More Than Just A Mate

Chapter 3

A few minutes before midnight. But somewhere in 19th-century New York, the voice of a tormented young lady could be heard. "But I'm tired!" Oriana cried. "I've been working for six hours. Please let me have some rest. I promise to continue tomorrow."

"What nonsense!" the witch bellowed, striking her with a whip. "How dare you complain? Is this worth the life I gave you hours ago?" The pain of the whip stung Oriana so much that tears gathered and flowed freely from her eyes.

"You think I'm being wicked, huh?" The witch's voice was shrill and coarse. "What person has accepted you, to even give you a job, talk more of a meal?"

If a tasteless soup filled with mushrooms and bitter herbs was what she called food, then Oriana had had a meal some hours ago. But her eyes were turning now. Her body was quivering from working for hours. There were just too many things to do in this prison.

"Go back to your work before I strike you dead!" she ordered. Oriana noticed a necklace on the woman's neck. It had a pendant of precious stone and seemed to be the source of her power. There was also a certain X-shaped scar just above her flat breasts.

Oriana then smiled and began to work again. "And why are you smiling?" the witch couldn't help but ask. Oriana didn't answer, and continued her work. The witch would sleep off, wouldn't she?

Oriana was still bent over her work when she felt something heavy strike her neck. She swirled around to see the old woman holding a large stick, covered in a liquid.

"Why?" Oriana cried, holding the back of her neck as the pain tore through her. The witch grinned. "I was only making doubly sure you aren't a wolf. This is wolfsbane."

"You're afraid of werewolves?"

"Pfft. Witch Kay ain't afraid of anything," she bragged.

Was that a real name? Kay? And even though she tried to hide it, the witch was indeed afraid of werewolves. Had something happened in the past?

"Do you have a family?" Oriana suddenly asked her.

The old witch staggered back in surprise. The question had caught her off guard.

"Of course I do!" she claimed, but when Oriana looked straight into her eyes, she couldn't help but say the truth. "I did. But they were killed by the Lycan King!"

The Lycan King. Oriana had heard terrible stories about him. For the past two decades of Oriana's life, she had witnessed two bloody wars and five minor ones. She was amazed how she survived them all. The wars were all started by the Lycan. What was his name? Diego? Desmond? She hoped to have nothing to do with him.

"But one day, my sweet one," the witch continued, "I shall have my revenge on him. I will steal what is most precious to him, and make his years miserable!"

She began to laugh, hysterically. Then suddenly, she dropped onto the floor, and began to snore. Just like that!

Oriana's mind became hyperactive. Should she flee now? Maybe this sudden sleep was a show to trick her into escaping. Whatever it was, Oriana wasn't going to let it slip from her.

But she had to wait until the witch was deeply asleep. So she sat down and waited. Already, Oriana knew that the witch was dangerous. As she cleaned, she had seen knives. Plenty of them. And they were covered in blood. Something told Oriana that those were human blood.

When she was sure an hour had passed, Oriana got to her feet and tiptoed towards the door. She stopped when she gently opened the door, and glanced back. Kay was still snoring. Oriana thought this escape was too easy. Was there a catch somewhere?

"I'll create one myself then," Oriana muttered and began to walk towards the sleeping witch.

This was a very foolish and dangerous idea, but she was hell-bent.

She lifted the pendant off the witch's breasts with her fingers. With a good yank, she'd pull it out and run for the door.

"One. Two."

Yank!

It came off.

She sprinted for the door.

The witch was up on her feet in an instant. "Come back here, you thief!" she screamed.

But Oriana was already running down the street, stumbling in the dark, headed for the nearest street lamp. Not a single soul was on the road.

She thought she had had an escape. But how wrong she was! She was walking past a chapel when she heard someone catcall her.

"Psst!"

She turned to see a nun standing at the door, beckoning to her, looking scared.

Oriana stood there in the middle of the road, wondering what to do. Was this yet another trap?

"Come in here!" the nun cried. "They're taking girls away. I said —"

But before Oriana could realize what was happening, a wolf jumped out of nowhere and knocked her down. Then with a clean sweep of its foreleg, gave Oriana a cut on her left arm. Then, it jumped off back into the darkness.

It was all too fast. Oriana got to her feet, nursing her wound. Was that all? The wolf didn't intend to kill her.

Oriana turned to the cathedral door again, and found it shut. Was this just her imagination?

She turned to walk away. But a few minutes later, a band of men leaped out of a van and bundled her into their vehicle.

Oriana didn't even scream; she was tired of it. Whatever Fate — or anyone who controlled the universe — had for her, she was ready to face it. She wouldn't fight it anymore.

Inside the van, she realized she wasn't alone. But it was too dark to see any faces.

"Say your name," a girl's voice demanded from the darkness.

"Oriana."

Then came another sharp voice. "Wait a sec, are you the one who bursted our bike tyres with your eyes? Well, we meet again. How will you escape this time?"