“How can they take you everywhere you wish to go when there is only one passageway?” I don’t see any other tunnels leading off this one, which isn’t saying much since I can barely see anything.
“All you have to do is think about where you want to go as you travel through the tunnel and you will come out of the portal at that destination.”
“You talk too much, Soka,” a dangerously deep voice interrupts our conversations, “you shouldn’t be telling all this stuff to the prisoner.” I look back and I can barely make out the outline of his face.
“What does it matter, Zayn? She’s not going to last very long at Headquarters. Who cares if I tell her a few of our secrets?”
“We don’t know that. She might get lucky. Ferrars seems to like the look of her.”
“He was just acting like a gentleman. It wasn’t because he liked her.”
I say nothing, slightly offended.
After a few minutes we see a light at the end of the tunnel. Excitement flows through me as I realize that I am so close to getting out of the tunnel and seeing the “Headquarters” for the first time.
“Do you need me to carry you?” Soka laughingly asks as I almost trip on a root. As we reach the light, I can finally see his face as he makes fun of me. I punch him in the arm, surprised at how comfortable I feel with this guard, especially considering that he is bringing me here to die. I guess it is because inwardly, I feel like I am going to be okay.
As long as I have Scotty.
“It’s so bright!” I shield my eyes as we step out of the tunnel. I feel immense relief as the world greets me once again. The grass is perfectly green here, the trees elegant and healthy. Even the sky here is just as clear as it was in the sanctuary.
But even more beautiful is the castle right in front of my eyes.
It is so big, with its turrets reaching towards the sky. A sparkling, crystal clear lake lies behind it, wrapping its arms around the entire castle like a moat. There is a gigantic wall surrounding the entire area, which makes it seem even more like a castle out of a fairy tale.
“This is where the council lives?” I ask Soka.
“This is where everyone who is important lives,” Soka says plainly, “and yes, that would include the council and their mates.
“Is there any children living in there?” I ask, remembering Asher’s words when he told me about the impossibility of having a child between two werewolves.
“Rarely ever are children born in the castle.”
“But what about the leader?”
“That… was a special case.” Soka loudly snorts and Zayn knees him in the back. “Ouch, man! What was that for?”
“Show proper respect,” he says fiercely. As I glance back this time, I can see a large scar stretching across his rather grotesque features.
Ferrars heads to the front of the group, his long golden hair shining in the light. “Guards, take the members of Pack 101 to the dungeon,” he commands, unsmiling. As Soka drags me past Ferrars, however, he stops him. “You’re coming with me,” he says, grabbing hold of my arm. Soka disappears into the train of soldiers who are vanishing into the castle. Nico, as he passes us both, shoots Ferrars the glance of hell.
Ferrars laughs. “Your friend is funny. I think he likes you.”
“Maybe.” I decide not to tell him about Nico and I. That would not help either of us.
He starts walking to the castle, dragging me along. He has a surprisingly tough grip, one that I could never break out of. “You better count yourself lucky that I’m feeling nice today,” He grins, “you don’t want to be where your friends are, that’s for sure.”
I keep silent, determined not to give him any sort of answer. Looking at my feet the entire time, I am whisked through the castle, sadness finally beginning to creep into my heart. Where is Scotty? The whole reason why I did not put up a fight was because of him, and now he is nowhere to be found.
“Here we are,” he finally says, stopping at a small door. “This is a little bit better than those dungeon rooms. Even though you are our prisoner, you are still a lady and deserve to be treated like one… especially since you might not be staying here very long.”
I finally lift my head as the door swings open to a simple room about half the size of the one at the mansion. However, it looks clean and probably is way better than the dungeon cells. “Thank you,” I softly say, walking into the bedroom. The bed is pretty large and inviting, beckoning me to lie upon it.
“If you want to change into some better clothes there are some in the closet,” he smiles, walking over to a door and opening it to reveal quite a few outfits. “There are also a few necklaces in this drawer that were left here by some of the ambassadors.”
