^^ aesthetic by @rainegreene
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"Don't trust everything you see.
Even salt looks like sugar."
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MY LEGS ARE on the verge of falling asleep when I'm finally allowed in.
I intake a sharp breath as I step into the room. It's unfathomably grand. Sunrays reflect off the coloured glass casting a hundred different hues on the marbled floor. The stone walls are rimmed with white and the roof is replica of the blue sky. In the middle, stands a fountain brimming with gold liquid. It springs, bubbles, sizzles and then fizzles out as it falls - all in a matter of seconds.
My eyes rest on the huge oak door that stands at the end of the hall, guarded by a man in red uniform. His expression doesn't change the slightest when we approach.
To my surprise, Dipshit One and Two hand me over and take leave without a word. I'm left standing in a giant room, alone, trying not to look like a fool.
"This way." The guard monotones. "The Master will see you now."
I'm ushered into another room, a slightly smaller version of the first. A chandelier hangs overhead - red and blue and white glass mirroring the daylight. In the centre there's a furnished mahogany table littered with files and paper. The chair is turned away from me, but I catch a whiff off his scent before he swivels around and I come face to face with the devil. Again.
My hackles rise.
He stands.
My blood boils.
He smiles.
I smile back. "Hello, Grey."
He doesn't reply; his shrewd eyes travel from top to bottom, x-raying every inch of me. Finally, after a long minute, he takes a drag from his pipe, seemingly satisfied. "Carter. Long time no see." He remarks, strolling towards me casually.
"Not long enough," I reply, still smiling.
Amusement flashes in those evil, electric blue eyes as he stares me down. "Are you sure? It's been two weeks already. Didn't you miss me? Even, a little bit?"
"Hardly," I retort. "Your disgusting, dungeon-rodents kept me such good company."
"Sarcasm." He gasps in fake horror. "Are you angry, Carter? I can't imagine why. Prison certainly looks good on you. Those cheekbones, man." He whistles, fanning himself with his hand. "You've gotten a lot hotter since the last time I saw you!"
"Freedom looks better."
His stare turns sharper. His easygoing facade drops, Baffled, it takes me a moment too long realize why. And when I do, cold fear grips my heart.
I feel a sort of stabbing sensation as my private thoughts are invaded. My temple prickles with unease as someone sifts through my thoughts, reading my secrets, trying to find out exactly what I'm up to.
"Stop it." I hiss,
If anything, the prickling gets worse.
"Stop what, Carter?" He smiles sweetly.
"Get out of my head!"
Just like that, it stops. The stabbing is gone, so is the unease. Suddenly, I can breathe again.
"Interesting." He murmurs.
I'm panting, slightly out of breath. "What is?"
"It seems the Moon Goddess isn't a complete dumb bitch, after all." He chuckles, "well, well, well. Who would've thought?" Despite the mockery, I see a flicker of intrigue in his eye.
"What do you mean?" I ask, suspiciously.
There's a beat of silence. Then–
"I can't read your mind." He admits softly. A part of me is surprised how easily he confides in me. "You Chosen Wolves all have a soft of protective barrier against me. It's something I didn't expect."
I smile wryly. "The Moon Goddess was never a dumb bitch, my friend."
He scoffs. "This changes nothing. You've barely scratched the surface." For a second, the wicked glint in his eyes is gone, before it comes back an. "Say, Carter, want to hear something fun?"
"Always."
Smirking, he begins circling me in slow, purposeful steps. I watch him out of the corner of my eye, tensing as he pauses behind me. "Did you know, the day I had you captured, you and your precious mate have seen the same situation very differently, leading the two of you to jump to vastly different conclusions?"
I frown, not understanding. "How is that possible?"
He continues pacing. "Because," He stresses, "I have the power to do that."
"You just said you don't have the power to read our minds." I snort at the inaccuracy in his story. "You're not making sense."
"I don't." He admits. His cloak billows as he strides towards the centre of the room. "You see, I do have the power to project the situation very differently. What your mind figures from what your eyes see is not under my control, but what your eyes see most certainly is."
The sinking pit in my stomach when I hear this, sinks deeper at what I hear him say next.
"What did you do, Grey?" My voice is low, angry, menacing. "What did you trick Kiara into seeing?"
He observes me carefully. "So, you do care about her."
"Just answer the fucking question, Grey!" I shout, fisting up my palms, readying myself for a fight. "What did you fucking do?"
The sound of my shouts echo through the room and a couple of armed guards rush in, prepared to take me away, but Greyhound steps in to stop them. "Easy, boys. The Alpha and I are just having a fun chitchat."
