GRAYSON Two days prior The northern post was lacking almost in every sphere. We needed new wolves, slaves needed to be replenished and the cold was dragging down my mood further. I hadn't the faintest clue where Gerzi had ran off to and I was drained in every facet of my being. I should get up from the now cold bath water, put on some clothes and go motivate my men to do some work, but I can't even find the strength to do even that. Throwing a curse into the air, I lift my body, the water that had gathered around my abdominals, collasping into the dry ground of my quaters. I walk away grabbing another towel, wrapping it around my waist when one of my men walked in. "Gamma" I glanced at him over my shoulder, going to search for a shirt. "What, I can't take a damn bath in peace anymore?" "Ah no, its another bird" He says hesitantly. "From the Alpha King, again" I took a breath. Ofcourse. "Just leave it and go" The Alpha King has been a pain
GRAYSON She's gone. Leila is gone. And I don't mean she left to do her chores to return. Leila hasn't been seen for days. Not since the death of that human. A part of me knew maybe it would trigger something within her. I've seen enough of how humans react to anothers death to know how traumatizing it is to their psyche. Some have committed sucide in the name of their love. Others have decided to join the outpost and fight for the little happiness they've got left- which is warped in my opinion, and still others run away, only to die at our hands later. Everyone stays clear of me when I walk into the barracks, even the Head mistress and I follow my nose to the bunker that has been asigned to the small human. There are three beds, but only one is still in use, the owner walking in minutes later and I watch her from my perch from one of the beds. "Dear god" she exclaims in fright, a hand across her
Gerzi was right, I didn't like what I was seeing or hearing for that matter. It wasn't difficult not to find Leila. In fact, it was more difficult forcing myself not to follow her when all my instincts said to grab her, throw her over my shoulder and walk through those f**king gates with her like that. She's like food, no like a drug invading my veins and very being. I follow her scent anywhere and since of late she's able to sense me too. Her gait is chaotic as she rushes into that prision of a castle leaving me without the gates and irritation floods me that I didn't stop her.It isn't long before the sounds of horns and cheering meets our ears in the dingy tavern that I had found as a refuge. There are rascals, maybe murders, mercenaries inside, each finding other things to keep them occupied, until the commmotion grabs everyone attention again. My blood boils seeing Leila with him, seeing him smiling while that forced smile is on her face. She's not happy, though I
WOODEN HORSEEver since coming face to face with Grayson that night, I've been terrified of bumping into him again. It's as if I knew he was the one in the shadow, that somehow he'd find me. There are other things as well, like the fact that being anywhere close to this man I'll pool in a puddle and do the most ridiculous things. I hate that he thinks he has free reign over my body. That he can just touch me and pull me away like he did the other night- even if he was keeping both of us out of trouble. There's just something too scary about him, this undefined law of attraction that's utterly ridiculous. Where my heart sees an attractive, strong savior my brain screams a murderous beast and that leaves me confused and conflicted. Especially when I didn't ask for these thoughts in the first place. Claude is willing to help me catch him, at a cost to me because I haven't told him about Herberus' insistence of having me caught and brought back to the Court. I'm i
INTO THE WOODEN HORSE"I can smell you little mouse" "I'm not hiding, neither am I a mouse" Night had descended in pitch darkness, the lights of lanterns that dot the street, here and there a little, the only eclipse to the dark corruption. I move nimbly, keeping my head low and the jingly metal close to my chest, not to call anyone to my adventure. I don't know what Claude and his men are up to or whether they can be trusted. No. In fact I do know they cannot be trusted with this assignment. He's already made it clear that he didn't care for the likes of Grayson as long as his plan went off without a hitch, which is something I can't be upset about. After all I did help them, but now I've done everything I could and I needed a clean slate with this beast. Grayson leans on one side of his massive structure watching me tiptoe around the platform checking for some weak points. I had managed to swipe a bunch keys from one of the guards after knocking one of them
HELEN OF TROY After much back and forth between both of us, Grayson allows me finally to slip through the small opening of the window, while using his body to barricade the door they were currently attempting to bulldoze away. I fall with a thud, the morning frosty and immediately I wish I'd taken a blanket with me. Every where is quiet, which wasn't a good sign. But at least with them occupied inside the house, I'd get a head start. I hurry around the side of the house, hitting into armor and lifting my eyes, I find Herberus' army, while he glowers down at me from his horse. Shit. "Oh hi Herberus! " I call, shifting on my feet. "How are you doing?" "Leila, " He says drawing out my name. He looks me up and down, displeasure of my attire unhid in his expression. "The stress you've caused me, is going to take a long time to ever forget. " "Oh, " I reply finding it hard to care about whatever distress he might be going through. "Take her, " He orders one of his men and I step back
ROME WILL BURN "Aaahhhh!!"When the first lash of the whip licks into my skin, the scream that leaves my mouth comes from the very tip of my toes. I can feel the when the metal tip tears into the flesh of my back, ripping it open. Tears won't stop running from my eyes. It's the pain, I don't regret my decision to defy Herberus and the glare I've sent his way makes that very clear to him."Again"The sound of the whip slices through the air once more before connecting with my back. My body arcs in response, wrists straining against the shackles, that binds my hands and feet in place. Every limb tugs, begging for release, the angry red marks the only indication that my body was caving a small section at a time to the madness it was subjected it."Leila"I don't answer him, gritting my teeth and watching as my blood fell drop by drop into the ground creating crimisom stains. "Leila!" Heberus calls more insistent this time. He wants to save face. Make it s
PERFECTLY IMPERFECT Grayson returns long after noon, silently ignoring me, starting a fire and placing his caught prey of bass attached to a stick over it, leaving the poor creatures to cook. Marie moves about, inching closer and closer to a sleeping wolf, curosity in play than fear. I want to sit up but don't know how I'd manage to move from my position. I sigh a final time resigning myself to my ridiculous fate. F**king Herberus, that whip could probably paralyse me for life. How was I going to protect Marie like this? I was practically and invalid. We were out in the open, exposed to the wind, elements and rather the mercy of whatever managed to pass us by. I move to sit up again, grunting and trembling in pain. Somehow my body's weight suddenly becomes a little lighter and I register thick fingers wrapped around my waist. I glance up finding Grayson, that's more occupied to seeing that I'm doing better than actually utteri