My eyes slowly fluttered open taking in the sun that had filtered through the billowing curtains.
Ain't no way
I flew up in a sitting position,finally noticing the couch I was laid on as well as the blanket that had now piled up around my waist.
I blinked, then rubbed the sleep from my eyes before I heard the front door open and clothes.
When I looked up, my heart stopped for a second and tiny but excited butterflies fluttered inside of my stomach. And without a second to waste,I rushed from where I was at, jumping into his arms.
My body collided into his and I felt the warmth and security that came with being in his arms.
Oh how I missed this.
Oh how I miss him...
His arms circled me in a passionate hold, something that caught me by surprise however I didn't dwell on it, only wanting to revel in his touch.
I remained in his embrace for a moment long enough for him to feel my longing before pulling away.
"How did I- how did I get here?" I asked smiling and looking up at him from an ant eye view. I had no idea I would be seeing him soon.
"Did you come for me?" I continued, still in daze of how I got here. He took my chin in between his fingers, lifting my face to meet his eyes.
"I will always come for you Skyler, no one will have you separated from me for too long. No one" And I could hear the promise and adamance laced tightly in his tone.
"I'm so happy to hear tha-" but before I could continue he dipped his head and captured my lips.
At first I was struck dumb, and my legs instantly became jello. His thick hand gripped my waist, bringing my body closer. There was no way I could deny his intense intoxication.
He moved from my lips and trailed his mouth, down the side of my face, leaving butterfly kisses all the way down to the mark that was on my neck.
I moaned involuntarily feeling my lower stomach turn into a furnace as I was pressed deeper in his arms.
He stopped briefly, giving me time to breathe and pressing his forehead against mine, as we stood cuddled up in an unbreakable embrace.
"Let's have a picnic, I want to spend my time appreciating your presence. Something I have taken for granted in the past..."
That mere sentence, even though was meant to make me feel elated, did quite the opposite. It made me feel hurt, something I had been suppressing for so long.
That's all I was to be honest. Someone people took for granted.
I took a step back, wanting to slip my way out of his hold, with hopes that my face hadn't given any sign of what I was feeling inside.
"I'll go and prepare then" I managed to say, barely above a whisper while turning and walking away.
Once outside his office, I closed the door and rested my forehead against the door, taking a deep breath to calm the storm of emotions that had taken me captive.
Breathe Sky, breathe.
Things will change for the better
I told myself, finally turning around to head to the kitchen. However I was left flabbergasted, and my stomach plummeted.
I felt physically sick, and the need to throw up made itself known, with the passing second.
It was like I had stepped in a completely different room, or rather a completely different dimension. Ares office that I was coming out of was no longer there, and the door I was supposedly leaning against was substituted for a concrete wall.
But that wasn't what was terrifying. It was the ghastly figures that formed an audience infront of me.
Their eyes were sunken so deep in their skull, it appeared more of two black holes that was a great contrast against their rice water skin.
They were all...ghosts
My legs felt weak, as if the mobility in them were being sucked away. Then they did the unexpected. They all began to speak.
It was nothing but whispers. But the sound of their voices grated against my ear. It was a living nightmare.
I screamed out, covering my ears with my hands, wanting nothing but to get away.
And I did...
My body jolted forward, as I woke from my sleep. Cold sweat washed me and I had to take a few calming breaths to relieve my pounding heart.
What the hell is happening with me. These occurrences were becoming too regular. First Primrose, the woman in the forest, now this.
The woman in the forest...
I let that thought sink further than I'd want it to. Letting it disregard the other alarming events that took place yesterday leading up to this point.
"How dare you standing here acting dumb as if one of your men didn't try to rape her last night" Cyrus argued from outside my room and from his tone, I knew he was pissed.
"That speculation is of little importance to me, what I am interested in however, is speaking with her to confirm the happenings of last night" Frederic stated monotonously and I was momentarily robbed of my breath.
