Chapter 17

Isla felt the blood, which had been fueling her temper and flushed face, drain away.

All that was left was a cold, clammy feeling that crawled over her skin.

Even her wolf was unnerved by the response.

"M-my lord," she stuttered.

To her dismay, her voice was weak and filled with trepidation.

"I've suspected for a while now, what you are, but now it's been confirmed," he sighed happily.

"You're a monster."

"I beg your pardon."

"Don't lie to me, beast. You've done a wonderful job at hiding amongst the humans who don't know any better, but I can't be fooled. Not any longer. See, it has always troubled me why two wolves would have kept a human child alive. Why didn't they kill you? Where did they get you? But now I understand. They were your parents," he shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't understand," Isla admitted.

"What don't you understand?" he asked with the slightest roll of his eyes.

He had the fall to be exasperated with her.

"My parents are the king and queen," she insisted.

"So they've told you all this time. In reality, you're simply the replacement for the child they couldn't have themselves. Do they know what you are?"

He had her backed into a corner.

No matter which way she answered, she would be admitting that she was a wolf.

But, she knew that there would be no convincing him otherwise.

He knew what he had seen; he had been waiting for it.

That was why he had been so rude.

He was trying to provoke her and her wolf, And she'd fallen right into his trap.

"Yes, they know," she finally answered confidently.

"Really? And you have not yet been killed?"

Isla remained silent.

"They need an heir, I suppose," Harry reasoned, not at all bothered by her lack of response.

"Killing you wouldn't do anything for the kingdom."

That hit Isla in the gut like a cannonball.

It had never occurred to her that the only reason her parents allowed her to stay within the castle, despite what she was, was because they had no heir themselves.

But that would mean that she really was adopted.

That she wasn't a princess at all.

That the only thing she was, the only thing that defined her, was a wolf.

"Don't you wish to know how I figured it out?" Harry asked.

He eyes were filled with excitement, like a child seeing a new toy for the first time.

He was obviously quite proud of his discovery.

"How," she choked out.

They were still dancing, but no one was paying them any mind.

She felt like she was going to throw up.

"I was going through some of my father's old books, the ones that speak of wolves. I came across a new one that was hidden deep within the back of the library underneath a mountain of his old books. See, the wolves have been quiet for the past few months, not attacking villages or livestock, and I was hoping to figure out more. The book was filled with information like I had never read before. It was obviously information that very few are privy to. It might very well be the only book of its kind."

"And when I opened the filthy, cracked book, I came across the most interesting drawing on the inner cover: a human with horns protruding from its head, glowing eyes, and claws. The caption to this work of art was 'mid-transformation.' At this point, I had no idea what that meant. I was simply appalled by the picture; it was quite grotesque. Then I began to read further and it spoke of these magical creatures who had been fused with wolves, and were able to switch forms between wolves and a human form. These beings were all the more dangerous because they could pass as a person," Harry glared at her.

She knew her eyes were wide and her face was white, but she couldn't seem to help it.

She was terrified.

What was Harry going to do to her, now that he knew what she was?

Her wolf whimpered within her, but then growled in defiance; it wanted to rip Harry s face off.

"Where does that leave us?" she asked slowly.

"Patience, monster, I'm not finished yet," he snapped.

Her throat tightened with anxiety, and she found that she couldn't speak.

"When I read about the creatures, I thought of the infant my knights stole from the wolves. I remembered what an odd child you were, and how protective and secretive Gaius and Hilda always were with you. I read further that the monsters were born in their human form, and didn't begin to shift until later in life. And all I could think of was that I gave my fellow king a wolf, when I could have kept it for myself to study and learn about them. And use it to hunt down the rest of the monsters. And I will not miss my chance again."

Isla froze, forcing their dancing to come to a halt.

"And what does that mean, my lord. Surely you would not act upon your hunches in the presence of all of my guests?"

But, then again, Harry had a crazy look in his eye that could drive him to any measures.

"I don't desire Gaius's knights attempting to kill me this evening, child. I'm not as dumb as you apparently take me for. I did come here today with a plan," the dark king sneered.

Isla's mind raced.

What were the chances he was bluffing?

Perhaps he was just trying to unnerve her enough that she would shift before him, giving him the excuse to kill her.

Well, if that was his plan, she wasn't going to fall for it. And neither was her wolf.

It was one of the rare times that she and her wolf were in tune with one another, for the most part.

Isla still hoped that she could diffuse the situation; her wolf voted towards ripping his head off with either her teeth or claws, she hadn't yet decided which.

"You were that sure that I was a bloodthirsty monster?" Isla asked, hoping to distract him from acting out these plans.

Perhaps if she stalled long enough, someone would come along and save her.

Where were all of the eligible men that had been dying to dance with her all night?

Were they all so bored with her already that they weren't willing to cut in while she was speaking with a married king?

