CHAPTER 105

A low graspy laugh filled the air, adding to the already increasing suffocation. Bavanda held her breath, going over her decision in her mind for like the hundredth time.

“You amaze me, child. I thought you'd be wiser than this. Coming here, without even the simplest thing as a guard is foolish, I must say." The same rusty voice said.

He rose fully to his feet, unveiling the black hood as dark as the night itself from his face. Bavanda took a shaky unconscious step back as she came face to face with the man that had haunted her dreams for so long.

He scoffed. “What? Scared now?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, dating to shake her head. “Never. Like I said earlier, I have questions."

He looked away. “I have no answers, leave now."

She stood her ground. “No. I'm not leaving till you hear me out. I know you have the answers, listen to my questions first."

Silence settled like a drop of water on a rug carpet.

Bavanda inhaled and exhaled, summoning all the courage in the world. “Please…”

He grunted. "Ask!” The command in his voice wasn't subtle, it was firmly there.

"The dark Lord is your father?” The words slipped out of her mouth before she could hold it back in.

Loco chuckled, but the sound was more of a deadly growl. "Is that the question you badly need answers for?”

"No!" She blurted out. “It's just… it's just that you don't seem like him at all.”

"Now, that's an insult.”

"No. No, that's not… that's not what I meant." Bavanda blurted out yet again.

She was losing control. None of these were the questions she had originally wanted to ask. What was it about him that unnerved her so much?

Loco disappeared into the dark again, retreating to his knuckled position in the darkest corner of his cell. Bavanda was just about to begin pleading again for him to hear her out, when he spoke, “Did you ever meet my father?"

She shook her head. “No. But I've heard stories, a lot."

Loco let out a sigh, and for a moment, it sounded like it held so much emotions. Only for a moment. “I never met my father too." He paused briefly, adding, “No thanks to your people."

Bavanda hesitated. "Your father was evil.” She almost wished she didn't say the words.

“Its something I'm heavily proud of.”

"You don't have to trail the same path, you know." She didn't realize when the words slipped out, yet again.

It all happened so fast. She barely saw it coming. For a minute, she thought she was going to lose her life as he lunged at her. If it weren't for the metal bars setting them apart, his long sharp claws would have probably drawn blood from her skin at that point.

Bavanda jerked backwards, barely stifling the scream that escaped her lips. She regretted her decision to come here, instantly declaring that she wasn't going to try something like this ever again.

“Careful now, Bavanda. Lest your parents hear their little baby's screams." Loco growled, a creepy smile appearing on his face.

With her chest pumping heavily, she mumbled, “I'm not their little baby anymore. Quit trying to scare me into leaving, my questions remain unanswered."

He scoffed again. “You must have such high faith to expect that I can answer your questions without you asking them.”

She swallowed. He was right. "Fine. I'll go straight to the point. What did you do to me? That night, three months ago… when you…when you kissed me, what did you do to me?”

Loco released the bars, taking a step back. "A simple spell.” He said, his tone calmer.

"What spell? And how does it have anything to do with me finally harnessing my wolf?” She went on.

"Isn't that supposed to be a good thing?” Loco returned the question.

"It is expected to be, but mine is not,” Bavanda admitted.

"Do tell me why, my lady.” Loco questioned, taking the step forward until his face was fully revealed.

Bavanda was reluctant. Was she doing the right thing? She wondered, yet she went on. "I've had nightmares, they haunt me in ways I can't explain.”

Loco grinned, almost looking more boyish for the first time. "Oh! So you dream of me now, huh?”

Bavanda ignored him, going on with her questions. "I can't seem to control my wolf. It comes whenever it wants, and leaves when I need it. This isn't how it's supposed to be, is it? I'm supposed to have a connection, but I feel nothing but pain whenever she's close.” She paused, her eyes getting teary. "Why?”

Shaking his head dramatically, Luca said, "I knew from the start that I'd have no answers to your questions. I suggest you find them elsewhere."

Her face fell. “Where is elsewhere? You are my only hope. I can't seem to figure this out no matter how hard I try."

Loco gave that same dry rusty villainous laugh. "Try harder, child. Try harder.”

"Quit calling me child.” She snapped before she could hold back herself.

Immediately, she got prepared for another outburst from him, but all she got was another throaty laugh. "That's what you think. We're all children before Him, aren't we?”

