The luminous crescent moon hung like a silvery-pale claw in the night sky and leaked transients of light through my window pane, casting grey sheets of platinum that kissed the walls in my room. It was eerie quiet, but that silence was broken by the occasional hooting of a lone owl that resided in a timber tree near my room.
I didn't remember if the owl was there before I came to live in the pack, however I do recall hearing it hoot for the first time on the third night while being here. And every night after that, I ensured that I heard its usual two-note hoot before I went to sleep. It was a reminder that I wasn't alone in this plaintive place all the time.
I laid motionless in my bed, looking at the bland ceiling trying to make sense of something that wasn't even there to make sense of, until a defeated sigh left my lips and I removed myself from under the covering and sat at the edge of my bed.
I had retired for bed almost 3 hours ago, yet I felt so restless.
And despite my unease, I couldn't quite pinpoint what had me feeling the way I did at present. The clock on my night table read fifteen minutes pass three and I was starting to feel suffocated by the atmosphere of my unsettled state of mind, so I went over to open a window in my room.
But one look into the dead of the night had my veins flooding with paranoia coupled with the need to be around someone to feel safe and protected. I now knew why restlessness had come to possess me on this particular night. It was because the night crawlers were here and once again I was dispiritedly reminded of my secluded setting.
An isolated house, on an isolated hill and that too with a lone girl seemed to stand out too much for my liking.
I knew my neurotic thoughts would slowly start wandering to a place of absurdity and sooner or later I would start making up crazy scenarios in my head that would lock me in with my very own imaginary monsters, giving them longer claws and sharper teeth's, so I shoved it down to the temporary prison where we all reserved for random depressing thoughts that could do more harm than good.
For a fleeting second I stood irresolute with a slight foreboding feeling. It's funny how the presence of the vampires left me with a perplexing and an uncomfortable sense, almost as if I was unknowingly expecting one of them to materialize and jump out right at me, but I was only being delusional right?
Every second my brain involuntarily reminded me how their chaotic, maniacal eyes seemed to be burning with madness while their body exhumed a corpse. And even though I was excited to see them earlier, it was a different matter now, as their crazy diseased eye left me spellbound, but definitely not in a good way. I was beginning to think that maybe I should have paid heed to Ares' words and stayed inside after all, but that thought was quickly washed away and overshadowed by irritation.
How dare he leave me here all alone?
Any amount of terror I was feeling a while ago fell away like a discarded cloak as I was beginning to feel hints of over exaggerated abandonment. Sucking my teeth, I spun on my heel and headed for my adjoined bathroom. I bet he only told me to stay here knowing that I was going to find a way to leave anyway.
Turning off the tap, I grabbed a paper towel and dried my hands then quickly turned away to leave. It wasn't that I was in a rush, more rather; I was trying to avoid staring back at myself in the mirror due to the fact that as the days went by, I felt myself falling deeper and deeper in an endless pit of confusion and helplessness. And I didn't want my eyes to continuously have that clutch over me.
As I was leaving the bathroom, I couldn't help but to suddenly become motionless as I stood in the doorway and gaped in strange horror at my bedroom door now wide open. And I was certain I didn't leave it like that. My face grew ashen and the warning bells in my heads seemed to gradually increase in volume with each breath I took.
The passageway on the outside of my room was a plunge-pool of pure black, yet the more I stood trying to let my eyes get accustomed to it the more tension coiled in my veins when I realized I could not. I threw a quick glance around my room checking for any other presence as the fear of an unknown overwhelmed me and I was left once again feeling paranoid about any form of intrusions.
My eyes darted back to stare out in the passage, hunting for anything out of the norm or any dark silhouettes lurking within the empty, however what I saw left me deeply flabbergasted. Two brooding eyes held me captive and instantly I could now see the outline of his body that was previously enveloped by the darkness.
Instincts filled me and my hand shot out to flip the switch now beyond annoyed.
All that fright for nothing!
There he stood, casually leaning against the sill of the door with his hands folded across his chest whilst his orbs looked at me in a studying yet displeasing manner. Without even knowing it, his presence had emitted a sort of safety and in a way I was thankful that he was here, but I would never admit it. Hopefully he sensed how I was feeling, and came just in time, but I really doubted that was the case.
"Oh so you weren't successful in nearly scaring me half to death the other day, so you came back to finish the job" My voice snapped with heavy sarcasm. He was standing at the threshold of my bedroom, his body big and brawny oozing power even without trying.
