A fallen star.
A blood-stained wolf.
He has never seen something so delicate in his world of cruelty and war.
A young woman wakes in the middle of a snowy forest, unable to remember anything at all, even her own name. In her vulnerable state, she is...
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An eerieness lurked in the room, suffocating me like smoke. I sat up, my eyes searching for something. Erasmus was no longer in the bed and it felt strange, it felt like I was the only living thing left alive. A sense of dread gripped my stomach as I slid off the bed, first few steps reminded me of the prickling cold of winter. Looking down, I saw snow, all the way up to my shins.
I stared for a few seconds before continuing to the door. As I reached the door, I felt a pull around my neck and I remembered the chain. But when I looked down, I saw long golden hair wrapped around my neck, tying me to the bed. As I lifted my hand to try and pull on it, I saw in my hand there was a golden dagger. It was small, but surely invaluable, encrusted with rubies and diamonds. The handle formed the shape of a lion.
Lifting the knife, I was able to cut through the hair with ease. And with that, I continued on through the snow. I turned the handle, pulling the door open before I paused. It led nowhere, literally. There was nothing but a black void beyond the door. I went to take a step back but felt myself collide with something. I spun around to see a woman. She was lovely, a soft glow emitting from her pearly skin and gleaming golden hair. She was petite yet curvy. And her eyes were an icy blue, a little frightening. And even though they were uncanny, she was simply stunning.
My awe was short-lasting, the feeling shifting to terror as she pushed her arms out, shoving me into the black abyss beyond the door. The feeling of falling gripped my stomach, a wail escaping me as I shut my eyes tight.
I sat up in the bed, my heart beating like a drum against my chest. I lifted my hand and gripped it, feeling it slow down slowly. I glanced to my side and found Erasmus. He looked a bit startled, if not worried. I let out a breath. Just a dream. I closed my eyes and leaned back with relief.
"You are such a troublesome girl." I heard a voice beside me. It wasn't Erasmus. My eyes flew open to see a man, who was definitely not Erasmus.
His skin and hair glowed golden, similarly to the blonde woman. His eyes were a shining amber, a perfect smile playing at his lips. Just seeing him made her whole body become tense. She couldn't even react as he pulled the golden knife from before from its sheath, plunging it into her chest.
Again, I pushed up off the bed, this time not without my aching body disagreeing with the movement. A feeling of dull pain and dizziness washed over me. I remembered that I was sick. This must be real then. I looked to my side again. Erasmus was gone, his spot cold. My aching joints protested, but I threw my legs over the side of the bed, scanning the surroundings. The room was well lit because light filtered in from a single window, yet it was enough to illuminate the whole room. I stood up slowly, my legs shaking beneath me, my vision fading to black for a moment. I moved my hand to the nightstand, unknowingly knocking something over with the sound of something shattering.
I felt my body giving out on me, yet, I had already fainted by the time I hit the floor. A second later, I opened my eyes to find Erasmus picking me up and laying me back on the bed. He frowned, his eyebrows lowering and pushing together, creating a line between them. Instinctively, I reached out, pressing my finger against it. His eyes softened a little as he shook his head.
"Kitti. Do not get up again." He grabbed my hand and put it back close to my body.
I drew in a deep breath and nodded a little, just staring at him. At least until I noticed another person enter the room. It was Mrs. Mavearas. She muttered an "oh dear" before picking up whatever I had knocked over in my moment of unconsciousness. I tilted my head over and saw I broke a cup that had been filled with water. It must have been the one Erasmus used to give me water in the night.
"I am sorry..." I whispered, weakly blinking as I did.
"Hush now, Kitti. It wasn't your fault. You're very ill." Erasmus sat on the side of the bed, pulling the blanket over me.
As he did before, he placed his large and rough hands onto my forehead, his touch careful. His eyes studied my face as he did, skipping from feature to feature. I could tell by the small, quick movements of his eyes. Immediately, I felt embarrassed under the gaze of Erasmus. His hand slowly shifted from my forehead to my cheek, which now held a bruise and small cut. I hadn't seen it yet, but I could feel it. It really hurt. I couldn't stop myself from wincing at his touching on it.
"My apologies." He mumbled and stood up. "Your temperature isn't as bad as last night. However, you're still very sick. Please be sure to stay in bed."
"Yes, Alpha Erasmus..." I nodded slightly before pausing a second and then continuing again. "Why did you come back again in the night?"
"You were crying in your sleep. I don't think you really understand how strong mate bonds are for werewolves..." He looked down at me with his rough red gaze again. "My wolf wouldn't allow me to let you be when you were screaming and crying. We were worried because we knew the sickness was dangerous to someone who isn't a wolf."
"Oh..." It was all I could think of saying for a second. "I was having a nightmare. Sicknesses like that do that sometimes?"
"Yes, sometimes." His eyes ran over me as he spoke slow, and it then became apparent to me that I was shaking like an earthquake.
"What did you dream of, Kitti?" He tilted his head.
I cold chill ran through my body as I thought about it. "It was.. odd. I don't quite remember it all.. but there was a woman.. and a man. The man stabbed me. The woman pushed me into an abyss."
I shook my head and turned my head away. It felt silly talking about my nightmare. It made me feel like a frightened child. Ignorant and dumb.
"I am sorry. It wasn't a big deal. It just frightened me." I finally said.
"You don't have to apologize for being scared." Erasmus shook his head and growled a bit. "But I will gladly rip anyone apart who makes you feel that way."
I didn't know what to say. I just stood there a second before leaning back into the pillow on the bed. My eyes ran to my mate again.
"I-I think broth will be enough for me right now..." I stammered.
Erasmus chuckled slightly and ruffled my hair before leaving the room again. I whined and turned on my side. He said that, yet I always found him to be the one frightening me.