Bavanda sucked in a breath. “Who's Him?"

No response came for what felt like eternity, then with his voice unexpectedly lower than before, he said, “If you're done asking your questions, I suggest you leave now."

He was asking her to leave, but she hadn't gotten answers to any of her questions. Her summoned courage was all in vain.

Shaking her head, as if in denial, she began to stutter. “No… no, I can't leave yet. One… one last question. Please hear me out.”

Silence fell.

Bavanda took this as a go-ahead and rapped the words out without hesitation. "Is the dark Lord actually dead?”

The stillness that followed after this was deafening, filled with unsaid words. She took a step back, wondering what would happen next.

Loco looked at her, a low growl emanating from him. "Your mother crushed him underneath the ground.” He said through gritted teeth. "Is this revenge? Are you trying to rub it in?”

"No! No, not at all. I would never do that. I feel…”

He cut her short. "I don't care about what you feel, lady. You seem to forget that I'm the Villian here. Don't let your guard down, it makes it less fun.” He snarled.

"I feel what is happening to me has some connection to the dark Lord.” She blurted out.

Another bout of silence, then, "Leave!”

The one word held such immense intensity that she couldn't resist. Turning away, she walked through the door and into the darkness.

Morning came like flash racing through the streets. Her eyes were bloodshot, as Bavanda laid in her bed staring at the night sky imprinted on her ceiling.

When she was much younger, she had persisted, stood her ground like she had never before, until her parents finally agreed to do this for her. It gave her some sort of peace, just looking at the sky made closer. But that was then. Not now!

A knock reverberated through the room, making her jerk up suddenly. Her eyes widened, her heart racing ten times faster. One didn't need to look twice the know she was guilty, only that her crime couldn't exactly be discerned.

But Bavanda, daughter of Lycan Alpha and the Great Luna of Wales, was guilty of something.

The door made way when she failed to respond, and Baron—the Alpha— peeked through the door.

“Hey Princess, got a minute?" His voice filtered through her eyes making her snap out of whatever it is she was in.

She swallowed, dating to look at him only to tear her eyes away immediately. The words wouldn't come out.

Her father, noticing nothing, stepped further into the room, shutting the door lightly behind him.

Bavanda instantly panicked? Did he know about her little adventure the night before? Had he heard her scream? Was that why he was here?

She was sure her father could hear her heart beating so loudly, plus she couldn't seem to stop staring at him like she had seen a ghost and not her father.

“Bavanda, baby, you good? You look like you had no sleep at all last night." Baron asked, concerned.

Hey throat has suddenly gone dry, or was it her brain that had stopped? Again, Bavanda couldn't respond.

Her father crossed the distance between them, the worry clawing at his eyes. “Bavanda, is everything okay?" He asked, reaching for her hand.

“Your hands are so cold," he said almost immediately. “Baby girl, are you sick or something? Should I call in the pack's doctor to check up on you?" He added up, rushing the words out hurriedly.

When Bavanda still said nothing, he began walking away. “I'll bring in your mother right away, you stay here."

She snapped out of her little blackout just in time to grab her father's hand. "No!” Her voice was rusty. "No, father. There's no need for that, I don't want her to worry.”

He returned to her side the next minute. "Pumpkin, are you okay? What's wrong? You know you can talk to me.”

Bavanda sucked in a harsh breath, looking into her father's eyes. For the first time, she saw more than just worry in them. Although the emotion was under threat of being overwhelmed. Her eyes began to moisten as she thought of everything that had been happening in the last few months, and all she had kept to herself. All the pain which would have been lesser if she had only just shared.

The lump in her throat grew, and she made a sudden decision to tell him everything—including her adventure the night before. No matter what the consequences would be, she had to relieve this burden from her chest.

However, as she parted her lips to speak, the door barged open and Steve ran in, urgency written all over his face. All of Baron's attention turned to him.

“Steve, what's wrong?" He enquired.

“Alpha, we have a problem." Steve answered, panting like a thirsty dog.

“What's wrong? What happened this time?" Baron questioned, his patience growing thin.

Steve inhaled sharply as he said, “One of the prisoners has escaped."

Bavanda and her father both had their eyes widened in shock. No one could escape the pack's dungeon, except of course, they had been let out by someone.

Baron hesitated, before asking, “Which prisoner?"

The next word brought with it a heavy cloud taking over the whole room.

"Loco!”