Royal Meets Rogue
Chapter 10: Bad Dreams

Athena

“Did you really think you could hide forever?” Rick laughed as my arms were being held by two men. “So pathetic.”

He growled as he palm came across my face.

I cried out in pain and I felt the tears fall from my face.

“You are so pathetic, Athena.” Rick growled as he grabbed my jaw. “It’s funny that you thought that you could get away with what you did. You committed treason.”

I growled and spat in his face.

He flinched backward and brought a hand up to wipe my spit from his face.

He growled even louder than last time and curled up his fist before punching me in the face.

I howled in pain as I felt blood fill my mouth. I opened my mouth and watched as blood poured from it.

‘Athena!’ Artemis cried. ‘Stop antagonizing him!’

“You little bitch!” He yelled as lifted up his foot and kicked me.

The force from his kick knocked me out of the men’s grasp and onto the cold, hard ground.

“You will pay dearly for this and I am going to love every minute of beating the life from your body.” Rick threatened as he walked towards me.

His steps matched my heartbeat and I’m pretty sure everyone around us could hear it.

I struggled to get up and every time I was close, I would fall back down again.

Rick laughed as he watched me. “You are so weak, Athena. So pathetic.”

“T-That’s not t-true.” I stuttered as blood filled my mouth again.

“No wonder your parents left you.” He laughed again as he knelt down to my level.

“Stop.” I whispered.

“They saw how much of a pathetic little wolf you would be-”

“Stop.” I cried as I cut him off.

“And they didn’t want to deal with that failure called Athena.” Rick smirked. “If you were my daughter, I would have abandoned you too.”

I let out a cry of pain as I felt my heart shatter.

‘Athena!’ Artemis cried as I felt her pain match mine.

“You committed treason, Athena. And that is punishable by death.” Rick continued as he stood up and walked over to Megan.

She smiled as she held out a silver sword.

‘Athena please!’ Artemis cried again. ‘You need to stand up! Come on!’

“Bring her over to me.” Rick growled as he grabbed the sword.

“No!” I struggled as they pulled me from the ground.

“I’m going to enjoy every minute of this.” Rick smiled evilly.

“Hecate!” I yelled out hoping she would hear me. “Help me!”

But she never came. All I saw was Rick with an evil glint in his eye as he gripped the sword’s clothed handle.

“Hecate!” I tried again.

I felt the tears fall as I saw my fate. So this is how it ends.

“Athena Polias. You have committed treason against the North Forest Pack and I, Alpha Rick North, summon you to death.”

I watched in horror as Rick raised the sword.

“No!” I screamed as the sword flung downward.

“Athena!” A voice yelled.

I screamed as I shot up from my bed and looked around, only to replace Hecate with worried eyes.

“What?” I asked in a quiet voice.

“Y-You were screaming a-and I got worried.” Hecate rushed as she pulled me into her.

She wrapped her arms tight around me and hugged me.

I sniffed as I felt the tears run down my face and I quickly wrapped my arms around her.

“It’s okay.” Hecate cooed. “I’m here.”

“Thank you.” I whispered as I hugged her tighter.

“It’s going to be okay. It was only a bad dream. It wasn’t real.”

“It felt so real though.” I admitted.

“I know dear.” She spoke softly as she began to rub my back. “It was just a dream, okay? It wasn’t real. You are here with me at the house. You aren’t back at your old pack.”

“He was going to kill me.”

“No, he isn’t.” Hecate said as she pulled back slightly. “Athena. Look at me.”

I slowly opened my eyes and saw her face.

“See?” She asked. “Look around. You are in your room.”

I let my eyes wander around the room and saw my walls and my desk.

“It was only a dream.” I whispered to myself as I looked back at Hecate.

“There you go.” She smiled as she wiped my tears from my face. “It’s okay Athena. You are going to be okay. It was just a dream and none of it was real.”

“You’re right.” I said with a shaky voice.

