NOVPUBAila expected the rogue to dash for the doors the moment she opened the cell door for him. But Harry slipped out, his eyes glancing around nervously, his hands fidgeting as he kept his distance to her. She knew the rogue didn’t trust her, and if she was in his predicament, then she would feel the same, so it was understandable.
She hoped, though, that he wouldn’t cause any issues for her with Cassius.
Aila walked ahead, glancing back at the rogue, who was looking wide-eyed at the castle and the hallways they were walking through.
"What is this place?" He asked under his breath. "Who else lives here? What’s with the music? Are you sure I can’t just leave-"
Aila stopped and abruptly turned to him. "Look, I’m in my own kidnapped situation myself at the moment. Don’t make me regret releasing you, okay?" She searched his eyes, refraining from staring too long at his scarred eye. Then muttered. "I still have to tell Cass about this."
Aila turned back around and paused after feeling Harry’s hand grab her upper arm. "What do you mean kidnapped situation?" He asked with a slight growl. "You mean to tell me I might be locked back up again?"
Aila looked at him and saw the cogs turning behind his eyes. The rogue wasn’t trustworthy; he was shifting on his feet, looking ready to leave. She could use her powers on him, but she didn’t like the idea of forcing someone to do something. "You won’t," Aila replied softly, holding his gaze. "Why don’t we go to my quarters first? I’ll answer anything you want to know.
Right now.. it might not be safe for you to be in the guest quarters."
Aila slipped her arm from his hold and turned away, leaving it up to him if he wanted to follow. She wasn’t going to force him, though she’d prefer to know more about the lycans and more about what the hunters did to Harry. She definitely wanted to return to the compound and check on any notes left about the rogue. Maybe they could help him, help them.
Aila smiled to herself when she heard Harry following behind her. It was hesitant at first, but then his strides became long and confident. It was almost like he wanted to trust her, and hopefully, she would gain some of that trust, though she wasn’t going to put all her energy into someone if they were just going to leave.
"So, I’m getting a room.. can I come and go as I please or is this just an upgraded prison cell?" He asked, falling in step by her side. She could feel his gaze on her features, most likely reading her expression to see if she might be lying, or maybe he was curious to see what the kidnapped Alpha Queen was like.
Aila walked them through to the impressive dual stairway that connected again to the floor above. The floors were of creamy marble, shining under the glowing and spectacular large chandelier. Her heels clicked against the hard surfaces, and she grabbed onto the railing as she started to ascend the stairs.
"You will get a room, and I suppose this whole place is kind of an upgraded prison cell," Aila replied. "You will have access everywhere, including the gardens. I wouldn’t suggest the surrounding woods, though, and the east wing is off bounds."
Harry was marvelling at everyone but kept trying to keep his features neutral though Aila couldn’t help but feel her lips tug into a smile at his expressions. He was large and sounded harsh a lot of the time, but Harry was only a few years younger than her, which was evident on his young face. He was just mature then seemed really immature at other times.
"Why not the woods?" He asked, whipping his head back to look at her as they walked past the large arched windows revealing a courtyard.
"You can go there if I am with you, or Davian is with you. Look, listen first, stop trying to interrupt. There is a spell surrounding the land; if you cross the border to it, there are multiple ditches with spikes in. So, it’s for your own good," Aila replied as she opened another door, and they were walking down the corridor to her quarters now.
"Davian.." Harry sighed. "So trying to escape is futile; that is what it sounds like to me," He stated without any emotion. At least it didn’t sound like he was trying to blame her for this. "Have you tried to escape?"
Aila glanced at him and then at their surroundings. Even though Cassius wasn’t there, she wasn’t sure if any of his people were nearby. Although her answer wasn’t something to report back to him. "No, I have not," She muttered and picked up her pace, walking ahead of him. "There is no point. Yet," She whispered to herself, though she knew Harry could hear her.
Aila opened another door and let Harry walk through while she gestured towards the sofas in front of the fireplace. Harry whistled in appreciation at her drawing room-
"Your drawing-room?" Malia snickered. "This isn’t our home."
"You don’t need to remind me." Aila shivered in response as she watched the rogue pick up a pillow on the sofa and flip it over, almost checking to see how much it was worth. At least he didn’t do that to a vase or paintings; well, everything was expensive in this castle.
Harry was certainly quite the character, but again this was only the second time she’d met a rogue that wasn’t trying to kill her. It was strange knowing that he could transform into one of those beasts twice the size of his usual height, but then she could still transform into a wolf twice her size; she just looked like a big wolf, whereas Harry looked like a lycan from one of those horror films.
"Harry.. I hope this isn’t too personal, but.. Do you still have your wolf?" Aila asked cautiously; she wasn’t sure if the wolf might have died because of what he was now or what; it was all new territory.
Harry flopped down on the couch, almost scraping it back on the floor from his weight, not that he was overweight, but like most werewolves she’d met, he was lean but muscular. Plus, he did pretty much just throw his weight on it. The rogue had his legs up on the sofa, his back resting on the armrest as his hands held his head up while he stared at her.
It couldn’t have been that personal if he wasn’t reacting badly, right?
