Dionne
The silence inside the car was heavier than any scream I'd heard back in that auction house. Not even the hum of the engine dared to interrupt it. It was just stillness, and it sent shivers down my spine.
Nora sat curled in my lap, fast asleep, her small hand tangled tightly in the fabric of my dress. Her face was red and puffy from all the crying.
Every second felt borrowed. Every moment that passed without someone screaming orders or trying to drag us apart made my stomach twist tighter.
I didn't see the man with the gray eyes after we left the building. Instead, we had been handed off to two stone-faced men dressed in black. They said nothing as they ushered us into a sleek, black vehicle.
The vehicle I was in was one of many. Through the tinted windows, I could make out at least five other identical black vehicles moving in formation ahead and behind us.
We were a convoy, all carrying the rescued women from that horrible place. I couldn't tell if all the women had been separated, or if it was just me and Nora, but I didn't ask any questions. I didn't care anymore.
What did it matter? It wouldn't change the situation for us.
I clutched Nora tighter, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. I needed to protect my child better. We both had the rogue burn and were now heading into an unknown territory. No matter what happened, no one could know where we originally came from and why we were rogues.
Being a rogue was one thing, but being an accused murderer who had escaped sentencing was something that would mark me for life, making it almost impossible to find sanctuary or forgiveness anywhere in this world.
We drove for a very long time, long enough that the sun faded and the world around us turned black. At some point, I noticed we were no longer on paved roads but winding, forested terrain. The trees were taller and denser.
Eventually, the forest gave way to stone. Massive stones.
The car came to a halt before a massive iron gate carved with sigils I didn't recognize. They glowed faintly under the moonlight.
The gate opened without a sound.
The air shifted as we passed through the open gate. It was subtle, but I felt it. Like the entire world beyond the estate had exhaled, and this place had inhaled, swallowing us whole.
The estate that we entered was vast, impossibly so, its walls and towers stretching far into the distance, before disappearing into the tree line.
Golden lights flickered along the outer walkways and terraces, casting the courtyard in a warm glow.
The convoy began to separate as we passed through and I watched through the window as the other vehicles peeled off one by one, taking different paths that led deeper into what looked like a sprawling territory.
My heart began to race. Why were we being separated? Where were they taking the others?
Our vehicle continued alone now, following a different route that led up a winding path. The isolation made fear claw at my throat. Being singled out couldn't mean anything good.
I didn't realize I was trembling until Nora whimpered and shifted in my arms. The car slowed as we moved into a wide circular courtyard. The fountain at its center was made of black marble, and carved into the shape of a great wolf's head, mouth parted to spill water into the basin below. Even something as simple as a fountain, felt so menacing.
The engine purred to a stop. The door opened, and one of the men motioned with a nod.
"Out."
I hesitated. Then I moved.
I was led into the fortress and inside the walls, it was quieter than any place I'd ever known. No barking of orders. No shouts or snarls or chaos. Just stillness. Cold, deliberate stillness.
A woman in a black dress exited one of the rooms, she had her hair bound in tight braids, her eyes unreadable and her lips were pursed into a thin line. She reminded me of Matron Shaw, only slightly younger.
"I'm Margaret, the head maid here. This way." She introduced.
I said nothing as I followed her, Nora's arms were now wrapped around my neck, her eyes were wide open as she took in the space.
"Are you okay baby?" I whispered to her and she nodded her head.
"Look mommy, pretty," Nora commented, pointing towards one of the paintings on the wall.
"Shhhh." I hushed her, noting the stink eye that Margaret sent our way. "It's beautiful baby, but be quiet and don't point." I whispered softly to my child, hurrying my steps so I could meet up with Margaret who was already at the far end of the hallway.
The woman was surprisingly fast for her age.
The corridors were long and tall, carved in pale gray marble veined with blue. Beautiful portraits lined the walls and for a second I wished I could stop and admire them. But I didn't try to.
I hated how clean everything was. Hated how soft my bare feet felt against the carpets. I felt too dirty being in the space.
Margaret cast a glance over her shoulder. "Is the child useful?"
I stiffened. "She's mine."
"That's not what I asked."
Before I could respond, a new voice spoke from down the hall.
"I'll handle them from here, Margaret."
A tall man with ocean blue eyes and a kinder expression approached and Margaret gave him a small bow, her eyes lingering on my frame with disapproval before she walked away. The man approached, he looked no older than thirty, but his presence felt suffocating. It was less commanding than the man with the grey eyes, but still pretty heady.