I search through the closet until I find a beautiful, yet simple top with a skirt that gathers at the side. Closing the door so he can’t see, I change within seconds. It is amazing how fast I can accomplish things now.
I exit the closet and move over to the drawer just to look at the jewelry these people left here. All of it is beautiful, but the one that stands out to me the most is a small emerald orb dangling on a thin silver chain. If I stare into it, it almost feels like I am looking into Nico’s eyes.
“Let me help you,” Ferrars’s voice turns seductive as he takes the necklace and fastens it around my neck. I can feel his breath on my neck as his fingers play with the ends of the chain. “You look very pretty,” he comments, smiling at my form as he steps away.
Against my better judgement, I look away. I wanted to yell at him for hurting my friends. For capturing us against our will. Even though I know it will do no good.
Friends. I have friends now.
Friends who mean so much to me, even though I would never admit it.
Ferrars frowns when I don't say anything in response to his compliment. "Are you worried about your friends?"
I nod slowly, and he walks even closer to my side. He takes both hands and places them firmly on my shoulders. Electricity arises from his touch, shocking me to the bone. Is he insane? What is he doing?
I try to calm down my anger, knowing that it will not get me anywhere.
"It is true that your pack has committed a grave offense," he starts solemnly, "surely you understand the necessity of enforcing the rules. Without rules that are respected an followed, our entire world would fall apart. With that being said, however, you have just met probably the only person right now who can help you out here, and maybe even your pack. So please... please do not cry." His voice turns tender and he drops his arms as a small tear begins to run down my cheek.
I'm... crying? Over what?
After questioning myself in confusion, I look back into Ferrars's bright eyes. "Could you save us? I'll do anything."
His eyes darken with my words, clouding in its center. I wait for a few seconds impatiently. "Ferrars? Did you hear me?"
I don't even know why I am begging the enemy for help. Since when have I ever been so desperate?
"Uh... yes. I did. I don't know what came over me. I apologize. Uh... don't worry about it. I'll take care of you, I promise."
I do not like where this conversation is going. I suddenly realize that one of his hands have been touching my shoulder this entire time. No wonder I have been shivering so much.
I treat him with one of my best, though obviously fake smiles. “Thank you, I really appreciate everything you have done.”
His face suddenly freezes, and contorts into a scowl. “What are you doing to me?!” He asks, extremely frustrated. It is as if he has become another person, staring at me like I normally would a piece of steak.
That's it! I knew he was bipolar.
“Doing what?” I ask, shocked. There is a blur of motion and then suddenly I find myself on the bed, pinned down by Ferrars.
He looks like an animal now more than ever, staring at me hungrily. Fright jolts through me as he reaches to unbutton the top of my shirt. “Please…” I beg, tears beginning to form and roll down my cheeks.
<
br /> Completely ignoring me, he impatiently rips open the first button, then the second. I almost scream as his eyes begin to glow bright like the sun…
But then they stop glowing almost as soon as they started. His face is full of bafflement as he seems to return to his normal self. “What is this?” he asks angrily, “you are mated?”
I look at the mirror to the side and suddenly notice a small mark near my neck. It is in the shape of a crescent moon with a circle around it. “How long has that been there?” I wonder aloud, rubbing the spot with my fingers.
“And what is this?!” He stares at the gap between my shirt and the skirt, where a similar mark lies on my hip. “But you have such an irresistible smell… this is impossible! I can’t even control myself around you, yet you are mated to not one but two men?”
He backs away, staring at me with fright. “What are you?”
“Can you explain to me why you assaulted me just then?!” I ask furiously.
A slight pause follows as Ferrars tries to recover. “It’s your smell,” he groans, “it is so intoxicating that it nearly knocked me down when I first saw you. I was planning on marking you as my own, but looks like two people beat me to the punch. It should be impossible to be mated and smell like that! I don’t understand at all.”
“Did you say… I was mated to two men?”
