Nightmare And a Forced Marriage
Liana's POV:
It was dark.
The forest was quiet except for the sound of toads every few seconds or so. My clothes, torn and raggedy, clung on to my body as my skin burned from the scratches that covered my arms and legs. The forest wasn't a friendly place, not even for a werewolf who knew the woods.
The only problem was.
I didn't know these woods.
It was all so unfamiliar to me.
Trying to figure out where I was and how I even got there was a mystery by itself. I leaned on the bark of a tree as sticky sap glued itself onto my palms. My heart, racing and my breath was rapid, I knew that something was wrong. I looked around, trying to figure out how I had gotten there in the first place.
Blankness.
I couldn't even recall running into the forest. 'How did I get here?' I asked myself, trying to figure out how I got myself into that predicament. Just as I was thinking about it, in the distance, a flock of birds scattered into the night sky.
That was definitely not the welcome that I wanted to hear. I held my breath, trying to listen keenly, hoping that I could perhaps pick up the sound of something or scent that would be familiar. All I heard from a distance was the sound of twigs breaking.
'Athena. You've been silent for as much as you've wanted. If there's a day that I need you to come out, now would be the best day,' I whispered internally, trying to summon my Wolf.
For over three years, she locked herself away from me and had never tried to reach out. It was a fruitless effort, but worth trying. I listened keenly, trying to use the little werewolf abilities that were left behind when she disappeared.
*Snap*
Another twig breaking, this time, I was sure I picked up the sound of something heavy stomping the ground. The forest went dead silent. Having a history of being a wild wolf, I knew all the indications of danger in the woods. And silence in a forest filled with animals, is something you don't want to find yourself in.
*Snap*
Another twig broken, and another loud thud on the ground. They sounded like footsteps and for something to make that kind of thud, it had to be big.
I had to run, my only problem was, the noise sounded like it came from all around me. I was scared stiff and feared that should I run, I might be headed directly towards what was coming for me.
Before I could even think it through, a huge shadow fell on me from behind. I was literally shaking as I turned around to find a towering figure standing over me. It was a man, and with the moon directly above his head, I could barely make out his face.
One thing was for sure though, his eyes were glowing and it was not the normal orange that I expected from a werewolf. His eyes glowed a clear golden color that had so much rage and intensity. I could see his mouth moving and assumed that he was about to speak.
Perhaps tell me why I was in the middle of the forest with him in the middle of the night. The only sound that came from him was a shrieking high-pitched voice that was so loud, I feared my eardrums were going to explode. Shielding my ears with the palms of my hand wasn't enough and all I could think of was screaming my lungs out.
****
"Wake up Liana!" A familiar voice called out to me, making me jump. Opening my eyes, I realized that it was Vera, my best friend.
She was desperately trying to shake me and had a horrified look on her face, almost as if she had seen a flash right in front of her eyes. I was panting and drenched in sweat when I realized that I was in my room and seated up.
Vera was seated next to me on the bed and was now taking a deep breath. "What did I do this time?" I asked her, expecting to hear something new.
And that's exactly what she had for me.
"You were screaming your lungs out and nearly clawed your ears out with your nails," she responded, looking at me with concern. I could tell that she was shaken.
"Another bad dream?" She inquired to which I nodded. I immediately realized that it was just another nightmare. That explained why I couldn't figure out how I had gotten to the forest.
"Same monster?" She asked, confirming to see if the pattern was still there.
"No. Maybe. I'm not sure," I responded, genuinely confused at what was happening.
"What do you mean?" She asked, prompting me to explain further.
"This time, it wasn't the monster. It was a man. However, his eyes glowed the same color as the monster. So, I don't know if it's him or just a coincidence," I answered, trying to remember as much as I could.
"Did you see his face? Or did he talk to you and tell you why he has been tormenting you for the past three months?" She asked, urging me to try and remember anything.
"No, his face was just a shadow. And his voice nearly blew out my eardrums," I responded as the look of realization set in on her face.
"That's why you woke up screaming and wanting to do away with your ears," she commented to which I just nodded.
'What could it mean? And who is this man that has been tormenting me for months now?' I asked myself just as the door to my bedroom flew open.
It was Ronan, the Alpha of CrimsonFall Pack.
And my husband.