"I wasn't entirely positive; there was still a chance you had, in fact, been kidnapped by wolves as an infant," he shrugged,

"but I put my plans into place anyway. And now that I'm certain you are a monster, you will follow these plans to the letter. Understand?"

Harry hadn't been deterred for long.

So much for isla's plan to stall him. Her wolf had now decided that since isla's idea didn't work, they should do it her way.

The only problem with that was the fact that Isla would not shift in front of all of these people.

That was a surefire way of getting herself killed.

Although, maybe if she and Harry were alone... Perhaps her wolf's thirst for blood wasn't such a horrible idea.

This man had torn down her entire world, and now he was going to try to kill her. Isla wasn't a violent or angry person by nature, that was her wolf, nor had she ever hated anyone, but she hated wolf. She hated the man with a burning rage that only a wolf could muster. And she wanted him gone.

Hopefully his plan involved them being along together, far from the castle and the gazes of curious eyes. Then, for the first time ever, she would voluntarily set her wolf free to tear the man to pieces.

Shocked at the turn her thoughts had taken, Isla just blinked in surprise at Harry.

Apparently her wolf's mood was now in control.

"I'm going to take that face as a yes," he decided.

"First of all, you must get out of the ballroom. Alone. If anyone comes with you, I will out your little secret. The book was helpful in a multitude of ways, my lady. One of those ways was showing a series of pressure points I could push that would force your wolf out. Then, it wouldn't simply be your word against mine. The only problem with that plan is that you'd be killed, and I wouldn't be able to study you and learn from you. It wouldn't be a huge setback though; I would only need to capture another wolf such as yourself.

"Once you are outside, there will be a carriage waiting for you outside the gates. Don't worry about getting past the guards, they are currently incapacitated and will awake without any idea what has gone on. They're not hurt, simply unconscious. They'll believe that they simply fell asleep on the job. No harm done, right? And while the guards are waking up, you will be on your way to my castle with a group of my knights to make sure that you stay in line. They are under strict orders to use whatever means necessary to get you to cooperate. If you do as I say and don't put up a fight, things will be far more pleasant for you. Is all of this making sense?" He spoke to her as if she were slow.

Neither she nor her wolf appreciated it.

"Yes," she spoke firmly, amazed that there was no shaking in her voice,

"it makes sense."

"Good. You'll be long gone before anyone realizes that you've been away from the party for far too long."

"Will you be accompanying me?"

"Heavens no," he chuckled.

"I'm not an idiot. I can in no way be associated with your disappearance. I will be staying here, in full sight of everyone, while you are whisked away to my castle. And no one will be the wiser."

"You've thought this through," she stated.

Her wolf was furious that they wouldn't have a chance to kill him.

Perhaps, though, they'd be able to do something about the carriage and the guards who would be escorting her.

The beast pondered this as she paced back and forth in her confines, a steady growl echoing in Isla's head.

"I wouldn't dare come here with a less-than-perfectly thought out plan, child,"

he shook his head at her, as if disappointed by her obvious statement.

"Now, go, I won't have this be delayed any longer. I would like to get home in a few days and begin experimenting on my new toy. And if I see you talking to anyone before you leave, other than to let your parents know that you will be stepping out, I will expose you. All it takes is enough pressure here," he touched the place where her neck met her shoulders,

"here," his cold, long-fingered hand moved to the inside of her elbow,

"and here," he caressed the back of her head where it met her spine.

"And just as an extra incentive, just in case your own death isn't enough, if everyone finds out that you're a wolf, your parents will be killed for harboring a monster such as yourself." And with that, he bowed and left her.

And she stood, alone, trembling in the corner.

No one was paying attention to her though.

The party was in full swing at this point, and most people were swaying with drink.

She had been the center of attention at first, but now everyone was focused on having their own fun.

Even her mother and father were flushed and laughing with their guests.

Mikel was nowhere to be found.

She was alone in this.

Well, alone as someone can be when they have a murderous wolf inside of their head who was desperately trying to break free.

She desired the blood of their newfound enemy.

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Isla climbed into the inconspicuous carriage with less than her usual poise; her hands tied behind her back and long skirts wrapping around her ankles did little to help her movements.

She yanked her arm away from the guard who was guiding her inside.

"Don't touch me."

The man snickered, but backed away.

There were four guards: one driving the carriage, another riding on the back, and two others on horseback.

And they were all arrogant bastards, in isla's opinion. They knew what she was, and they thought less of her for it. Although, they did see her as a threat. When she had approached the carriage, one of them had tackled her from behind and bound her wrists together behind her back. They knew enough to know that she couldn't shift when she was in that position; her front legs couldn't bend like that in her wolf form. So, if she was thinking about attacking them, she wouldn't be able to.

This irritated her wolf to no end.

She recognized the position they were in, and she was trusting Isla to get them out of this situation.

Isla had yet to think of any sort of plan. She had been hoping she could outrun them, but they'd pounced on her before she got the chance.