"Blame that on the presumably weak and fragile object that keeps beating in your chest" he chastised. "I'm naturally terrifying so deal with it" His words were laced with raw annoyance birthed between bitterness and hostility. I fell silent. If he wasn't looking at me the way he was in this moment I probably would have reached up and touch my chest where my heart was beating erratically. I don't know, but every time Ares was physically near me he'd trigger a pleasantly clenching feeling in the pit of my stomach that would cause my heart rate to trip over itself.
Truth is, Ares frightens me, not because of his seemingly deadly affinity with the darkness, but the way an odd sensation would develop inside of me, at the sound of his voice or the way he would carry himself overall. It was just-drugging. Don't get me wrong though, I despised the man. His arrogance and antagonism drove me closer and closer to the brink of insanity everyday yet I felt weak whenever he was around me, and I didn't want to be weak.
I had to wonder if I affected him in the same way he affects me.
And if he was, he had a really brilliant way in concealing it.
"I don't know what your problem is, but I'm guessing it's really hard to pronounce" I frowned. "And what is it that you even want; I don't see why you would even bothered to come to my room anyway" I continued while folding my hands over my chest in the process.
Wait! How did he know I wasn't even asleep?
His eye flashed with something I assumed was bridled asperity and a sharp yet irritable glare was thrown my way.
"I will not reduce myself to a mere black and white level just to adjust with your dawdling understandings. Maybe you haven't gotten accustomed to the style of living here, but one thing is for certain; I'm much different from that headmaster you're used to and I expect to be treated as such". His voice took on a deeper pitch, and he was now standing to his full height. And oh was it massive.
"You know exactly why I'm here, and trust me-you don't want me to spell it out for you" he added.
Crap
I had totally forgotten about our little stare down yesterday. After he told me to stay here for another week I had selfishly gone behind his back to ask Cyrus to leave and even overstayed my curfew! But I didn't see any reason to stay behind, when other slaves were allowed to go about their business.
"It's obvious you have no use for me, so I don't know why you won't do us both a favor and send me back to the estate instead of being an unreasonable, overbearing-twat!" I said atop my voice and while I said what I said with ease my heartfelt as if it was painfully popping out of my chest at every word.
But what I wasn't prepared for, was a sinister looking Ares which ostensibly began to place me in a state of utter morbid panic.
"Say that again" he said calmly, a tone that seemed to be so threatening. The lights in my room began to flicker and it wasn't unquestionable to blame it on just bad electricity. His intense stare caused me to rock back on forth on the ball of my feet and I could have sworn the ground trembled beneath my feet.
Dread crept up behind me uninvited, yet I still found the courage to say.
"You're a condescending, overbearing twat" I said coolly but my face gave away any and every form of emotion I was feeling. I watched him standing firmly but menacingly on the outside of my imaginary barrier that was supposed to keep us separated.
It was stark silent, and what I realized over the years while being a slave was that whenever a werewolf got too quiet everything else became as equally threatening. I nearly jumped out of my skin when he began to take long dangerous strides towards me and the eyes said it all. Fury pounded against his irises like a drumbeat, nevertheless, in the speed of a knot, I spun on my heels, scurrying back into the bathroom I was previously in and slammed the door shut while twisting the lock.
I slowly backed away from the door until my back pressed against the counter. My stomach was twisting queasily, but I knew no amount of swallowing would put me in a state of ease. I heard when his step came to an abrupt halt on the other side of the door before he finally said.
"I'll give you five seconds-"
To live or to open the door?
Maybe you haven't noticed but an angry Ares had a short fuse, even so I always ended up pushing all his wrong buttons. What the hell was wrong with me? Haven't I been warned enough?
The countdown was already set off in my brain, and I was positive he was one second away from tearing the door down. Time felt as if it was passing by in a slug-like pace, putting my nerves even more on edge. What was happening? Was this the calm before the storm? The quiet prelude before the catastrophe?
My breathing suspended in my lungs temporarily and my heart grew terribly still in my chest when the door softly creaked open- a notion that took me by surprise. Without wasting another second, he walked over to where I stood wedged against the counter, every step was precise and predatory in nature until he was finally standing in front of me.
Him being this close to me was deeply overwhelming, I felt as if all the air was being snatched out of my lungs and I wasn't sure if should have been scared or gratified to be in his presence at this very moment, especially when he seemed pissed.