"But Master-"
Greyhound dismisses then with a flick of his finger.
The guards throw me murderous looks before they turn and leave. Their receding footsteps thunder down the hallway. The door shuts behind them and once again, I'm alone with this manipulative, cold-blooded monster.
"There's no need to get so excited." He tuts me like I'm an insolent child. "This isn't going to be street brawl. We're just talking. Like mature adults."
Out of the thin air, he conjures a stool for me and inclines me to take a seat while he himself settles down on his plush, rotating chair.
I remain standing. Obstinately. Still seething. "What did you do to Kiara?" I growl.
"Relax! I didn't do anything. She's fine. Sad, yes. But perfectly fine." When I don't ask, he continues. "She thinks you're dead. She mourns you." A smirk quirks up as he adds the last part, delighting in the way I react.
"WHAT?"
He shrugs, hardly concerned. "I don't know what you're sad about. Your Lady Love loves you back. You should be ecstatic."
"You made her believe I'm dead? That's low even for you!"
"It wasn't like I was lying. If you're not dead now, you will be soon enough. It's only a matter of time, Carter."
In spite of knowing I had this coming, it's funny how such a blandly stated fact still chills my bones. I knew this. I expected this. Yet, I feel the color drain from my face. "What?" I hear a voice, uncannily similar to mine speak up.
"Yes, Carter. You're dying. As we speak."
I scoff, not believing him. "Bullshit. How is it that I don't feel a thing?"
"That's because it's numbing you, freezing you, killing you, without the pain. There's no escaping it, you're dying no matter how far, how fast you run."
"You're lying!" My voice nearly bursts from the sudden seizure of hysteria. "I heard your guards outside my cell! You said you were so impatient to see me dead you were hiring assassins to do the job!"
He shakes his head, sighing. "Oh Carter, you gorgeous himbo. Stefan and Dimitri were just doing what I told them to do. They don't know what an insignificant role they play in my plan. But you? Tsk tsk. I expected you to know me better. If you knew me at all, you'd know I'm the most patient guy in the world. I love to play with my food before I eat!"
I draw in a sharp breath.
As Greyhound strides over towards me, for a second I see a flash of pity in his eyes. No regret, just useless pity. I swallow hard, watching him open his drawer and take out a glass ampule containing a sparkly golden fluid.
"Come with me."
I follow him out through the oak doors, back to the fountain I passed when I entered. There are no guards standing, we're alone. All alone. I hate to admit this, but I'm scared. Terrified.
Abruptly, he stops and turns back to me. The blank expression on his face gives nothing away. Then, in front of my eyes, he swipes it through the air.
At first nothing happens.
The water in the fountain begins to rise.
Twist.
Swirl.
It takes the form of a huge whirlwind. Soon, it's begin enough for a man to step in.
"This," his voice is calm, clear like the spraying water-drops from the whirlwind. "Is is an Apertio—a portal."
I'm too stunned to speak.
"You don't have to crawl through a dozen sewers to get back to the love of your life, Carter." He continues, "Use this instead. Go home. Say your last words to your girl because even she won't be able to heal you. The poison will kill her too if she tries." He shoots me an obvious look at my stricken face. "I'm not an idiot Alpha. I know of her gifts and prepared in advance."
"Why are you doing this?" I whisper, my voice no louder than the sizzling, bubbling fountain next to me."Why are you sending me back when I'm doomed to die anyway?"
The image of seeing Kiara again and not being able to be with her drives a dagger through my heart.
I expected a cold-hearted response from a cold-hearted monster like him, but for once, he has the decency to look down, unable to look me in the eye.
"You will live, as long as you do something for me in return."
In my desperation, I make the mistake of asking him, "What?"
"Bring Stella Carter and Ariana Evergreen to me." He says, "and this," he extends his palm containing the vial with the sparkly golden fluid, "the antidote to the poison, is all yours to take."
The offer is tempting and I find myself almost leaning in to cut a deal with the devil.
But then integrity kicks me in the crotch and instincts reel me back in.
"Never!" My voice cracks. "I would never sell my sister and my best friend for anything in the world!"
Greyhound smiles grimly, as if expecting this. "Very well then. Go home, Alpha Aden Carter. Death is coming for you."
And that's the last I hear before I'm sucked into the vortex of the spiralling Apertio.
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A/N
Happy new year to everyone. 2018 was an okayish, but I'm hoping 2019 turns out better for all of us.
Edit: 2020 was a shipwreck y'all.
xoxo
Chris