Alina's POV
I had thought that leaving the chamber where I had been confined meant setting myself free and getting myself out of the strange world I had ended up in. For a moment, I believed I had succeeded.
Despite the excitement I felt after successfully breaking out of the chamber, the pain from landing almost ten feet above the ground brought me back to reality.
I groaned as I ran. Maybe I had underestimated how difficult escaping would be, because my belief in freedom at last didn't last long.Not until I realized that uncovering the way out of this castle would be even more difficult. And from the look of things, getting out of this world altogether might be impossible.
The place is a small chateau with guards stationed at almost every corner, every entrance, and every major corridor.
How was I supposed to get out of here? I wondered, staring around from where I hide myself by the side of a pillar
My hopes were shattered at this discovery, but I refused to give up. I would rather die trying than remain trapped in that chamber. I waited patiently for the right time at each entrance and corner, watched my back, hid whenever I saw guards approaching, and waited until they were distracted before making a move.
The entire place looked like a maze. It felt as though every corridor was connected to another because, no matter where I went, I kept finding myself in the same places I had passed through before. At one point, I became frustrated and worked up. I was beginning to lose hope, but just when I thought I would never find a way out, I walked into a long, wide corridor.
"This is different" I muttered, my face instantly lit up.
Finally, I made progress after what felt like hours of searching. I almost jumped up in excitement but quickly composed myself.
"Shhh... It's too early to celebrate," I whispered to myself as I lowered myself carefully and looked around, making sure the area was safe before taking my first step.
The corridor was strangely quiet. I took another step, and immediately heard a sharp sound cut through the air. Something came speeding in my direction from the side. I turned instinctively, moving with a speed I didn't even know I possessed as an arrow flew past me. I gasped as managed to avoid the arrow, but not completely. Its sharp edge grazed my left arm, leaving a burning cut across my skin.
"Aah!" A painful cry escaped my lips as I fell to the ground, clutching my arm. But before I could even process what had happened, more dangerous weapons came flying toward me.
My eyes widened in horror. There was no time to run, so I curled my body and shut my eyes tightly in fear as I screamed, already saying my last prayers in my mind. I could almost feel the pain my body would receive once those weapons landed, and I knew I was going to die. Perhaps this was how my life was always meant to end. Far away from home, in an unknown world, killed by some ancient trap because I had been foolish enough to think I could escape.
I waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened.No pain or impact from sharp metal piercing through my body. Only the burning pain from the wound on my arm remained, yet I didn't dare move.
"Am I dead already?" I whispered, wondering why I couldn't feel anything.
"You would be dead if you galivant around in my castle next time."
A familiar baritone instantly jerked my mind back to life. My eyes flew open, looked up in shock, and froze. My heart skipped, and pounded uncontrollably against my chest.
It was him, standing over me. He had caught me again.
His body towered over me like a shield, blocking whatever danger had been coming my way. I tried to move backward, but my body wouldn't cooperate. My hand gently pressed against the hard ropes of his chest before my eyes travelled upward to behold his face standing only a few inches away from mine.
I looked around in disbelief. The Weapons were scattered across the floor, broken into pieces.
How? How had he done that?
My eyes returned to him. He looked even more intimidating up close. His broad shoulders, powerful chest, sharp features, and those stormy eyes made him look less like a man and more like the predator I had seen in the forest. For a fleeting second, I lost my thoughts in admiration. His body was the finest thing I had ever touched.
"Are you done looking?" His voice instantly called me back to reality as heat rushed to my cheeks.
"What are you doing? Move away from me." I tried pushing him away while desperately attempting to hide my embarrassment.
"I bet you wouldn't be alive to say that if these weapons had shredded you into pieces," he replied, anger very much visible in his tone.
"Isn't that what you've always wanted? To get me killed in the end?" I challenged back, refusing to give in to his terrifying gaze.
"Otherwise, why would you bring me into a dead zone called a world?" He rose properly, now looking even more like a predator than a saviour.
"You should shut your sassy mouth, or I will do that for you," he threatened. His voice was low, but the warning in it was unmistakable.
"You followed me here. I did you a favour by not leaving you to the dangers out there. And now, I saved you from the trap you walked into. You should be grateful, not ranting." He smirked, though I could see he was struggling to hold onto his patience.
"Grateful for what exactly?" I pushed myself up, still holding my injured arm.
"Huh? Grateful that you took me by force and brought me to this unknown place?" My anger gaving me courage I didn't know I possessed.
"You met me in the woods. Taking me back to the woods wouldn't be a big deal if you really wanted to play the hero."
His expression changed. He snarled, narrowing his eyes at me as if carefully trying to study me while, at the same time, attempting to get hold of his fury.
For a second, I thought he would descend on me and tear me apart, but his next response left me speechless.
"I didn't take you forcefully." His voice was suddenly calm, and there was something about the sincerity in his eyes that made me hesitate.
"I found you next to me in the forest after my unplanned return from the human world. You were unconscious, and leaving you behind in the Lycan forest is as good as giving you a death sentence."
He paused as his eyes held mine. "I took you with me because I don't want you dead."
I went cold and silent.
For the first time since I woke up in this strange place, I was speechless. I found myself questioning everything I thought I knew about him.
Was he really telling the truth? If he wanted me dead, why had he saved me? Why had he protected me from the traps? Why had he brought me here in the first place? Before I could ask any of those questions, he turned away.
"Send her back to her chamber," he instructed the guards, then walked away, leaving me standing there with a thousand questions racing through my mind.