59 – Savior And Deceiver
Ione.
I opened my eyes and sat up too fast, my head throbbed like my blood had concentrated there. But I was warm and alive. I could feel my fingers, and I had not been eaten by wolves.
Then I froze when I heard the crunch of footsteps in the snow and a cup of something piping hot was offered to me. With trepidation, I looked up at green eyes that still haunted my memory.
“Take this, it will help you feel better,” he said, his expression kind.
I blinked and quickly tried to scramble up to my feet. I looked around anxiously as I tried to escape. This could not happen again. I could not let it, not when I knew how it all would end.
But I did not get very far with my still numb feet. The moment I tried to get on them, pain shot up my body at a speed that left me breathless.
I gasped before I opened my mouth to scream in pain. Arms surrounded me and large, strong but gentle hands clasped my mouth to prevent me. “Sh…” He whispered against my ear. “They will find us if you make too much noise. They are still out there.”
My eyes widened when I realized what he was speaking about. My abductors, the ones that I had escaped from. I should have been thankful and tried to stay put but that had been what happened in the past. It had all been a trick that I had so foolishly fallen for.
This was his plan to ‘help‘ me and gain my trust and infiltrate the castle, pretending to be an ally. Because the Alaric that I had fallen for was not who I had thought he was. He was not a werewolf who believed that Lycans were not the dark creatures that we were portrayed as. He was the leader of the men that had captured me. He was the son of an Alpha who had pretended to help me all those years ago. Who I had fallen for? Only to be used to get to Cassian.
Now, the past was repeating itself, to taunt me. This was the punishment of the void. It would have me relive the most beautiful and the worst days of my life. This was far worse than I could have ever anticipated. What would happen after it ended and the castle was attacked during Cassian’s coronation? Would I be spat out back into the real world or would I have to keep reliving the tragedy until it believed that I had learned my lesson?
I did not know. And that was the part that gnawed at me the most. The uncertainty of it all. But one thing was sure; I would not fall in love with the
Alaric of this realm.
I pushed against him, elbowing him in the ribs with everything that I had. He let out a humph sound before letting me go. He rubbed his bruised ribs but there was not an ounce of malice in his gaze as he looked at me. Instead, there was amusement in the depth of his emerald greens.
“Fine,” I huffed, still glaring.
He chuckled slightly. “Alright.”
The more I glared at him, the more amused he looked.
We did not say anything but all we did was stare into the flames. Sometimes I would feel my skin tingle so I knew that he was watching me. He yawned and stretched and got on his feet. He came to my side again.
I turned to glare at him again. “What do you want?” I demanded.
He put his hands in front of him in surrender, in his hand was some meat on a stick and the cup that he had offered me earlier.
“I am going to sleep,” he said. “Just thought you might be hungry.”
I looked at the items in his hand and did not make a move to take them.
The silence and tension were palpable and thick. Then a growl sounded but it was not a wolf but my stomach.
He flashed a smile that was entirely too attractive before placing the items down beside me.
Without a word, he turned and left for the little tent that he had built.
On the spot where he had gotten up from was a wool quilt. He had left it for me, knowing that not in a million years would I sleep where he slept.
I had to think of how to escape this place in the meantime. I could not let him know that I knew his whole plan. I had to make sure that he kept thinking that he had fooled me because I knew once he realized that the gig was up, he would call his men back to take me.
As I was trying to figure out a plan, my stomach made an audible complaint again. I glanced at what he had left for me and begrudgingly reached for them. I took a bite of the meat and I fought the stupid urge to moan at the taste of it. The tea was the same, well made as if done by a chef. I had been gullible then. How had I not wondered how a traveler in an icy wasteland would have spices and rich teas to drink and even serve companions? How had I not questioned it?
I downed the tea, too stubborn to savor the taste and the heat. With the meat, it was no different. I was warm and fed and sleep had begun to sneak up on me. So I dragged myself over to the quilt and laid down to sleep, using the rest to cover myself. Now, I was warm, fed, and cozy; no wonder I had fallen in love with him the first time around. But it did not matter what he did now, I would never fall for his schemes again. I promised myself as I drifted to sleep.
I opened my eyes to the first light of dawn seeping through the trees. The fire had died down to embers, and the cold air bit at my exposed skin. Slowly, I sat up and assessed my situation. My legs felt somewhat better; the numbness had subsided to a dull ache. It was now or never.
I glanced over to the tent where Alaric slept. It was open and, with the ‘small size, I could see him still sleeping, his chest rising and falling in a steady
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59 Savior And Deceiver
rhythm. His face looked peaceful, almost innocent in sleep. A twinge of regret flitted through me, but I shook it off. I couldn’t let myself be swayed by appearances again.
I quietly gathered the wool quilt around me and moved towards the edge of the campsite. Each step was careful and I winced with every movement, but I kept going, driven by the urgent need to escape the fate that had once befallen me at his hands.
