"Baby? My sweet, it's time to wake up." Xavier said, his voice surprisingly soft as he made way towards me.

I was cuddled up under the blanket in a fetal position, my cheeks probably flushed with dried up tears stains, and my eyes puffy, probably bloodshot from all the crying I had done.

I was in pain all over, seeing as Lia still wasn't here I barely had any of my wolf abilities, and because of that I don't heal like a wolf but like an average human.

I hadn't slept a wink last night, it was completely dark and oddly enough I felt like an insomniac, but I knew the real reason I couldn't fall asleep.

And that's because being asleep makes you completely vulnerable, and with all your guards down, you're never alert, and all night I was alert, waiting for Xavier to come back and violate or abuse me some more, but he hadn't come, well until now.

My tangled brown hair, which probably looked like oil was spilled over it, laid messily over my head, and all over the pillow, covering half of my face - the half that also probably had a crimson hand print tattooed on my tan skin, which was a hundred percent pale by now seeing as I had no encounter with the sun.

"My sweet, you have to get up because you need to shower and eat, today is the day." He explained happily, but his words didn't even give me half of the happiness he had, I felt dead on both the in and outside.

I bit my bottom lip after mumbling an incoherent 'okay'. Then I pulled my hands from under the blanket and pushed the blanket off me, revealing my bare legs.

I gasped at the sight of my knee, the exact knee Xavier had so kindly kicked last night, a shiver ran down my spine as I remembered it.

My knee - which was now swollen - had a huge black bruise coloring the skin around it, while the middle swelled up and became an awful red color, I felt my eyes well up at how disgusting it looked.

I took in a shaky breath and shook my head, trying to compose myself before carefully swinging my feet off the bed, I let out a groan at how painful it was to move my knee.

I felt Xavier's eyes burning holes in my skin as they followed my every movement, another shiver crawled down my spine at his intense gaze.

I slowly pushed my heavy body off the bed, and felt my knee's wobble; trying their hardest to hold my body up.

But I didn't encourage their weakness because I knew what happens to those who display themselves as weak, so instead of sitting back down, I tightly fisted my hands and roughy bit my bottom lip, tasting the metallic flavor of the liquid that began oozing out.

"Do you need help?" Xavier asked, I shook my head quickly, not even glancing at him as I slowly put one foot in front of the other, feeling how sore my legs really were as sparks of pain crawled through them.

Why would he even offer me help? He is the cause of all of this anyway, so what's the point in helping me?

I wonder how my family is doing, how their going about their day knowing that their finally found daughter is gone once again, but the guilt is mine to keep, because it was my own fault that brought me here.

Slowly, I made way towards Xavier and once I reached him our gazes locked, his dark eyes gazing into my brown one's, as he tried to read me.

I couldn't read him though, he was just like Dustin, trying to read me so that hurting me could be easier.

Deep down inside of me, I felt my heart ache for him, for Dustin. Something inside me wanted her mate, to have him claim me, so that nobody else could, but my heart was forcefully given to Xavier, it was in his hands.

The corners of Xavier's lip's were tugged up into a huge grin, his dark eyes twinkling with admiration, unlike the hate and menace that was clouding them last night.

Quickly my hand flew to my shoulder and once my fingers touched it, I let out a strangled groan, it was swollen from the fang that he had plunged in so carelessly.

I flinched from the sudden pain that carefully grazing it brought and quickly I fisted my hands to my sides, Xavier was completely oblivious to my current state, that or he really did not care.

I wanted to yell at him, to show him my anger and the protest that my mind was having against this marriage, but I couldn't open my mouth and the second I did different words came out.

"Let's go."

He nodded while that wide grin remained plastered on his face, almost making him cute and boyish, but that closed smile hides the truth which could easily appear when the smile finally decides to snarl.

He quickly grabbed my small hand and I held back a flinch from the fear that brought me back to reality, but instead of throwing me like I had expected, he intertwined his large hand with my own and led us to where I had to be.

•
•
•

Three hours later, I was fully showered and freshened up.

Xavier had previously led me to this huge bathroom and told me that I had as long as I needed to fully clean myself up, and he accepted the fact that I was in here for a long time.

With one more glance at the beautiful bathroom, I turned around and shut the door behind me, the feel of the short night gown swaying beside me, kept me company.

I bit my bottom lip as I looked at the empty halls, it was eerie how nobody was in the huge castle except Xavier and I, the halls had this kind of ominous chill which spread from wall to wall and room to room.

I sucked in a deep breath as I moved my feet against the cold floor, the sudden impact of my warm bare feet colliding with the cool ground sent goosebumps up my arms and legs.

I placed a hand against the stone gray wall beside me and let out a shaky breath, it was all so creepy.

I walked slowly, and my hand never moved from the gray wall which had little bumps inside it.