Getting out of the castle had been incredibly simple. Her parents trusted her, and they had been happy with how she had been presenting herself thus far, so they were completely willing to give her a break. Of course, they tried to insist that her personal guards accompany her, but she talked them out of it by pointing out that no one would dare attack her with so many important people and their guards on the other side of the walls.

Mikel had been nowhere in sight when she slipped out. She assumed that he was off with some girl; there were plenty of beautiful princesses that he could have his pick of.

Besides, if he was flirting with another girl, Harry would have no reason to pay him any mind.

The thought of Mikel with another girl in his arms brought up emotions in isla that she was unfamiliar with, but it was for the best if Mikel found somewhere else to turn his affections.

No matter how much Isla hated the thought.

The guards at the front gates were unconscious, just as Harry had said they would be, and all she had to do was walk through the conveniently open front gates.

She had been tempted to shift into her wolf to escape quickly, but that had been when the guard tackled her.

Of course, she wasn't happy about where this was headed.

She was also scared out of her mind. She needed to figure out a way to get away from the guards.

What she didn't know was what she was going to do after that. Harry knew what she was, so she couldn't go home; the same thing would end up happening all over again, and she would end up right back where she was: a captive. And she wouldn't put her parents in danger, she just wouldn't. It didn't matter if they truly loved her or even really wanted her, she loved them with her whole heart and she wouldn't risk their lives.

Her only relief was the fact that she was in the carriage alone. The guards were all outside.

Isla had a feeling that it was because they were scared of her. The thought comforted her, they wouldn't go near her if they didn't have to, but it also confirmed everything she'd ever thought about herself. She was something to be feared and a danger to everyone. She sat in the carriage as it rocked back and forth, thinking. There had to be a way out of this. There just had to be. There was no way that she was meant to be sitting in Harry's dungeon for him to use at his leisure.

She was pondering her situation when the carriage suddenly came to a fast halt, and one of the horses whinnied nervously.

"Get going," the driver snarled and cracked the reins.

The carriage jerked from side to side, but didn't move forward.

"Hah!" he snapped the reins again, but the horses just whinnied, and the carriage moved backwards as the nervous horses pranced around.

Isla climbed toward the open window in the door and tried to peer out.

One of the mounted guards saw her attempt and smacked a palm against the side of the carriage, right next to her head.

She jumped in surprise and glared up at the burly man who sneered down at her.

"Get back, or I'll give you something to look at!" he warned.

What did that even mean?

What was he going to give her to look at?

His fist?

Her wolf would eat him alive.

The beast growled and paced the confines of her cage.

When Isla backed away from the window, the beast lowered the snarl to a continuous growl.

The low rumbling echoed in isla's head, but she ignored it.

She didn't have time to worry about her wolf; she needed to get them out of this situation.

She didn't feel like being a prisoner and having experiments done on her for the rest of her life.

She crawled back to the window, less conspicuous this time, and lifted her eyes just high enough to peer over the edge.

With her enhanced night vision, the world lit up like day with the light of the nearly full moon.

She scanned the treeline, looking for anything out of the ordinary. She saw nothing to alarm her, but when she inhaled, she nearly sneezed in surprise.

Her instincts immediately alerted her to the earthy, musky scent that reached her nose; the scent of a fellow wolf.

From the different undertones of the scents, she figured there were two wolves.

Isla may not have had a lot of experience using her senses, but she was still a wolf whether she liked it or not. Her instincts helped her distinguish all she needed.

The growling in her head ceased the second the new yet strangely familiar scent.

They smelled like her.

Her wolf was immediately alert and focused on the nearby wolves.

She was... comforted?

Isla guessed that made sense, since they were monsters like her.

Isla didn't want anything to do with them, except maybe to use them for her escape.

She sniffed again and tried to find the wolves.

She was surprised at how sensitive her sense of smell truly was.

Everything within a five mile radius was known to her.

The light smell of water from the river to the west, the deer that hunkered down for the night and the countless other creatures creeping around.

The unwashed guards, and especially the fear washing off the horses.

And there she caught the scent, and therefore the location, of the beasts hiding just beyond the edge of the foliage.

Her gaze followed the path of her nose to two figures crouched behind a bush.

The two men were eyeing up the guards, and Isla was trying to think of a way to use this to her advantage, when the breeze shifted.

Strands of her hair lifted as the wind swirled in the window.

One of men's noses twitched and his gaze swung over to her.

Isla's eyes widened and she ducked down.

Oh no, oh no.

He had seen her, he knew where she was, he knew she was there.

She slid down so she was no longer in sight, but it was too late.

Her wolf sang in joy at others of her kind.

Isla had never experienced such a good mood from the monster.

It was possibly the most unnerving thing that had happened to her so far this evening. She didn't know how to deal with the wolf when it was happy; she'd only ever encountered anger and frustration from the beast. This was new, and she was worried that this new motivation for her animal would be too much for Isla to hold back.

Tbc