The forest was eerily quiet, the snow muffling my footsteps. I kept glancing back to make sure he hadn’t woken up. When I reached a safe distance, I allowed myself a small sigh of relief. I had made it. I turned and started to navigate through the thick underbrush, the cold biting through my thin
clothes.
But the quiet didn’t last. A twig snapped somewhere behind me. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to move faster, pushing through the pain in my legs. I stumbled and fell, the quilt falling from my shoulders. I scrambled to get up, but strong hands grabbed me, lifting me to my feet.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Alaric’s voice was calm, almost amused. Why did he always have to think everything was funny? I thought,
annoyed.
“Let me go!” I struggled against him, but he held me firm.
“You’re not well enough to travel alone. You’ll die out here.”
“I’d rather die than be used by you again,” I spat out, glaring up at him.
His expression changed, giving way to shock. “I’m not who you think I am. I’m not here to hurt you.”
Shit! Shit! He realized that I knew. I raised my finger to his face; it was a ruby ring. A family heirloom that I always wore. “I know you saw this. You think that I can lead you to more. Well, you are mistaken.” I tried to rectify my mistake so that he would think that I was clueless.
His expression calmed again and he raised a brow at me. “I am not a thief.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And I am a donkey’s aunt,” I retorted, trying to pull away.
He released me then, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Fine. If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. But at least take this.” He reached into his coat and pulled out a small pouch, holding it out to me. “There’s food and a map inside. Use it to find your way to safety.”
I hesitated, eyeing the pouch suspiciously. “Why should I trust you?”
“Because,” he said softly, “It would be a shame if you got lost in this snow.” His gaze became intense as he stared at me, get lost in your eyes.”
his
eyes searching. “I could
My heart dared to skip a beat. He sounded so genuine, so real. But that had been his plan from the get–go. To make me fall in love with him and I
had indeed fallen for it.
I sneered at him. “Quit the shameless flirting,” I said, trying to hide the fact that my cheeks were heating up. How could I feel anything for him, even now after all he did? After all the destruction that he caused that I was a witness to? I am far more dumb than I thought.
“Can you just trust me?” He sounded desperate all of a sudden. I bet that he had believed that it would be easier than this to have me swoon. Because the first time around, it had been. I had slept in his tent and let him feed me the next morning. But this time, I knew better.
“No,” I answered curtly but reached out slowly, taking the pouch from his hand. “This doesn’t mean I trust you.”
“I understand,” he said, stepping back. “Just be careful. The woods are dangerous, especially alone.”
Without another word, I turned and continued my way through the forest, the pouch clutched tightly in my hand. I couldn’t afford to trust him, but I also couldn’t ignore the gnawing feeling in my gut that there might be more to his story. For now, I had to focus on getting as far away as possible. Only then could I begin to do something about my current situation.
I walked for miles and miles and all I could see was still snow. Where had the abductors brought me? It was nothing like the snowy lands that
surrounded the castle grounds. The ones I was used to, the ones I knew my way around.
I was losing time and the sunlight. And soon, Alaric would lose patience and tell his men to get me again. They were probably having a meeting and discussing their plans on how to get me to trust them enough to let them into the castle. So that they could wreak havoc during Cassian’s coronation. A lump formed in my throat as I remembered how Cassian had also been beheaded during that night. The screams of guests, the clatter of silverware, the clamor, the blood. I shook the thoughts away and continued to move. The sun was setting and there was no path in sight. And my legs
were beginning to go numb again.
The sky had taken an orange hue. I would have to make camp soon. I heard a whoosh before a strong cold wind almost blew me off my feet. Another problem; there would be a snowstorm tonight.
I trudged on, trying to find some form of shelter. The trees were sparse, and the wind was picking up speed, whipping snow into my face. My body ached with every step, and I could feel my strength waning. Just as I was about to give up hope, I saw a small cave nestled in the side of a hill. It
wasn’t much, but it would have to do.
I stumbled towards it, my legs barely holding me up. Once inside, I collapsed against the cold, hard ground. My breath came out in ragged gasps as I pulled the quilt tighter around me. The cave offered little protection from the wind, but it was better than nothing.
I opened the pouch Alaric had given me. Inside, there was dried meat, a small flask of water, and a map. I ate a piece of the meat, trying not savor it, my mind was too preoccupied. The map showed the surrounding area, and to my dismay, I realized I was still far from the castle. It would take me days to get there, even if I could travel without stopping.
As I sat there, the reality of my situation sank in. I was alone, injured, and lost in a frozen wasteland. The chances of surviving the night seemed slim. But I couldn’t give up. I had to find a way to warn Cassian and stop whatever Alaric and his men were planning. Maybe in this realm, things could be
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lege wound welt and filed against the walking to see my body hear. Then I fell
60 Voyage Through The Realm Of Memory and Time