“Come here.” She smiled as she climbed onto my bed and rested her back against the headboard.

I quickly laid my head in her lap and held onto her one arm.

She used her other arm to run her hand through my hair as she started to hum softly. I closed my eyes and listened to her hum.

And that was what I fell asleep too.

~*~

“So what did you do yesterday?” Hecate asked with a warm smile as I sat down at the kitchen table.

I gave her a confused look.

Was she not going to say anything about last night?

She stared at me for a second before sighing. “I didn’t want to bring it up just in case you didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh.” I mumbled as I felt my face get red. “Thank you.”

“Did you want to talk about it?” She asked carefully as she sat down next to me.

I looked down at my hands. “I got caught by Rick and he was going to kill me.”

“Oh dear.” Hecate said sadly as she scooted her chair closer to mine. “You know that is not true. That isn’t going to happen.”

“But what if it does?” I asked worriedly as I looked up in her eyes. “He could replace me!”

She offered me a warm smile. “He isn’t going to replace you. We very far from your old pack and as long as you keep drinking the potions; they aren’t going to be able to replace you. There is no way that they can track you down.”

“But-”

“No buts.” She laughed as she cut me off. “Athena. When I intervened on that fight, I heard what they said. They thought I was a hunter. And do you know what that means?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“The state that you were in, you would not be alive if I was a hunter. You surely would be dead.” She explained. “They think that you are dead and it is going to stay like that. The only way this whole thing could get ruined is if you go back to that area or they come here. And I highly doubt they are going to travel all the way here. Alpha’s don’t travel outside of their land unless they absolutely have too and there is nothing over here that would raise any eyebrows or cause interest. You are safe.”

I sighed as I placed my head in my hands. “Do you think?”

“I know.” Hecate laughed as she softly lifted up my head. “You are safe with me and I will never let anything happen to you.”

I felt tears swell up in my eyes and I lunged for Hecate.

She laughed as she caught me and gave me a hug.

“Thank you.” I whispered into her shirt.

“You are so welcome dear.” She whispered back.

“Hecate?” I asked softly as I pulled back a little.

“Yes?” She asked confused.

“Thank you.”

She gave me a confused look. “You already said th-”

“No.” I cut her off as I shook my head. “You gave a girl who you have never met, a home. You had no reason to do that, but you did. You knew nothing about me and you dropped everything just to rescue me. I could have been a bad person, I could have threatened you. But you didn’t even think about that. You just let me live here, no questions asked and you wanted nothing in return. I can’t thank you enough. I really can’t. You have done so much for me, more than anyone has ever done and I don’t know how I can repay you. I’ve never felt this type of care in my entire life and it’s weird. But not in a weird way. I ask you all the time what I can do to repay you and you just shake your head and tell me that you don’t want anything. For that, I can’t thank you enough.”

She sat there with wide eyes and a small smile. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

“You gave me your home without worrying if I was going to do anything. You told me your big secret and trusted me fully to keep it. You could have just turned around and left me there to die. But you didn’t. Instead, you decided to help a half-dead girl who you have never met and saved her. I don’t know what I can do to make it up to you except to tell you every day how much it means to me and how much you care to me.”

Hecate wiped a stray tear as it fell down her cheek and pulled me in a hug. “Oh, Athena.”

“You are like the mother I never had. I love you so much.” I cried as I clutched onto her shirt.

“I love you too dear.” Hecate hiccupped as she cried with me. “I’ve always wanted a daughter and I feel like I have one right here.”

“Please don’t ever leave me.”

“I would never.” She said as she rubbed my back. “I would never do that to you even if I wanted too. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and not put you into harm’s way. I care about you so much Athena.”

I let out a soft cry as I clutched onto her shirt for dear life. I feel so safe with her and this is the first time I have ever felt like this for as long as I can remember.

“Thank you.” I sniffed.

“You are so welcome, dear.” She replied.

Everything seems to be falling into place.