Esmeralda
Run!
That one word resonated in my head, filling me with unusual energy as adrenaline gushed through my body, strengthening my weak legs.
Did I just hear her?
Did she just speak? Did she just tell me to come to her and touch her?
Hiding my shaky hands in my pockets, I took a few steps away from her, observing her at a distance.
“Come to me, touch me,”
Those words filled my ears again, increasing the rate of my heartbeat.
Those words sounded like an order, unlike the ones she told me before. It was mean, commanding, authoritative, cold and daring.
Fear cloaked me like a garment as I stood rooted to a spot, unable to move, unable to decide. My curious but frightened eyes watched hers, refusing to blink for a second, afraid of what would happen if I took my eyes off her.
A sound from her let out gasps from me as I turned the torchlight in her direction, observing her every move.
She wouldn’t hurt me, right?
I was here to save her.
Her tilted chin darted in my direction at once, making my heart skip a bit.
I could feel myself under her close examination as her face roamed my body as if studying me.
Despite her closed eyes, my body burned from her intense stare. I could feel her, examining me like an open book.
Afraid to move and speak, I took more steps backwards cowardly, but my leg hit the foot of a table, hurting my pinky toe, and unconsciously, I let out loud yelps.
To the Moon goddess, it hurt a lot.
It was like my pinky toe was disconnected from my feet for a second and painful screams tore from my throat.
Immediately, I squatted to examine my pinky toe which was now red, numb and swollen, giving it soft robs.
Rising to my feet and trying to wear my sandals, another scream left my throat as I tried to fit my foot into it, but my toe kept hitting the edge of the sandals, filling me with sharp pain.
I didn’t bother to stop my wails from coming in waves. But by the time I was conscious of my environment, it was too late.
Those closed eyes were now wide open, revealing a set of sharp green eyes, pinning me with a penetrative glare. Her tangled brown hair scattered around her shoulder as she adjusted her sitting position. Her pale face rose to meet mine as she observed me, like a predator watching its prey.
She was very pale, almost white and I could almost say that she was a ghost.
Despite her long-sleeved dress, I could see her scars peeking out of it.
Did she hurt herself?
Did someone hurt her?
Was it Alpha Kade?
Several emotions flashed through me as I watched the wild girl, who in turn watched me, her face betraying no emotions.
“Come to me, touch me,” Her commanding voice echoed throughout the wing as I jumped in fright, covering my mouth with my trembling hands.
Run! My instincts told me again. But my legs turned to jelly.
Was she talking to me?
Of course, there was no one else in the room.
“… she may communicate with you, but she is not even in this world anymore. She doesn’t see you. She is trapped in her head. She is not normal… she is like a ghost, like a living dead, empty, useless. Leave her alone,”
Jade’s warnings were still fresh in my head as if reminding me of the consequences of being close to her.
But she saw me. She felt and sensed my presence and she even beckoned me like a normal person.
No doubt, she was normal.
Taking a few steps to her as if under a spell by her words, I continued watching her to see if she would go violent, but she stayed still, staring at me keenly.
“Don’t go close to her, she is not what you think,” Jade’s warnings resonated in my head again, freezing me to a spot.
Lost in thought as my mind raged with several thoughts, my eyes met hers again, examining her.
As much as I wanted to help her, I was too terrified to do that since Jade’s words won’t stop interrupting my thoughts.
“Let her be. If you love your life, never go to the North wing. Ever,”
That was my last straw as I turned to take my leave, fighting back my tears and hating myself for being a coward.
“Help me. You have to help me,” She sobbed silently, her weak voice calling into me, stopping me from taking the next step.
Turning to meet her, my eyes met with a scared-looking little girl, who desperately needed a saviour to end her torment.
I was going to help her. I didn’t care what Jade said.
“… During times like this, she is always bound in chains and if she asks you for help, don’t go close to her. She is extremely dangerous,”
That was it! An irritating hiss left my lips.
Get out of my head, Jade! I mentally screamed, blocking negative thoughts from my head.
She wasn’t a monster. She wasn’t dangerous. She needed help. She needed to be free.
