What Happened

Damien laid in his bed and thought about the fist night he and his wife were together. He snuck into her room and crawled in bed with her like he did with Gretchen tonight.

He knew the risks, but he didn't care. Nothing could have kept him away from her. From the instant their eyes met in the Great Hall, his whole being belonged to her. They disappeared together every chance they could to every secret place he knew of. Damien smiled to himself as he remembered her beautiful face and how her round, pregnant belly felt under his fingers. He traced the mark on his neck with his fingertips and the pain of their loss surged through his veins then washed through his body.

The last time he saw her, she was asleep next to their son. She had been up all night with him, and he didn't want to wake her. He kissed her cheek gently then the top of his son's head and quietly left the room.

As tears rolled down his cheeks, he whispered, "Soon."

Damien's eyes finally closed as sleep took him over, then snapped back open when he heard the panicked screaming coming from Gretchen's room.

"No! Get away from me!"

As fear flooded his chest, Damien's heart pounded in his ears and his hands trembled. He threw back his covers and jumped from his bed. As he swiftly walked to the door, he used his mind to open it, then Gretchen's door flew open before him, as well.

She was frantically trying to free herself from the blankets and sheets that covered her when he came in the room. Her eyes were wide open and a look of terror covered her face. "No, get away from me."

Damien sat down beside her then took her hands, "It's alright, Gretchen, I'm here. You're safe."

Gretchen struggled against his grip and then kicked him in the gut before she dove for the floor, still wrapped in her blankets. As she fought her way free from the cloth that surrounded her, Gretchen crawled backwards away from the bed. "No! Please, no! Daddy, help me!"

Haldir, Rosemary and Daniel ran into the room as Gretchen wedged herself between the dresser and wall. "No! Stop! I want to go home! Mommy!"

Haldir went to Gretchen and knelt down in front of her. "Shh...Shh..It's me, Gretch. Pap's here. It's ok." Gretchen's whole body shook uncontrollably as tears flowed from her eyes and she gasped for air.

Haldir looked over his shoulder at Rosemary. "In that bag on the table, the green vial." He moved closer to Gretchen and reached into the space she was hiding in then grabbed her feet. As he pulled her out from her safe place, she wildly slapped and clawed at him. "No! Don't touch me! Please!"

Damien watched as Gretchen fought against Haldir, then he turned away. He knew Gretchen wasn't in her right mind, but he fought the urge to rip Haldir to shreds anyway.

As she continued to attack him, Haldir pulled Gretchen into his arms and pinned hers down against her body. Rosemary yanked the stopper from the vile as she knelt beside them. "Hold her still."

Haldir braced Gretchen's head against his chest while she shook it back and forth to try to avoid the vial. "Please, Gretch."

Rosemary put her hand against Gretchen's forehead and pressed it back. "Open up, dear."

Gretchen kept her lips together and continued to shake as Rosemary tried to get her to swallow the potion. Haldir grabbed Gretchen's nose causing her to reflexively open her mouth.

Damien paced nervously by the bed and wiped his hand across his mouth as his eyes teared over. As Rosemary emptied the vile in Gretchen's mouth then forced her jaw shut so she would swallow, Damien yelled, "Mother stop!"

Haldir released her nose and lifted her face to his neck then rocked her back and forth. "It's ok Damien. She's alright. She just forgot to take her sleep potion. Pap's right here. Just a bad dream, Gretch. It's all over now." Haldir stroked Gretchen's hair as her head began to sway in time to the way he was rocking her. Gretchen laid her head against Haldir's chest and closed her eyes.

"They killed me."

Haldir looked away then pressed his lips and eyes together as he fought to stop his tears. He blew out through his mouth, then looked back and kissed her forehead. "I know they did, Gretch. I know they did."

Rosemary smelled the vile. "How often does she need this?"

Haldir looked up as he continued to rock Gretchen while he sat on the floor. "Every night. Everytime she closes her fucking eyes they come back for her. If she doesn't take it, well, you see what happens."

Damien knelt down beside them. "What did they do to you?"

