*18+ Sexual/Violence Content Warning - Read At Own Discretion*
A vicious smile touches his lips as he seems to read my intentions.
"I knew it was you. I knew you belonged to me."
***
For centuries an ancient treaty has kept werewolves out of A...
Groaning softly I sit up, rubbing a hand down my face tiredly.
It takes a few moments for my memories to find me again as I look around the grand hall. I can barely recall falling asleep, but the sharp ache in back and neck from lying on the flagstone floor is a brutal reminder that I spent the night here.
Looking around, I find Eldon slumped uncomfortably on the steps. His hand clutches the neck of the bottle, the last dregs of alcohol making my stomach churn.
Venn is a few feet from me, laying on his back, his expression slackened with sleep.
Outside rain still falls steadily. It's drenched the hall with a gloomy light. Nevertheless, the light has revealed more of the finer details of the manor, including how dreadfully ruined it is.
Shifting myself up to standing, I wince at the weight I put on my foot.
My one foot is bare but with Venn's shirt wrapped around it. The pain will take some getting used to, especially considering there is a three hour walk ahead of us.
Regardless, I'm going to take this time to see upstairs.
The upstairs is in far worse condition than down. Almost every window has been shattered, glass littering the floor like glittering sand. Tree branches have forced their way in, nature reclaiming it's space with a vengeance.
However, time has not yet stolen the grandiose of this place. I see it in every room I pass, ever parlour I glance into.
The house seems to guide me deeper, like it knows my intentions are to see the Alpha King's rooms.
It becomes apparent that I'm in his quarters very quickly. The colour of the walls deepen, even as it is faded by time. His quarters reveal themselves to me, and there is no questioning this was once fit for a King.
The main living space is bare, but a raised dais in the centre of the room, vaulted ceilings and massive sprawling windows that have since been gutted by the elements suggest this once housed a great man.
I find a claw foot tub in the bathroom and intricately painted and laid tiles. The bath is large enough to suggest the Alpha never bathed alone.
Picking my way carefully through the strewn glass, I find his bedroom.
The looters must have realised transporting his bed out of here would be basically impossible. It's wooden frame remains, draped with threadbare cloth that was once a sanguine red.
I let out a slow breath. I've dreamt of seeing this place for years, and although I knew it would be a glimpse into what it once was, I'm still awed.
"You shouldn't be up here."
I flinch, whirling around.
I didn't even hear Venn enter the room. His eyes look drowsy with sleep, but his expression is still hard. I slump against the doorframe, briefly confronted with the fact that I thought the Alpha King had somehow risen from the dead and was haunting this room.
"Shit— " I rest my hand against my chest, feeling it flutter below. "You scared me."
"The floorboards are unstable. You could injure yourself," he says flatly, pressing down on one beneath him that creaks in protest.
"Stop worrying so much," I dismiss, turning back. "I just wanted to see this room."
The gaping window reveals the true expanse of the forest, although it's shrouded in a dense cloud. A smattering of rain is gathering on the wood floor near the window, beating down on what is already rotting away.
Venn comes up beside me, his expression unreadable. "Why?"
"I don't know." I sigh wistfully. "For some reason when I envisaged seeing this place, I always wanted to ensure I saw his room."
It's impossible to explain to him, but this room feels like the beating heart of this manor. All seems to lead back to here, like it has been enshrined in magic and is luring me in to my demise.
"Thinking of being chosen as the Alpha King's bride and how often you'd be taken in this very room if you were," he asks abruptly, a smile toying at his lips.
I gape at him, my mouth slackened. "That's disgusting..."
Still, I drag my gaze back to the bed. Venn seemed so convinced there's a possibility I'll be selected by the Alpha King, and the thought is mortifying...
Yet, in another way, it's intriguing.
"Come on, I already checked upstairs for trace of Belle yesterday. It's not safe," he murmurs.
"I suppose we should be getting back. It's the final day tomorrow." I shudder, thinking of Belle out there somewhere. Hopefully she has found some ancient cave and is camping out until she knows it's safe.
We leave the room, allowing me to the shake off the phantom feeling of unease the place brings me.
"So I'm assuming you're definitely not leaving."
"Unless we walk back and Belle is in her home, fuming about all the cleaning we've done, then no," I say, rubbing the back of my neck.
This isn't ideal. My boss is going to be pissed, but hopefully they will understand how dire this situation is. Belle and I don't have parents, or any living relatives for that matter. We have each other, and although she wouldn't look for me were I missing, I'm not giving up on her.
