The Guide

Emily P.O.V. 

Beads of sweat trickle down the sides of my face. One after the other they glide lower and lower until they fall to the ground that lay beneath me. My heart drums in my chest and echoes in my ears. The more I focus on how lost I am in this dark place the wilder my heart grows. My bottom lip quivers with fear and I am frozen in place. Sitting where he left me on the cold cement floor by a door that is now locked on the outside. 

'What do they want with me?' I think to myself. 

I try to will my body to move, any way shape or form. It's useless, I am too stunned, too scared to move. The only thing that moves is the slight shaking quiver from my lower lip.

'Why do I have to be so weak? I act tough and brave but deep down I am just this scared human girl, ' I close my eyes and try to breathe. My breaths fall shallow in my lungs and I begin to hyperventilate. 

My head feels foggy, everything around me is spinning. My arms and legs feel heavy. I can't hold myself up. 'Get it together Emily' I coax myself, but it's futile. The last thing that comes into my eyesight is a shadow figure standing before me behind a bright white light. 

Z P.O.V.

It's been a month now since Emily fell into her coma. One full month and we still don't have an answer to her condition. As the days go by and the nights follow I grow more and more impatient. The frustration that rides on my back and consumes my mind. I am fueled by nothing more than the anger I feel that someone has hurt her and I cannot help. 

Natasha, Nicole, General Adkins, and I have all been working non stop, trying to look at any herb, any powder that would be the cause of Emily's condition and so far all the tests have been a complete failure. 

"It's been a month and we still haven't made any progress." I say slamming my fists onto the desk. 

"Patience Z, " General Adkins responds, placing a hand on my shoulder. 

His words ignite the boiling fury that I had been trying to contain for so long. And this time it had burst wide open. 

"Patience?!!! We are no closer than we were a month ago! I've been patient, day after day, night after fucking night!" I throw a chair across the room. 

The chair slams into the wall denting the chrome metal and breaking apart at the top and bottom. The twins look at me and then to the chair. 

"Temper tantrums will get you nowhere Z! Back off now and go cool off, you're done for the day, you need rest." General Adkins scolds me and steps closer. 

" You can't command me, I'm not a little soldier, and you can't take me off this mission to save Emily, I will not back down Adkins!" I spew back venom in each word. 

By now my face is red and my heart thunders in my chest. At this point I'd love nothing more than to put him in his place. To show him he has no authority, no power over me. 

'You need to calm down Z, haven't we been over this already?' Leona echoes in my head. 

' Emily is still comatose and you want me to calm down? This man runs his mouth constantly and you want me to calm down?!' I shout at her. 

Leona huffs and curls in a ball. 

'Yes, that is exactly what you need to do. Z you are of no use with your mind dead set on anger and unfocused. Those two make for a crippling concoction if you want to save her, then you need to calm down.' 

Leona cuts the link between us and leaves me to myself.  Damn I hate when my lycan is right. 

" For right now Z, you need to rest and whether you like it or not, I do have some say so over you."  He talks boldly. 

" I will be back, " I replied. 

I walk out of the room peacefully and make way to the room I share with Emily and the others.  Her presence used to make this room full and light. And now without it, I feel nothing but anger and bitterness. 

My night is restless, I toss and turn, never able to find that one spot that can offer some type of comfort. Emily clouds my thoughts, her beautiful smile playing on repeat. Our first kiss still sits upon my lips making them tingle. I touch my index and middle finger to them, wiping them across both of my lips. 

'If only you would wake up, so I can taste you, so I can feel your lips pressed against mine once more.' 

I roll onto my side and stare at the blank wall across the room. Finally, I close my eyes and focus on Emily. Getting lost in my imagination of what the future could hold for us, after all of this is over. 

Solarious P.O.V.

My army grows each day and I can only be happier. Taking down that pain In the ass incell proved to be very beneficial in getting my plan back in motion.  Those weaklings may have created another cure for my bioweapon. But, they have been so distracted they forgot about me. It would seem that they care more about a mere human than they would about a whole galaxy. A galaxy that will soon fall to me and bow down on their knees. 

"You did very well, Neese, I couldn't have asked for better henchmen." 

"Thank you, my lord." He says, bowing his head. 

"Now that they are out of the way it is time for phase two of my plan. And this time." I grab Neese by the throat, lifting him from the ground.

"You will not fail me."

Beads of sweat pour down his face and his eyes grow like tiny saucers. His scent wreaks of nothing but simple and unmistakable fear. Oh, how I revel in the smell of my underlings fearing me. The only thing more powerful

then love is fear. Out of the two, fear is the strongest. And most delicious of all. 

Releasing my hold on him, Neese scurries away like a cockroach. Gaining his footing he runs out with his hand placed over his throat coughing and trying desperately to suck in the air that had been constricted from him.  The door sliding shut behind him, I can't help but have a wide smile play out across my scale lips. Soon so very soon I will have this whole Galaxy bowing before me. Groveling at my feet and crying out for mercy.

Emily P.O.V.

"Time to wake up, " 

I hear a rough scratchy voice nudging me on my shoulder with his calloused hand. My eyes flutter open trying my best to gain my focus again. I'm still on the floor where I had been since getting locked in whatever this room is in the dark. Only this time it is lit by the warm lantern candlelight. A soft orange glow dancing around the room. 

"Where am I?" I say sitting up, trying hard not to stare up at the man who woke me up. 

"This is the realm of fear, this is the place you enter to face your most dreaded fears. And sometimes even die." He pauses. 

A shiver runs down my spine and a cold sweat begins to bead across my forehead and neck.  'Even die' those two words play over and over in my mind. I can't die, not yet. I have to get out of here somehow. I have to get my shit together and fight my way out. 

Come on Emily I beckon to myself. Shaking and shivering I keep telling myself to get it together to fight to stop quaking in fear.  He watches me with an amused look on his face. He can see my internal struggle. 

"If you can't manage to calm yourself down, how do you plan to take on a Reptilian Emperor with a deadly bioweapon?" 

I pause and stare at him. 

" If even the most simple thing such as death stops you in your tracks, you are not ready to stop him. You will only get more people killed along with yourself." He continues crossing his arms. 

I want to argue with him, shout out to him just how wrong he is. But deep down inside I know he is right. I have been pretending that I am brave and strong. That even death doesn't phase me. But, all along it was just a ploy. Truth of the matter is I am afraid to die. Technically yeah I died once, but even then I can't really count that because I didn't stay dead. 

"You're right, I am afraid to die," I replied looking away. 

There isn't much more to say than that. I mean what else is there to say? 

"I can help you with that, " he says, tapping his lips with his index finger.

"How so?" 

"I will guide you through the realm, there you can face your fears, but be warned I won't intervene. This journey is for you, and you alone."