CLASH of REALMS

THREE

FROZEN, Ariadne looked from one wolf to the other. Was she still dreaming? Something fell on the floor with a thud, telling her she was wide awake. Which could only mean one thing. They were being attacked. By who and why, were her first two questions. Then she wondered if Hilda was alright. Where were Keith and Dalton? Eris too. The attackers had caught her in a vulnerable position. She couldn’t take her eyes off them or even move an inch or they would kill her. Living in the palace meant enforcers who came running whenever they sensed danger always surrounded her. If her cough sounded different, they wanted to know the reason. If anything was out of place, they’d fix it. She used to think they were the most annoying people but now she wished she was back there. Where no one would dare attack her at any time of day. Or even if they tried, they wouldn’t make it that far.

Dalton was part of the imperial pack so she could link with him. Which she tried but to no avail. He’d blocked his mind so no one could reach him. Hilda wasn’t a member because servants weren’t considered part of the pack. Keith was a warlock. Eris? No luck. She’d blocked her mind too. I am on my own. She thought trying to formulate a plan at the same time. Fighting the wolves was out of the question since she was outnumbered. There was also the fact that she might lose and end up dead. Running it was then. Grabbing the sheets, she threw them over the wolves' heads. That earned her a few seconds and she scrambled towards the window. They were on the first floor so the jump wouldn’t be too high. From the corner of her eye, she saw someone entering the room. A woman dressed in black. Ariadne had no time to figure out who she was. She jumped out, landed on all fours, and immediately leaped up, running towards the front of the hotel. The wolves right behind her.

Shifting would give her a better chance of escaping but Ariadne decided against it. For people like them, a second was all it took for their lives to end. While she was in the middle of shifting, one of the wolves could leap at her and rip out her throat. Or bite her hind legs to slow her down. It was three against one. She couldn’t risk it. A few minutes into the run she realized the mistake she’d made. Running out in the open like that was going to get her killed. She needed a cover then something to mask her scent with. Mud normally did the trick but there was no mud on the paved road. Which left the trees to her left. How thick was the forest? No time to think. The pair of sweatpants and t-shirt she’d worn to bed were fine but she was barefoot. It wasn’t as if the attackers had given her time to dress up. If she made it, the wounds on her feet would heal. If not, they wouldn’t matter.

Her actions were stupid if not dangerous. Dalton would laugh at her if he found out she’d run instead of fighting. Wolves were predators who enjoyed the chase. The only reason those three hadn’t caught her was because they were having fun with her. They’d tire her out then begin the real chase. At that moment she was just running from them. A few more minutes and it’ll be a life and death situation. Any wolf wouldn’t pass up the chance to pounce on a prey. It was in their nature and for the first time, she hated that she’d insisted on finding her mate. Was he that important? Her parents weren’t fated but they loved each other and had stayed together for so many years. She could make it work with Aberdeen. Couldn’t she?

She stepped on twigs, branches, and leaves scratching her face and arms. Sweat trickled down her face, getting into her eyes and making them sting. With every step she took, her feet gained a new wound. The stitch on her side hurt but adrenaline kept her moving. When she chanced a look over her shoulder, she realized that only one of the wolves was chasing her. Where had the other two gone? Ariadne slowed down until she came to a stop. Whipping around, she came face to face with the remaining wolf. It was brown and a foot shorter than her own. She could take him out. The wolf must have thought the same thing because it braced itself for a fight.

Smirking, she ran towards it just as it did the same. Only a stupid person would start a fight at that moment. And she was anything but that. Just before impact, she bent backwards, so that the wolf went over her. Then she was running again. Going towards the direction they came from. The other two wolves had probably thought to corner her which meant they’d gone in a different direction. Stupid or genius? She’d analyze it later.

It was almost dawn and they were near the city. Humans would start moving. Unless the wolves wanted to expose themselves, they wouldn’t follow her. Then again, she had no idea who she was dealing with. Rogues were known to be reckless. Rumor had it that they killed anyone. Wolf or human. Since she’d never met one, she didn’t know if the wolves chasing her were rogues. She was running out of breath and every muscle in her body screamed but Ari kept moving. If she were to be honest with herself, the reason she was going back to the main road was because she hoped Keith would find her. Or easily spot her and get rid of her attackers. He had to have noticed that she was gone and was probably looking for her. The road came into view, Ariadne doubled her efforts and when she was close, she jumped. Only to find herself flying into the air.