A muscle in Venn's jaw ticks, his expression darkening. He sure is ready to get rid of me.
"You need to be prepared to be in the house for days, weeks. I'll sort you with some things," he says as less of an offer and more of something I have no choice but to accept.
"You don't have to do that..."
"You have other things to worry about," he reminds me softly, concern and pity bleeding through his tense expression.
The pounding of our feet down the stairs rouses Eldon. He leans up, letting out a stiff groan before shielding his eyes.
"Jesus, is the sun in here or something?"
"No Eldon. In fact, it's still raining," I mutter, reaching down to grab the bottle about to topple from his hand. He's going to have to carry this back with him, because I'm not letting him litter.
"Still?" He looks around, his bloodshot eyes taking in the space. "Wait...where the fuck are we?"
"Don't worry about it." Venn grabs the back of his shirt, forcing him to stand. "We need to get out of here."
The three hour walk back was pure torture.
The pain in my foot worsened until it became numb. Venn managed to help me back because Eldon was trailing behind us, stopping every now and again to throw up before demanding to know more about how we got where we were.
And to make matters worse, the rain didn't let up, even now, as we stand near Belle's car.
"I think my blisters have blisters, and my headache has a migraine," Eldon groans, slumping against the hood.
"Well I'm pretty sure my body has forgotten what dry feels like," I grumble, trying to pull my shirt off where it clings to my body like a second skin. It was miserable enough putting my damp clothing back on and my blood soaked shoe, and now it feels like I've been swimming in a lake.
Eldon leans up, scanning Venn's person.
"What about you, buddy?" He asks. "You're not even wearing a shirt."
"Don't call me buddy. And I'm fine," Venn mutters, running a hand through his wet strands.
Eldon holds his hands up defensively. "Okay then."
Both of our patience has reached its limit from Eldon's behaviour. At one point Venn was almost dragging him to get him to keep going, and the pep talks from me became redundant quick.
Lucky for Venn the tension looks good on him. It's not fair that the rain trails down the defined planes of his muscles so beautifully, that his hair manages to fall in an artful way, even when it's stuck to his forehead.
And he hasn't even shivered once, while I feel the cold all the way to my bones.
"I'll have someone come pick up Belle's car once we get home. My phone is dead flat," I mutter, not bothering to dig it from my pocket.
"Well, I'm heading back to mine to collect some supplies for you two." Venn backs toward his car. "You'll need a gun."
Eldon pales. "A gun?"
"Yes Eldon, a gun."
"Thank you, Venn. I need a shower. Desperately," I mutter, tugging my keys from my pocket. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage to press my foot into the accelerator, but I'm not trusting Eldon behind the wheel. He still looks a little drunk.
We bid Venn farewell and head back to Belle's. To my dismay she's not waiting for us at the table, demanding to know why it's so clear of junk.
I shower first, then while Eldon does I treat the cut on my ankle and bandage it before tossing back some painkillers.
With clothing soaked through, I'm left rifling through Belle's closet for something. I choose a dark green sweater that has a bundle of flowers stitched onto the front.
When I emerge from her room, Eldon is drying his hair with a towel.
He glances over me. "Is that yours?"
"It's Belle's. I didn't bring enough warm clothing to wear." I wrap my arms around myself. "It smells like her."
It smells like nights together in the same bed, hugging each other while we fell asleep to the sound of our parents arguing. It smells like sitting outside in the forest together, picking wildflowers while we dream up the most imaginative futures.
"Are you okay?" Eldon asks softly as I sink into the couch, the dull ache of grief overcoming me.
I press my hands to my face, trying to force back the tears as my throat burns in protest. I can't cry, not yet. Not when I don't yet have answers on what happened to her.
"I didn't think I would miss her...now I'm envisaging her lost in the woods, or murdered," I grit out.
Eldon wraps his arm around me, tugging me close. Despite his comfort I can't shake the images of Belle dead or injured.
I would sacrifice anything just know, in this moment, that she is okay.
"It's more likely she left town, for whatever reason. I'm sure she will contact Lilith soon and we can go home," Eldon consoles gently, rubbing my back tenderly.
"You really don't need to stay." I meet his gaze. "You'll be in a lot of danger staying here."
"I'm not letting anything happen to you." He kisses the side of my head before falling silent.
We have been together nearly an entire year and Eldon has yet to tell me he loves me. I'm not sure it comes from, as he harbours no past trauma, and doesn't appear to have commitment issues. Regardless, I don't push it. I know he cares about me.
