Shining Through Shadows

Fascination

Zachary

I just couldn’t help myself.

She was an intriguing creature. A rebellious and fierce creature luring me closer with her gaze as cold as the frozen landscape in Duragh.

Where others wanted to avoid me out of fear, she managed to stare into my damned soul, or whatever was left of it. I knew I should keep my distance, let her be with her duties, but I just felt calmer around her, as if her very presence kept my impending madness away or at least kept my beast entertained with something other than rage.

Lydia…

A beautiful name, fitting her so well. Since yesterday, her name has been constantly on my mind, like an echo traveling through a deep, dark cave.

Lydia…

I have never seen one like her. Her pale, icy-blue eyes were bright and alert. Glistening like the rays of the sun reflecting in the icicles.

And her golden hair, always in a long braid. Despite her coming from the north, her hair was thick, an uncommon trait here.

She was a sight. Nothing I had ever seen could compare to the beauty she so effortlessly radiated.

But I had to regain control of the situation. I had to regain control of myself. While I wanted to tease her, taste her, feel her, I knew I couldn’t. She was under my protection while working under my roof and I wouldn’t take advantage of that.

I still remember when I found her cold body in the thick snow. A thin layer had already begun to cover her and hadn’t we been out scouting, she would’ve frozen to death.

She was barely breathing, and her heart was fighting with slow, almost inaudible beats to keep her alive. It was freezing outside, the weather unforgiving as a storm had consumed most of the north.

When I carried her back to the house, her body still stiff from the cold, all I could feel was rage. Yet again, another innocent person had been sent out to fend for themselves against an unknown enemy. The wrong enemy.

I knew well about the rumors about me and no matter how untrue they were, innocent people still lost their lives. I guess I’d just grown tired of fighting back, and now the rumors had increased by tenfold.

My brothers had done well to keep up their scheme, making me their scapegoat as the Rogue Alpha. While I technically was exactly that, I never intended to use my position to harm anyone.

I just wanted to live in peace until the Goddess claimed my broken soul. That is why I chose to make a life for myself in Duragh instead of living in the Citadel of Mistra with them. I wanted peace.

But now… With her, Lydia, wandering around my house… It felt like my heart had found something worth beating for and, for the first time since I left the Citadel of Mistra, I imagined a future where I didn’t have to give into the madness threatening to consume me.

“Louisa?” I called from my seat in the large office. I spend most of my time here going over Duragh’s economy, daily reports about staff, food and storage, and border patrol reports.

Through the years, I’ve gathered a small trusted circle of like-minded men and women, and together, we’ve created Duragh, a place where we can live in peace and quiet. It was mostly vast land here along with lakes and forest, and Duragh itself consisted of the large main house and a few smaller houses for my loyal followers.

“How can I be of help?” Louisa asked me with a friendly smile on her face as she scurried into my office. I cleared my throat, a little intimidated about how she would react to my proposal.

“I’ve been thinking that you deserve some assistance.” I began, noticing how she opened her mouth to deny my request, but I held up a hand to stop her. “It’s not about you not being capable, because we both know that you could easily be in charge of the whole house.” I said and Louisa nodded her head, agreeing with my observation. “But with even more servants in the house, we need to delegate more chores.”

Louisa narrowed her eyes at me, something only she was allowed to do. Ultimately, she let out a sigh of defeat and placed her hands on her hips.

“You’ve always been observant, Alpha, ever since you were a child.” She gave me one of her warm smiles and shook her head. “What do you have in mind then, if I may ask?”

“I don’t want anyone else but you to clean my office or my private chambers, but perhaps someone could assist you with my meals?” I suggested.

I watched her frowning her eyebrows together as she thought of my suggestion before she smiled at me again.

“Then I suggest you choose someone diligent and trustworthy…” She began and I nodded my head in approval. “Jena. She’s been a servant here for several years.”

Jena? She wasn’t exactly whom I had in mind. The confused look on Louisa’s face told me I hadn’t only been frowning in my mind.

“How about the new girl… Lydia?” I carefully suggested, hoping it wouldn’t be too obvious. To look disinterested, I returned to the papers in front of me and wrote down something I had to follow up on later. “Jena has already done a great job being in charge of the female servants. It would be hard to find an equally talented replacement for her.”

“I see, Zachary… Is that the only reason why you wouldn’t choose to promote Jena?” She inquired bluntly with a raised brow.

I raised my head, forcing my gaze away from the report I was reading to meet her all-knowing eyes.

“It is.” I tried my best to look as indifferent as possible, but I couldn’t help but notice how my heart was pounding erratically from the prospect of having Lydia deliver my meals.

“Very well, young Alpha, very well.” She nodded her head, a smile gracing her lips as if she knew something I didn’t, before she finally turned and left my office with me staring after her with narrowed, suspicious eyes.