He put his hand on top of her head and he gasped, then collapsed to the floor. He rubbed his neck and tears fell from his eyes. "He did a binding spell so she couldn't speak or shift. He made her watch while they stabbed the human to death then he cut her throat, but he didn't want her to die right away. He just cut one side so she would have to lay there and watch herself bleed to death. Her parents came to her, but it was too late. As soon as she heard their voices, she was gone."

Damien wiped the tears from his eyes. "Let me hold her, Haldir. She needs me."

Haldir kissed Gretchen's head again then nodded. "Just please don't wake her."

"I won't." Damien knelt down and lifted Gretchen from Haldir's arms. He walked to the bed and laid Gretchen down, then crawled in beside her. He pulled her against his chest, then pressed his lips against the top of her head and combed his fingers through her hair. "I promise you, no one will ever put their hands on you again. Never."

Daniel and Rosemary left the room, then a hesitant Haldir quietly closed the door behind him as he left.

Outside in the hallway, Daniel and Rosemary stood arm in arm as Haldir leaned against the wall.

"We can't just drug her every night. That's powerful medicine, it's not good for her."

Haldir pushed his hair off his forehead and wiped the blood from the scratch on his face. "I know."

Daniel rolled his neck from side to side as it popped and cracked. "I saw it. No wonder she has such horrible nightmares, it was fucking awful. She needs to remember what happened. That's the only way this will ever stop. We'll all be here to help her."

Rosemary sighed. "You should bring Tessa and Logan. She needs her familiar's close by in case it goes badly. He was her alpha once, she trusts him. We're all still strangers to her, more or less."

Haldir wiped his hands together as he looked back towards the door. "Yeah, this has to stop. l'll go get them first thing in the morning."


Before Gretchen even opened her eyes, she smelled Damien nearby. She smiled and stretched out her arms. Pushing herself up in bed, she saw Damien looking out the window. "I thought you went to you room last night. What are you doing here?"

Damien glanced at her then came to her side and sat down on the bed. "You had a nightmare."

Gretchen pulled her lips to the side and looked away. "What did I do?"

"Well, Haldir's a bit knocked around, but he'll be alright."

Gretchen closed her eyes and shook her head from side to side. "Dammmit! I forgot my medicine."

"We figured. You went to sleep straight away after Mother gave you the potion."

"I'm so sorry. I must've woke up everyone."

Damien took Gretchen's hands then pulled her into his arms. "It's alright. I don't think any of us realized what you've been living with until last night.This has to stop, Gretchen. You can't live like this."

She rested her head against his chest. "How do I stop my nightmares? I had them before any of this ever happened. I've had them as long as I can remember."

Damien smelled Gretchen's hair. He knew what he was planning was risky. He had just gained her trust and now he was going to betray it. He hoped that once she knew the truth, that she would forgive him.

"I want you to get dressed. There's somewhere I want to take you."

Gretchen pulled away from Damien, then looked up at him. "I was kind of hoping you'd just lay in bed with me all day."

He traced the curve of her face with his fingertips. "Believe me when I tell you that nothing would make me happier, but this can't wait."




After breakfast, they walked the halls until they came to a round wooden door that vibrated with it's own energy. Gretchen touched it and she heard a man whisper words in a language she didn't understand inside her head. "What does that mean?"

Damien cocked his eyebrow and grinned. "You heard it?"

Gretchen nodded. "What's he saying?"

Damien's smiled widened. "He's asking for the password."

Gretchen looked at Damien. "How am I supposed to know that?"

"You aren't.It's a family secret."

"Then, why is he asking me?"

Damien shook his head. "I don't know. Let's find out, shall we?"

Damien put his hand on the door and said, "Gretchen." The bolt popped and the door slowly opened before them.

"That was a neat trick, but why my name?"

"Like I said, family secret," Damien said before he held his hand out to usher her through the doorway.

Once they were inside, Damien closed the door behind them. Gretchen looked around and inhaled deeply through her nose. "It smells like my dad's office."

She walked around the room and ran her fingers over the books. "Not that it's not lovely, but why did you brng me here?"

Damien watched her as he walked closer to her. "It's a safe place, Gretchen.A powerful place. All the secrets of the most powerful magic lives here."

Gretchen looked back at him, confused. She shook her head then continued looking around.

