Shifters - The king of wolves - Book 1

CHAPTER 12 - BOUND BY DESTINY

I was enveloped in a cocoon of blissful ease. The fabric hugging my skin was soft, making me feel like I was drifting on a cloud. I felt safe. At peace.

The first thing I noticed upon awakening was the expansive stained glass ceiling, decorated with colourful images of several animals. Sunlight spilt through the many windows around me, causing my eyes to narrow from the light. My mind was in a daze. Where am I?

"Esmara." My gaze drifted towards the source of the sound. Egon was sitting in a chair beside the bed I was lying in. Deep, dark circles were noticeable beneath his eyes. His hair was sticking out in all directions as if someone had been tugging it continuously. He looked exhausted. I had never seen a shifter, let alone a Lycan, in such a defeated state.

As his hand enveloped mine, a pleasant tingling sensation shot up my arm. I stared at our hands in amazement. What was that?

I noticed the stark contrast in the size of our hands. Mine seemed almost fragile against his.

"How do you feel?" Egon's voice mirrored his weariness.

My eyes met his once more. Despite his obvious exhaustion, he looked at me with a sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. I tried to wrap my head around what was going on. To understand why he was sitting there, studying me with that expression. But my mind was still not working properly, reluctant to cooperate.

"Confused," I answered truthfully as I took in the room in awe, my disorientation didn't hinder me from being captivated by its sheer beauty. The room was completely white, from the walls to the furniture. Yet bright colours danced around the room, emanating from the countless stained glass windows. It transformed the plain room into something magical. 'Where are we?'"

"The Tower of Gesunthian," Egon replied as his thumb traced soothing circles on my hand, sending continuous delightful shivers up my arm. The sensation intrigued me. I had never experienced something like it before. Nevertheless, I chose to set it aside for the moment and turned to Egon with raised eyebrows, seeking further clarification about our location.

Noticing my expression, he continued. "Shifters turn to this place if they are in need of special medical assistance. It's managed by Naguals."

My eyes widened in shock. I could feel the blood drain from my face as I sat up abruptly. His words seemed to meld together, making it hard to process what he was saying as my attention was fixated solely on the last word he had uttered; Naguals.

Naguals are shifters who originate from the Southern Islands. Their land is only accessible by ship and therefore I'd never encountered one before. Nonetheless, the stories about them were always a vivid part of my childhood.

I've heard countless times about how the Naguals can control and influence your thoughts. Where you might become their puppet, obediently carrying out their every whim as long as they see fit. They have the power to torment you ceaselessly, both day and night until your sanity begins to slip away.

Since I never actually met one I could fear these shifters from afar. However, now it seemed that I was closer to them than ever before.

I made an effort to reassure myself that not all Werewolves and Lycans I knew didn't align with the stories I'd been told either and that maybe this was the same case for the Naguals. Yet, the fear was already seeping in as an unwelcomed guest, inching its way through me.

Egon, noticing my growing discomfort cupped my face with his warm hands. The blissful shocks emanating from his touch began to ground my fear immediately. "Shh, It's alright. You don't need to be afraid." Egon spoke, his voice just as soothing as his touch and my breathing slowly steadied.