I had no idea why I felt so soft and scared. In my whole life, I was the one who made everyone kneeled before me, sparing their lives and begging for my help but this time, I felt different.
I felt helpless and powerless.
“I —I am Ar-riana, my Lord!” My voice trembled and stuttered.
~~~~~~~
Where is the great Anika of the present? What was with King Darius that she was hesitant to answer him? What did he do to make Anika felt so small about herself?
Flashback
The year 1970
Ariana PoV
“Hey, Ariana wake up!” I heard someone calling my name.
I slowly peeled my eyes open and I saw a kid staring at me. She’s a girl in her pink dress with a crown on her head like a little princess. I made a second glance to realize that she resembled me.
“Who are you?” I got up from my bed.
She just smiled at me like an angel in the sky.
“It’s time for you to come home!” She pulled my hands and I don’t know where she’s gonna take me.
“Hey, where you gonna take me?” I feel confused and stunned.
The little girl just smiled at me like she looks so happy and contented in her life. She drags me out of my room until I saw a light ahead of us. I tried to adjust the lens of my eyes to see where we going until I heard cheering and yelling. The view became clear to me until I noticed that the girl’s hands weren’t holding my hands anymore.
It’s like I was watching a movie where the King and Queen were there sitting on their throne with a baby clinging to her arms. She looks like a girl who woke me awhile ago.
“Kill her and the baby! Take them away! She’s a curse! She’s a no King’s daughter!” I saw townspeople are cursing the queen and her baby.
The King stood up and went to the Queen. He quickly grabs her arms until the baby cries in her arms.
“Please, let my baby go! Just kill me instead! ” Queen Aria begs for her daughter.
I don’t know what I’m seeing right now but I guess it’s not my past. I can’t find my father Gregor or my mother Annie. I can’t watch them suffer so I tried to close my eyes to went back to sleep again.
——-
I woke up to my room again. I felt hands cupping my face. When I turned my head beside me, I saw my husband Arem.
“You’re dreaming again!” He told me and slightly gave me a slight kiss on my forehead.
I set my lovely smile on my husband. He’s so handsome and he loves me so much.
” Really? Did I scream or am I aloud in my sleep? “I asked him while kissing his palm.
He smirks and pulled me into his broad chest closer.
” Nope, I still love you even you sleep like a tiger!” He uttered with a smile on his face.
And then I sleep again. I want to sleep forever besides my husband’s arms. I’m so glad I found him. I want to get back to my parent’s house but it’s too far from his tribe. I wanted to see if parents are still alive and what they went through when they received the news that their daughter got attack by wild rogues inside the Arcadia Kingdom.
I have no idea how I fell asleep again.
———
I covered my eyes with my hands when scattered rays of light hit my eyes. I heard a couple fighting for each other. I slowly walked closer to check where the noise came from until I saw my mom and dad cursing at each other.
“You whore! I don’t want her to be in my house! Sold her to the King! She’s not my child, anyway!” I heard my dad yelled at my mom.
I saw my mom cries as dad was kicking her.
“Please, it’s not her fault. Ariana is our daughter!” She protested until das slapped her.
My eyes widened to everything I witnessed with my own eyes.
“Our child? You let the Alpha King Theus fuck you and then you will tell me that she’s our daughter? Your daughter!” It’s dad’s angry voice.
I feel like I was there in front of them but they can’t even see me. I wanted to help and comfort my mom but I couldn’t.
I feel betrayed and broken. I pressed my chest to lighten the heavy feelings inside me. I was suffocated with the heartaches I witnessed today. My eyeballs became heavy and some things watery inside my eyes until I couldn’t take it anymore.
I know this is only a dream and I’ll wake up soon to this nightmare.
I saw mom kneeled before dad. She begs for his forgiveness.
“I’m so sorry. I’m a victim too. Kill me instead but please don’t ruin my daughter’s future!” She cries so hard and trying to please dad but I saw in dad’s eyes that his decision is final.
He looked down on her and help her stand.
“Ariana will be the King’s concubine assistant, okay! Nothing to blab about it!” My dad said and left my mom crying.
I’m praying that all of this wasn’t true. I can’t be someone’s daughter and why they lied to me?
Why?
Why?
Why!!!
——–
Ariana POV as Anika
“Miss Perez wake up!” I felt a strong hand grasping my shoulders.
I saw a face of a lovely dude with his anxious eyes. Now, I remember those dimples and curly hair.
“Argus? Is that you? Where am I?” Did I mumble?
I still feel weak and I can’t remember what happened to me. He sighs and inhaled deeply. He sat down beside me.
“Are you sure you don’t know? How about the pack’s party, I heard you’re the Sangria Luna they said?” Those questions of him made my heart quivered.
I tried to remember what happened that night. I looked around me until I realized I was inside someone’s bedroom. This is not my room.
“Wait, what did you do to me? Is this your bedroom?” I quickly got up from the bed and about to put down my legs off the bed when he holds my arms.
“Why? You will run away from me again? You are a werewolf, don’t you? How on earth I didn’t smell you? Oh, the bonds, I felt it when I touch you for the first time!” He looks like a lunatics with his evil laughter.
“You outwit me! The attack with Debora, was it you who assault me?” He’s mad now.
I don’t know how to answer all his questions because I, myself has a problem too. Why I wasted my time with him?
I have a mission to accomplish to help the real Ariana but here I am, sleeping in a guy’s place and I think he’s declaring his love to me.
“I need to go! I have many works to do if you’ll excuse me, Mr. Mateo!” I act brazenly in front of him on he will let go.
He laughed at me again. I’m about to walk out of his room when he pulled me into him, locked me in his arms, and sealed a kiss on my lips. My eyes widened at what he did.
“Please, stay. I finally found you, my Luna!” He said it in between our kisses.
I don’t know what I’m thinking that day but I feel protected and loved by this guy.
“I’m so sorry, Anika!” I said to myself.
Medieval era
Anika Pov as Ariana
I tried to contain myself who is the devil in front of me. Why I turned my guard down when I saw him? What’s with him that made me rattled like this? I raised my head and tightened my jaws trying to be brave. I won’t let him took overr me. I am Anika Perez in my time, a great warrior, a Luna of the packs, and a monstrous CEO of my company so there’s no reason to fear him. Even I was a pitiful girl with nobody in her life right now, I need to gather my composure together.
“My Lord, I am Anika Ferrer from the Arcadia Kingdom but I got lost while running from wolves, and I look for you to be your lady in waiting” I kneeled and bowed at him as a sign of my respect as the king.
I heard his chuckles.
I looked up to see his reactions and he still looks brazen.