CHAPTER 3 – Secret

 I

She woke up with a little heaviness in her head. She touched her head, and then suddenly she remembered the wound in her shoulder. She removed the sleeve of her dress covering her left shoulder to check her wound; to her amazement, however, she noticed that it was healed. She could not even see any traces of wound therein.

Confused, Princess Shelyca got up and checked her surroundings.  She noticed the simplicity yet cleanliness and orderliness of the room that she is into. It is big and the bed is big too. 

She jumped down from the bed and peeped into the window. She did not know where she was right now. The last thing she could remember about what happened to her was when she tried to shift to her wolf form but she could not then everything became blurred. 

As she looked outside the window, the very first thing that caught her attention was a natural beauty outside; the trees, the sea that separates this land she stood on against the mountains nearby, some animals around and vast farming lands on the side.

She also noticed wattle houses, some playing children, and folks of different ages, either loitering or working around.

“So you are awake now.” A male baritone, deep voice surprised the Lycan Princess. Immediately, she turned her head around only to be drawn deep into such bluish eyes that are intensely looking at her. At that moment, Sheenei, her wolf, suddenly growled; she is trying to come alive again.

“Where am I?” all she could ask him.

“In my village. I am Dareon and you are?” His bluish eyes squinted as if carefully assessing her.

“Shelyca… I am Shelyca,” she replied awkwardly while looking away from him. She would not want to be drawn again to those eyes. His presence is too strong, making her senses tremble and she knew why at that instant that their eyes locked. Aside from that, she could sense something about him; an aura, that only a supernatural being could possess like her.

“What, what village is this? She stammered.

He made a step forward near her. “You are here in my Thregonad Village Shelyca, or should I say she-wolf?” He darted at her with a look that seemed to be traveling down her every spine.

Princess Shelyca was caught off-handed. “How… how do you know? I am in my human form,” confused she asked.

He stepped one more time and then caught her face in between his big callous hands. “I saw it while I was trying to revive you but don’t you worry, I can keep a secret if you want it to be a secret,” he whispered.

“Who are you really? I can feel you are not an ordinary human,” she asked while looking at him this time. She wanted to determine what is deep within his eyes.

“You are right, I am not an ordinary human but I won’t tell you. It is up for you to find out.” He eyed her while grinning.

II

She tried, she really tried to use her abilities to see through him but it seems like he put a wall on himself that she could see nothing. All she can see in his eyes is smoke and nothing else.

“You know my secret; why then can’t you trust me with yours?” she tried to use a little trick to let him feel guilty but he only laughed at her.

“You will just know it Shelyca. Meantime, you need to tell me why I found you on the sea, floating, almost lifeless.” Inquisitively, he looked at her again.

Shelyca tried to reminisce about what happened and told him what she remembered. In the end, she was almost in tears realizing now what happened to Krista. “Krista, my cousin and my friend; she was killed, she is dead.” She looked dreaded. 

Dareon held both her shoulders and the Lycan Princess felt that current that crept through all her veins; the blood rushed out of her heart and she almost skipped to breath. 

“If that was what happened, then I have a hint that someone wanted you dead. Your life is at risk right now she-wolf.” He surmised.

“I don’t have enemies. My parents don’t have enemies. Why would someone want to harm me?” she asked confused.

“That we need to find out. By the way, what kind of wolf are you?” he asked while removing his hands from her shoulders.

“I’m… I’m a princess; a Lycan Princess.” She admitted. Her hands trembled as he reached for her and once more cupped her face.

“I know. I can see that in you.” He said at her with squinted eyes; his lips almost touching hers.

She snapped. “Don’t you dare … kiss me.” 

He laughed, “You want me to kiss you, as much as I want to do it with you, my Lycan Princess,” he murmured, his breath fanning her right ear.

“No!” she hissed.

“Liar. You cannot lie to me, because I can see through you,” he murmured once again. 

The Lycan Princess has been mystified and Sheenei, her wolf inside her, almost jumped with excitement.

Realizing what she felt and the way her wolf reacted, she tried to ask again. “Who are you really Dareon?  I can feel it, your kind is different from the people here.” 

Dareon just mysteriously smiled while his mind traveled into his past when he was not yet the Chieftain of the Thregonad Village. It was like a movie that flashed into his mind. 

“Dareon, hey, are you alright?” Princess Shelyca asked, wondering why he suddenly fell silent as if he was in deep thoughts.

“Oh, I just remembered something, don’t mind me,” Dareon replied, shaking his head. He became too engrossed remembering how he was able to come to this Thregonad Village and became its Chieftain. 

Princess Shelyca shot him with a doubtful look. “You did not answer my question Dareon; who are you really?” she reiterated her question a while ago.

“As far as I can remember she-wolf, I answered you that already. Try to find it out by yourself.” He grinned teasing her, trying to let her let out the beast in her.

But Princess Shelyca is a woman of grace; she will not succumb to that kind of provocation; she will not step down and deviate from who she is and how she was trained to be. 

“I see, alright then .” She took the challenge he posed and smiled sweetly.

Princess Shelyca turned her back and left the Chieftain Dragon more mesmerized at her. He followed her back with his eyes and a burgeoning need suddenly hit him. His eyes ogled her hips as it swayed gracefully while she walked like a real princess. That regal bearing showed so clearly in her. He wanted to touch those rounded hips; he wanted to grab her small slender waist and pull her hard into him. 

Dareon suddenly sighed and shook his head trying to erase those naughty thoughts into his mind.

Yet, when he looked at her swaying hips again, he was not able to control it; his body already started to heat up.