Run! The Lost Princess of the Black Wolves

Chapter 39 - Caught red-handed

What Chloe hoped to be a peaceful night with plenty of sleep turned into a night of terror. All her previous nightmares flooded back with a vengeance, growing darker and more violent than ever before. Tossing and turning in bed, she found herself trapped in the borderland between sleep and wakefulness.

The dream that haunted her the most revolved around Marcus, his reproachful gaze making her feel guilty and ashamed. In this twisted vision, they stood in the castle's grand ballroom, and instead of the ice dragon, Chloe’s statue had taken its place. However, it wasn’t any longer carved out of ice, instead it was a creepily accurate copy of Chloe, having her features and colors. It resembled one of those uncanny wax dolls at Madame Tussauds, its emerald green eyes gazing out with chilling realism.

Marcus was pointing towards Iron while looking at Chloe accusingly. Iron, on the other hand, wore a sly smile on his lips as he gazed at her daringly, slowly undoing his pants and revealing his lack of underwear. Chloe squirmed uncomfortably as he kicked off his pants, showing off his hardness standing tall, fully aware of Marcus' watchful presence. However, if this wasn't unsettling enough, as he slowly approached her, his features suddenly shifted into Nolan's, causing her to gasp with surprise and fear.

"You," she whispered with dread.

"I am your true mate," he growled, stepping closer. "I claim you, and I will find you."

Chloe spun around, searching for Marcus, only to discover he had morphed into an unexpected person she hadn't thought about in a long time. "Oliver," she breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"I offer you a way out," he extended his hand, his eyes gentle and calm. "It doesn't have to be like this."

Eager to believe him, Chloe reached out for his hand, but before she could grasp it, Nolan seized her other hand, yanking her back.

"Mine," he snarled. "And you're going nowhere."

"Never," she hissed, trying to grow out her claws. Yet, nothing happened. Desperately calling out to her wolf, she was met with silence, and now as she looked around, she realized none of the others were present—no Oliver, no Marcus, no Iron. She stood all alone, unable to shift… Never had she felt so inferior to the Alpha male strength as she did this moment.

"Let me go!" she sneered, scratching at Nolan's eyes, desperately seeking an opening to escape. Astonishingly, it was easy to claw at his eyes, and suddenly, she found herself holding one of his bloody eyeballs in her hand, studying it with skepticism.

Nolan's roar of pain and anger jolted her back to teh present, and she quickly discarded the grotesque trophy as she sprinted away as fast as her legs could carry her, racing past her sculpture. Shivers ran down her spine as she saw crimson streams flowing down its cheeks as if it was weeping blood…

"This is madness," Chloe groaned as she kept running, somehow realizing that none of this was real. "Wake up!" she pleaded with herself, but her reality remained unchanged. She kept running until she reached her room, hastily locking the door.

It didn't take long before Nolan started pounding on her door, his voice taunting and menacing. "Chloeeee," he drawled, filling her with terror. "I know you're in there..."

Without uttering a word, Chloe distanced herself from the door, positioning herself by the window. Nolan's ragged voice seeped through the door, mocking her feeble attempt at protection. "Do you really think a door will hold me back? I'm coming for you." A resounding crash shook her as he lunged against the door, leaving her trembling. What could she do? Even if she believed it was just a dream, did she really want to stick around to find out what would happen when he caught her?

In a split second, she turned, gazing out of the window. The darkness outside was pierced only by the gentle moonlight reflecting off the snowy landscape, barely revealing the ground below and the looming forest. The woods were unfamiliar to her, but they were unfamiliar to Nolan as well. She had a chance to escape.

As Nolan continued his relentless assault on the door, Chloe jumped onto the windowsill, swung the window open, and leaped out into the unknown. Landing gracefully on the cold snow with her bare feet, she longed to shift into her wolf form. However, her wolf remained missing, not answering her calls.

"Traitor," Chloe muttered, sprinting towards the woods. She weaved through the trees, zigzagging her way forward. Soon, she caught sight of a flickering fire amidst the trees, and she cautiously moved forward. A sense of déjà vu washed over her… she had been here before, no?

Yes. There she was. The cloaked woman who had haunted her dreams since back at the Emerald Lake pack. Chloe moved as silently as she could, trying to get a glimpse of the woman's face. Who was she? She was the only unfamiliar figure in Chloe's dreams, yet, she seemed to play an important role in this mind-twisting game. The uncertainty gnawed at her, leaving her yearning for answers.

