Episode4
1179 Words
RAVENA
My head throbbed—sharp, stabbing pulses behind my eyes. A ringing sound hummed in my ears, dull and constant. And then came the voices.
Muffled, Distant and unfamiliar.
I tried to open my eyes, but my lids felt too heavy. Something warm trickled down the side of my face—blood, maybe, or sweat. The scent of iron confirmed it.
“Easy,” a masculine voice hummed by my side, then strong arms followed it, holding my back up as I struggled to sit up. It wasn’t easy getting on my side. But when I did, I only got a glimpse of the face of the man before his dark, dreaded hairs covered it. “You shouldn’t be…”
“Who are you?” I pulled away instantly. It wasn’t due to fright, but because everything about the atmosphere was different. I was far gone from the silverfang pack, and I could feel it deep in my bones.
The darkness that thrummed through the earth where I lay felt like a living creature, crawling its way up my skin and causing large bumps all around.
At some point I thought I felt that darkness shift to the man who was now making his way to the wall lit by the dim torches that hung around.
“Where am I? Who are you? Why did you take me?”
“You’re a lady of interest, if I’m to begin with the last question,” he halted after reaching the wall. I watched as he plaited the vines hanging down the wall until a brown, wooden door became visible. “You must be feeling scared, ravena,”
“You know my name?” I cut in immediately, eyes sharply dashing around to find something I could defend myself with just Incase my wolf wasn’t all ready. I could already feel her weakness spreading with every second that passed.
“Yes, I know your name,”
“Then you know I’m not just any weak wolf…”
“I’m protecting you!” His voice rang through the silence in the room as he turned to me. At first glance, one would think he was pissed. Even the way his dark dreads swayed from left to right when he turned gave off that feeling. “I saved you from the monsters,”
“I didn’t ask to saved,”
“You didn’t have to. This is the wheel of fate,” he replied.
I was about to say something else when the door behind him opened. A lady walked in. She had white hair that flowed down to her butt, with eyes as brown as hazel. My eyes left her top features and traveled round her body which was adorned with weapons.
“Lord Aldric, everyone’s waiting,” she bowed, and as she lifted her head, she stole a glance at me. It was short, but I felt the spite that came with it.
Lord Aldric?
Something about that name sounded familiar.
I’d heard it in corners…or whispers…or in gatherings…somewhere I couldn’t quite place my mind on at the moment.
“I’ll be there shortly,”
“But Lord Aldric…”
“Xena, leave,” he interrupted with a command. She stole another glance at me before dragging her legs out. After the door was shut, Aldric turned away and began packing his hair. While he did that, the name rang in my head again.
Louder this time, with a chain connecting my thoughts to when and where I heard it.
“Aldric Graves” I muttered, finding my feet as fear crawled onto my skin, forcing its way into my bloodstream. “The exiled heir.” I chose to stop there after he stopped what he was doing.
Did I strike a nerve?
“I thought you were one of the Norms. People who have no idea what happens in their kingdom,”
“Why did you abduct me? Let me go!”
“You’re not a prisoner, ravena,” he turned, finally revealing his face which his dreads had hidden all along.
His face was arresting—sharp jawline dusted with a shadow of stubble, high cheekbones carved like stone, and full lips pressed in a line of control. His skin was a rich, burnished bronze, and his eyes—gods, his eyes—were a piercing amber, glowing faintly like fire trapped in a cage.
A faint scar traced from his temple down to his jaw, adding a dangerous edge to his already striking appearance.
His dreadlocks were pulled into a loose tie now, revealing silver rings woven into the strands—tokens of rank or rebellion, I wasn’t sure. He looked like a storm that had learned patience.
I swallowed, pulling away from the invincible force that kept pulling us closer to each other.
Why would the goddess bless a notorious warlord with all these?
“I’m keeping you safe. For now. Until you learn why you’ve become the most sought woman in the wolf kingdom. I don’t want you running,” he paused and reached for my hand, but I pulled away immediately.
When I looked down, I saw he was offering me a knife.
“Take it. The cave of Balel isn’t safe for a woman like you,”
“What are you talking about?”
“Take it,” he said with a little pressure in his tone. Still he sounded soft. I collected the knife, taking further steps away from him.
“My name is Aldric Graves. Exiled heir of a great, fallen Kingdom. I’m the sworn protector of this pack, and with you here, I promise to…”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I cut in, gripping the knife. “Warlord?”
A smug smirk tugged at the edge of his lips before his face dropped. “I don’t know what you must have heard out there. But that’s about to change,”
Before I could spit more words, Aldric stormed out, leaving me with the silence.
I didn’t wait a second longer. The moment the door clicked shut behind him, I spun around, searching the cave for another exit. The air was thick with smoke and damp stone, and my wolf, though weak, stirred faintly beneath my skin—enough to give me hope.
I moved quickly, quietly, stepping over scattered roots and weaving past crates stacked with weapons and rolled-up scrolls. Just near the far end of the room, half-hidden behind a torn tapestry—I spotted a narrow tunnel. My heart pounded with anticipation.
But as I ducked inside, a flash of white caught my eye. Too late.
Xena.
Her blade was out before either of us could speak.
“Wait—” I began, hands raised.
She lunged. I tried to move, but she was faster, sharper, and trained for blood. Pain seared through my side, hot and blinding. The knife sank just beneath my ribs before she froze, eyes widening.
“You?” she breathed, and I saw fear in her eyes before anything else.
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- Writer
