The Lycan Within

c. fourty three

RECAP: Celeste has been captured by the purple eyed witch, after a massive fight and Tobias' pack. In a dream, some memories of her childhood were revealed and she spoke with Esmerelda who apologized and gave her back all her memories.

*

A harsh slit of light pierced the safety of sleep and brought me back into reality. I stared aimlessly into the room, taking a moment to simply exist, a moment to ignore the catastrophe that had been made of my life. Everything I thought I knew about my self was a lie, and at this moment in time, I felt so disconnected from my own identity that simply existing was easy.

I tried to lift me hand, but it was when my sharp hiss echoed in the room was I sucked back into reality as the silver began burning my flesh. I gently placed my hand back down and took a moment to examine my surroundings. The grey concrete walls were marred with dried blood and mysterious stains, all so old that any scent was long gone. On the other end of the room was another set of chains similar to my own, and beside them, was a cold metal door, dented from the inside out. The harsh light filtering in through a small rectangle window burned my sore eyes. But I took a moment to appreciate the pain. The only thing that was true. Pain.

I lost track of time as I counted the particles of dust gracefully dancing through the air and I envied them. It was only when a rattling of keys was heard at the door did I finally feel as though my heart was beating again. I began to breath heavily and despite the pain in my wrists and ankles I fumbled to squeeze myself in the corner, to make myself small. But all hope was lost as the door swung open and there he stood.

His dark eyes washed over me and the spark of madness that lit in his eyes shook me to my core. He said nothing as he watched me, analyzing me like I was less than human. He licked his lips and smirked, as his long muscular legs took slow even strides towards me, cutting through the air like a knife through soft flesh. From head to do he was adorned in black, and I could only imagine his lycan black like a hell hound in the flesh. Slowly, as if teasing me, he crouched down and reached out a hand to touch my cheek. As his skin brushed against my own I felt bile raise in my throat and it took everything within me to not recoil in a mixture of anger and disgust. The silence in the room was deafening.

"Hello Celeste," he finally spoke. The voice that had once spoke kind words now filled me with rage. I couldn't help the snarl that escaped my lips, and he threw his head back manically, his laugh echoing off the walls.
"Oh, you do amuse me, Celeste" he said, barely recovering from his laughing fit. Without a moments notice, the chains were detached from the walls and now held in Nero's hands. He began walked and a stumbled to my feet, with no doubt in my mind he would've dragged me had I not. I followed him aimlessly like a lost puppy as he lead me out of what looked like a basement, up the stairs into what seemed like a warm and cosy home. It was laughable that this all hid a thousand horrors beneath it and was the home to a sick man.

He led me to the end of the corridor, groaning as he pushed the double doors. I'd expected a room, and instead what I was met with was far beyond the reaches of my imagination.

It was an indoor garden, and yet every plant usually green with life, was a deep and endless black, casting a dark omen over the room. The pungent metallic scent of blood unrelentingly consumed every breath I took and it felt as though I was choking. In the center, was a single stone table, illuminated by the sun, harshly reflecting into my already sore eyes causing a wince to pass through my body. I looked up to see the skylight above the centre of the room and I felt a dark feeling in my core.

"You see, Celeste," he said with a smile, turning to me with a malevolent gaze in his eyes.

"You're going to die here," he said and his deep voice bounced off the walls and swallowed me whole. I looked at him, confusion written all over my face.

"I'm going to rip your heart out on the night of the full moon and eat it, and take your power." He said casually, as if he had spoken of a topic as trivial as the weather. He wanted to eat my heart?

My lungs felt like they couldn't hold any more air and my heart clenched as fear overwhelmed my whole body. As hard as the last few days had been I wanted more than anything to live. I wanted to find out what happened to my parents, I wanted Sebastian to hold me in his arms once more, I even wanted to feel Catori'd harsh gaze burning into my back. I wanted to live.

"Cat got your tongue?" he asked light heartedly, tilting his head in false concern. I felt something stir in my chest and I knew I had to do something and I tried to run towards him, to do something. But my vision was suddenly invaded my malicious dark shadows which slowly consumed me as my head hit the ground.

________

It had been days since the attack. Benjamin had woken in the early morning to find the women and children still stuck in a deep sleep, and despite his searching, Celeste was nowhere to be seen. Her scent was absent in the air as though she had never even existed, although the worst part of the whole ordeal had been telling Sebastian. A darkness deeper than any had ever seen before consumed his eyes and the dark veins from his eyes spread like a wildfire down beneath his shirt. His body began to shift, excruciatingly slow, and each crack of bone resonated through the open air like a warning for the destruction that was sure to ensue. As soon as his paw hit the ground, his dark wolf shot off into the trees, his paws flattening everything they landed on and nobody saw him for the next day.

When he had returned, his eyes were still black as night and his feet were blood ridden and torn to shreds much like his hands, and they wouldn't heal as his lycan was beyond exhaustion as there was no doubt he had ran tirelessly searching for Celeste.

It was night time, and what was left of the pack had gathered in the dining hall and a sombre mood still hung over the room. All that could be heard was the clink of silverware against the ceramic plates. A young girl came and briefly tapped Sebastian on the arm. Her eyes were swollen and dark and he felt a pang of pain in his chest, wanting nothing more than to make those responsible pay.

"There's somebody here to see you," she said. Catori and Ben both stood from their seats alongside Sebastian, and stormed to the door. Who would be looking for them. At the door however, a familiar pair of eyes looked back at the three of them.

_______

HONESTLY MY LIFE HAS BEEN A WHOLE MESS AND IM SO SORRY EVEN WRITING THIS SHORT CHAPTER TOOK ME WEEKS ;-;

I hope y'all are even still into this book but it is beginning to wrap up slowly!!!

-chantelle xo