Kade
Cold breeze found its way into my body, chilling my spine as my gaze swept across the field.
Emptiness.
Emptiness was all I saw as I was transfixed in a spot, glancing around severally as if expecting someone in this strange place.
It was large, a vast amount of space without anyone, except me.
It was covered in darkness that even with my heightened vision, I could barely make out anything.
It was scary. As much as I tried to hide my fears, they didn’t hesitate to give me out.
My fear was everywhere, I could sniff it.
It was quiet, only my harsh breathing could be heard.
It was void, without form. It was in a state of desolation.
Like my heart. Dark and empty.
Why was I here?
Why do these demons find pleasure in tormenting me in the slightest ways they could?
I turned around sharply when I sensed a presence behind me, “Show yourself, now!” I yelled, surprised at how shaky my voice sounded.
For the first time in my life, I was afraid. I couldn’t help it.
But like father taught me, I would conceal my fears. Nothing screams weak like a scared Alpha.
In a blink of an eye, shadowy figures surrounded me in circular form, blocking the exit and trapping me at the center.
Adrenaline kicked in and I maintained a tough posture as the figures proceeded closer to me.
Their faces were scary, and their movement was swift, making my legs almost give out.
Their deadly aura filled the air and so was my anxiety. It radiated within me.
Several times, I got haunted by nightmares, but this time, I was meeting my demons face to face.
“You told us to show ourselves, now we are here,” A figure said, its voice echoing throughout the space as it, grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, “And we will not hesitate to deal torture you like we’ve always done,” It grinned, revealing its toothless mouth and a snaky long tongue with sharp edges, before throwing me to the ground like I was some piece of paper.
“Get away from me,” I threatened, trying hard to gain composure, “You are not real. You are just here to torment me and make me blame myself” I replied, struggling to steady my heartbeat to avoid having a panic attack.
“You wouldn’t even let me heal!” I cried in frustration.
“You unworthy son, you couldn’t protect your family,” It spat before punching me in the face, making me stagger.
“It was your fault your family died,”
“No!” I screamed, placing my hands on my head as if to block the memories from flooding my head, “It was not my fault,”
Tears filled my eyes now, bitter tears of regret as the memories plagued my head. Memories of how my family was brutally murdered in the North wing. Those memories plagued me with guilt.
The guilt I have carried for many years.
It was heavy, it was a burden, but I carried it without complaint.
“Leave me alone,” I screamed, throwing punches at the figures, fighting back with all the strength I had in me, but like a cloud of smoke, they faded into the air.
The smell of my fear was so strong, it slowly choked me.
“Weak!” It declared after appearing, throwing me to the ground once more with a kick, “Bastard son of Otto!”
“I am not weak. I am the Alpha,” I protested, charging towards them, but a swift spin sent me crashing.
I groaned in pain as my head started to spin as a result of the fall.
But I was not backing up. I was not weak.
“You are a weak Alpha,” They chorused in unison repeatedly, their voices reverberating throughout the space, causing my ears to ring.
“And now, you will suffer,” One of the figures said before pinning its hand on my neck, suffocating me.
Struggling was useless as the other figures held me in place, laughing hard as I gasped for breath.
“Fight, Arcade!” My father’s words echoed in my head, but I lay on the floor like a log of wood, unable to move.
I’m sorry, father.
Fighting was useless. I would die anyway.
Slowly, my heavy eyelids started to shut. I knew it was time.
Finally, my demons won.
But then, the angel descended. Not an angel, but a fierce woman cloaked in a green robe from head to toe.
The melodious sound of her voice gave her identity away.
Relentlessly and ruthlessly, she fought, vanquishing all my demons.
She saved me. My hero.
But who was she?
My heart skipped a beat when she locked gaze with me, striding towards where I lay. Her aura pronounced power, I almost submitted.
Was she going to kill me too?
I froze on a spot, lifting my eyes to meet her blazing green ones as she watched me keenly.
What was she going to do to me?
My eyes snapped shut as I anticipated death from the strange woman before me.
“You are no longer a slave to them,” She declared in her thunderous voice that shook the ground.
“Thank you, but who are you?” I asked, but I was met with a long silence.
I needed to know this strange woman that saved me from my demons.
Slowly, her hands made their way to the robe, losing it and letting it fall to the ground, revealing her identity.
Waist-length wavy strawberry-coloured hair that got tossed in the wind, bright green eyes that shimmered under the moon and then was the scent. Creamy vanilla, lavender and jasmine.
“Esmeralda!” I gasped in shock, my hands covering my mouth as I beheld the woman that stood before me in all her glory.
My hero.
My mate.
“You are free,” She whispered as she disappeared just as she came, fading into the thin air.
I was free.
***
“He moved his fingers, the Alpha moved his fingers!”
I cringed, growing at the high-pitched voice that pierced my ears as I slowly gained consciousness.
“Call the Beta, call the doctor, I think he is awake!” Another scream caused a howl to slip out of my throat.
I tossed, wincing in pain as I tried to move my body.
“Calm down, Alpha, the pack doctor is on his way,” A voice assured me, accompanied by a pair of soft hands that jolted me with sparks.
“You are fine, Alpha Kade,” She whispered to me, adjusting me properly on the soft bed.
That voice and that touch, I couldn’t mistake it for anyone.
My eyes snapped open at once and I was met with a blurry figure sitting close to me, watching me keenly.
I shut my eyes, opening them once more to get rid of the blurriness. A gasp escaped my lips when I realized that she shared a great deal of resemblance with the woman that saved me.
She broke into tears briefly before smiles began to spread on her face.
“Esmeralda?!” I called softly, creasing my brows as my eyes met her green ones that shone brightly.
“Your eyes are green, why?” I asked, pointing my fingers and trying to make out the cause of her green eyes, but pain shot up within me at once, causing me to fall back to the bed.
“And your hair, it is strawberry, what did you do to them?” I asked again, ignoring the beating of my heart and the heavy rise and fall of my chest.
“I think you should rest, Alpha, you’ve been out for five days, the doctor said you shouldn’t stress yourself,” She muttered, pinning me with a confused look.
The smile on her face turned into worry as the sound of light footsteps drew closer to the room.
“I must go now, Alpha. Beta Silvius will kill me if he finds me here. He already punished me for opening the cell. He warned me to stay away from you. I only came here to check up on you and I have to leave now. I can’t risk another punishment,” She said in a shaky voice, turning to leave immediately, but I caught her hand, restraining her from taking another step.
How dare Silvius!
“Please, Alpha,” She bit her lips, trembling as the footsteps got nearer.
“No!” I replied coldly, tightening the grip on her hand.
I didn’t want her to leave.
I was afraid my demons would haunt me again.
“You saved me, Esmeralda, you are the reason I am awake. Please, don’t leave me,” I pleaded, pulling her close to me and engulfing her in a bear hug, enjoying the warmth of her body.
I didn’t care if she was an Omega, she was my mate.
Mine!