For the rest of the day we nurse our blisters and relax on the couch.
There will be no more going out soon. Tomorrow is the last full day before the treaty expires, and the werewolves return. If Belle isn't back by then, Eldon and I will be stuck here for the foreseeable future.
Night draws in far earlier than expected, a bitter reminder that winter will soon be here. Not long after dusk settles, gravel crunches outside before a pair of headlights fill the house with vivid light.
"That will be Venn dropping off supplies," I exclaim, jumping up.
When I open the door Venn is half hanging out the car, gesturing at me.
"Get in. We're going to the supermarket and you're choosing what food you prefer. Bring Eldon," he commands.
"Alright."
Once I've shoved on some shoes, secured Eldon and my wallet, we jump into Venn's car. I sit in the front passenger side, trying not to feel too envious being in such a lavish car with black leather seats.
We pull out onto the road from the driveway, the headlights illuminating the towering trees.
"Admittedly there isn't much to choose from. Suppliers won't be coming in until they think it's safe, and most people have looted what's good," Venn explains, glancing in his rearview mirror at Eldon.
"Anything will do," I mumble.
We pull into town, only to see most of the businesses have boarded their windows and wound thick silver chains around doorhandles. It's an eerie sight, especially when seeing Roxxie's is in a similar state.
Everyone is prepared for the werewolves return.
The small town supermarket comes into view, however, Venn sails straight past it, staring blankly ahead into the night.
"Did a new place start up around here?" I question, looking back over my shoulder at the departing building.
Venn's hands tighten around the wheel. "No."
"Then where are we going?" I ask warily, scanning his face. His expression reveals little, although I see his determination is his hardened jaw and narrowed eyes.
He doesn't even glance in my direction. "I'm driving you two back to the city."
"What?" I sit up.
"I'll pack up your stuff and have someone drive your car back to you when it's safe," he exclaims, pressing down in the accelerator a little deeper. "You need to go home."
I stare at him, dumbfounded. Then I look out the window, at the trees whizzing past, a blur of shadow and dark, endless green. We are barrelling for the town border, Venn's intent painfully clear.
"What about Belle?" I demand, glancing at a mortified looking Eldon in the backseat.
Venn looks at me for a second, his eyes softening. "I'll find her. I promise."
"No...I need to stay," I insist desperately, looking frantically for a way to make this stop. "Seriously Venn, turn around!"
I realise I'm yelling, but I don't care. I can't let him take me home, not yet. I won't be able to sleep, eat or even breathe until I'm back trying to find her. Being in the city won't so me any good at all.
"I care too much about you." His face is a dark storm. "I won't let you get wrapped up in something you can't come back from."
"I'm not going to be picked by the Alpha King...I know I'm not!" I snap.
This is ridiculous. How could he think that? I'm certain my path won't even cross with the man.
Venn winces, his speed increasing. "You will. Don't ask me how I know, I just do."
I gape at him. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"Come on man, turn around," Eldon insists anxiously, his fingers digging deep into the leather seats.
We turn a corner, coming up to the town sign and the exit toward the city. However, blue and red flashing lights appear in the distance. Venn decreases his speed, realising police cars have been parked haphazardly across the road, along with solid cement roadblocks.
Venn swears under his breath, pulling to a stop before winding his window down.
"What's going on, officer," he questions as one comes up to the window. He bends down slightly, shining his flashlight into the car.
"Road's closed," he grumbles.
Venn shakes his head. "I need to get these two out of town before midnight tomorrow."
"No one leaves now. All routes in and out of town have been blocked for everyone's safety," the officer exclaims, poking that annoying little light into the backseat, illuminating Eldon's face.
"You seriously can't let us through?" The frustration in Venn's tone is building with every word he utters.
"It's taken my men a lot of time to get everything under control. I can't let you out."
I watch Venn's knuckles pale as he clutches the steering wheel tighter. "You can't keep us here."
"You can leave in a few days, when it's deemed safe. An alert will be put out over radio, folks," the officer states for what is probably the fiftieth time tonight. "There could be stray werewolves near the borders edge. This is for your protection."
Venn curses again as the officer backs away, returning to his vehicle.
"Turn around, Venn, and take us back to Belle's," I command steadily.
He sighs through his nose, slowly reversing. "I guess I don't have another choice."
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Hey everyone, thank you so much for reading this story, it means a lot!
If you want to read ahead at any point, you can read this story 10 chapters ahead on Radish and 15 chapters ahead on Inkitt (:
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