Bona Fide Queen

Eleven

"Oh for fudge sakes, how many time do I have to tell you?! I'm fine!" I angrily complain for the millionth time.

The maid sent in by Adrian to 'watch over me, and help me relax' was currently trying to get me to enjoy a relaxing bath. In any other case, I'd have jumped in by now.

But since I was told to do it....well, now I don't want to.

"Milady,  you have very limited options. Either get in the bath or I will help you." She growls out, her eyes blackened. Her version of 'help' sounded very unproductive.

It should have scared me straight, but if there was anything I hated more than orders, it was threats.

Making a show to clench my own teeth, I give her my best glare and mutter out, "I'd like to see you try."

Just as I finish she lunges forward like some assassin maid from hell. I dodge barely in time and crash to the floor, a few feet away from the savagery this maid turned into.

I'm pretty sure Adrian set this up on purpose. I would never say it  loud, but I may have met my match. This was no maid, this was a freaking hell hound!

The sound of scuttling had me hauling myself from the ground faster than Black Friday shopping.

The maid was the customer, and I was the flat screen TV. 52 inches. High quality.

Okay...the high quality part was a stretch...just like the 52 inches, but the way the lady was chasing me, I might as well have been one made of freaking gold.

Thankfully the door is open and I don't have to waste a second longer trying to open it. My feet pound against the floor as I run the fastest I've ever run to escape the wrath of Edna, the old maid.

For an old woman, the grandma could run.

I have absolutely no idea where I'm going, only that it's away from Edna. Skidding past countless doors and through winding corridors, I quietly slow down and open a random door carefully, slipping inside.

Pressing my ear to the door, I hear growling on the other end. "Miss Raye," she's says from the other side, reminding me that she may look human, but she's still a werewolf. Of course she could sniff me out.

I don't answer, but instead pretend not to hear her.

"We can do this the the hard way, or the harder way, Milady."

My lips press together in a tight lipped frown. Of all the chooses I have, I know I should open this door and listen.

My lips press tighter, trying to suppress a smirk. Yet, in all my life, and all the chances I've ever had, I was very good at making bad choices.

You could say I was a master at it. A natural talent.

Using my hand to feel my way through the dark, I touch the surface of the wall, looking for a light switch. My hand runs over the smooth surface, not finding one. As I continue to move along the wall quickly and silently, I instead feel something else.

It's a solid wall with and icy chill radiating from it. Curiously, and more than slightly confused, I continue to let my hands roam, only to come to a realization. Walls don't wear suits. They also don't laugh.

Slowly but surely, I inch back, but before I can make a safe distance, I stiffen at the low chuckling sound.

"Harder way it is," I hear Edna say from the other side. The door opens and the lights are flashed on.

Behind me, I can ear Edna stiffen and suck in a breath.

I do the same.

Before me is a pale man, who had icy white-blonde, slicked back hair and  red eyes that sparkled like ruby's. He wore a fancy suit, a bit old fashioned, much like the rest of this place. Only, he didn't seem like a werewolf.

I may not have been here long, or even know that many people, but something about this man seems off. Like a feeling of falseness that I can't shake. It was if he was putting up a facade, and I couldn't see through it yet.

I don't break the silence, but Edna does.

"Lord Damien, I deeply apologize for intruding, I only came for the Lady-" she begins to ramble off nervously, which only makes me wonder who this man is.

The man in question raises a hand to stop Edna's mindless shpeel, only for his gaze to look to me and intensify.

"I've never seen you before." He states simply.

I can't help the immediate snarky response from tumbling out my lips.

"It was pretty dark in here, I'm surprised you could see anything at all." My gaze searches his to see that he is amused, more than anything. His head angles toward the side and a shiver creeps it's way down my arms. It feels oddly like he's undressing me with his eyes, and I can't help but feel slightly conscious of myself.

"You're human," he states more than asks, but I nod anyway, giving him a 'yeah, I'm human, so what?' offensive stance. My hand on hip included.

"A feisty one I see. Considering you're not dead, you must be some special guest of the Kings, am I correct in my assumptions?"

I stare at him quizzically for a moment before snorting.

"Guest? If you could call me that. I'm only here for my brother," I tell him. Not a lie, but not entirely the truth either.

I can't quite tell why I'm still here. Yes, I wanted my brother back, but once I got him back, I wasn't sure what I'd do afterwards. I'm sure Adrian could easily spare us a boat and supplies, but the thought of leaving had my heart constricting.

He looks at me and seems to seriously consider something. He glances down at my arms, the bare arms that my current dress did not cover.

He sucks in a breath.

"Just who are you?" He manages to breathe out.

Before I could answer more, Edna grabs me by the arm, pulling me towards her.

"My Lord, apologies, but Lady Raye and I must really be on our way." She says as she all but drags me out the door.

He doesn't move to stop us, but he does leave a parting word or two for me that makes my blood run cold.

"You are a dark, dark curse, Miss Raye."

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SMILES and CHEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!