You will regret this
Ava’s POV
The heavy door slammed shut behind Raphael, leaving me alone in his vast chamber. His voice echoed in my mind, “Stay inside. Don’t leave the room.” I wasn’t going to argue with that. I was too aware of how unwelcome I was here. This kingdom wasn’t my home, and if there was danger lurking around every corner, I wasn’t about to seek it out.
I moved toward the entrance of the spring-like bathing pool Raphael had used earlier. The sight was still mesmerizing, the crystalline waters shimmered, steam rising like mist. I paused at the door, unsure if I should bathe now or wait. Maybe it was too soon after Raphael had left. Just as I was about to step forward, the door to the chamber swung open.
The chief servant from earlier strode in with three other men following closely behind. The moment they entered, the air became filled with hostility. Their eyes carried the same cold disdain I had seen in the worst of the Moon Stone wolves. I froze. They weren’t werewolves. They smelled different, carried themselves with a kind of malice that I couldn’t place.
“You, maid,” the chief servant snapped, his tone sharp like a blade. “What are you doing?”
I stiffened at his accusatory tone, I tried not to show my fear. Even at that the memories of my pack flooded back, the insults, the contempt. This man’s eyes were filled with the same venom, and it rattled me to my core.
“I... I was just closing the door to the bath,” I replied, hoping my voice didn’t betray the fear creeping in. Maya stirred uneasily in my mind, sensing the danger I was in.
The servant’s lips curled into a sneer. “A likely story. A mere maid in the King’s room? What did you steal?”
Steal? The accusation hit me hard, a wave of disbelief crashing over me. “I haven’t stolen anything,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Raphael told me to stay inside his chambers.”
“How dare you call the King by his name?” The slap came out of nowhere, the sting of his palm burning across my cheek. I stumbled back, my hand flying to my face in shock. My heart pounded in my chest, but before I could react, his voice bellowed, “Guards! This woman is a thief!”
Everything happened so quickly after that. The guards poured into the room, and before I knew it, rough hands were dragging me away from the doorway. I struggled, trying to pull free, but it was no use. They were too strong, too many, and my protests fell on deaf ears. Panic rose inside me as they pulled me further into the outer chamber, away from any hope of safety.
I gasped as the chief servant grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back painfully. “Who do you think you are, you filthy wench?” he hissed. “How dare you address the King like that?”
I fought against him, but his grip only tightened. The others began throwing punches and kicks, each blow sending a wave of pain through my body. I was drowning in the sea of agony, my vision blurring with each strike. I wanted to fight back, but my strength was waning fast. They weren’t going to stop.
Maya... I cried out in desperation. Please, do something!
Suddenly, a white-hot pain shot through me. It felt like my bones were breaking, splintering apart and then resetting in rapid growth. I screamed, the sensation overwhelming, my body twisting in ways I couldn’t control. My skin burned, my muscles stretched, and it felt as though my very soul was being sucked and torn in half.
And then, suddenly, I was on all fours.
I looked down, my breath coming out small and quickly. Fur. My body was covered in fur, my hands, no, my paws, my paws were claws digging into the ground. I had shifted. After all this time, after thinking I was wolf-less, I had shifted.
“She’s shifted!” one of the guards yelled, his voice full of fear.
“Don’t go near her!” another warned, but it was too late.
Maya leaped forward, her powerful legs propelling us into the air. We crashed into the chief servant, her teeth sank into his shoulder. His scream echoed through the room as blood spattered the ground.
Maya, pushes forward ready to deliver more harm. "Don't, Maya!" I shouted from within, I struggled to regain control. What if Raphael sides with them? What if he chooses to believe them instead of us? The thought of being made an outcast by Raphael was enough to pull Maya back.
We turned to face the rest of the guards, who had already backed away in fear. None of them dared come closer. I could feel Maya's strength waning. Our body was trembling with exhaustion. The first shift for werewolves was always the hardest and the beating we had endured had left us weak.
Through the torrent haze of pain and tiredness, I saw him. Raphael, he was rushing towards me, his eyes wild with concern and fury. His entourage was close behind him, but it was Raphael who I ran to.
My paws pounded against the stone floor. He didn't hesitate to wrap his strong arm around my wolf form pulling me close. He took off his robe and draped it over me, shielding me from the eyes of the onlookers.
In that moment, I felt like I wasn't just some maid or servant but his to protect. I felt safe.
I closed my eyes, the warmth of his body soothing the pain that lingered in my body. Maya returned within me, and slowly, I shifted back into my human form. My body was exhausted and trembling from the shift ordeal. Raphael held me close, his grip firm and gentle. I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness.
But just before I succumbed to the blackness, I heard his voice, cold and sharp as a blade.
“What happened here?” Raphael’s voice was quiet, but the danger in his tone was unmistakable.
The chief servant stammered, his words slurred with pain. “M-My king, she... she was stealing from your chambers! We were only trying to—”
“Silence.” Raphael’s voice cut through the air, and the entire room fell into a deathly silence. I could feel the tension, the fear that rippled through the guards and servants. They knew they were in trouble.
“You dare accuse her of theft?” Raphael’s voice was deadly calm, but the fury beneath it was unmistakable . “You dare lay your hands on her?”
No one spoke. The fear in the room was suffocating.
Raphael shifted me in his arms, his grip tightening as he rose to his full height. His gaze bore down on the men, his anger palpable. “You will regret this,” he promised softly, his words a deadly threat.
And with that, I finally let the darkness take me.
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