A Princess Lost

Chapter Eight

Isabella awoke to find herself laid on a comfortable double bed in a large room, peeling wallpaper decorated the wall and light from the two bedside lamps flickered across the ceiling, casting shadows into the corners of the room.  In front of her were two large glass doors and she could just make out a balcony on the other side, through the small panes.

Sitting up, Isabella grabbed her head in her hands as she groaned loudly, massaging her temples as she tried to ease the pounding in her head.  As she carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed, her attention was caught by the soft c******g of metal. Looking down she saw a large metal cuff was padlocked to her ankle, a metal chain protruding from the side.  As her gaze followed the thick metal chain, her focus reached the far wall where the last loop was attached to a strong ring that was set into the brick work.

Standing up tentatively, Isabella waited for the pain in her head to subside again before walking over to the ring and grabbing it with both hands, pulling against the setting with all her strength, screaming in frustration as it refused to budge from the wall.  Turning round she saw a door on the other side of the room, dragging the chain behind her she hurried toward it, brought short two metres from the handle by her restraints.  Growling angrily Isabella sat on the floor, checking out the cuff, looking for a way to slip her foot through but it was tightly wrapped around her ankle with no leeway left for her to wriggle free.

Opening her mind link, Isabella tried calling out to her parents and then her friends but silence was all that returned to her, 'Ugh, i'm out of range! how far from the pack house am I?' she muttered to herself as she staggered unsteadily back to her feet and made her way over to the doors leading to the balcony. Throwing them open, she strained as far forward as the chain would let her, as she started to yell as loud as she could, 'Help me! anyone? is there anyone out there! Help!' she yelled.

'It's no good princess' came a voice from behind her, spinning around she watched as a hooded figure entered the room, his face cast into shadow. 

Closing the door behind him, he stood with his back against it as Isabella inched away from him, screaming louder into the night 'Help me somebody! please!'

'No one can hear you princess, we are miles from the nearest village' the man said simply, 'you may as well save your voice.'

Inching back into the room, Isabella glared at the stranger, 'Who are you and what do you want with me?' she demanded, balling her fists up, trying to call forth her wolf.

'I would not bother to try and shift princess, the wolfs-bane you were injected with is holding her back' the stranger said quietly, unconcerned by her questions.

'I asked you questions kidnapper' Isabella spat toward him heatedly, 'have the good grace to answer me'.

Tipping his head slightly to the side, the stranger seemed to be studying her before answering in a low tone, 'my name is unimportant Isabella, as for k********g you? well that is a matter of opinion, I think I saved you' he replied.

'Saved me? from what? my loving parents! My friends, my pack?' she yelled back angrily.

'Loving parents?' the stranger jeered, 'are you sure they were so loving?'

'of course they were' Isabella raged, furious that anyone would try to mar her parents name.

'Yet your father tossed your training aside, preferring to teach your brother, handing you over to a lesser wolf . . . almost like he didn't think you were worthy of his time' mused the stranger lightly.

'He . . he wanted me to learn other wolves techniques! expand my abilities' Isabella shot back, though a slight quiver of uncertainty edged into her voice.

'Are you sure? after all this time of being trained by your father, on your eighteenth birthday, suddenly others need to take you instead and he starts to work with your spare' the sneering voice replied.

'What do you mean spare?' Isabella asked shocked.

'Your brother, you are the heir to the pack, he is the spare in case something happens to you, he would take your place as Alpha yes?' the voice taunted.

'My brother doesn't want to be Alpha' Isabella argued angrily.

'He says that now, but would he still say that on his eighteenth, after years of training at his father side?' the venomous voice continued.

Opening and shutting her mouth a few times, Isabella was incapable of making any sounds as her anger and uncertainty swirled through her emotions, finally she glowered at the hooded man and retorted, 'so your name is unimportant? I think i'll just call you Asshole then, ok Asshole?' she snapped, glowering at him.

The hooded figure chuckled back at her mirthlessly, 'You can call me whatever you want princess, but just understand how easy it was for me to obtain you, if you try to leave . . . well it would be unfortunate if baby Marcus had an accident wouldn't it' he replied with a smirk that she could barely see through the shadows on his face.

'You leave my brother alone!' Isabella yelled, launching herself at the chuckling figure who's laugh only intensified as the chains went taught, stopping her feet from him before pulling her backwards toward the bed, glowering up at the stranger. Isabella growled loudly at him, 'Just know this Asshole, if anything happens to my brother, I will kill you, slowly and painfully, I will force you to watch as your own blood pools on the floor around you and the last face you would ever see would be mine, stood over you, watching you die' she snarled.

Taking a step forward, but still making sure he was out of her reach, the stranger's eyes glinted from under his hood, 'Oh Isabella' he muttered, 'This is exactly the feistiness I was hoping for from you, we have an exciting adventure ahead of us, together we are going to change the future.  Your brother will always be safe just as long as you don't try to misbehave'.

Stepping back, the stranger opened the door behind him before slipping out, pulling it closed, followed by a loud click of the key turning in the lock.

Throwing herself back on the bed, Isabella screamed into the pillow, smashing her fists against the mattress on either side of her head as she yelled through her mind link, 'Mom! Dad! where are you? find me!'