"The hell you are, just wait until Ares find out about this, he'll turn your face into a fucking mosquito repellant" Cyrus countered and Frederic went silent on the other side of the door. After a moment, I heard retreating footsteps and Cyrus entered the room I was in.
I hadn't fully taken in where I was. The room seemed a bit aged and unused but well maintained, as if the only thing that was done to it was that it was cleaned every now and then, but aesthetically pleasing, nonetheless.
I got the impression that this room was once for someone.
Cyrus stopped at the end of the bed and I sat straight, anticipating his next words. Even though Frederic had not argued with Cyrus about seeing me, something in me knew it was only a matter of time before I was left alone and he would come waltzing in to question to me. And that prospect scared me.
"I see that you're awake-
'Is he dead?" I blurted out, cutting him off. I looked up to see his brows knitting together as if he was surprised to hear me even ask that. "The werewolf from last night, is he dead?"
"No" He stated in mildly controlled tone. " But he's gonna wish he was"
I rolled over on my side so he wouldn't have to see my face, becoming acutely aware of how overwhelmed I was with emotions.
My stomach sank at his admission, not sure if was because he was still alive or at the thought of him telling Frederic or Cyrus what had happened.
"Why am I here Cyrus?" I sobbed silently, curling my body into a ball and biting my lips to stop myself from whimpering. "I dont want to be here...at this wretched court, among these wretched people."
I've heard horrible things about the Werewolf court, from other slaves of course. It operated on death and despair, corruption and injustice. A place not suitable for a person like me to be at.
Cyrus came around to the side I was facing and sat on the edge of the bed below my feet.
"I'm not sure how to say this in a way to make you understand or to alleviate the unhappiness that you are feeling...
Ares is power, uncontrollable power, and the Court wants it. Ares is the kind of man that cannot be manipulated, nor does he bend to the will of anyone, and that goes for the Court. And because of this reality, he is revered as a God among the supernatural...they fear what they cannot control.
As a means to counter this fear, and the need for power they settle for the next best thing to get power over him-"
"Me" I stated, my voice sounding hoarse to my own ears.
"Right..." he trailed off.
"But that's not how they want it to seem, they see it as a small price to pay for the great sins he has committed. Even he agreed to give up his mate to the Court back then. Just a small sacrifice for the greater good"
"He did what?" I said sitting up quickly, not sure if I heard him correct. I mean, I had come to terms that he sent me here for my own safety and for peace. But hearing Cyrus perspective, it almost seemed as if Ares deliberately agreed to send me here to atone for his own sins, without a care on my part.
How selfish and very typical of him.
" I know it sounds crazy" He said defensively, turning to face me. "But the nature of it all would only confuse you... Ares wasn't supposed to have a mate, hence why even agreed to their terms, hell, even I thought so myself. And it still puzzles him to this day"
I didn't question further but internalize all he had just said. I wanted to hate Ares for all that had happened to me, but I couldn't, so I sat with the confliction bubbling in my chest.
With the prospect of seeing ghosts and gaining some more insight, this dilemma seems to be unfolding for the worst. And I fear this is just the beginning of it.
My stomach rumbled with the need for, and I was sure Cyrus heard it, from the way his lips curved up in a soft smile.
"I'll go get something for you to eat, I don't want Ares to chop off my head at the thought of not getting you food."
I smiled back at him, and even let out a little chuckle. He lingered, staring at me, the soft smile that was on his face transformed into one of sympathy, as if he was sympathetic of the innocence that I had.
He finally left and I went to take a shower.
When I came out, it was just in time to hear Cyrus opening and closing the door. I didn't look at him as he walked in, too occupied with looking for a towel in the closet to dry my wet hair.
"You can leave it on the table in the corner right there" I told him over my shoulder, moving to the dressing table to pick up a lone hair tie that I had saw.
I didn't hear him move so I turned around to face him, Frederic stood at the door, his eyes, two deadly frost blades narrowing sharply at me.
A silent dread lodged itself in my heart at the sight of him instead of Cyrus. I had known he would come, but not so soon.
