Chapter 9-Amias' POV
When I heard the symphony of howls, I knew that they’d done it. They’d caught Azula.
Rage unlike any I’d ever known made me see red.
I wanted to kill that fucking bastard of an Alpha. I wanted to tear the skin from his body just to watch him writhe, and then, when he’d beg me to stop, I’d cut off his balls and feed them to him. I’d peel off his skin with my claws to show everyone what he was really like on the inside. Only then would I show him the mercy of killing him.
I smiled darkly as I imagined the scene, so caught up in my thoughts that I almost didn’t hear the distant chatter outside that was growing steadily closer. When the noise finally breached the dark veil of my thoughts, I jerked as if struck, snapping out of my daydream.
I tuned into the noise, picking up a lot of meaningless chatter about the upcoming feast and visiting pack. I also picked up a few mutterings about a certain female putting up more of a fight than they’d expected.
I growled. Damn it. They really had caught her. My heart started pounding hard at having my suspicions confirmed.
This was all my fault.
Guilt ate at me, demanding my attention, but I pushed it back. I didn’t want to deal with that now. Not when I could be doing better things with my time. Like finding out what the fuck was going on out there. Damn this circle to the fiery pits of hell. I should be out there to protect her from them! I could only imagine what she was going through.
I tensed as the smell of vanilla washed over me. She was here.
Azula didn’t seem to be saying anything. Was she alright? Had they hurt her? What had they done to get her here? Would she ever forgive me? My heart twisted when I imagined her beautiful face scrunched up in pain, blood leaking from an unseen wound... She was my angel, my delicate rose petal, even if I knew nothing about her. She was mine. I protected what was mine. But I couldn’t fucking protect her from in here!
“Take her to the smallest cave,” Reynolds’ voice commanded. That was the cave next to mine! Maybe I could try and communicate with her...
Her intoxicating scent grew stronger as I presumed she was taken to the cave. There was a soft thud as I assumed they dumped her body. Bastards. Would it kill them to be gentle with my little mate?
A snarl sounded moments later as a coppery tang filled my mouth and the air. They’d made her bleed? My fists clenched convulsively as I struggled to remain calm.
I listened in to all the happenings of her cave, the murderous rage growing within me. How dare he? How dare that fucking Alpha touch what’s mine? How dare he talk to her in such a way? I was the only one who could know her passions. Me. Not him.
The images of what he could have done to her swirled around and around in my head. My hands clutched at my hair and pulled, trying desperately to dislodge the images. But they stayed.
Did she enjoy his attentions? Would she rather it him that touched her than I?
I sniffed, glad that I couldn’t smell her desire. But when the putrid stench of his arousal teased my nostrils, I lost it. Aku, who had been pacing inside me with barely controlled fury, burst from my skin.
For once, the change actually hurt like hell, although it lasted for all of a second. This change was different from all the others, for it was born from a rage greater than the Moon itself. There was nothing gentle about the shift, just a horrible burning sensation as everything changed inside me, the crack of bones combining with my roar of rage as fur sprouted all over.
I clawed at the ground, the air, myself. Anything to try and get this fury out of my system. But there was no stopping me, especially when I heard Azula’s quiet sobbing.
Each cry from her throat twisted the anger inside me so tightly, I couldn’t make a sound. I dug my claws into my head, uncaring of the pain even as blood trickled down into my eyes. I shook it hard, sending little red droplets flying. They splashed down into the mud, a symbol of all that’s wrong in the world.
My claws dug into the ground. I imagined it was the Alpha’s flesh.
The world spun around me. My vision blurred. Darkness. Pain. Fire. Hatred.
My fault. My own fucking fault.
Suddenly, I jumped up from my spot on the ground and barrelled into the barrier of the circle.
I bounced back off it and fell to the floor. Pain. So much pain. It burned me from the inside out, leaving no part of me untouched. Nothing was sacred.
As I writhed on the floor, images of Azula hurting, crying, in pain tormented me, and I couldn’t help but think, ‘I deserve this.’
It hardly noticed when the ground came rushing towards my face. The whole world went black.
