The Blind Mistress & Her Mates

I Wanted To Be You

It had taken Laura a considerable amount of effort to fall asleep. She was curled into a ball on the floor, her skin had gone numb from the stony chill.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor, growing louder until they stopped right outside her cell. The cell door creaked open, revealing a guard with another close behind. They wasted no time in tying her arms tightly with rope, causing her to grimace in pain.

Laura cooperated with them as they led her out of the cell and towards the cliff where Gracefeel and Logan awaited. The castle was built atop a steep hill, in the heart of vampire territory. She had expected to hear a crowd gathered to witness her execution, but to her surprise, it was only her sister and Logan. They wanted to spare themselves the trouble and embarrassment of dragging the case on.

As she was brought to the edge of the cliff, a large boulder was chained to her feet. The waves crashed relentlessly against the base of the cliff, sending gushes of wind that caused her hair to dance wildly.

Gracefeel stared at her sister who seemed to have accepted her fate, expecting Laura to beg for mercy.

"Do you have any last words?" Logan asked as tradition demanded.

Laura looked at both individuals before bursting out in laughter. “You were right, Gracefeel." Her voice was filled with bitterness and resignation. "Your husband listens to you," her laughter gradually died down. "I envied the love you received, the admiration. I wanted to be loved, especially by you. I could have died for you." She shook her head in disbelief as her eyes stung, but she'd already promised herself not to cry. It was far too late for tears, even those of regret. "I loved you so much, maybe even more than the Duke does."

Logan's expression never faltered.

"I never expected my sister, to betray me." She smiled bitterly, searching around for any signals from the man who'd promised to save her. Once again, she'd been fooled. Nobody was coming to save her. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves before lifting her chin proudly. "I know what you did, years ago. I didn't fall off the horse Grace, you pushed me." She'd managed to bury the truth within her mind under the guise of saving her sister from falling, but that was never the case.

Gracfeel's eyes widened and she glanced towards her husband, signalling him to shut her up.

Laura's brows furrowed. "Be careful, Lord Logan. Your wife is not as she seems."

Gracefeel's expression darkened, and Logan ordered the guards to push Laura. A long wooden stick was used to shove her off the cliff.

Deep down, she still hoped to be saved. She wanted to fall into the arms of someone, anyone. So many regrets, so many 'what ifs' and 'should haves' swirled about in her mind. Unfortunately, her thoughts were cut short when her skull collided with a protruding rock from the side of the cliff. She lost consciousness before falling into the sea, the boulder attached to her feet pulled her to the bottom of the sea.

Someone was waiting for her below—Nicholas. With a burst of speed, he swam upwards, his feet kicking through the water as he caught her limp body in his arms. He pressed his lips to hers, hoping to share some air with the unconscious woman, but she was bleeding from her skull.

His kind ruled the skies, but they were also adept swimmers, their only weakness being on land.

Earlier that morning, Leonardo had visited him, an unusual occurrence. Leonardo had asked him to save Laura, a request that surprised him.

It was unlike Leonardo to care about another, but Nicholas was the only one who could move so freely underwater, they both knew it. Vampires and werewolves weren't good with water. Of course, Nicholas had asked Leonardo's reason for wanting the woman saved and Leonardo had admitted to being attracted to her.

It was a pity, to be wanted by a crooked fellow such as Leonardo. It made Nicholas hesitant, wondering if it'd be best for Laura to just die. But his morals didn't sit well with allowing someone who'd been falsely accused to perish.

***

Laura awoke to the crackling of a fire and the faint smell of smoke. Her head throbbed with a dull ache, and as she sat up, she winced, feeling the bandages wrapped around her skull. The room was dimly lit, the flickering flames casting dancing shadows on the walls. She could hear the sound of footsteps approaching from the next room, an old woman entered, carrying a bundle of firewood.

"Ah, you're awake," the old woman said, her voice warm and comforting. "You gave people quite a scare, washing up on the riverbank like that."

Laura tried to speak, but her throat was dry, and her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. The old woman bustled about, adding more wood to the fire and placing a kettle over it. She turned to Laura, her eyes filled with concern. "Here, drink this," she said, offering Laura a cup of what looked like steaming tea. "It'll help with the pain."

As Laura sipped the tea, the old woman explained how she had found her, unconscious and battered, by the riverbank. She had brought her back to the cottage and tended to her wounds.

"I thought you were a goner, I did," the old woman said, shaking her head. "But you're a fighter, aren't you? You'll pull through, I'm sure of it." She tapped Laura's shoulder.

Laura nodded, grateful for the woman's kindness. She tried to sit up straighter, but the pain in her head intensified, causing her to gasp.

"Easy now, don't strain yourself," the old woman cautioned. "You took quite a blow to the head. You need to rest."

But Laura couldn't just lie down back, she couldn't help but wonder how she had survived the fall. She had been pushed off a cliff, a boulder chained to her feet, and yet here she was, alive and seemingly unharmed. It was a miracle, one she couldn't quite comprehend.

And then there was that man. He had promised to save her, had he not? Yet she had seen no sign of him. Had he abandoned her to fate, or had something else happened? Did it even matter anymore? Here she could live her life freely.

Yet the most frightening realization was the mirage of colours around. She blinked in astonishment, taking in every detail of the room—the old woman's weathered face, the crackling fire, the rough-hewn furniture. It was all so vivid, so real.

"I'm dreaming, I have to be," tears left her eyes and she laughed heartily. She could see!