"Silas," he said with a nod. "Beta of the Obsidian Falls. The King's second."
The words echoed in my head and my knees went weak at the same time that my stomach flipped.
We were in the Lycan Kingdom?
The place we only ever whispered about around dying fires, like children telling ghost stories. Only… they weren't stories. They were warnings. Legends carved into the bones of every pack. Mothers used it to frighten disobedient pups. It was the land beyond the mountains where no mercy lived.
It was said that no werewolf crossed into the Lycan Kingdom and came back. The lands were cursed. That the air itself twisted your mind if you stayed too long. That the wolves there had claws like blades and drank blood like wine. It was where the mad King lived, the beast with a crown.
A man born of war and raised on the howls of his enemies.
My pulse roared in my ears. I tried to breathe, but every inhale burned. My arms clutched tighter around Nora.
Everything in me wanted to turn and run. But where would I go? Back to the men from the auction house? Back to the BloodMoon pack?
I had to guard my secret even more here, one mistake, one wrong breath and that would be the end for us.
I tried to bow, but Nora made a tired noise and Silas waved a hand.
"No need for that," he said gently. "You're both exhausted."
Then his gaze settled on Nora, she blinked up at him and his features softened.
He turned to a smaller figure beside him, a girl around my age, with short curls and a warm smile.
"This is Violet. She'll help you settle in. She came from the same place as you."
Did this mean she came from the auction house? Or she came from a pack? I couldn't tell, but I didn't ask.
I wasn't sure I could get my voice to work if I tried.
Violet stepped forward. "You'll be safe here," she said. Her voice was quiet, "Come. Let's get you cleaned up."
Maybe if she had survived here, then I could too.
The room Violet led us to wasn't grand, but it was clean and warm. There was even a small bath, already steaming in the bathroom. I set Nora down carefully, while my eyes raked over her body.
"Mummy." She called out slowly. Her eyes were swollen and dried tears cling to her cheeks, but she continued. "I'm… tired."
"I know, baby." I whispered back, cupping her face in my hands. "I'm sorry."
Her lips trembled, but she didn't cry. She hadn't cried much since the auction, and I wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing.
Gently, I peeled her clothes from her body, before leading her into the bathroom and scrubbing her down under the hot water. It had been so long since we'd taken a hot bath.
"Warm mommy." Nora whispered, smiling happily as she fisted the soapy water in her tiny hands.
The smile on her lips almost made me cry. It was so rare and I hated it so much. My baby deserved to smile and giggle loudly like kids her age. Instead she cried almost all the time and little things such as a warm bath made her smile.
Once Nora was clean, I wrapped a towel around her and led her out of the bathroom.
Violet was sitting at the edge of the bed when I came out, she had laid out some clothes for us and although the clothes she brought for Nora were a bit oversized, they were clean and I murmured my thanks, dressing Nora up, while I tried to ignore her burning stare.
"I meant what I said," she said. "As long as you're here you'll be safe from those men at the auction house. Trust me, they'll try to hunt you and get you back, but inside these walls, you and your baby will be safe."
I didn't believe her, I couldn't yet. Still, for the first time in days, I was able to breathe easier. The overwhelming fear that I had felt trying to survive the wilderness, and the one from when I had been captured by those men were slowly fading. But I knew I still had to keep my guard up.
"Why was I the only one brought here?" The question burst out before I could stop it. I needed to know. The fear of being singled out had been eating at me since we passed through those gates. "The other women, where were they taken?"
Violet blinked, her eyes shifted to the mark that sat on my neck and it lingered for a second, but she shook her head.
The fear that had been clawing at my chest since we arrived settled into something heavier, something more permanent. I wasn't just in the Lycan Kingdom. I was in the Mad King's fortress, marked as a potential threat, with nowhere to run.
Violet helped me tuck Nora into bed before urging me to take a bath too. She turned to leave the room, but paused at the door and turned back towards me. Her eyes flicked toward me, and for the first time, something shifted in her face.
Fear.
"Wait in this room," she said softly, but it did nothing to clear the doubt and fear wrapped in her voice. "Until His Grace summons you. Do not roam the halls alone for any reason, or worse step outside the walls of this room. Don't wander and don't even think about running away." The warning in her voice was absolute.
I gulped visibly, as her words echoed loudly in my ears. I made a move to ask one last question, but Violet was gone before I could blink.
The image of the man with the gun metal grey eyes flashed through my mind and I barely contained the shiver that ran up my spine.
Had I come face to face with the Mad King and I hadn't realized?