"Do you like to defy me Skyler?" he asked. A tone that was flat and steady, but tight as a plucked wire.
However I did not respond.
Which apparently left me to believe this aggravated him even more. And suddenly, without any warning whatsoever he wrapped his hands around my thighs, lifting me onto the cold counter that was a profound contrast to my burning hot skin.
A muffled squeak passed through my lips at the abrupt change of equilibrium and my hands shot out to grab at his shirt while my eyes locked onto his burning orbs that were as fathomless as the night sky. I was left astounded by the rare closeness and when I became aware of his hands that were planted on my mid-thigh. He seemed calm, but his actions were anything but.
"Let me ask again. Do you enjoy defying me?" he repeated sternly and with clenched teeth.
"Well, I wouldn't call it enjoyment-"In breakneck speed, I felt myself being roughly pulled at the edge of the counter and my legs extended to wrap around the back of his to prevent me from falling. But I guess that wasn't his motive because it was his same body that was keeping me secure on the counter part way.
"Ares sto-"
"Answer me" he stated brusquely
"No!" I paused. "I do not"
"Then why do I get the impression that you do" He asked rhetorically and I turned my head away, not wanting to look at him. He made me feel like a child and that was really saying something. "When I tell you to stay put you shouldn't have to think twice about it"
"I'm not your dog!" I snapped, whipping my head in his direction.
He studied me for a few seconds longer than normal, but then something vaguely interesting caught my eyes. I slowly looked down at my legs that were slackly wrapped around him, and his eyes followed my very movement until they finally landed on my ridden up night gown.
My cheeks flamed and I suddenly became self conscious but I was quick to pull it down. He didn't seem fazed in the slightest, rather he seemed uncaring. Ares was completely closed up and very good at concealing himself, but what I didn't understand was the slight vengeful aura that he appeared to exude.
"There are very- dangerous people in this world that you wouldn't even be able to start comprehend" he confessed randomly with a faintly annoyed expression, that didn't look to be directed at me, and my eyebrows met in the middle.
Was he concerned about me?
"Don't pretend you care about me Ares" I replied, hating the breathless quality of my voice.
I felt when his finger softly curled around my chin and he pulled my face closer to his. He looked me dead in the eye before saying.
"That's because I don't" My stomach plummets as my heart picks up while I stared in stunned silence. His response felt stabbing and was equivalent to a slap to the face.
"You should stop taking my shortsightedness for any form of kindness"
"Why do you dislike me so much, and if you really didn't care, then I wonder why you even take the time out to be so hurtful" I argued angrily.
He took a deep breath then moved to stand further away from me while I adjusted myself on the counter looking down.
"It's not just dislike" he paused and looked at the tiled floor for brief second. "Let me humor you, and even though I'm not pleased to say this I'll say it anyway- your whole existence irks me.
"You were-"he stopped himself almost as if he was trying to find the right words to say. "-were never supposed to be" He said with a confused frown and as much as I tried to decrypt it, I was left hopeless.
'What was it he was trying to say?'
I wanted to give my words a voice but instead they hung from my lips. How is it that a person's whole existence can make someone wary of them? He didn't look vulnerable, but he was just blunt. And in a way I was sort of satisfied that he didn't go around the bush however I began to suspect that there was a hidden mystery behind his abstruse words.
He looked as if he wanted to say something else but thought better of it and started for the door but stopped just in time at the doorway as if he his distance would create a greater effect from his biting words.
"If you ever think about defying me in the slightest again, hungry lions are going to look tame compared to what I'll do to you" he spoke in a voice laced with humid detest, craning his neck slightly over his shoulder so that I would feel the full force of his words.
"Is that so?" I challenged. "Because I think you've lost your ability to hurt me a long time ago" I said. I couldn't tell if he was pissed or not because he was not facing me but I did see when his hands twitched angrily before he walked away. Finally I released the breath I was holding all along and placed my face in my palms.
Thoughts were controlling my mind as everything that happened minutes ago seemed to be set on repeat. Ares was a walking contradiction, a lock with no key and a puzzle without any form of navigation and I wasn't sure how I was supposed to handle all of that. The air was becoming warmer and I could tell that the sun was rising.
I jumped off the counter and made my way to my room but stopped halfway as something caught my eye. I touched the handle of the bathroom door that appeared to be crushed, burned and turning into ash before my eyes. I sighed and rolled my eyes, what a piece of work he's going to be.