***
Azula's POV
After what felt like a lifetime, my sobs finally ceased. My eyes were sore from crying, and my body felt dirty. Unclean. I’d scrubbed at the revolting substance on my stomach, so desperate to remove the Alpha’s claim on me. Even though it no longer scarred my skin, I could still feel it there. Could still smell it. A declaration to all that I was his little pet. His plaything.
That thought was enough to make me curl in a ball and retch. Nothing came out, but I knew if there’d been something in my stomach, it would have.
When I was finally done, I slumped to the floor, exhausted. My throat burned and my tummy growled, demanding food.
Doing my best to ignore my pleading, aching body, I fell into a fitful sleep. Images of Amias danced behind my eyes, bringing with them a confusing swirl of emotions.
Lust. Hurt. Confusion.
Even in sleep, I argued with myself. How could I feel lust for him after everything he’d done? He’d looked me in the eye and lied right to my face. There was no greater treachery than that.
But despite my mind’s objections, my heart didn’t seem to care. And evidently, my heart was the one controlling the dream, because it showed me images that sent a spike of desire rushing through me.
Amias and I were alone in a large meadow, the sweet sound of silence filling my ears. We were surrounded by long grass, the scent of it filling my nostrils, although it was nothing compared to Amias’ intoxicating smell.
I was lying on my back, and Amias was on top of me, straddling my waist. I could feel the heat emanating from his body and wrapping itself around mine, awakening a yearning that brought me to my knees.
This close, I could see the flecks of gold in Amias’ hazel eyes as Aku rose up within him. They burned with intent as he lowered his mouth to mine.
Unlike his Alpha’s kiss, Amias’ awoke a burning desire deep inside me. Every movement he made stroked the fire to new heights, until I was arching my back for more.
Amias smiled against my mouth and kissed me harder. My hands tangled in his hair of their own accord, desperately trying to pull him closer. Anything to try and assuage the growing ache inside.
But then the scene changed.
Amias and I were no longer alone. Nor were we in the meadow. We had somehow been transported to Reynolds’ camp.
I stood in the centre of the clearing, blinking in confusion. I looked around for Amias, but I couldn’t see him anywhere. What I did see chilled me to the bone. Cold fear consumed me.
Men.
They were everywhere, lurking in the shadows of the trees, grinning at me. Their eyes glinted dangerously in the moonlight as thunder cracked above. A thin sheet of rain began to pour down.
“She’s mine,” a horribly familiar voice said. Shivers wracked my body.
Slowly, I turned, dread exploding within me when I saw Alpha Reynolds stalking towards me. But that wasn’t what made my heart skip a beat.
What made my heart break in two was the fact that Amias was standing behind the advancing Alpha. His hazel eyes no longer held passion but cool detachment. They hurt me more than anything else ever had. My breath began to come in pants.
“You didn’t really think I wanted you, did you?” he asked mockingly, a sneer twisting his beautiful face. I shuddered at his words, but said nothing, simply staring. I didn’t even care that the Alpha was right in front of me now. I couldn’t seem to tear my gaze away from Amias.
“Why would I give up everything I ever knew for you of all people?” he continued, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against a tree. “You mean nothing to me.”
“B-but you’re m-my mate,” I whispered, shame scolding me when a tear spilled onto my cheek and my voice stuttered.
“Mate?” he scoffed. “You’re not worthy of the title.”
With that, he turned and disappeared into the forest. Another crack of thunder rocked the clearing. The rain fell harder. My tears fell with it.
I looked around the clearing again, startled when my eyes connected with a painfully familiar figure hiding in the darkness.
“Dad?” I choked out, taking a step around Reynolds to see clearer, not turning back when Reynolds grabbed my wrist and yanked me to a stop.
A sneer consumed Dad’s face. “I told you, Azula,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I fucking told you. All I do is try and protect you!” His voice was growing louder with every word. “And how do you repay me? You walk out and leave me-“
“I was going to come back!”I cried, unable to stand the hatred radiating off him. One of my tears trickled into my mouth, its salty taste washing over me.
