Nicon

XXVI

                 

XXVI

            SHE HAD BEEN growing tired of being locked up tightly as if she were an animal.  After all, the King and his men were the ones who could shift into wolves at will. 

            After subconsciously sketching Killian in her journal, Elysie had grown restless.  She had started pacing, her bare feet slapping against the wooden floor until the front of her head started throbbing from the painfully cyclic stepping.  And once again, she found her hand hovering over the knob of her door. 

            She sighed, her fingertips brushing the cool brass gently as if touching it would cause it to fall off.  No one would notice if she left briefly, after all, Syd had not visited her in two days' time and she doubted he would come after nightfall.  She also had not received an invitation for dinner in those two days, and briefly she wondered if everything was all right.  Surely if something happened she would have been alerted?

            She decided that a mere two hours out of her room would not hurt anyone; she would be back before there was any indication that she was gone.  With that thought in mind, she turned the doorknob and stepped into the hallway. 

            It was dimly lit, but she was not surprised.  She turned and softly clicked the door back into place, careful to make as little noise as possible.  She knew that their hearing was phenomenal and much better than that of Elysie's race.

            Her feet padded along the hallway as she retraced the steps she took when she and Nicon first walked to the greenhouse, careful to not lose track of where she was.

            When she finally reached it, she wasn't aware of the large smile present on her face.  It was more beautiful now that her vision was nearly back to the way it had previously been.

            The soft sound of running water from the fountain was the first sound to reach her ears, followed by the lovely smell of the plants.  If Elysie closed her eyes and envisioned the forest, it was almost as if she were there and not a prisoner in the castle.

              The chandeliers above her were bright with a glow from the candles.  The light illuminated the vines on the wall, but drew Elysie's eyes to the large wolf in the center of the fountain.  Staring at the familiar animal whose teeth were bared in a feral way, she wondered if Nicon's wolf looked anything like the vicious creature. 

            She took a seat on the edge of the fountain and pulled up her floor length nightgown so her feet could be submerged in the water without soaking her dress as well. 

            Humming a tune her mother hummed when Elysie was a small girl, she lost track of time just relishing in the serenity of the greenhouse.

            "Elysie!" 

            The voice she had not heard in days startled her so much that the girl lost her balance when she jumped in fright and tipped over the fountain.  The cold water bit Elysie's skin and she pushed herself up, breathing deeply when her head was above the surface. She couldn't prevent the soft laughing that escaped her purpling lips.

            To Nicon's ears, the sound was melodic, and he almost forgot that he was here to scold his mate. 

            "Elysie," he said, softer this time, walking over to the girl who was soaked in the fountain. 

            He took her small hand in his and pulled her out, attempting to ignore how her white dress hung to her curves and the fact that it did little to hide her body from him.

            She was still smiling.  "I'm sorry, I lost track of time."

            "You shouldn't have been here in the first place," he told her.  "Come here, I was worried." 

            He pulled her into an embrace to warm her.  "You're so warm," she said, her teeth chattering slightly.

            He sighed, "I thought I told you not to leave your room."

            "I was growing restless!" she protested after a few moments of silence.  "You keep me trapped in here as if I am the animal out of the two of us."  She realized what she said was insulting and stepped back, trying to think of words to explain.

            The King was frowning as he crossed his arms over his chest.  "You will be, too, Elysie.  It will do you well to remember that."

            "I didn't mean it as if it were a bad thing, Nicon, I just- I'm tired of being treated unequally."

            "When have I treated you unequally?"

            "Don't pretend like you're innocent.  Did you not want to eradicate my race mere days ago?"  She crossed her arms over her chest in an effort to look more intimidating, but the quiet chattering of her teeth was enough to drive Nicon mad. 

He didn't say anything, not particularly enjoying the fact that he was going to have to lie to her again.  "Let's return to your room, Elysie, and get you something to change into.  I can hear your teeth from here."

"Don't avert the subject."

"Did you miss me?" he tried again, attempting to get her to cave in her argument.

            "It's not going to work."

            "No?" he asked, stepping forward.

            "No."  She said stubbornly, moving back.

            "Because, Elysie, I've missed you.  A lot."  Her heart was beating impossibly fast as she backed up against the fountain and Nicon stepped forward, creating even less distance between the two of them.  The beating encouraged him to step forward again, knowing she was nervous because of how close he was.

            She placed her hand on his chest to try and stop his advances.  Nicon felt her fingertips' cold touch through the fabric of his shirt and it only caused him to take another step forward. 

            "I don't think I'll be able to let you resist me anymore, little mate."

            She met his gaze.  "I didn't think I've been resisting you."

            He brought his arm up, letting his fingers dance across the skin of her arm as he trailed upwards to her neck.  He moved her wet hair out of the way as he bent his head down and placed a tender kiss above her collarbone.  He could feel her erratic heartbeat through the touch. 

            He heard her sigh and he kissed her neck again.  "Right there," he said.  "That's where I'll mark you as mine."