STEFANIA

Chapter Four

"The freaky thing about nightmares is realizing that they were created by your mind"

THE NIGHTMARE No longer scares her, not because she got used to the scenes, the voices, or sometimes waking up to places she couldn't remember visiting. Those things still scare her but what made it easy was that she knew it only lasted for a short moment. It never escapes into her reality, never interfering with her life outside her head.

She becomes okay immediately she soothes the voices in her head, everything returns to normal and she could pretend that the nightmares never existed. Enduring was the easiest thing to do because she knows that she can't live like everyone else.

But now there is only a thin line between her dreams and reality, waking up now seems like walking into another dream but the only difference is that she can't escape.

So now she's become a loser who is trapped in her kismet. Does anyone live like this? Being harassed by both dreams and reality.

She's exhausted and in desperate need to feed. The last time she had blood was yesterday before they brought her here. She normally would drink a pound of blood every day but now it's a whole day and she hasn't even had a drop to her tongue.

Earlier today a taught crossed her mind that they still had blood in the fridge at her house but when she traced there, there was no sign left to show that she once lived there because the cruel bastard had destroyed everything. He didn't even consider she could have something of great importance in there.

Even the butcher she usually gets blood from wasn't available today of all the days. The night was here already and she had no escape plan, she was trapped. She couldn't even go in search of Mitzi, he had a sentry guarding her door and tracing was out of the solution because it would take away the bit of energy still in her.

He had made everything too difficult for her. She would find a way out no matter what he does, which she almost did until she was caught by the Male Beta, who brought her back and saw that she'd knocked out the sentry assigned to watch her.

She also discovered that he told everyone who cared to know, that she was a thief. That made her so angry that she was so close to going after him so she would confront him about such an insult. Here she was thinking he has accepted the bond and was willing to spread the great news.

That was the least of her problem right now because as she stood staring at the moon through the vast window she felt her body was starting to burn up. Deciding that a bath would cool her down she cross towards the bathroom.

After getting dressed she walks out of the closet, she stops as her gaze falls on an uninvited guest seated on the bed."You came to see how the supposed thief is coping." She speaks first trying not to get lost in him again.

"Are you asking for an apology?" She bets no one would ever say he wasn't cocky.

"I wouldn't dare, is that even in King Kazimir's vocabulary?"

Silence envelopes them but their gaze remained pinned on each other.

"How is Mitzi?" She asks, breaking the silence.

"Mitzi?"

"The lady that was with me." She explains."I need to see her, I need to know she was being treated well." They were doubt in her kind about Mitzi's safety, she just wants to know where Mitzi was.

"She is being treated nicely. " He replied bringing an end to the discussion. He pushed to his feet, making her nervous. He leisurely stalked towards her, all smolder, danger, and dominant male energy, only halting when there were mere inches between their bodies.

She gasps as his big hands possessively spanned her waist, kazimir buries his face in her neck and breathed her in. A growl rumbled from his chest."I missed this."

Doing her best to ignore how her hormones stir up from his touch, she pulled away."Leave."

He didn't move like she wanted, instead, he kept his intense gaze pinned on like he was desperate to see inside her head."I've been trying to figure out why you want to put an end to this bond."

She tilt her head, and crossed her arm over her chest." Because you come with a lot of responsibilities I don't need right now."

"You driving me crazy." He let out an exhausted sigh."You need to eat. You look so pale and bony." He turns to leave. She wished she had the chance to hurl something at him before he left slamming the door shut.

TODAY SHE Realize painfully again that secret hurts, it gives this lonely feeling of standing by yourself. The feeling of wanting to sleep but not being able to sleep. You want to say it but sometimes it is better kept than said, standing alone was better than watching everything disappear because you chose to speak.

Her secret was hurting her, leaving her feeling weak and feverish. She has to bare with it alone since she could not tell him that she's not a lycan like him. She was different and she didn't know what he would do when he finds out.

Lack of feeding has drained her of her energy, she could do nothing but sit in front of the window, watching the bright sky. There was no energy left to trace or do anything.

This wasn't the first time she felt the effect of not feeding, she has gone a longer time in the past without feeding but it's been so long since she did that. She needs to come up with something anyhow because she won't be able to hide her instinct any longer.

Hearing the sound of the door opening she snapped her gaze toward the door. She narrowed her gaze on the lady who walked in elegantly. She looked gorgeous and dressed in knee-length floral, red-ginger hair in a twisted bun with a few loose strands framing her face.

Manya was sure they'd never crossed paths before now."Who are you?" Manya asked watching the red-haired lady close the distance between them, she stops three steps away from Manya.

She looked around the room."I'm sorry for intruding, I am Jekaterina." She says cast in he gaze back on Manya. Manya stared at her blankly so she would continue."I saw Andrei guarding the door, so I got curious."

Manya nods averting her gaze back to the window."You know whom to meet if you're curious for an answer."

"Okay, I will leave now, enjoy the rest of your day." She waited to hear the door shut close before rushing into the bathroom, kneeling in front of the toilet bowl she regurgitate the content of her stomach. It made her feel sicker.

Gathering what is left of her energy she studies her reflection on the mirror above the sink. She looked haggard, her skin so white and she had lost so much body fat. She was bone on flesh. If she doesn't find a way to feed soon, her instinct would win over reasoning. She can't let that happen.

SHE MOANS feeling the softness on her back but the banging in my head wasn't leaving anytime soon. She rolls laying on her side

"Are you awake?"

Her eyes flutter open. Lifting a hand to her temple, she winces.

"How are you feeling?" He keeps his voice soft and low. Squinting, she peer at him seated by the window with his gaze pinned on her.

"Still breathing." She said frazzled.

"Why are you refusing to eat?" There's a vein of concern running through his tone.

"Because it's scary to adjust to what I'm not used to." She affirms, eyes drifting shut again.

"Manya, you are sick, is dying your next escape plan?"

She narrowed her gaze on him."Stop saying nonsense. Who do you think you are? I have been in the worst situation than this and even then I never taught of dying."

"Then you need to eat something to get your strength back." He said closing the distance between them, she peer at him as he sits beside her on the bed.

He picked up a tray which she didn't notice was placed on the nightstand, and he placed it on the bed."Don't." he warns noticing the scowl on her face."I can't keep on watching you starve yourself, either you eat this willingly or I force it down your throat."

She simply stared at him saying nothing because all she could hear and sense at that moment was the strong beat of his heart and his overwhelming scent almost making her dizzy, his scent was so nice and she was very sure his blood would taste just as nice.

"Fine." I said after a long seconds of silence. Manya tries to sit up, noticing her discomfort he wraps his hand around her body, which caused his neck to hover above her face. She absently licked the tip of her protruded fangs, uncontrollable hunger burning through her body.

Before her mouth could get closer he pulled away, he rubs his hand over where her teeth were close to piercing. She blinks getting herself under control.

She meets his gaze before staring at the plate on her lap, removing the lid she relaxes seeing it was only beef soup. She globs down almost half the portion before placing the tray back on the nightstand. She wanted this torture to be over soon because she didn't trust herself to be in her presence much longer.

"I will tell the pack doctor to come see you tomorrow." He says suddenly moving his right hand towards her face. She held his wrist stopping him."I'm just trying to check your temperature, do you have any health condition I need to know about?"

Her throat swells, but she manages to swallow, her gaze pinned on his hand a few inches from her face. Again that familiar need to have a taste rioted inside her."I'm thirsty." All she could think about was getting a feel of his blood and she did.

Instinct won over reasoning.