*Kiara*
Surrounded by the court and dressed in an attire that feels too tight for my skin, I wait by the daiz for the prince, fidgeting nervously. A thousand thoughts cross my mind on what he must look like, but I do not have to wait long to find out. The double doors open and he walks in. He is as handsome as they say he is. Blue jewel toned eyes, dark hair pulled back in a sleek bun and angular sharp features that captures the attention of every woman in court. My heart skips several unhealthy beats as he crosses the hall in a short distance, making a beeline for me. He stops before me and I look down shyly, biting on my lower lip nervously. As customs suggest, I extend my hand to him, holding out for him to wrap his warm fingers around them and take me to the foot of the daiz where the ceremony is to be held. But he doesn't. Instead, he jerks suddenly, taking a couple of steps away from me, rather than toward me. My face crumples in confusion as he backs away, to everyone's dismay. My heart squeezes painfully and I barely hear the chaos around me over the thudding of my heart. "Prince Dorian," I call out, like his parents are and I reach for him, scared to death. He flinches, hands rising to his head. His eyes widen and he takes a turning, heading back out the same way he came in, muttering the word, "Mate." I run after him, catching up and gripping his sleeve. "My Prince, it is me. We're getting married--" "Not you! You are not my mate! Never touch me again!" He yells, pushing me back so hard, I fall to the ground. Hysterical laughter flits across the room as he leaves me lying on the floor and I dare a look up in a daze. I see them. They are laughing at me. All of them. The entire court is laughing at me. Their mockery and falsettos reach me from across the room as they slander me. "Slut." "Just another gold-digger with no shame." "Disgusting. Unfit for the crown prince." "He did a good thing rejecting her. What a disgrace." On and on, the comments invade my thoughts, my head space, until it fills up my head. I whimper, clutching my head tightly, closing my ears, but it is to no avail. "Father," I whisper. But father has returned to his castle. I'm all alone here with no one to call my own. The walls and voices start to suffocate me and I do the only thing that comes to mind. Run. ************** All my life, my dreams, everything has come to naught. I wipe at my tears angrily, lifting my dress as I try to overstep a log of wood. Perhaps, I should not have run. All I can see is dark and even my keen sight can do nothing against the thick darkness of the woods tonight. My attempt at retracing my steps back to the castle is rather pathetic. I look around as I walk, swallowing with fear at the slightest sound I hear. The castle is long gone and I do not know my way back. I am lost. Twigs snap under my foot as I walk by, using the dim light from the moon to guide me and I might have been walking in circles for hours and I still wouldn't have known. Time and movement blurs together for me and I wince as moving about in my heeled slippers become uncomfortable. I am about tossing them off when a snarl ripples through the forest, sending a shiver skittering down my bones. I look back, eyes searching the woods for the source of the sound and fear grips me when I find a pair of golden eyes gleaming in the forest. The forest stills as I watch my predator watch me. Almost immediately, another pair of eyes appear beside the golden ones. Make that two predators, and from their snarls and growls, I can already tell I'm dead meat. I break into a sprint and I yelp when they come after me like they have been awaiting my movement. My heart lurches into my throat as I speed past trees, running for dear life as the wolves are hot on my heels, snapping and howling with excitement. I pant, running in whatever motion I can, avoiding the sharp canines that snap at my heel and threaten to bite my skin off. It's too dark to see the ground and my foot gets stuck under something, causing me to trip and land harshly on the ground. My head hits something hard and pain reverberates through my skull. I whimper, struggling to get on my feet but there is a burning in my ankle that suggests that I have twisted it. I look ahead to find the wolves drawing nearer and I begin to sweat, pushing myself up, amidst the pain. I start to run again but something hard knocks into me, throwing me into the nearest tree. I scream as I crash into it, destroying the tree trunk completely and crashing into another. I feel so much pain, it is excruciating. I can't move. I can't see. The taste of blood is in my mouth and it trickles down my forehead. My vision blurs and I wheeze, unable to feel my own body. I'm going to die, I think, as they draw nearer, snarling loud enough to shake the forest. The golden eyed wolf lunges for me, and I close my eyes, waiting for him to land a killing blow. But it never comes. Instead, a fierce howl breaks the dreaded silence, causing my eyes to snap open. I can barely make out anything as the edges of my vision darken, but there is someone here. Something scary enough to set the second wolf running. He doesn't make it very far and blood sprays as clawed hands rip out the wolf's throat. My consciousness slips from me as the mysterious figure draws closer. Tender fingers cup the back of my head and my legs, lifting me off the ground. Hazel eyes meet mine briefly and I mutter as my eyelids droop. "Who are you?" "Damien Grey," he says, pulling me into his arms that smell of sandalwood and home. The name rings a bell but I'm already slipping into the darkness that beckons to me. And as I drift off, I hear him say, "My mate."*Dorian* "What you did was unacceptable! Take your men and scour the forests for Kiara. She didn't deserve--" "I found my mate," I cut in smoothly, silencing my father. He falls quiet, lips drawn in a grim line as he observes me. "It doesn't change the fact that you walked out on a good woman, embarrassing her and insulting her family name--" I place the box he had given me on the table. "You said to me that what was important was to give you an heir. You never said it mattered who the heir came from." "You speak nonsense--" "I will marry my mate. I have already made preparations." I see the shimmering anger in my father's eyes. I see his rage, but I do not care. Why bind myself to a stranger when I have found my mate? "You do not have my blessings, Dorian." My lips tilt into an adder's smile. "I will wed her in an hour, with or without your blessings. You may attend, if it so pleases you." I incline my head in a bow and leave his stu
