Chapter 2

Gideon

I woke up in a strange place. At first I thought I was trapped someplace completely dark, but then I felt the sunlight on my skin. I realized I was blind.

My whole body ached. I felt the sting of battle wounds which should have already healed.

I remembered a battle. I was the Crown Prince of the Lycans, and it was my duty to lead our warriors. My brother remained at the royal compound, but his Beta joined us in combat.

I remembered taking several wounds on the path to victory. I remember turning to congratulate my brother’s Beta on fighting well. He clapped me on the back, and there was a sharp sting of pain.

I felt something wrong immediately. I didn’t realize until later that I had been struck by a poisoned blade. But I felt the toxin as it began to spread.

I escaped the field of battle, using my wolf’s senses to avoid the other werewolves. I didn’t know who I could trust. My brother’s Beta had betrayed me. I couldn’t be sure the others wouldn’t attack me, too.

I made it back to the royal compound, but I was staggering and in agony by that point. I reached the stables and collapsed. I woke up in a stranger’s bed.

I realized someone was standing over me. I attacked before I could think. I wrapped my hand around a narrow throat, and tightened my grip.

Whoever I held gasped for breath past my grip on their throat. Small hands beat at my arms. I realized, then, that I was throttling a fragile woman. Those were not the hands of a warrior.

I released her, and took a step back so that I was hopefully not looming over her.

“I am most sorry,” I said. I turned my head in her direction.

The woman did not respond, she only coughed. I gave her a moment to collect herself.

“Please,” I said, “could you tell me who you are, and where I am? I find myself quite disoriented.”

The woman coughed a few more times, but still did not speak. I remembered how tightly I had gripped her throat, and winced. I must have damaged her vocal cords so badly that she couldn’t speak.

I offered my hand. “Please, gentle lady,” I said. “Write your answers on my hand.”

A tiny hand took my own. Her grip was strong, but I felt a slight tremble in her touch. I frightened her.

A single finger traced along my skin. She wrote out a short message, “Wait.”

At least, I think that’s what she wrote. I was disoriented, and her touch was feather light.

I nodded, agreeing even though I wasn’t certain what I was meant to wait for. This woman had clearly tried to help me, and I had repaid her with a violent attack. The least I could do was obey a simple instruction.

Clara

I moved around the stranger after asking him to wait. I found my lamp and lit the wick. Light flooded the room, giving me a better look at the man.

His eyes were stunning. They were a clear green, like the sun filtering through the leaves in summer. They made him even more handsome.

There was something wrong, though. Those beautiful eyes were vacant, staring into the distance. I moved the lamp and his pupils remained unchanged. He didn’t follow the motion when I waved my hand in front of his face.

“I think you’re trying to catch my attention,” the man said. “I felt something move near me. Was it your hand?”

He held out his hand so that I could answer. I wrote, “Yes,” in his palm.

“Ah. Thank you. I’m sorry, I can’t see right now. At all.”

I winced. That sounded awful. He must be so confused and disoriented.

I admired his bravery. It must be terrifying to be alone in a strange place without the ability to see, but he was perfectly calm.

“May I ask who you are?” he asked.

“I am a royal maid,” I wrote.

There, I had told him the truth. He was probably highly ranked, given how fine his clothing had been before it was ripped up and bloodied.

He smiled in my general direction. “I am a friend of Beta Jasper.”

Jasper was the Beta to the missing First Prince. He was very popular among the higher servants.

“I was hoping you would do a favor for me,” He continued. “Would you carry this to Beta Jasper?”

He held out a small object and dropped it into my outstretched palm. It seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary pen. His voice was deadly serious, though, so I knew the object held some importance.

I reached out and wrote, “Yes,” on his hand, promising to deliver the pen.

I noticed when I touched him that a wound on his arm had torn open. I reached to roll back his sleeve so I could tend to it. He could hardly do it himself if he couldn’t see the injury.

“What are you doing?” He demanded, gripping my hand.

I used my free hand to write on his uninjured arm.

“Your wound opened. I can tend it.”

He nodded and released my hand with a soft apology. I applied a little of my wound salve and wrapped a fresh cloth around his arm. It was the best I could offer.

He tilted his head, sniffing softly at the air.

“Why do you smell of blood?” he asked me. “It’s not mine. Are you hurt?”

I didn’t want to burden the poor, injured man with my problems. He obviously had more important things to worry about.

“I have food,” I wrote on his hand, hoping to change the subject.

He shook his head. He refused to take the food I held out.

“Answer my question,” he insisted, taking my hand in both of his.

He needed to eat to regain his strength. I didn’t want to, but I decided to tell him so he would drop the subject and accept the food.

“Other maids,” I wrote. “Bullies.”

He growled. “They should not treat you this way. I will have to do something about it.”

I smiled even though I knew he couldn’t see. That was sweet of him to say, but I doubted he could do anything about my situation. I could handled the other maids.

I pressed the food into his hands.

“Please, eat,” I wrote.

This time he accepted the food.

Night fell, and it was time to sleep. My room was narrow and the bed was small. I wasn’t sure how we would both fit.

He solved the problem by offering to sleep on the floor.

The next morning, I woke to find him was gone. I worried, until I heard the water running in my small bathroom. I went to find him standing naked under my shower.

Because my room was separate from all the rest I had a tiny private bathroom. He barely fit inside. My ears burned as I watched the handsome man fumble about for the tap.

I couldn’t speak to tell him I was there, so I reached to turn the tap for him. His hand brushed against me and I was aware just how closely I was pressed to a naked man.

I panicked, and tried to back out of the bathroom. My foot slipped and I fell backwards. His arm wrapped around my waist, holding me up.

I shoved him away. In the tight confines of the bathroom he ended up pressed against the wall with my hands on his chest.