The room held in the darkest parts of herself. She could make them out in the dark, an inky smoke–her fears, her weaknesses, her past. But why did she feel this overwhelming gloom?
Someone sat with his head low to her. Ivy-green eyes softly humming in the dark. He took her hand in the warmth of his palms. "I'm sorry," he said. "Please wake up" She felt him slowly let go.
Her eyes snapped open.
How was she in her bedroom?
She felt her head.
It seemed she couldn't recall the events that followed her being in her bedroom…Wait. This wasn't her bedroom. This scent of herbs and sterile stone clung to the air. She recognised it now–the Healer's Hollow.
Beside her, a young man with his chest wrapped up in a white cast, lay on his back.
"Callum?" Her voice trembled.
And then it came to her. All the memories of last night. Callum had been like a lifeless body unclaimed by the roadside. His shirt was thrashed and torn to shreds, hanging on his body like a rag. His face was marred by multiple bloodied scratches. Blood seeped like a stream from where he lay to her feet. He was so pale. No sign of Lucian anywhere.
Tears flooded her eyes. Her chest heaved and she brought her hand to her mouth as she sobbed.
Maybe he hadn't even woken up at all. It was all like some fever dream.
A sudden movement caught her eye. Her heart seized. A pointy object glinted, hovering dangerously close to her pupils. A needle. She stilled her body; one wrong move and she could blind herself.
Glancing again, she saw the mascot, an effigy, crude in design, aiming the needle at her eye, and, as the tremor of her chest overtook her, she latched onto the gloved hands of the mascot bearer, grabbing on firmly like hot glue. A silent struggle ensued. His hands quaked under her vice-like grip. Underneath, a lock of hair strayed from the mascot, white and threading with age.
Her forehead moistened. "Who-who are you?" she breathed.
"Stay still now" he crooned, predatory. "This will only take a minute"
Finally, she surmounted him in strength, forcing the needle away from her face with a heavy grunt. The cot jerked as she rolled over to the other side, scrambling upright. But the man was gone.
No. It couldn't be. She must be going mad. Her fingers reached to feel her eye. The same eye the needle had almost come in contact with. Her eyes fluttered rapidly. No hurt. But he had been right there. She had just salvaged her sense of sight. He really had been right there.
A shaky chuckle escaped her lips. She collapsed back into the cot. She was lucid dreaming. Nothing to worry about. Just another nightmare. Her eyes smiled close.
But rest was only a recharge for the reality awaiting her. By morning, she had to face her imminent fate with Lucian and the coming feast of the Moonlit Ritual. If only she could be asleep forever.
The Betas in their white aprons and black frocks, went about in a mad frenzy arranging platters and torches.
The cousins had arrived; Erwin, Nadia, and Floyd, all paternal cousins. All contact with their mother's side had been cut short with their mother's disappearance. It was well over a decade now.
"And what happened to you?" Erwin came close to Callum's face. His expression twisted at the sight.
Callum braced himself for the questions. He had stared back at his face in the mirror. Dried blood stains along his cheeks. His lips, a coppery taste. A corner of his mouth tore painfully when he spoke. A purple pigment surrounded his throbbing eye.
But despite this, he'd beat Lucian's ass again, given another chance. Anything for Selena's cause.
Nadia gasped. "Oh my goodness, Cal, what happened?"
"I uhh…I got attacked"
Erwin held his face. He tilted it from side to side "By what, cats?"
"Even worse…Bears"
"Ahh, I see" he moved away from his face. His arms folded across his chest. "Bears like your brother, maybe" he smirked.
"Maybe"
"Don't you guys change?"
"Please. It's only been a month since you last saw me"
"Which is plenty of time for change"
"Why'd you fight this time?" Nadia asked him.
His gaze shifted. Across the hall, Selena stood by herself at the corner, a glass in hand, her feet unseen under her black dress, her coal-dark hair falling beautifully on her shoulders. Her eyes met his.
"And who's that?" Erwin followed his gaze.
He took in a shaky breath "Lucian's mate"
Placing the glass down, she turned towards the exit.
"Well she's not much of a talker," Erwin muttered.
"She's not happy"
"And how would you know"
He didn't reply. Instead, he excused himself, trailing after Selena. The cast itched against his skin, his ribs prodded at his insides. Every movement made him wince.
He couldn't be present for most of the feast. He had only wished to meet his cousins. Actually, he wasn't sure about that either.
She'd led him up the narrow stairs to the attic.
Sunlight filtered in through the square window of the attic where she stood, reflecting the gold onto the floor.
Her back was to him. "Why did you follow me here?"
"Selena, we can still make this work"
"It's impossible" Her voice lowered. "I'm Lucian's mate now"
"But you love me". His hands circled her waist, pulling her to him.
She avoided his gaze.
"We love each other, don't we?" His lips brushed her neck.
Her breath caught in her throat. "It doesn't matter"
His lips finally crashed into hers. "He can't have you, Selena" his breath fanned her nose. Her arms wrapped around his neck, surrendering and taking him in whole.
He slipped his hands underneath her dress, lifting her against him as she locked her legs around him.
"Let's run away. You and me…Someplace faraway"
Grabbing her thighs, he put her against the wall. He held her arms over her head. Her heart thundered against her chest as he buried more wet kisses on her neck.
"What do you say?"
Click!
The door to the attic flew open. They froze.
Selena slammed her hands into his chest, shoving him back hard enough to stumble.