Ferrars roughly steps forward and points to both of the markings. “These are mating markings. The reason why my eyes were glowing was because I was trying to mark you, but I stopped because of the shock of discovering that first mark by your neck. If you are mated, you are supposed to smell kind of like a rotten egg to everyone but your mate, but you are not like that at all.”
He nearly runs away from me, staring as if I am an alien. “Good night, Ella. I apologize for my rudeness, but right now it would be best for both of us if I stayed away from you. There is some food on the tray.” He shuts the door quickly, and I hear a click shortly after. He locked me in.
I stand up and examine myself in the mirror. I had never really noticed the markings before, with them being almost like regular, minuscule birthmarks. Today has definitely been a day of surprises. For one, I’m surprised I am still alive after Ferrars looked at me like he was going to eat me.
Totally exhausted, I plop back onto the bed, wondering how the crap I got two markings. It is almost too much for me to take in all at once. Is Ferrars a genuinely nice person or is he the person that I caught a glimpse of tonight?
I remember Ferrars’s angry question, “What are you?”, with complete confusion.
What am I?
A few minutes later, the door squeaks open to reveal a majestic, beautiful dog. It shuts behind him as he comes towards me. “Spotty!” I smile, patting the spot to my left. “Come and sit by me.”
As he joins me, I find myself telling him everything that has happened with Ferrars. Spotty has always been so easy to talk to… I was always able to tell him anything that was on my mind ever since I was young. Minutes stretch into hours as I pour out my fears, hopes, and past since he left.
His big eyes search mine as I confess, “Ferrars… he was going to mark me until he saw these.” I show him my two markings, and he growls. “He… asked me what I was, Spotty, and I don’t think I have the answer to that. Do you have any clue? I know I have changed, and it has been so long since we parted…"
"Why are you even here, Scotty? Did they kidnap you?" I ask him after a few moments of thought. He stared at me in response, unblinking. The peculiarity of this entire situation seems to hit me at this moment. The werewolves here are not really the type to keep pets.
Suddenly overcome by sleepiness, I lay my head down on the pillows. “Goodnight, Spotty,” I shoot him one last smile, “thank you for listening.”
He lays his body near mine, curling around me so I can almost hear his heartbeat. His soft breath against my neck feels so much different than Ferrars’s did earlier. For some reason, both of us being together like this feels… so incredibly perfect.
My eyes slip to a close, my mind drifting off into wonderland.
In the middle of the night, I briefly become suspended between sleep and full consciousness. Confusion arises within me as I realize a broad chest is now against my back instead of soft fur, two legs almost intertwined with mine. An arm is slowly caressing me, stroking my stomach, arms, and thigh; and lips are murmuring soft words to my ear.
“You are only mine...”
Why Does Everything Have to Be So Complicated?
Even as his warm, strangely familiar fingers dance over my skin, I feel no discomfort. Relaxed breaths brush against the back of my neck, somehow sweeping away all alarm. I feel an alien desire to lay here forever in this enchanting embrace.
Am I going crazy?
Fighting the strong urge to once again close my eyes, I jolt upright. Suddenly losing my balance, I slip off the bed, tumbling towards the ground. With a loud crash I bang my head against the cold stone floor, a slight wave of pain sweeping through my bones.
There is silence for a few seconds, then a voice. “Ella?” For some reason, the word sends shivers through my spine with its irresistibility. The light by the bed switches on as fingertips woozily grasp it, filling the room with brightness. A head appears over the side of the bed and I nearly go into a self-cataclysmic shock.
It is like I am falling under a deep spell, mesmerized by the striking beauty of his features. His hair is a golden-red, chaotic strands springing in every direction. Skin as clear as crystal holds a masterful pair of lips and a small nose, slightly tanned by the warmth of the sun. However, his beautiful, incredibly large brown eyes are what keep me spellbound. They sparkle slightly as he surveys me, confusion plainly showing in his features.