*Kiara* My eyes slant open and I take in my surroundings with bleary eyes. I don't recognize any of it. The upholstery, the furniture, the large windows and everything. Even the bed I lie in feels softer than anything I have been on. It is almost like lying on the cloud. How did I get here? I ask myself as I sit up. My head hurts and when I look down at myself, I'm in fresh clothes. A gown of white and lilac. This isn't what I put on this morning. Images of hazel eyes and dead wolves flash in the back of my mind and a name resounds in my head, causing fear to seize me. *Damien Grey.* Oh no. I shoot up from the bed, running across the room to where the door stands, tall and imposing. My fingers go around the door knob and I twist it, hoping this isn't what I am thinking. But it is, because the door is blissfully locked. Damien Grey is the Lycan King, sworn enemy of the black wolves pack. He must have kidnapped me to have leverage over the pr
~KiaraAlthough I was still confused about what to do, I was convinced about a certain thing. Not to go to dinner with him. Instead, I walked back to the bed with a wobble, trying to figure out what to do.No sooner had I sat on my bed, still trying to get an answer to the unending questions that clouded my mind when I got lost in thoughts but a solid knock on the door was able to get me out of my fantasy world.I shiver as I had not expected to hear the knock. For a second time, I heard the knock again.“My lady” A husky voice followed the knock and I simply roll my eyes and embrace the pillow instead.“Your presence is required downstairs. It is just a few minutes to dinner time and as such, you have to be present downstairs this minute” He informs but I stay mute as I believed he would leave immediately but he seemed adamant as he stays and began to place incessant knocks on the door like he would bring it down.“What is it?” I hear a distant voice question the guard who was at the
~KiaraMy eyes suddenly became teary as the table had indeed been cleaned up and there was nothing left for me. Sadness filled my heart immediately. The pain worsened and I felt so disappointed in myself. Maybe I should not have been rude to him? I shove the thoughts aside and tried to locate the kitchen instead. After a few minutes of wandering and hiding, I was finally able to locate it and to my satisfaction, it was not locked. I had to sustain myself no matter what the consequences would be so like a thief, I sneaked into the kitchen and thankfully, there was no one in there. A warm smile formed on my face as a result of the new discovery but it evaporated into thin air just as fast as it came as everywhere was clean as well. The cupboards had been shut. Contemplating on what to do, I finally came up with the idea of breaking through although I was quite worried. What if they found out the next day? Again, I discarded the thought. What was more important was getting myself fe
~KiaraI let out a gasp as a shocking terrific feeling rushed through my body. A gasp escaped my already opened mouth. That was the last thing I had expected him to say. My heart began to thump and my legs began to shiver out of fear. He looked satisfied by the effect his words had on me as he grinned and stood up immediately, pushing the food to my direction. “Have it” He muttered before turning to leave. I still could not do anything as my whole body had not healed from the crippling and paralyzing effects his words had caused on me. He walked out of the kitchen immediately, making me so worried. I grabbed the food immediately as I struggled to get up. His words continuously rang in my ear. Looking around to be sure no one was nearby, I ran as fast as I could, returning to my room before anyone would see me there. I let out a sigh of relief as soon as I got into my room… Well... the room that had been given to me.I settled immediately and began to devour it, of course, after I
KiaraI was dumbfounded as I stared at him leave. I was disappointed in the fact that my life was a mess. Why was all this happening to me? I wanted to cuss at him and yell and be dramatic but I knew it would earn me nothing and even though I was so upset with him, I continued my meal and ensured to eat it all although I complained frequently. I could not help but wonder who the lady that had walked past us few minutes was but I shrugged. There was no one I could ask from help from as the maids simply looked at me and passed me by. Now, I wasn’t bothered by their action anymore as I watched them leave. A warm smile formed on my face in satisfaction as soon as I was done with the meal.I was relieved as I knew I could begin to think of the best way to escape. I headed to my room immediately, several thoughts running through my mind when I suddenly bumped into a man. Of course, I had expected him to be just like everyone else but he smiled at me. Even at that minute, I could not help
~KiaraI was shocked to say the least as I had not expected what he had said. Before I could say another word, he gripped me and continued to walk away, pulling me alongside him.“No, I am not a spy. I am not a spy, please forgive me” I pleaded as he pulled me away. Although I had no idea where he was taking me. I knew it was not somewhere nice. “Please, forgive me” I pleaded. “I am not a criminal. I am not a spy” I pleaded with him again.“What brought about the sudden change? You weren't under any form of duress when you declared yourself a spy, were you?” He questioned as he abruptly halted. My heart had begun to race.“You had abducted me and you asked me if I am a spy. How is that possible?” I questioned him and he crossed his arms looking at me suspiciously. “Why then were you in the garden? Why have you come there to listen to what I was saying?” He probed further. I mouthed some words and crossed my arms.“That isn’t audible” He answered, I was already fed up of all the dram
~KiaraGladness formed in my heart that minute as I was filled with so much happiness and I smiled. I checked the dresses repeatedly but there was none I wanted to go with. I walked over to the other hangar, ignoring the stares from the maids as I checked through. I wanted something simple and comfortable. “I will go with this” I pointed to an ocean blue dress which seemed to be the simplest and most comfortable outfit I could go with.They nodded and picked it out for me before taking the rest of the dresses away. “We will be back in a couple of minutes to prepare you” They informed me and I nodded. I waited patiently for them to all get in and make me prepared for what was going on. A gazillion thoughts crossed my mind all at the same as I tried to figure out the best way to find my way out.After what seemed like forever, the maids walked back in, looking so excited and for reasons I had no idea of, it felt so suspicious. Well, their initial action had depicted that. Why then wo