"What were their names?" Gretchen turned back to face Damien. "Your wife and son. What were their names?"

Damien took a ragged breath then licked his lips. "My wife's name was Mara and my son was called Drago."

Gretchen smiled. "Drago." She looked around the room. "I love that name. It sounds strong, fierce. Mara, that's just beautiful."

Damien's smile fell. "Yes, it is. She was beautiful."

Gretchen nodded. "How did you meet?"

Damien sighed. "Our families were negotiating an alliance. She came here with her parents and when I saw her at dinner the first night, I just...I just knew she was meant to be mine."

Gretchen nodded then looked away. Then, the voice from outside the door spoke to her again. "Did you hear that?"

Damien's heart began to race. "Yes."

"What's he saying?"

"He's helping you, Gretchen."

She looked back at him. "What do you mean? How?"

"It's alright, Gretchen."

A flash of a memory came to Gretchen. Throwing her keys on the entryway table. She gasped as her hands began to shake.

Damien stepped closer. "Everything, will be alright. I'm here."

Gretchen saw Damien chasing her through the woods and heard his voice say wake up Gretchen, they're coming.Gretchen shook her head. "No."

Damien said, "I'm sorry, my love, but there's no other way."

Gretchen heard the door being kicked in and the man speaking the spell. Gretchen's lip quivered. "Please don't do this. I'm not ready."

Damien said, "Yes, you are. I promise."

Gretchen felt the man grab her by her hair and drag her from her bed. "Stop. Damien, please."

"I can't. It's not me, Gretchen. "

Gretchen saw and heard the men stab Keith as the man lifted her head. Gretchen ran to the door and tried to pull it open. "Let me out. Goddamn it, Damien, let me out."

Gretchen felt the knife cross her neck and she grabbed her throat as she collapsed to the floor. "No! No!" she screamed.

Damien came to her side and knelt down, then covered her with his body. She saw her parents walk into the room and heard her father screaming Oh my god no! Gretchen! No!

Gretchen struggled to break free from Damien's hold on her. "It's alright."

"Let me out."

"I can't. Not yet. There's something else you need to know, Gretchen. Keep looking."

Gretchen pushed Damien off of her then stood up and kicked the door. "Open this fucking door Damien. Let me out."

Damien stood and grabbed Gretchen's shoulders. "There's more Gretchen. You have to know."

Gretchen suddenly punched Damien in his mouth. As he snapped his face back to look at her, he licked the blood off his lip and said, "Open."

Gretchen looked at Damien in disgust and said, "I fucking hate you. Don't you ever come near me again." Then, she walked out of the room. As she crossed into the hallway, her knees buckled, sending her crashing to the floor. The memories replayed through her head and she screamed, "No! God, why!"

Damien came to her and put his arms around her, but she pushed him away and tried to stand again. As she came crashing to the floor again, her body began to crack and pop. She tried to push herself up, but the wolf was taking over. As she heard the man say, you're not going to want to miss this, she completed her shift there outside the library.

The wolf turned to face Damien and gnashed it's teeth as it growled at him.

Damien put up his hands and said, "Gretchen, I love you. You had to know. It's the only way."

Gretchen lunged forward and snarled at Damien.

"That's enough, Gretchen, " Logan said firmly in his deep, raspy voice as he made his way across the hall.

The wolf turned to face him and growled low in her chest in warning.

"Don't you fucking dare use that tone on me. Who the fuck do you think your're talking to?" said Logan as he approached Gretchen.

Gretchen lowered her head in submission as Logan knelt down beside her. He pet her head then glanced up at Damien. He sighed then looked back to Gretchen. "It's ok, honey. Why don't you go back to your room, Tessa's waiting on you."

The wolf licked Logan's hand. "Yeah, I know, Gretch. It's ok. Go on, now."

As Gretchen ran off down the hall, Logan stood and walked to Damien. He tilted his head from side to side as he admired the bloody lip Gretchen gave him. "She's got a hell of a right cross, doesn't she?"

Damien smirked and huffed through his nose. "She does."

Logan nodded. "She remembers everything?"

Damien sighed. "Not everything, but enough for now."