy to find her being locked up in a cell.
"Hello Lily, enjoying your new room?"
Lily was surprised to hear that, but she glared at her hard which didn't pass Valerie's eyes. Her face contorted with rage and disbelief as she raised her hand and gave her a tight slap!
Lily felt the impact on her face, but she didn't stop glaring at the woman.
"You ungrateful slave," Valerie stated.
"How dare you look at me with such filthy eyes? If it weren't for the Alpha, you wouldn't have lasted a day in the woods. Is this how you say thank you?"
"Is this how you say you care?" Lily retorted, causing Valerie's face to blush red in anger.
"How dare you!"
*SLAP!*
Valerie slapped her for the second time, making Lily's face tilt sideways. Her cheek was now red, but she still didn't show any reaction.
Valerie was angry to see her emotionless face, but instead she smiled.
"You know…, your emotionless face doesn't matter. With time, you'll beg for your life. And I'll make sure of that."
She grinned before turning to walk out of the room, but then Tessa walked towards her and suddenly gave Lily the third slap that night.
Lily could taste blood in her mouth now and she gritted her teeth.
"That's for ruining the other night for me witch," she said.
Lily watched her turn to leave and the door shut closed behind them.
Lily sighed before leaning against the wall as she slid to the floor. She didn't even know if she should weep or not, her life was messed up. She spat out the blood in her mouth before placing her left cheek -that wasn't red and swollen, on her knees as she hugged them.
She felt so tired that she couldn't even cry. Her eyelids felt so heavy, but the aching pain of her cheek was distracting her from sleeping.
She just closed her eyes and waited till her fatigue overcame the pain. And she finally slept off.
~
Footsteps, calm Footsteps echoed along the silent hall. The Footsteps paused, and there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," a deep voice said.
Torak was seated on a chair in his bedchamber, staring at nothing in particular with a deep frown between his brows.
The giant doors opened, and a tall woman walked in. The woman was dressed in a white and gold cloak. She looked stunning, with her raven black hair and green eyes.
She was a witch, and a messenger. The one who always brought prophecies for the king and helped him see into his supposed future. The witches were not as much as the werewolves, they were just a circle, and they lived very far away, so it was rare to see one.
"Your majesty," she greeted.
"Anything about the girl?" Torak asked, going straight to the point. He had sent a message to the witch the next day and that was why she was here.
"None that I see, my king," the witch answered.
Torak became annoyed hearing her reply. Was she trying to say that he was only hallucinating?
"You had better check well Alicia." his voice grew low and cold, but it didn't affect the woman. She was used to it. "My vision is never wrong, your majesty."
"And?" The frown on his face deepened.
"There is still no mate in your destiny, the curse remains the same," she clarified.
Torak growled with a scowl on his face. He hated hearing about his curse. And she knows that, better than anyone.
"Are you…trying to anger me?" he slowly arched a brow at her, his face turning more dangerously cold.
"I wouldn't dare, my king," Alicia slightly bowed her head to prove submission.
"Then get to the point," Torak demanded, feeling his patience run out.
"Your majesty. Sometimes....our mind can be overwhelmed and our brains may create realities that aren't quite.....solid. It could be due to stress or lack of sleep." The messenger tried to reason with him. But it only angered him the more because he knew exactly what she was trying to say. But dare she not say it.
Torak knew she might be right, but he felt his beast growl again in disagreement. He sighed, before getting up and moving towards her.
"How could she have been just in my imaginations? When her scent lingers in my head? My beast responded and growled mate…" he implied, trying to sink it into her head that he wasn't hallucinating.
Alicia's eyes widened upon hearing what he said. Could it be true?? She shook away that thought.
"Your majesty, I assure you that a mate isn't destined to you. Your curse-"
All of a sudden, she felt a grip on her neck and her feet lifted off the floor. Her hands instinctively held his hand on her throat as she looked at the king to see his eyes slowly widen at her.
"I'm starting to think you really want to rile me up Alicia," he said, with such calmness that made him more terrifying.
Alicia softly gulped.
"Your majesty, please…. I beg of you- ugh.." she only felt his grip tighten the more she tried to beg. She couldn't breathe again.
"S-She can't be your mate! I-I don't see a mate in your destiny, my king. S-She must be a witch then!-" Torak's eyes widened upon hearing her words. A witch? Eh! The girl he saw looked nothing like a witch, but a mere frightened little lamb.
He slowly released his grip on her neck. She coughed out as she quickly rubbed her throat.
"How certain are you of this?" he turned to her as he asked, demanding for an answer. However, her words still didn't seem like they were affecting him one bit or stopping him from thinking about the girl.
"I-I am not-"
"Then why blabber such rubbish? How could my beast have howled mate if she really is what you say she is? Her scent…." he stared at his hand, remembering once again how frightened she had looked when he was about to touch her.
"Her scent was….different,"
Alicia saw the confused look on his face and she gritted her teeth. Why was he so stubborn??
"My king, I advise that you shouldn't see the girl again. Until i-"
"And why not?" He turned to her, looking at her like he was about to grip her neck again. And this time, he just might snap it.
"Do you perhaps prefer to watch me go insane?" he asked. Just within yersterday and the night he had met that strange girl, he hasn't been able to get her off his mind. The emptiness in his eyes was always scary to meet, she quickly took steps back.
"No-No. Your majesty, all I'm saying is that; every day that goes by, you get closer to your destiny. But a mate isn't written in this destiny, t-the enemies might be close and she might have been sent to distract you from fulfilling your destiny!" She explained.
Hearing her, Torak finally calmed down as he sat back on his chair. He placed his palms on his face. Of course, how was it possible? How could he ever have a mate? A dare was declared between him and the goddess, both waiting to see who would lose first.
It would be a thing of mockery to the goddess if he ever had a mate, and he would so much enjoy that.
He chuckled darkly and then glanced coldly at the witch.
"You're given three days to tell me what is going on," he said.
"Yes, my king."
"Leave," he commanded. She bowed her head, before leaving the room.
After she was gone, he sighed, before tilting his head towards the white ceiling and closing his eyes.