Lake of Sorrows

Till Death takes you from me

Marcus’s POV

 The rage from her collapsing before me caused a roar so loud that it shook the chandlers around the dining hall. The wolves from Max's pack instantly jumped into action. Forming a circle around Bella to further protect her from the unknown threat. “You lied, you told me she would be safe that nothing bad would happen to her! You poisoned Bella!” I could barely get the words out to my parents. The panic setting in, did I just get Bella killed. I zone out, not paying any attention to Max as he nudged Bella's face with his wet snout hoping that would startle her. Instead, my Bella laid still in my arms as Max whimpered.

 “Marcus, you wanted this, remembers that. This was your choice to go through with it. If Isabella is meant to be your mate, then she will wake up. If she doesn't well, then count your blessings. Since this was her first task, if she doesn't wake up she will slip away painlessly. The task only gets worse from here on out. Marcus my son just stop and listen to her heartbeat. It is still there if you truly think she is your mate then take her up to your room, watch her. Hold on to that hope my boy, but right now at this moment, it is up to her if she wakes up or if she will succumb to death. Only time will tell.” My mother was gentle as she spoke. It didn’t help at all, I truly just wanted to rip everyone around me apart. I knew I needed to get Isabella into bed so I couldn't dwell on them. “Max call your pack doctor I need answers now,” I spoke harshly, I needed to know how much time I truly had left with my Isabella.

I get Isabella situated in my bed, continuously listening to her heartbeat. As long as it was beating, we were good. I would kill them all the moment it stopped, they would all die. That was a promise. “My Lil pet you have got to come back to me, Love. Please don't prove my family right you are mine, I need you. We can beat this if you just wake up! I promise I will spoil you more than I already do. I will get you far away from here, simply wake up, Love.” The guilt begins to overwhelm me I should have listened, I should have been satisfied with her being just my pet. We could have lived a full life as Master and pet.  If she dies, it is my fault her blood will be on my hands.

 I threw the nightstand across the room. I fully realized what I have done, the TV gets ripped off the wall and through the window, it went. My couch became shattered into pieces as I slung it at the wall behind me causing a mirror to shatter in the process, I did this to her. What the hell did I do?

Max’s POV

Max runs to gets his doctor...

Prince Marcus might be my friend, but he is an F**king i***t. The man knew what he was asking for when he confessed his love to his parents, there's no way in hell that they would let him fall in love with his pet. Isabella would have been better off as a slave in the kitchen. The royal family might seem like gentle vampires, but I have seen the monsters they become behind closed doors. King Timothy has once taken a whole cleaning staff and drained them just because a staff member's shampoo smell seemed to linger in his room for too long. This whole f**king family takes pleasure in us making mistakes, they want us to slip up to send us to the Red Room just for the hell of it. 

The name of the room is justifiable considering the blood of past victims painted the room its original shade of red, leaving behind an undeniable stench. The smell alone would have you doubled over the moment you entered. I feel horrible for any slave that is sent there, I can only hope that they have time to whisper as many prayers as they can to draw strength from before the torture begins. Once in the room, the vampire's whole goal is to push you past your limits. To them, you either live or you die because you are replaceable. So I am truly confused how Prince Marcus thought in doing this that Isabella would live past nightfall. 

I turn the corner and located the medical facilities I need to find Barbra. Barbra is the head doctor of my pack, if anyone can help or have insight on the matter it would be her, but where the f*ck was she?

 I came in yelling her name, going room to room in the clinic, the more I looked, the more I realized she wasn't anywhere in the clinic. It was pissing me off more as the time passed, I demanded a nurse that was walking by to get a location on Barbra immediately, letting them know that I didn't have any more time to waste searching this damn castle for her. The nurse took off running, not waiting for an explanation from me. What's the point of being an alpha if no one is where they are supposed to be. Everyone has their spot to protect them, and everyone within my pack knows the rules too, not to wander. We might be enslaved to these vampires but we still stick together, it is safer around these f*cking bloodsuckers. Right now, following those rules is the only way I can protect them. 

