Snitchy Annabelle
1290 Words
CELIA
“I'll excuse you now.” Annabel hurriedly says with a bow. She adjusts the books one more time before dashing forward and past Kevin, to my room, leaving the both of us alone in the hallway.
And my fingers dig into my palms behind my back as I raise my head to him, my face not betraying my emotions.
“To what do I owe this… pleasure?” I ask with a smile.
His eyes takes in mine for a moment before he sighs, walking forward.
“We need to talk.”
I shake my head, taking one step back. “There's nothing to talk about.”
“We need to talk, Celia.”
“I. said. there's. NOTHING. to talk about.” I say, my voice surprisingly coming out as a growl.
That makes his face twist and in the next moment, he's storming towards me. He grabs my hand and slams me against the wall, caging me in which does nothing except for increasing my anger and my desire to cry.
“Let go.” I say, voice shaky.
“I won't let you go until you tell me why you suddenly insist on canceling the betrothal.”
“I didn't.” I try to lie. “My father—”
He doesn’t let me finish.
His hand tightens on my wrist and the next thing I know, his mouth is on mine and he's kissing me hard and aggressively.
There's nothing gentle about it.
Nothing wanted.
My mind blanks for half a second in pure shock before my body reacts, breath hitching violently in my chest.
Fucking hell. This is not happening.
This is not—
I gasp against his lips, hands pushing uselessly at his chest, heart slamming like it’s trying to break out of my ribs.
He finally pulls back, eyes burning as he grips my jaw.
“I’m not letting you go, Celia,” he says harshly, breathing against my face. “You and I both know I need this bond. And you need me.”
My head feels light. My breathing is uneven, chest rising too fast and too hard.
“If you don’t go back to your father and make him approve the betrothal again,” he continues coldly, “I will make sure everyone knows you were with me without being properly mated. You let me have you.”
My eyes widen and my ears start to ring.
In this world, that kind of accusation definitely won't be just gossip, it will be a brand you never wash off, especially for a Valmorra heir like this me.
“Who do you think they will blame huh?” he adds, gritting his teeth. “Me… or you?”
My vision blurs, fury swimming in them.
I can feel my blood boiling. And it feels unbearable. Almost.
I have never felt much anger like this before.
Not when I caught him cheating.
Not when I fell.
Not even when I died.
This is different and primal and ferocious.
And then—
Pain rips through my body as my bones crack, not with a small sound or once.
It feels like every part of me is tearing itself apart and putting itself back together which is abso-f*****g-lutely wrong.
I scream—
But what comes out is not human. It’s a howl.
A loud, wild, and ferocious howl.
Keiran staggers backward like he’s been shoved.
“What— what are you doing?” he stammers, staring at me in disbelief. “How dare you shift to threaten me—”
“f**k YOU!” I scream.
But it doesn’t come out as words.
Instead, it comes out as another furious howl that echoes down the corridor.
He claps his hands over his ears, stumbling back.
“You’re insane!” he shouts, turning and staggering away down the hallway like he suddenly remembers he can, in fact, die.
Good.
Run.
My vision swims, my legs buckling as I try to follow him, very much fully ready to tear those filthy lips off his face.
But the next thing I know, I’m falling, hands and legs stretched wide and apart, panting like I just sprinted through hell.
“What the hell…” I breathe.
Wait… hands and legs wide apart??
Jesus Christ!
My head bows in slow, terrified decrements below me.
Those are not hands.
Those are paws.
Big and night-black and furry with claws.
Actual claws.
“Oh my God,” I whisper hoarsely, my voice clearl in my head but coming out as long animal grunts. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God—”
I try to push myself up and nearly topple over again because apparently, I no longer know how limbs work.
“Why do I have so many legs,” I gasp. “Why are they doing their own thing??”
My tail—
MY TAIL—
swings and knocks straight into the wall, making me freeze.
Did… did my butt just betray me?
Behind me, I hear hurried footsteps.
“My lady!” Annabel’s voice shrieks. “I heard a howl—”
She skids to a stop and I turn my head.
“You… you shifted.” She whispers.
“I NOTICED.” I snap then immediately regret it because it comes out as another low growl that vibrates in my chest.
Annabel yelps and jumps back.
“Sorry! Sorry! I’m not trying to be scary!” I rush out, scrambling and nearly slipping again. “I just— I don’t know how to sit! Or stand!”
Then, comes the footsteps.
Multiple loud ones.
Oh no. The howl definitely didn't go unnoticed.
“My lady, people are coming,” Annabel whispers urgently, a panicked look in her eyes. “You need to get inside your chambers.”
But I just lie there, unmoving.
“My lady, you must shift back now.” Annabel whispers urgently.
“I DON’T KNOW HOW,” I half-whine, half-growl.
“Annabel, I don’t even know how I’m standing on four legs right now, talk less of turning back into a person. Help meeee.”
“My lady, you must try,” she insists. “Focus. Calm your breathing. Think of your human body.”
“ANNABEL I AM A WOLF ON THE FLOOR,” I panic, glancing towards the opposite direction. “THIS IS NOT A CALMABLE SITUATION.”
More footsteps.
Closer now.
Voices.
Someone clears their throat down the hall.
“I can hear them,” I whisper frantically.
“My lady, please stop talking and move,” Annabel snaps softly. “Stand up.”
“I CANNOT MOVE.”
“Is it poison?” She says, more to herself than to me, as she looks down at my legs.
Then at my tail.
Then back at my legs.
Oh no.
No no no no no.
“Annabel,” I warn. “Whatever you are thinking, stop thinking it immediately.”
“I am helping you, my lady,” she mutters, walking behind me.
“WAIT—”
She grabs my tail and pulls.
“AAAAAAAH—”
I slide across the floor like someone just discovered a new method of transportation.
“ANNABEL, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU—”
“My lady, please cooperate!”
“YOU ARE DRAGGING ME BY MY BUTT—”
“I AM SAVING YOUR REPUTATION!” She whisper yells. “No one must see you lying on the floor with such undignified pose and you refused to shift back or stand up and walk too. If anyone sees you, I'll be punished.” She complains, accent slipping in as she tugs again while I claw uselessly at the floor.
- Writer
