Snarls of fury

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The king left the royal chamber after a while and for the first time in a long time, Hera slept soundly on a comfortable bed. The next morning, sunlight streamed through the overly large windows, casting a warm glow over the room.

Hera’s eyes slowly fluttered open and she shielded them from the invasion of the sun's harsh rays. She let out a yawn, stretching her limbs as her eyes took in her unfamiliar surroundings.

For a second, she forgot where she was and finally she remembered that she was still a prisoner in Blood-Stone.

Her heart sank and she felt immense guilt at the fact that she had a goodnight's sleep while her parents’ killers were still out there, roaming scot free.

She abruptly shot up from the bed. There was no time to waste. She had to figure out a way to escape this room as soon as possible.

She quickly freshened up and changed from her night dress into a proper gown before making her way out of the room. Different dishes had already been laid out on the dining table and she assumed that they were placed there when she was asleep.

Hera had no interest in eating. All she wanted to do was get out of this damn place. So she sat on the couch in the living room and tried to think of a way to break out. The other other entrances were not an option and all that was left was the front door.

But she didn't think the guards would easily be deceived this time. She couldn't use the same trick she used the last time as they would probably be wary of her. She destroyed their comrade’s jaw after all even though it was accidental.

She thought of different ways that she could escape but none of them seemed good enough. She was starting to get depressed as realization dawned on her that she might never be able to get out of here no matter how hard she tried.

Bile rose up in her chest and she began to panic at the thought. She couldn't stay here. She needed to leave. She considered the other entrances. Even though they burnt her skin, maybe if she could withstand the pain long enough, she would be able to get out of here.

With that thought in mind, she slowly approached what seemed to be the backdoor. She inhaled and exhaled deeply before reaching out to touch the door. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as her fingertips almost reached it but she quickly retracted it with her heart in her throat.

She was completely terrified. The pain she felt from the burn was excruciating and she truly didn't want to feel it again but she had no choice. She was not doing this for herself but for her parents. She took in deep breaths before reaching out to touch the door and this time, she did.

Intense pain shot through Hera's fingertips and reverberated through her entire body. She gritted her teeth to prevent a scream from escaping her lips as she tried to pry the door open. The door didn't budge and she released her hold on the door, swearing under her breath.

Beads of sweat trickled down her brow and tears pricked her eyes but she refused to give up. She tried once again but the door refused to open and the pain was more excruciating than ever. Her tears had now begun to fall and her hands were red but no scream escaped her lips as she tried to pry the door open again and again.

After a couple more tries— a lot more than she could count, Hera finally gave up on the door with tears spilling down her face. She slowly trudged to the living room and crashed on the couch, sobbing into her hands. She felt so many emotions all at once and they were so overwhelming. Disappointment, sadness and loneliness.

It was all too much. She missed her parents so much. She just wanted them back. If her mother was here, she would pat her hair softly and sing into her ear whenever she got depressed. Hera would grumble and tell her mother to stop treating her like a child but Hera never pulled away. Deep down, she enjoyed her mother's affections a little too much.

Hera's heart was shattered into pieces and she clutched her chest tightly as her body racked with sobs. The pain was too much. She couldn't take it anymore. She was so deep in her grief that she did not hear the doors open or the Alpha King's betas come in.

A hand softly patted her hair and she gasped and looked up to see Knox gazing at her with a sympathetic expression on his face.

“I'm so sorry, Hera. So sorry.” He said softly and she burst into another round of tears.

He gently sat by her side and pulled her into his arms cradling her softly which caused her to sob even more. This was the first time she received any form of comfort since her terrible loss and it messed with her emotions badly.

Soon, her sobs turned into sniffles and she slowly pulled away, averting her red-rimmed eyes in embarrassment. Asha stood in complete silence and her usually stony face was not so stony at that moment.

She did the unthinkable by reaching into her pocket and pulling out a handkerchief. Without a word, she handed it over to Hera.

Hera was lost for words as she looked at the left-hand beta in complete astonishment. She quickly collected the handkerchief from the beta, whispering a quick thank you before cleaning her face and trying to look a bit presentable which she knew was a lost cause.

She didn't see her face at that moment but she could just tell how horrific she looked. Asha winced as Hera blew her nose into the handkerchief but she didn't say a single word.