My stomach was churning inside me and I still walked with no place in mind or no knowledge as to where I am going, my legs just moved on their own accord.

I licked my dry lips and narrowed my eyes slightly, my moves came to a halt as I investigated the long hallway before me, which deep inside had a dead end, but the dead end, ended with a door.

The view was completely terrifying through my glossy vision from the previous heat inside the bathroom, it looked as if there was fog surrounding the room yelling visible warnings at me, telling me to turn around but at the same time calling for me.

I felt as if a large hand pressed against my back, but I didn't react, I just tilted my head - intrigued- and suddenly that same hand started pushing me closer towards the small brown wooden door.

My curious gaze stayed plastered on the door, not once averting, even as the fog which I had thought was envisioned consumed me.

Chills ran up and down my bare arms and chilly breezes started hitting me, I heard noises around me, strange noises.

I gulped and lowered my gaze at the knob, the wooden door which appeared as small, towered over me, dominating me in every way and the previous hand was no longer on my back.

I warily and hesitantly placed my shaky hand over the knob, the hallway I was in was dark, almost as dark as my room and the fog that surrounded me was all that I could inhale while my heart hammered under my trembling skin.

I gnawed on my bottom lip and quickly opened the door, pushing it open and quickly shutting my eyes, my heartbeat speeding up erratically.

I fisted my hands and tightened my shut eyes while scrunching up my face in fear, my breathing coming out as pants and a different breeze nipped on my skin, a breeze from a window.

I sighed in relief and opened my eyes, not completely but barely, and my eyes were firmly focused on the window which was the only illuminated thing in the room, everything else was covered by darkness.

The wind which was picking up blew the black curtains which decorated the open window, making them dance to the ominous music the dark crows were singing.

I completely opened my eyes and sighed in relief, my hands opening up from the tight fists they were in.

Suddenly, the small number of crows outside became a swarm, all heading towards this room.

I gasped loudly but had no time to react as the pitch black crows flew through the window and cawed loudly, all singing ominously trying to get me to dance with the wind but I was frozen.

They all came towards me, making me scream loudly and my hands aimlessly flew at the attacking crows, trying to get them away from me.

Their cawing got louder and my whole body trembled in fear, my heartbeat went haywire as I tried fighting them off, but they didn't go anywhere.

I shut my eyes and shook my head, my hands flying over my ears as I tried to block out their loud cawing which was ringing in my ears, the wind blew all around me, goosebumps danced on my skin, trying to mimic the flying curtains.

Tears were trailing out of my eyes and I let out a loud yell, a very very loud yell and suddenly all I could feel was water.

I opened my eyes but my vision was blocked by cascading water, I placed my hands over my face and blocked off anymore, the water went down my body which was no longer carrying a night gown.

I gasped and removed my hands, allowing the water to fall on me, and now I finally noticed where I was.

It wasn't the room and there were no crows;

I was in the bathroom, and I felt my stomach churn crazily inside me while my heart continued beating erratically, my head started spinning and quickly, I shut off the water.

I placed my hands against my throat, feeling bile rise up, my hands shaking crazily once they felt movement under them, my eyes widened.

I was choking on something inside me and my body was trying to let it out, I fell to my knees and groaned loudly in pain, my throat burning while my eyes rolled to the back of my head, I felt as if I was dying.

I gagged loudly and coughed, trying to get whatever was in me out, tears formed in my eyes and suddenly something black was coming out of me, I pressed firmly against my throat trying to push it out completely, my body trembled in fear while my eyelids drooped from the lack of oxygen.

And then with one last gag, a crow flew out of my mouth, my eyes widened as my shaky hands flew over my mouth, the feeling of liquid on them but I couldn't bare to acknowledge it seeing as my gaze was on the dark black crow which laid dead on the shower floor with black blood all around it.

I panicked, and quickly backed up away from it, my hands falling back to my throat which was aching inwardly, my chest heaved up and down trying to keep up with my erratic heartbeat.

I shut my eyes and shook my head, mumbling 'this is all a dream' on repeat.

I gulped loudly and shook my head once more, trying to compose myself and the fear which grew larger and larger, I placed a hand on my mouth once again and wiped it, later opening my eyes to reveal an empty shower.

My eyes widened once again and I quickly stood up, my eyes never leaving the spot which previously had a dead crow over it, my head was spinning.

I brought my hand in front of me and their was nothing on it, no liquid and no black blood, my finger was clean and so was my mouth.

I held my head and pressed my fingers against it tightly, trying to ease the increasing pain as I tried registering what just happened; but that was the thing, it didn't happen - I think.

Suddenly someone started banging against the door but I couldn't focus on it, my heart was the only thing I could hear as it hammered against my chest.

"Celine!" Xavier yelled out and I responded with a loud blood curling scream.