He stood with his legs shoulder length apart and both his hands firmly tucked behind him.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded harshly, but I was only met with silence and the turning of the lock.
He locked us in.
"You know for a slave, you are pretty mouthy" He began, pushing himself forward and walking to the middle of the room.
"What. Do. You. Want?" I stated again, this time more annoyed. It made me uncomfortable knowing he was deterring from what he truly came for and that made me nervous.
"You know what I want, and I'm not leaving until you tell me everything that happened last night" He answered grimly and his expression remaining stoic.
I turned to stop facing him, strangled by my thoughts and at war with telling him the truth or half truth. He would think I'm mad.
"Isn't it pretty clear, your man tried to rape me last night, now stay the hell away from me"
I heard him walk off and by the time I turned around to face where he was once mere seconds ago, he was already standing in front of me and his large meaty hands gripping my neck and pulling it up to his face.
He stared down at me with a ferocious glare.
"I will not go easy on you if you think of lying through your teeth once more, and not because Ares is your mate means I won't hurt you in the worst of ways. So Im going to say this again, what happened"
"As I said, he tried to rape me goddammit!" I barked feeling his grip tighten around my throat.
His fingers dug deep in to the skin of my neck. He spun us around, slamming my body on the bed and hovering over me.
"Bullshit, do you think me, or the court will believe a frail girl like you could lift a 400-pound log and knock out a werewolf. A werewolf! Come on now, no one will believe that shit. Tell me what you are because I'm beginning to feel you are not human."
A solid shiver ran through me at his declaration. My response felt tight in my throat, in fact, I couldn't come up with a good excuse as I hadn't thought this through.
"You're right..." I uttered suddenly that even I surprised myself. "I tapped into my telekinetic abilities to throw the log and knock him out" I continued with a smile breaking out on my face, feigning sarcasm.
It worked...
He looked at me as if I had lost my mind, easing up from over me, and I rolled from beneath him to the other side of the bed. From where he stood, I could see the anger radiating from him in huge waves, and if the situation at hand wasn't so grave, I might have laughed.
"This is not over yet" He said, gathering himself as he spoke. Looking at me with something akin to a furious scorn. "I will find out what you are hiding so dearly, but by then I will not fail to remind you that you do not belong on this earth, in this Court...in this room. Or alive with that rotten mate of yours.
And when that day comes, I'll see to it that your soul may miserably roam the wastelands for eternity. I'll be back..."
"And I hope if that day comes, your words aren't so much so filled with empty threats. Because that's all that they are" I countered with equal aggression.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out"
The door slammed shut after I said that and I flinched at the sound. Well at least he didn't keep it a secret that he hated me, but I couldn't control my own anger.
I felt suffocated after his departure. His hatred towards me was confusing. I could understand why he would hate Ares, as everyone seemed to hate him. But I on the other hand, I had not a clue.
Rage bubbled in my veins, and I had no idea who are what to direct it to. I stomped over to the only window in my room that overlooked the thick forest to get some fresh air.
As I flung open the windows, I heard the flapping of wings then I saw it as it perched on a branch on a tree near my window. When it hooted, it confirmed my curiosity.
It was the same owl that used to be outside my window back at Ares's place. But it couldn't be could it. There was no way it followed me here. The owl cocked its head to side, looking at me at an odd angle.
I learned forward, to study it closer. Something I hadn't until now. Near its chest, was a distinct white spot on its feathers that came out in a the form of a crescent moon.
How very strange, I thought.
"Are you following me?" I whispered to it, feeling the hair on the nape of my neck tingling as if it would have said something in return but instead, it hooted and flew off.
The sudden movement startled me, causing me to step backwards quickly which led to the back of my legs slamming against a nearby table in the room.
"Skyler" I heard someone called in a faint tone and I gasped, snapping my neck in the direction of the sound.
There, hovering in the shadowed corner of my room stood Primrose. Her grey-white figure a great contrast to the darkened area.