Wait a minute… Game? Chloe caught herself off guard. Why did she refer to it as a game?

Unexpectedly, her wolf's voice whispered in her ear, "Because someone is doing this to you... and deep down, you know it's true."

Chloe spun around, but her wolf was nowhere to be seen. However, Chloe’s movement caught the cloaked woman's attention, and abruptly, she stomped out the fire with incredible haste and urgency.

Chloe stepped forward. "Who are you?" she called out, locking eyes with the mysterious figure. For a moment, it seemed as though the woman was about to respond, but then suddenly, she abruptly spun on her heel and took off into the night. Chloe was just about to follow suit when a piercing scream shattered the silence, resonating from the castle.

"Freya!" Chloe gasped, recognizing her voice. There was no mistaking it - Freya was in danger. Without a second thought, Chloe sprinted back towards the castle, driven by her instinct to protect her beloved friend.

Another agonizing scream pierced the night, propelling Chloe to increase her pace. Someone was hurting Freya! She had to reach her before it was too late…

Circling the castle, she followed the now muffled sounds of Freya's cries until she arrived at the castle’s main grounds. The moonlight cast an ethereal glow on the beautiful ice sculptures that adorned the area, still illuminated by their flickering torches. Amidst the frozen artwork, she found Freya, stripped of her clothes, the torn fabric scattered around her. Hovering over her was a menacing figure standing stark nude, with broad shoulders and bulging muscles. Arnulf.

"Chloe!" Freya's face was swollen, her body covered in cuts and bruises. "Help me!" she pleaded, her eyes brimming with fear.

"Get off her!" Chloe hurled herself at Arnulf, using every ounce of her strength to tackle him to the ground. However, he swiftly spun around, grabbing her by the throat and pinning her to the ground.

“You little b***h,” he wheezed as he tightened his grip around her neck. “You’re dead meat.”

***

Chloe woke up with a gasp, her body trembling with adrenaline. Someone pounded on her door, their fists echoing through the room, causing her to jump out of bed and take a defensive stance.

"Chloe!" Iron's voice called out urgently. "Are you okay?"

"What do you want?" she squeaked, fear pulsating through her.

"I heard you screaming. Are you alright? Please open the door." She heard him rustling with the keys, trying to find the right one to unlock her door.

With hesitant steps, she approached the door, placing her trembling palms against its surface. She heard his breathing, waiting for her on the other side. However, she was so upset, she didn’t know what to think. Could she trust him?

"It's okay," her wolf's soothing voice whispered. "You're awake now. He's telling the truth. It's safe to open the door."

She decided to trust her instincts and unlocked the door, allowing him to enter. Just as he moved to embrace her, she instinctively recoiled.

"What's happening?" Iron furrowed his brows, concern etched across his face.

"I had a horrible dream, that's all," Chloe replied, wrapping her arms around herself.

An unsettling feeling washed over her as if something terrible was about to happen. Then, a memory resurfaced. "Freya!" Chloe's eyes widened as she remembered what was happening to Freya in her dream. "Iron, Freya is in trouble! Arnulf..."

“What are you talking about?” Iron frowned, not really following.

Chloe quickly grabbed a nearby bathrobe, hastily covering herself, and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Iron, please," she seized his arm. "Help me find Freya. Arnulf...” The words choked in her throat. With a sense of urgency, she tugged his arm and pulled him towards the door. "Please, hurry," she pleaded desperately.

"But Freya is probably asleep," Iron objected, obviously more inclined to go back to bed. "And Arnulf too. It's the middle of the night, Chloe."

"Please," she begged, her eyes searching his. "I know something is wrong, deep down. Help me find them!"

Reluctantly, Iron agreed, and together they hurried through the castle corridors until they reached the northern wing. Suddenly, Iron hushed her, his head tilting attentively. "You were right... Something is happening. That bastard!" With determination in his eyes, he led the way, stopping abruptly outside a door as an intense groan followed by a high-pitched scream reverberated from within.

Without a moment's hesitation, Iron kicked the door open, causing it to crack, and Chloe stormed into the room, ready to rescue Freya from Arnulf's clutches. But as her eyes scanned the scene, she froze in utter disbelief. Indeed, she was met with a freckled face with blue eyes and fiery red hair, but it wasn’t Freya... It was Marcus! And the woman screaming? It was none other than Cassiopeia, riding him like there was no tomorrow.