Was that too much to ask?!
As if under a spell, I walked to meet her, kneeling in front of her with my hands on hers, ignoring the icy cold chains that held her back.
“Hy,” I waved, trying to initiate a conversation, but she kept her expressionless face on mine.
“My name is Esmeralda,” I continued, forcing a smile and running my hand on her pale face to have a closer look at her.
Those green eyes were sunken, almost lifeless as dark circles formed a large ring around them. Her face was white, too white that she could be mistaken for a corpse in the morgue. The white face didn’t escape from scars, they were marred on it, running in vertical and horizontal lines. Her cheeks were flat with her cheekbones almost popping out. She looked starved, malnourished and poorly taken care of.
She looked like she had seen better days.
She was in the shadow of herself.
My heart shattered as I kept staring at the girl chained before me. At once, my previous fear turned into pity.
What crime had she committed that made her chained like an animal?
Why was she treated this way?
I couldn’t hold it anymore. I let the tears roll down my eyes, staining my cheeks and splashing on the girl’s lap.
She needed help. Lots of it.
“What is your name?” I managed to ask when I found my voice, caressing her flattened cheeks.
“I don’t bite. You can trust me. What is your name?” I asked again, waiting for a reply but I was met with none.
Seconds grew into excruciating minutes and I couldn’t take it any longer. The clock was ticking, I needed to act fast if I wanted to escape without being noticed.
“I know you are as scared as hell, but don’t be. I am here to help you. You are coming with me, you don’t deserve this Pack, they don’t deserve you,” I continued, ignoring the girl’s expression like she couldn’t understand what I was saying.
I knew she did. She just wanted to know if she could trust me.
She was too traumatic to say a word. But I wasn’t going to force words from her mouth. I will make her trust me and talk to me.
My eyes landed on the chains that held her bound. I needed to free her. But I didn’t know how to.
I scanned the room and a smile curved on my lips when I sighted a key hanging on the wall. The key they used in chaining her.
Bastards.
Grabbing the key, I fumbled with it, struggling to free her, “Don’t worry, darling, I will save you,” I said, giving her a reassuring smile, “I will save you from that monster, Alpha Kade,”
At the mention of his name, hell broke loose and her screams came, almost tearing the walls of the building apart.
Why did she scream when I called Alpha Kade?
Had he tortured her so much that his name gave her nightmares?
My heartbeat accelerated at an unusual pace as I stared at the little girl who was screaming her lungs out before me.
Fuck!
I needed to get out of here.
But without her? After what I have achieved tonight?
Think about your life Esmeralda!
“Leave her alone if you love your life and never go to the North wing again. Ever,” Jade’s warnings found their way back to my head and I bit my lips in regret.
I should have avoided this wing. It brought trouble. Now I have landed into trouble.
Not with just anybody, but with Alpha Kade.
She was his prisoner.
Think, Esmeralda! I racked my brain for a solution, but none was coming forth.
“It’s okay. He is not here,” I tried to pacify her, but she was determined to tear my eardrums with her loud voice.
How did she have that much strength to scream despite her condition?
I am so screwed!
Moving away from her as I noticed the chains were breaking loose, my back touched the wall and my chest rose and fell in fright.
In a matter of seconds, footsteps resonated in the hallway and I could feel them very close to the wing. It was so close that before I could say Jack Robinson, the doors flung open and a familiar figure stood at the entrance with horror and fright evident on his face.
The scent of sandalwood, citrus and warm honey invaded my nose. And so was a familiar aura of danger.
The scent that only belonged to one person.
Alpha Kade!
Kill me now, Moon goddess.
“What did you do to her? Get away from her!” He screamed. But something told me he wasn’t screaming out of anger, but out of fear.
What could he be so afraid of?
“Don’t go in there and if you go in, make sure nobody catches you, not even Alpha Kade, else you are as good as dead,” Jade’s final warning rang in my ears, filling my eyes with tears.
Tears of regret.
I would have stayed back if I knew. Now, Alpha Kade won’t forgive me
I was as good as dead.