Briana's POV

     When I wake up the next morning, my body immediately stretches out as I yawn, my legs shaking before I fall like jello back on to the comfy mattress. Once I'm sure I won't be falling back asleep any time soon, I force my eyes open, and groan once the beautiful yet spiteful sun finds its way into my eyes.

    I blink the sleep and sting out of them before I swing my legs over the side of the bed, sitting up as I do.

     At first, when I look around the room, I jump, terrified that I've gotten kidnapped, until my sluggish brain remembers last night.

    Sure and happy that I was planning on staying here for good, Chelsea found me my own room, just a floor below hers, making me feel very important if I do say so myself. As I quietly look around the tidy but fancy room, I can't help but notice how I can't remember anything about this place but a really glimpse here and there in my memory.

     They say trauma can block access to core things like that. Which definitely makes sense for me.

     Shaking the quickly darkening thoughts came I find my way out of my bed, and walk towards the window a few steps to the right of my bed, growing and coming to a step only a foot away. The hair on the back of my neck rises and forced my slim body to shiver, and the feeling that i'd left is more than unpleasant.

     Something doesn't feel right.

     At all.

     I tuck the feeling crawling along my skin into the back of my mind and reach the window, looking out on to the vast and gorgeous land that I now have the privilege to call home.

     I don't deserve to.

    As always I find myself whispering words of shame and fear along my spine, my fingers curling into themselves as I think about how easy it would be to let my guard down only for someone else that I love ending up killed.

     It always happens.

     I'm a curse and whenever I'm around for too long, it puts everyone that I care about in danger.

      And as much as I try not to think about it, my mind shows me picture after image of those in my life that I just can't live without. Before my mind can get swallowed inside the feeling of dread and fear there's a knock on the door, making me turn my head towards the sound as I shake the memories away.

I walk towards the door, and I find myself wiping away a stray tear on my face that I didn't even realize had fell. I turn the knob on the door and find my cousin standing on the other side with her usual smile, though there's slight bags under her eyes making me frown.

"Hey, Chelsea." I greet her, and she smiles wider in return, though soemthing about it just doesn't seem right.

"Hi, Briana. I was going to go for a ride in the forest. Did you want to come with me?" She asks me, and my breathing nearly stops in my throat before I force it to keep going. Something isn't right. I don't know what it is, and maybe I'm just being paranoid, but this doesn't feel like the Chelsea I've grown to adore over these past few weeks.

"Sure, just give me like an hour or so to get ready. Do you think you can go get my usual from the kitchen?" I ask her with my usual nonchalant attitude, and I see a flicker of doubt in her eyes before it's gone, replaced by her usual, but strange smile.

"Okay. I'll be back in a minute." She agrees before leaving, and I close the door behind her, going around the room to grab some shoes and a jacket, not caring about my shorts and cami, knowing that's not what's important at the moment. Because she just confirmed my fear. That's not Chelsea. Not only do I not have a usual from the kitchens, but I don't eat breakfast. Ever. I don't know what's going on, or who that really is, by one thing I know for sure i'd that is not Chelsea.

Once I have my phone and everything else I need for now, I open the door and find no one in the hallway, even my guards no where to be found.

Definitely suspicious.

I close the door behind me quietly, and quickly make my way towards the Royal wind of the castle, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. I almost run into a few groups on my way through the castle, but good hiding skills and quick thinking helps me escape. After a slow thirty minutes of sneaking, I finally get to Art's hallway.

     I find no one outside of the doors, and my heart drops, praying that she's in her room and i didn't miss her.

     I hurry to the doors, and give a soft knock, though the noise still echoes throughott it the hallway making me cringe, hoping that there's at least someone inside. Thankfully after a minute or so, soft footsteps make their way towards the door, and after holding my breath and stepping back, the wolf opens up and reveals Artemis standing on the other side, though she keeps the door half shut and her eyes narrow on me.

      "Art, thank Goddess." I start, stepping towards her, but she holds her hand out, stopping me from going forward and I frown, though she holds steady.

      "Why doesn't your brother like milk?" She asks me and I frown not understanding what the hell this question has to do with anything.

      "He says it's weird drinking the food of a baby that's not meant for us. And he says it's too gay for him." I answer her and she heaves a sigh of relief and reaches out, grabbing me by my shoulders before pulling my slim frame through her door, closing it tightly behind us. Before I can question her weird behavior, I find myself pressed against her chest, my height leaving my mouth and cheeks squished between her boobs, my head growing light headed as I hug her back, relishing in the soft curves of her body.

     She pulls back, and I find my face heating from embarrassment as she searches my face, warm long fingers on my cheeks, face only inches from mine.

     "I'm glad you're okay. I didn't want to leave without you." She tells me and I draw back, looking around us, only to see Percy and Anna by the windows, both looking just as determined, but scared as Art.

       "Is this about why Chelsea was acting so weird this morning?" I ask her and I watch as it seems like the life drains out of Artemis' face at my words.

       "Chelsea?" She asks, and I take it as a prompt to elaborate.

     "She came to my room this morning and claimed she wanted to go for a ride in the forest. But I've had a weird creepy feeling since I woke up this morning. I gave her a test... like you did me, and she failed but it got her away from me so I could get to you." I explain and I watch as pieced click together. "That wasn't her was it?"

     Artemis sighs and let's me go, going to fall back against her couch, exhaustion lining her face as she stares at me. "Yes, but no. It's her real body, but that's not her inside."

     I look at my Knot like I'm crazy and she just shrugs as if it's not important, but I can tell that whatever is going on, it's weighing heavy on her soul. "So what are we going to do?"

     "We're going to get to safety and find out how to get my castle back." She says, but her confidence has holes in it and all I can see is fear and doubt. But before I can question it or even give her a reassuring smile, there's loud banging on her bedroom door, and we all freeze, not moving, not breathing and hoping that our escape didn't fail before we even tried.

~~~~~~~~~~~
So what do you guys think is going to happen next? Who's at the door? How do you guys feel about Arts plot, it's a lot different than what I usually write.

Thoughts?

Comments?

QOTD: Why did you chose to read this book, especially since most BL readers hate W|W books?