IN FULL COLOUR - Dark Fantasy
Chapter 7

Axel

Everyone knew.

Everyone knew about the plan my family had perfectly formulated behind my back. Lily, Cassius, my mother, Alpha Stone, who else? Did Gabrielle know about this too? Was she part of their elaborate scheming?

I didn’t know what to think or feel anymore. My only companion seemed to be the dull, constant ache I endured in my heart.

Demolished bits and pieces of a heart beating in a ruptured, tired chest. I was broken and everyone knew it.

Most of the drive to Dire Mountain, I had spent sleeping. It was the best slumber I had gotten in days. Probably because it gave me an excuse not to speak to Cassius and the persistent low-tone droning of the car’s engine in the background lulled me into a trance-like state.

When I finally woke, it was dark outside. Cassius had a paper cup in his left hand and with his right, he kept a casual grip on the steering wheel, tapping with his fingers against its leather covering to the beat of a soft melody coming from the radio.

I rubbed my face and straightened to peer outside.

“Here,” he said, holding out a large cup, similar to his.

Steam was pouring from the tiny opening in the white plastic lid and wafted in thin tendrils into the dark empty space of the car.

I accepted it and grumbled a “thanks.” My voice was hoarse from the sleep.

The first sip was a mixture of hot bitter goodness with just a hint of sweet hazelnut as it slid down my oesophagus. It felt cleansing and comforting as it burned its way down my throat, making me forget about all my troubles for just a few blissful moments.

“Just another thirty minutes or so,” Cassius stated from the front, taking another sip of his own beverage.

I shook my head and leaned with my forehead against the cold window surface. What my brother meant to say was that I was thirty minutes away from being pimped out to Dire Mountain for the next three months. I guess he chose to be my Alpha rather than my brother after all.

Fine. Then I will treat him as such.

“Yes, Alpha,” I replied, although it pained me deeply to refer to him as my superior.

A silence fell between us and I turned my focus to the empty, darkened streets outside. I could feel his eyes burning into me through the rear-view mirror, but I did not try to mend our brotherly connection. It was the first time I had ever referred to him as my Alpha and he knew exactly what that implied.

Gabrielle

Subtle shading around his jawline hinting at the darkened stubble I had seen on him that night. The charcoal pencil in my hand glided effortlessly over the rough paper of my sketchbook as my mind replayed the scene.

The picture had begun to take perfect form when my father’s voice, deep and grating flitted in through my bedroom door, “Gabby, are you decent, can I come in?”

Within a split second, I flipped a few pages back and started scribbling around the edges of a still life drawing I had created days ago. It consisted of freshly picked fruit placed in an intricate, yellow bowl sitting on a wooden table.

“Come in,” I chimed without looking up from the half-finished piece of artwork.

The door creaked open, and my father’s heavy footsteps made their way towards my bed, the thudding muffled by my plush, pink carpet.

“There,” I announced with a bright smile and placed the sketchbook along with my pencil into my lap, giving my father my full attention, “I am all yours.”

“What are you drawing?” He asked kindly.

I picked up the book and turned it towards him, “the fruit bowl I had been working on.”

“That’s pretty, may I?”

My palms went clammy, I didn’t want to hand my sketchbook over to him because I was afraid of what else he might replace in there, should he decide to page through it. On the other hand, if I didn’t give it, it would look even more suspicious.

Pushing the fear aside, I stretched my arms out and handed him the key to my soul. The book which felt more personal than any diary ever could. It held images of all my emotions, hopes, dreams, thoughts and even nightmares.

“It’s not done yet?” My father inquired sounding a little unsure of himself. Something he would never let show in front of his pack.

I chuckled lightly at his discomfort, “no, dad, it's not.”

He smiled and nodded in relief. I guess years of living with an artist had taught him to be extremely cautious when commenting or asking about a work in progress.

When he handed the heavy book back to me, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders and placed it onto my bedside table, well out of my father’s reach.

The bed dipped and groaned as my father sat down next to me, the atmosphere suddenly shifting.

“Dad, is everything alright?”

Something was clearly bothering him, and he looked physically pained as he turned his grave gaze towards me. For a moment I thought someone had died, but then he spoke.

“Alpha Cassius Scott and his brother, Axel are on their way to Dire mountain.”

My heart stopped and my eyes grew wide, “w-what?”

The excuse of a voice that came out sounded foreign even to my own ears. Scratchy and barely above a whisper. My father visibly cringed at the sound of it.

I swallowed but kept my gaze fixed on him, waiting for him to continue.

“He is coming here under strict orders from his Alpha to aid us with training our advanced warriors and,” he scanned his eyes over my shocked face, “and to spend an hour every day with you.”

Wait, what? Oh, no, no, no, no. This couldn't be happening.

“W-why?” I found myself asking in that same foreign voice.

“Because it is his duty,” my father stated as he straightened up.

“But, he,” my mind flashed back to that dreadful night where I had seen my mate for merely a few moments from across the room, “he doesn’t want,” I started, but couldn’t get the words to come out.

Tears had started to sting my eyes when my father spoke again, “what’s done is done. He will come here and fulfil his duty towards his pack.”

“Dad, no.”

Pity flashed in my fathers’ eyes, but he stood up and spoke with authority, “you will play the perfect hostess for our guest and I will handle the rest.”

I wasn’t sure what he was implying, but I did not like the sound of it one bit.

“Father, please,” I whimpered as the first tear broke free, “the embarrassment.”

Recognition flickered in my father’s features as he recalled the events of that night, almost four months ago. Everyone’s attention was turned towards us, towards me as Lily lifted her index finger and pointed at him across the room.

The entire hall had gone quiet, and everyone watched our first encounter, well, almost encounter. When he saw me, his mouth fell open and he slowly got up from the barstool he had been perched on. Step by step he made his way through the crowd towards me but stopped dead in his tracks not even halfway through.

I didn’t know what was going on, why he had stopped, but instinctively, I took a step of my own towards him. It was like something out of a film. The crowd faded away into the background as we stared at each other. If only it could have ended like in the movies too. But it had not been a movie and my mate did not want me. Within seconds, it had shown on his face and he stormed out of the ballroom without even say a single word to me.

Slowly and agonisingly, every face in the room had turned towards me, watching and waiting for my heart to shatter. It did. But I did not dare show it. I simply closed my still gaping mouth, swiftly scanned the crowd and saw one primary emotion suffocating the space as they all stared back at me with pity.

Such sorrowful pity was written on all of their faces. I couldn’t stand it. Even his sister, Luna Lily had turned towards me with her pale blue, lifeless eyes.

“What is going on?” she muttered to her mate, Alpha Raiden. I didn’t want to hear the words spoken out loud. I couldn’t bear hearing his answer, so with a bright red face and stinging eyes, I moved into the hall, away from the festivities, carrying my long emerald-green dress in my hands.

“He will not disrespect you like that again,” my father simply stated, voice cold and deadly. I didn’t look up as he left my room, leaving me alone to deal with my erratic emotions.