When my father passed, I had no choice but to take over the pack. Every day has been a nightmare since. The plan has always been to keep the children and women together hidden in the kitchen or the Medical center during the day, less likely for them to piss anyone off or their scents to scatter around the castle. The vampires don't care what age, gender, or species a person is, if they know that no one is looking that person is made a meal. It’s easier to put the men in charge of servicing the rooms, they are stronger. So in more ways than one, it becomes safer to prevent our numbers to dwindle. From day one I have given my word to my pack that one day we would be able to break them free, just not today. Today isn't the day I need to focus on getting Isabella some type of help, wolf or not, she doesn't deserve this. 

Barbra comes running into the clinic," Sorry Max one of the kids sliced their hand opened in the kitchen and I had to tend to it before a frenzy began up again. What can I help you with?" “Gather your supplies it seems Prince Marcus's pet has got herself in another situation at dinner tonight. We need you to find out how serious it is. Gather any books you have on poison bring them with you and let us go quickly.

Marcus’s POV

Max enters the room with the doctor and a nurse following close behind, they both let out a gasp at the state of the room. “Sir, what the hell did you f*cking do!” I've never heard Max speak out of turn towards me, much less curse at me. The guilt is too much to even care enough to correct him. So I stay sitting in my corner, taking in the mess I had created in my room. The only thing I wanted right now was Isabella to wake up, everything else would just have to wait for another day. I slowly get up and crawl next to Isabella on the bed. Ever so gently sliding her onto my lap, I just needed my pet close to me. 

 “Sir, I need to examine her can you lay her flat, it will only be for a moment. I understand you need her near but at this time I have to check her over” Barbra simply whispered her request. I wasn't happy with it, but what choice did I have, I needed to know if my Isabella was going to come back to me. I gently laid my Bella back on the bed for her and the nurse to look over Bella. “Sir, do you know by chance know what they gave her? The color, smell. Any details about it that would give us an idea of what the drink is?”

 “No no no all Mother said is the poison is created to where she has to be able to heal herself to wake up, does that mean anything? I mean, how does anyone heal themselves when they are basically dead?” Barbra seemed to go pale as she came to realize something.

 “Sir I want to test a theory if that is ok with you, can I start an iv for Miss Isabella?” Barbra's timid voice asked. “Barbra, honestly I don't care what has to be done as long as my Bella wakes up.” The nurse that came up next to Barbra quickly started to prep what was needed for the iv, moments pass as Barbra attempts the iv. Her eyes going wide as each attempt to pierce her skin failed. The metal snapping each time it came into contact with her skin. Barbra begins to whisper to herself, “Oh s**t that's not good, that's not good at all Max look.” Max joins Barbra, “Barbra, what's wrong?” Multiple iv needles laid bent on the bed, “Sir there is only one thing I could think of that could cause this and if that is the case I'm sorry but my team and I won't be able to help at all.” 

Barbra stepped back to grab her book out of her bag. “Prince Marcus I need you to understand for each of those needles to break means no one is going to be able to help her at all, Isabella has to heal her own self. If she is human like you both believe, she has a matter of hours if we are that lucky. I believe the drink contained Atropa Belladonna.” Max steps back, lowering his head as the realization hits him. "What the hell is Belladonna?  I bark out, feeling the rage returning. Leave it to my damn parents to give her a drink to ingest that contains her name, f*ck this irony.

Max looks up from the book and begins to explain, “Sir Atropa Belladonna is referred to as deadly nightshade, it is easily one of the most poisonous plants. That is why we keep it deep in the labyrinth to prevent it from being used. When ingested it's fatal, Miss Isabella will slip into a hallucination and stay there until she passes. I am sorry sir.” Max looks devastated to give this news to me, “Barbra, let's leave them alone so he can say his goodbyes. Sir, I will be back shortly.” They exit the room, leaving me to process everything. “I'm so sorry Bella so, so sorry my love, this wasn't how the day was supposed to go."