I find myself unable to move, frozen to the core. “Ella?” he repeats, a dizzy smile appearing on his face. And what an attractive smile that is.
His grin suddenly vanishes as he casts a glance at his hand, an expression of horror soon replacing it. “Oh no…” he groans as if in pain, “I ruined it now.” His head retreats from view, although his hand reaches to help me up.
“Who are you?” I try to be rough and forceful with my question, but I can’t as soon as I catch sight of those hypnotizing chocolate eyes. All my anger evaporates, leaving me completely defenseless as I stand up across from him. Those eyes remind me of my father.
Instantly I notice his bare chest, rippled with muscles. He sits up against the pillow, his head in his hands. “I didn’t mean for this to happen,” he sighs apologetically, glancing at me cautiously.
“For what to happen?” I take a look at the floor, suddenly embarrassed by the thoughts I am having.
“For this,” he waves his hand at both of us, “for you to see me in this way.”
I just stare at him, waiting for answers.
“I’m sorry,” his eyes crinkle adorably; “this must be a shock for you. I let myself get out of control.” Newfound alarm races through my blood, my mind racing to new conclusions. Glancing at my rumpled clothes, I suddenly realize that I never changed from last night. Surely this attractive man didn’t… do anything to me.
“Crap, I must have shifted in the middle of the night,” he mutters darkly to himself, cringing as he looks once more at his human hands. Within a flash, clothes materialize on his skin, making me blink several times.
“Why do you seem so familiar to me?” I ask him finally, and he pauses.
“You might want to sit down,” he recommends, and I slowly obey him, suspicion racing through me. Raising his gaze to mine, he reluctantly holds out his hand.
“Hello, Ella. To you, my name is Scotty.”
All consciousness escapes me as true shock overwhelms my being.
* * *
“Please, Ella, wake up. I’m sorry that I upset you.” A hand strokes my long red hair. “Please wake up,” he begs, his voice cutting through my empty thoughts. As my eyes slide open, one lone message enters my mind.
Scotty is a man. A very, very, very handsome man.
For some reason, I can’t make any sense out of that statement.
“I must be dreaming,” I woozily whisper, “you can’t be Scotty. You can’t.”
“But I am,” he whispers back, grasping my fingers and holding them tightly. "Here, my name is Griffin, but you can call me any name you want to."
His hand travels to my side, and I jump a little bit as he touches the mark near my hip. The strange thing about all this is that it feels completely natural to me. For him to be here. For us to be like this.
"I missed you so much, Ella," he smiles, a beautiful expression that leaves me spellbound, "it took every ounce of my strength to not shift into this form when I saw you yesterday. I thought I would never see you again. I was still trying to forget you. But then it all came back when I saw your face."
He leans towards me, and before I can react a tingle spreads throughout my entire body as his lips brush against my mark. I scoot away as soon as I realize what he did, a blush creeping upon my cheeks. "This is too much," I try to explain when he looks at me with questioning eyes, "this is too much for one day. I feel like my head is going to explode."
My head is not the only thing that is about to explode. My heart is as well, nearly bursting after the kiss he gave. He seems to sense this, crawling across the bed to me. "Now we can finally act like mates. I have waited so long for this... for you." He takes my arm and gently runs kisses up and down it. Shock temporarily overwhelms me as he pins me down, kissing my neck. He stops for a second, inches away from my mouth, as if he expects me to reach up and kiss him back.
"Scotty... uh, Griffin... don't you think this is a little fast?" I ask him, a little scared by his expression and behavior. He just looks at me, clueless.
"Fast? What do you mean by that?" he asks, his brown eyes creasing in confusion. "Do you not feel the attraction as well? We are mates, Ella."
"No, it is just... I'm a little conflicted right now." I sit up, leaning against the back of the bed. "I don't really know anything anymore. I feel the attraction too. I mean, it would be impossible not to feel it. But it almost feels like there is something missing."
Nightly Howls Page 27