The sound of screeching tires filled the air and a moment before gravity pulled her down, she heard gunshots. And was that silver she smelled? Her body hit the ground. The pain started in her head and spread everywhere in her body as a wave of dizziness hit her. She fought to stay awake but darkness pulled her under. The last thing she heard was someone asking if she was okay.

“... unconscious but... says she’ll be fine”

“Why... take... the hospital?”

“... I didn’t... risk getting... nal record”

“So... brought... here?”

“Where... to take her?”

Two people were arguing but because of the ringing in her ears, she couldn’t catch what they were saying. From the snippet of conversation she could understand, one wanted to know why the other hadn’t taken her to the hospital. Ariadne tried to move but she couldn’t. They couldn’t take her to a hospital or the doctors there would find out what she was. A simple blood work was all it would take. Then they would either kill her or take her to a lab and do all sorts of experiments on her. She moaned, struggling to open her eyes or mouth. Anything would do.

“Hey, take it easy. You’re lucky to be alive” someone said. This time close to her ear so that she was able to hear each word clearly. Ariadne tried to shake her head from side to side in the hopes it would clear her fuzzy brain. Why did her eyes feel so heavy? Hands settled on either side of her head then a rich, deep voice said,

“Stop doing that. You’ll open the stitches”

Calming. That was the first thing she thought. Then, his voice was soothing. Ariadne was now sure it was a man. His scent wafted to her nose. A heady, woodsy scent. She caught a whiff of mint or was it lemon? She wasn’t sure. What she did know was that she needed to see him. Even if it was just for a second. His scent... His scent was... Her wolf stirred. Mustering up all her energy, she opened her eyes and directly looked into dark brown ones. Her vision was hazy and it was only for a second but she knew it without a doubt. It was him. As her lashes fluttered close, she managed to get out a word before darkness enveloped her again.

“Mine”

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“I guess it’s time to fulfill that darn prophecy,” he said under his breath. How long had he waited for that day? Years. It had taken years for him to get to where he was. He had swallowed his pride and taken orders from the werewolf queen. What would that b***h say when she finally saw him again? Keith expected an apology or he would take her head off. Or he could just kill and ask questions later. It was easier to talk to a dead person than a live one.

Listening as the wolves got closer and closer, he wondered how it would go down. Anxiety made his heart beat faster but not for the reason someone in his position would feel. Oh no. He was a different kind of breed and proud of it “That’s it. Just a little bit closer and...” They walked right past his room. He blinked in confusion. Why? He was the closest to the stairs and alone. Easy target right there. Why were they ignoring him? Getting up, he opened the door and asked softly “Where do you guys think you’re going?”

The wolves froze.

“Keep going. I’ll deal with him” someone said. Keith turned to find a middle-aged man leaning on the wall next to his door. He didn’t have to be a wolf to smell it. The man had a petal or two of the Fagopyrum Variegatus. A large plant that could be found only high in the mountains and bloomed once a year, for 3 weeks.

They had small, heart-shaped leaves, which were usually dark yellow and grew into huge flowers, which could be light red, purple, or light bronze. Its effectiveness depended on the color of the flowers. Light red being the most deadly one. To witches of course. Other races could touch it, eat it, bathe in it and nothing would happen to them. Lucky bastards.

“You came prepared. Didn’t you?” He asked mirroring his move and leaning on the door

“Why don’t you walk away warlock? This fight isn’t yours”

“I could make it mine”

“But you won’t gain anything. You’ll waste your energy and powers. I don’t believe you’re that foolish”

“Glad to know we’re on the same page, my friend” patting his shoulder, Keith left. Leisurely walking down the stairs. He was almost at the front door when he saw the princess. Then three wolves going after her. He leaned against the door, contemplating whether to help her or not.

Pro; It was his job to keep her safe. With a snap of his fingers, he could either kill those wolves or send them to another realm. Preferably the vampire’s palace. They’d have a field day there.

Con; If the girl couldn’t fight three wolves, how could she lead thousands of them?

Better to let her handle it. Yes, that was the right thing to do. In a way, he was helping her. Preparing her for the throne. And if she died, well, she died. What else could he do? Her incompetence wouldn’t be his fault but her parent’s. They should have let her leave the palace earlier so she’d know what the outside world was like. Walking out of the motel, he stood a few feet away. Watching as wolves flew out the window. The enforcers the queen had secretly sent after them would be busy all night.

“Good luck guys. I’m rooting for you” he yelled then opened a portal and left. Today wasn’t the day for the prophecy to be fulfilled. There were rules. If he forced it, things could go sideways and he couldn’t afford that. It had to come naturally. But how did one die naturally?

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