I Don't Believe In Love, Alpha

Chapter 10

     The door opened into the massive ballroom full of people, everyone's eyes were on the queen and I, they all bowed deeply showing the authority the queen had. Once she had told everyone to rise the ball continued, but I could here the whispers that consumed the room and all of them were about me. Some of the men looked at me with lust and desire, while the women looked at me with jealousy and anger. It didn't bother me I just had to remind myself that I have been in worse situations before. The queen or Karen as she kept insisting gave my arm a squeeze before she had to excuse herself to welcome some of the guests. She offered to introduce me as well but I only smiled and said I would be fine. I was walking around the ballroom toward the refreshment table, when I heard snarky laughter to my left. I looked over and there was a group of females staring at me with envy, heir leader or at least the one that appeared the most dominant smirked when she met my eyes. She turned to her group and said loud enough for me to hear. "Looks like the queen found another mutt, and wanted to help it, to bad I thought this was going to be about the King and I's engagement." I could feel the anger start to boil inside of me, but I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction that she could bother me. I merely smirked, and turned continuing my journey to refreshments. My actions irritated her and began to blabber continuously about me, but she wasn't worth my temper right now, and I couldn't ruin the ball Karen had thrown.

         The music started to get slower and couples began to completely fill the dance floor, I watched from the corner as the flow of colors from the gowns filled the room as the women were twirled by their partners. It was nice to see a lot of happy faces that seemed to actually be enjoying the ball. I smelled him before I saw him, the king had entered through the same doors the queen and I had come from. Everyone stopped and bowed, the single women became giddy and their whispers changed. It bothered me that he other ladies were practically lusting after him with their eyes, I felt a small amount of jealousy. He continued to scan the room until his eyes meet mine, he began walking towards me and side stepped all the women that approached him. His smile grew when he was in front of my. "May I have this dance malady." I hesitated at his outstretched hand, I didn't know how to ballroom dance, and I think he figured it out by my hesitation. He softly grabbed my hand, "just follow my lead, trust me."  Trust him, even though he took me away from my home, and my position, and I couldn't remember anything about him I did feel as though I could trust him. I let him lead me to the middle of the floor. He put one of my hands on his shoulder, the other in his hand, and had his other hand around my waste. I raised my eyebrow suspiciously when he put his hand around my waist and pulled my to him rather closely. He only smiled and began to lead.

     "Did I tell you that you look absolutely beautiful in that dress." I raised my eyebrow, "no you haven't but thank you for the compliment your highness, and if I may add you look handsome as well, but I bet you already figured that out from the females throwing themselves at you and the glares I am receiving at the moment." He laughed at my comment, showing dimples, I liked his smile, no snap out of it Artemis you know you can't find him attractive. 'But you know he is, and you know yours, why are you holding back.' my wolf replied. "you know why we can't." Zayden twirled me breaking my conversation with my wolf. "You truly are the loveliest person in here, I thought I was going to have to commit a mass murder of the males when I saw how they were looking at you."  His arm around my waist tightened and he brought me closer, practically hugging me now. His face was in my hair, and mine was between him neck and shoulder. My eyes were closed as I let his scent surround me. This felt so right, I knew I shouldn't be doing this, I couldn't but I couldn't pull away from him, or even push him away, I have never felt so weak in my entire life. For the first time I wasn't a warrior, a girl with a terrible past that haunted her, a was just Artemis.

     We brought our heads up when we realized the song had ended, We stared into each others eyes, and we drew closer together. Our lips were about to touch when a sinister voice erupted into my head. "Death with come to all you love, just remember that my dear Artemis, you can't escape me." My eyes widened, and I broke from Zayden's embrace, he looked confused and hurt, he tried to grab me but I was panicking. Where did he come from was he here, I had to get away or everyone else here would be in danger. I took of towards the entrance, Zayden tried to catch me but females were blocking his way trying to get his attention. I tore off my heels, picked up the ends of my gown and ran. I made it out of the doors and turned right into the woods. I had to make sure I was far from everyone else, my warrior instincts kicked in I had to protect everyone there.

     I heard footsteps behind me, I ran faster, even if they caught me they would be no match but I couldn't risk anyone being close to me. "Run, all you want my dear, I'm going to find you, you will never escape me." I ran even faster dodging low branches, jumping over logs I knew my gown had been ripped but I didn't care I had to get away.  I had just reached a clearing where the light of the full moon illuminated the area when I heard his voice. "Artemis, stop."  I couldn't disobey the order, and abruptly stopped, turning to face him. He entered the edge of the clearing and began to slowly walk towards me. "Stop! you can't come near me." He just kept walking towards me when a movement in the shadows caught both of our attentions and we froze. The shadow began to move towards me at a rapid pace, and Zayden took off towards me as well. The shadow surrounded me completely, and the last thing I saw before the darkness was Zayden reaching for me as he yelled my name reaching for my hand.

     when I woke up I was in a dungeon cell dimly lit by a torch on the wall, my hands and feet were chained to the wall. The dungeon smelled of blood and rotten flesh, is was putrid. I was looking and  thinking of a way to escape when I heard the door open and footsteps. I put on my mask and held my head up waiting to see the face of my captor. A man with the same red eyes that haunt me every night stood in front of my cell. He was tall, muscular, pale, with sharp facial features, and jet black hair. He wore a black suit that looked as though it was brand new. He smiled which showed the white fangs stained red, he had just fed. He opened the cell door and walked towards me. the closer he got the more pressure I put of the chains bounding me until I knew they were almost broken. He laughed the same menacing laugh I heard in the forest, and after my parents deaths.

     He icy fingers grabbed my chin, his touch repulsing me, his smirk grew when he saw the hatred in my eyes. "I tried to warn you Artemis, I told you, that you could never escape me, but you just couldn't listen could you, now you'll understand your true purpose. If your a good little weapon I'll even make sure you little mate doesn't suffer as much as your parents did. I did quite enjoy that, tearing them to pieces as they tried to protect their precious child, they tried so desperately to hide." I felt the hatred burst as I snarled, breaking the chains, and swiped at his face with my claws extended. He only turned into a shadow before I could touch him, materializing with his hand around my neck as he slammed me into the wall. A black shadow  leaked from his hand around my neck, my limbs refused to move. He leaned in close enough that I could smell the death from his breath. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you, and making you the greatest weapon of all time."  He dropped me but the smoke that surrounded me formed chains that restrained me and were unbreakable. He only laughed at me as he left the cell, and I struggled to break the chain.