Awakening

[Arissa's POV]

Everything hurt and my vision was hazy. How was it possible that Gillian was the same as me? Was

this some type of joke? How was I supposed to kill him when he was damn near invincible.

"You aren't allowed to die.” Ivan's soothing voice drifted through my haze.

"Who said I'm dying?" I tried, causing pain to race through me.

Fuck, it really hurt and that was saying something given all the injuries I had suffered.

"That's the spirit. If you're able to argue, then you're going to be fine."

"Yeah."

I only managed to get the word out before my lungs began to feel as though they were filling with

water. Fits of coughing began to overtake me. Breathing became impossible and dark circles danced

before my eyes.

"Pick up the pace!" I heard Ivan roar over the ringing in my ears. "IF SHE DIES SO WILL YOU!"

Despite my attempts to try to calm him, no words came. Any they may have was muffled by the

blood that was quickly filling my mouth.

Shit, it seemed that Gillian had meant for me to die with his blow. And here I thought he would

want me alive to fulfill his ridiculous plan.

Feeling a laugh want to escape me, I tried to stay conscious as Ivan's muffled words drifted around

me, along with an odd sensation that I had never felt before, but something about it was so damn

comforting.

I don't know when it happened, but I suddenly found myself in pure darkness. The pain was gone

and I couldn't sense Ivan around me at all. From what I could tell, I was completely alone.

Confused, I looked around, trying to find something, anything, that would give me an indication of

where I was.

"Am I dead?" I muttered in frustration.

Sure, since turning 8, all I had wanted was death. However, now that I was possibly experiencing it, I

found that I felt hollow and like something was missing.

Deciding that staying put wherever I was wouldn't help me, I began to move. Maybe I would find

something at some point, or I would simply wander in the darkness forever.

As my feet took me further and further, I began to sense something familiar and foreign at the same

time.

Continuing to move, I made my way towards swirling red smoke that tried to hide a large white

creature that seemed to glow. A powerful aura radiated from it, but it was easy to tell that the

creatures true power was being contained.

Quickening my pace, I moved closer and closer until I could see that the creature was a white wolf.

A large white wolf, bigger than any wolf I had ever seen before. It was clear this wolf was meant to

be an alpha, but for some reason it was being contained here in the darkness.

Reaching out, I tentavely touched the creatures head, causing a growl to erupt from it's lips.

I watched in horror as it tried to move, but was stopped by black thorns that dug into it's hide,

drawing fresh blood in patches of already dried blood.

“Easy,” I murmured, placing my hand on it's nose. "Don’t hurt yourself even more.”

A low growl escaped the wolf's lips, followed by a huff of frustration, but it did as I said. Relaxing it

allowed me to begin to pet it's muzzle.

Letting myself feel comfort from the warmth the wolf was releasing, I examined the thorny vines

that held it in place. They radiated a darkness that I had never felt before, and they seemed to

pulsate as the tightened and untightened around the wolf's body.

Using my free hand, I reached out and touched the vine. Inmediately, a surge of ice raced through

me, causing a gasp to escape my lips. Pulling away, I looked at my fingertips to find they were frost

bitten.

"What the hell?" I growled in frustration. "What is this?"

A growl drew me back to the wolf and somehow I felt myself getting lost in its eyes. It was almost as

if something was telling me to keep trying to free it.

Unable to resist, I braced myself and reached out again, this time clutching the vine.

"Let's see who is stronger." I growled as a new wave of ice rushed through me. "I'm not one to give

up."

[lvan's POV]

I stared down at Arissa's unmoving form in my lap. The coughs had finally stopped, but the blood

continued to fall from her lips. Her breathing was shallow, but at least she was still breathing.

"Alpha," Hans hissed, from his place. "Why isn't she healing?" His eyes were fixed on the gaping

hole in Arissa's stomach that was steadily pouring blood.

My men weren't aware that she was wolfless. That was a fact I kept to myself to avoid word getting

around.

"She doesn't have a wolf." I sighed. "For all intents and purposes, she is just like a human, except she

has super strength and agility.”

At this point, it wouldn't hurt to tell my beta and delta about Arissa's secret. In a way I guess with

Gillian's attempt to rise to power, they would have to help me keep her safe anyway.

"No wolf?" Igor repeated with wide eyes. "What about..." He trailed off as a gasp escaped Arissa's

lips, drawing all of our attentions back to her.

Staring down, I watched as a few more gasps escaped her before her eyes flew open and snarl of

rage escaped her. I didn't have to question what was going on here. Her blue eyes were glowing red

and her canines were extended. It seemed now that her wolf side was too weak to continue on, the

vampire side had awoken and it was starving.

Letting a smile play across my lips, I caressed her cheek, earning myself a snarl.

"Hang on a few more minutes.”

Even if I could feed her my blood here, I didn't want to do it in front of Igor and Hans.

Looking out the carriages window, I spotted the estate up ahead. Once we were there I would gladly

feed Arissa and once she was out of danger, I would make my move against the double agents in

my midst.

"What should we do with her once we arrive?” Hans asked, drawing my attention to Tania, who had

been silent this whole time.

"Throw her in the dungeon.” I smirked. "It is about time she got a feel of what her daughter endured

for so many years."