PART TWO: THE KNOWN AND THE SACREDTHE LYCAN KINGFor the first time in two thousand years, fire burned in the dark corridors of Nythla Castle. Strangely, my soul welcomed the warmth it brought.“Seeing fire in this place…” Beta Seraphina projected my inner thoughts. “It’s quite odd,” she added, her loud steps walking with mine after she accompanied me to check on Annatoria, who was deeply asleep in her cosy cage. She must be cursing me in her sleep. I can’t wait to delight in her angry words. Having some uproar in this quiet, boring castle will not be terrible. “Keep the fire burning,” I ordered, my paces having more vigour than usual, my lips finding a natural smirk too. “She needs it.” My quiet conversation with Annatoria in that restaurant with the fireplace danced in my mind. “She likes it.”“Watching captured humans freeze to death is a game to you,” Seraphina argued. “Why bother keeping her warm?”Seraphina’s relentless pursuit to kill and hunt is the reason I selected her t
ANNATORIAWith a lengthy groan, I slid out of my deep slumber, my head banging with anguish because of that…My eyes narrowed, and my head whipped across the room. That was another nightmare, wasn’t it?Of course it was. God, I was so scared for nothing. That shit felt real though. I gripped my chest and assured my heart that it had no reason to be fearful. There was no way Darius would be that Lycan King. That was nonsensical theatrics; I’m sure the Lycan is responsible for it.Classic one, Lycan King; using the man I like to taunt my dreams. What do I do now, though? I wondered, my hazy eyes blinking harder to erase sleep from my soul. Now that it’s clear that my issues are supernatural-related, I need to figure out a way to break free. Perhaps this is the point where I go on a quest like a character in a fantasy novel. That would certainly be fun. But… Where is this place?I killed my thoughts and scanned the space again. Unlike the fine walls of my room, this place was dim,
ANNATORIAUnlike my normal self, I found it hard to be snarky and loud. And in that unusual silence of mine, I got up and walked out of his office, the unsettling in my heart increasing as it occurred to me that the Lycan had probably dug his claws deep into every part of my life more than I thought.He did say he would break me. That my body and soul would belong to him. Is this his way of proving it? To make me kneel at his feet? Ha ha ha.I stopped in front of a mirror and saw the maniacal laughter creasing the corners of my face. As my hands dragged my face, it became clear.This is who I am now. Agent Annatoria- the motherfucking top spy- reduced to a toy for the Lycan of the werewolves.I laughed again, this time louder.“This is so fucked up,” I muttered within my sorrowful laughter, my eyes clouding with tears because I just couldn’t make a shred of sense of anything. Is that Lycan even fucking real? Is TI real? Is Darius real? What the heck is true at this point?!I don’t
ANNATORIA“What?” Darius asked haggardly, his thrusts increasing and hitting my pleasure spot.“N-Nothing,” I replied, my mouth hanging open in shock as the memories kept pouring in, taking me back to the start of The Lycan Mission, making me feel the mix of emotions I suffered when I encountered the Lycan of the werewolves. I wasn’t losing my mind at all…All of those strange things, all of them are linked to that Lycan. The voices, the cold, the random flash of being kidnapped, the nightmares… Of course… How the heck could I have forgotten everything?“Ahh,” Darius groaned harder as he pumped his release into me. His passionate touch caressing my back, he softly said, “Annatoria?” “Huh?” My bewildered gaze flickered to him. “What?”“You’re acting a bit… strange.”“Darius…” My climax was gone; ripped away by the rush of memories in my head. I can’t remain here when the demand for answers keeps clawing at me. “Annatoria?” He searched my face, worry knitting his brows.I slid my hip
ANNATORIA“How is that your business?” I dared to ask him. “Why are you interested in who I call?”“Because you act shady,” he replied, and I frowned because it wasn’t clear what that meant.Was he saying that because he knew I was at the factory yesterday? Or because he just wanted to?“You act the same,” I returned. “But do you see me poking my nose in your business?”“Right.” With a blink, the sinisterness in his eyes reduced, and he took two paces backwards. “I always forget that you’re a rude thing.”“If you are done,” my feet shifted, ready to leave, “I’d like to return to the event.”“Not so fast.” He closed the distance again. This time, annoyingly, he roughly pinned my hands above my head, forcing me to remain still. “What else do you want?” I snapped, my hands failing to jerk out of his grasp. “I would advise you to stay calm,” he huskily replied, his hungry eyes roaming every part of me, like I was a piece of cloth about to be priced in a local market. “I know your secret
ANNATORIABy the time I reached the office, Darius was gone and his phone unreachable. I went home, the weight of my discovery pressing harder with every attempt not to think about what I’d seenI’m now in my room, my legs folded to my chest while my unsteady gaze shifted between my phone and the landline. I disliked that Darius was yet to return my call, but I easily guessed that he was busy with CEO stuff. However, I didn’t expect radio silence from Director Hayes. It has been three hours since I sent those pictures. I should not have to wait this long for his response. At this important junction, I need to confirm my next move. With a sigh, I straightened my legs and shook away the images dancing in my head. Annoyingly, my thoughts didn’t stop wandering. The bloody scenes from that place collaborated with the memories of the strange voice and sights I’ve been struggling with. And with the help of the semi-darkness in my room, they found effective ways to poke my soul repeatedly