“Well what use is that now?” he roared. “Now you can’t come back, can you? I told you not to trust him and you didn’t listen.” His voice turned eerily quiet. “Now you can suffer the consequences.”
He turned and left the same way Amias had, not once looking back at me, even as I called out for him to stop.
“Forget about them, Azula,” Reynolds murmured, snagging my other wrist and forcing me flush against him. “You’re mine now.”
I struggled uselessly. “I will never be yours,” I spat, my voice thick from crying.
“But you already are,” he muttered.
“No!” I shouted, my eyes flashing open.
My chest heaved with my erratic breaths. Sweat dampened my skin, plastering my hair to my face and neck.
‘It’s just a dream, Azula. It’s not real. It’s not real,’ I chanted over and over, trying to calm my pounding heart. I closed my eyes again and counted to ten, breathing deeply through my nose.
“Bad dream?” a voice asked, startling me.
I was on my feet in an instant, legs and arms automatically shifting to a defensive stance. My eyes scanned the cave, narrowing on the werewolf shaped shadow sitting by the wall.
“Shit Dobry!” I muttered, flopping back down again when my panicked mind finally registered his voice, “you scared the hell out of me!”
“Language!” Dobry scolded, shaking his head. “What did you dream about?”
“Er, not much,” I murmured, moving myself so my back was against the wall, a mirror position to his. I cuddled my legs to my chest.
I could sense rather than see Dobry’s smile. “Dreams are funny things, aren’t they? You think you know where they’re going, and then BOOM! It goes and changes. Sometimes, a single moment is all it takes.”
“You dream a lot?” I asked.
The silhouette shook its head. “Not anymore. The war was finally won, hence, there was no reason for the battle to continue.”
I frowned. “I don’t understand. What war?”
“It is the war that exists within all of us, child. It’s the endless conflict between one’s conscious and unconscious mind. Both are trying so desperately to be heard, but you may only heed one at a time. They would do anything to slaughter the other into nonexistence, just so they would be obeyed a little longer. It’s a battle of wills within oneself, a gritty, bloody massacre that will never truly be won. Not until you learn to listen. Not argue, but just listen to both what your heart and your head wants.”
I was silent for a few moments as I digested what Dobry had said.
“Did you?” I asked quietly, leaning my head back against the wall and closing my eyes.
“Did I what, dear?”
“Did you learn how to listen to them both?” Dobry paused for so long, I opened my eyes to peer at him.
“In a sense,” he finally replied. “But there will always be the temptation to ignore or hide from the truth.” Dobry jumped to his feet, dusting off his hands. “What can I say?” He shrugged. “Sometimes, I digress.”
“That’s not the only time you’re tempted hide, is it?” I asked, giving him a pointed look. Dobry’s eyes widened in an attempt to appear innocent.
“Whatever do you mean?” He batted his eyelashes for effect.
“Why do you hide behind misconceptions?” I couldn’t help but ask.
Dobry sighed. “Sometimes, it’s easier to behave as you’re expected to. Life is simpler that way.”
I watched as Dobry made his way to the exit, his feet not making a sound against the cold stone.
“Sweets dreams, Azula,” he whispered before he was engulfed in darkness.
***
Heya, I'm back with another chapter! :) I'm not really a fan of this chapter; it's too much of a filler chapter for my tastes but I sort of wanted to show the emotional impact that being taken has on Azula. I also wanted to show a different side to Dobry. Eh, don't worry, the next chapter will be better :)
So anyway, I hope you liked it, despite its dodgyness and stuff. And sorry if you notice any mistakes. I kind of fail like that >.<
Out of curiosity, what do you guys think of Dobry? Good guy, bad guy? Or just plain nuts? Let me know!
Don't forget to vote, comment, etc, etc.
Oh yeah, and HAPPY CHRISTMAS FOR TWO DAYS TIME!!! HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE EVE!!! :D That picture on the right actually cracked me up :') And the video made me smile ;) There's a funny christmas video in the external link too. I'm cool ;D
Well anyway. Until next week awesome readers! :)