"Aila.. Can I call you Aila?" He began, and she nodded, wondering what his sudden smooth attitude was all about. Maybe it was because he felt fancy in the drawing-room, it was pretty cute, but she wouldn’t relax with him yet. "It’s almost like I’m your little science experiment.. You remind me a little of the hunters-"
"You take that back," Aila snapped, taking a step towards him as her hands curled into fists.
Harry raised his hands; his eyes were lit up in amusement as he watched her. "Look who’s not letting who talk now.. I’m not saying you are like one of those evil bastards. Even though I don’t really know you, I can see you have a good heart.. I just want to know why this is so important to you. You could just let me go..
I don’t think I’ll be like a type 1 rogue where I lose all my senses. So far, even when I couldn’t shift out of that.. form.. I could control myself. I still have a mind of my own. My wolf..
he is still with me, but he feels faint, and he seems to be transforming along with whatever is happening to my body. I’m not some crazed beast about to kill a bunch of humans if that’s what you’re thinking, Queenie."
Aila sat down on the armchair across from him and looked down at her hands resting in her lap. "I don’t know that, though. I don’t see you as an experiment; you are Harry, someone I have just met and possibly saved from being eaten by the other lycans in that cage.." She joked, then sighed. "I feel.. responsible.. yes that’s the right word.
I feel responsible for you, Aldric, and those who seemed to have lost their senses. I don’t even want them in that cell right now, but my situation isn’t the best, and I’m trying to find the right solution for everyone."
Harry tilted his head to the side. "Why do you feel responsible for me? You didn’t do this to me. Like you just said.. you’ve just met me." He narrowed his eyes slightly, looking her up and down, trying to figure her out.
Aila stared back at him, feeling nervous. It was her blood they used to turn him into that. She didn’t even know how they had turned into these lycan type beasts or if they mixed some sort of formula with the blood. She really wanted their research papers to understand.
She parted her lips to tell Harry just that, but then the doors flew open, and both Aila and Harry shot up from their spots at Cassius appearing in the doorway.
His white shirt was covered in blood, and the side of his mouth showed the blood he’d spilt down his chin. It was apparent without even smelling his scent that Cassius was a vampire. Harry backed away; his hands started to grow into those large claws twice the size of his usual hand, and black fur sprouted through his skin as his brown eyes turned to blue, glowing.
"Aila.. what.. is this?" Cassius asked quietly; his eyes were hooded in boredom as he glanced at Harry’s trembling form.
"Harry.. calm down-" 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝑚
"You’re in league with a fricken vamp!?" He growled, taking deep breaths. His chest expanded and contracted, his shoulders rising and falling aggressively as he tried to control whatever anger or possibly his lycan wolf. Should she call it a lycan wolf now?
"Aila, I’m in no mood to deal with this pup right now. Sort him out, or I will," Cassius snapped, glaring at her then at Harry. She flinched at her master’s temper; it wasn’t usually aimed at her. And why did he have to say pup?
Aila slowly approached Harry, but he jumped over the couch and backed away to the wall, his gaze flicking between her and Cassius. The vampire gave Aila a look, and dread filled her when he moved towards the rogue, his speed blurring before her, and he grabbed Harry by the neck. Aila growled and sprinted towards Cassius, but before she could pull him off, the vampire shoved her back.
She went flying into the sofa and fell backwards; she got up and looked at Harry’s face turning red from his airways being blocked. His claws scratched at his arms and tried for his face, but Cassius kept him lifted away from him.
"Cassius! Stop! He’s one of the lycans. He shifted into his human form. I was just showing him a different room to stay in. We were just discussing a few things going forwards," She rushed out, hoping he wouldn’t kill him.
"I can control him."
Cassius’ hand tightened on Harry’s neck, and she could hear his bones rattling, and the first sign of his vertebrae starting to splinter and crack.
"I CAN control him!" She screamed. "Don’t kill him!"
Even now, with the words she suspected he wanted to hear, Cassius wasn’t releasing his hand. Aila jumped over the sofa, dodging Cassius’ free hand and stood in front of him, grabbing his face in her hands, turning him to look at her. "Let. Him. Go," She growled. "You wanted them; now deal with the consequences of having them."
Cassius’ eyes snapped back to Harry, and he released him, dropping him to the floor. Harry coughed crouched over, but Aila couldn’t check to see if he was alright. Her master was looking at her now to explain herself. She dropped her hands and took a shaky breath, feeling the adrenaline pumping through her body.
Cassius interlaced their fingers so she couldn’t move anywhere, and she glanced at them and back up at him.
"He’s one of the lycans. It seems he is still in his right frame of mind, and from what I gathered, he can shift like normal werewolves," Aila explained with a shaky breath that started to slowly turn calm. She could feel the distrust radiating from Cassius through the bond. "He couldn’t stay in the cell; the others were trying to attack him. We weren’t plotting anything, okay? Do you believe me?"
Her heart was still pounding erratically in her chest as she held her breath. Cassius squeezed his fingers gently before turning away and letting go of her hands. Aila sagged, releasing her breath. "I came to congratulate you on killing Claudina and putting the other vampires in their place.
Maybe this is something else I should congratulate you for.." He looked back at her and then to Harry, who was glaring at him from the ground, rubbing his neck. "Go see the feeder you saved when you’re finished here." With that, he vanished again.
"He’s the one that kidnapped you, right?" Harry spluttered. His voice was raspy, and he kept trying to clear his throat. Aila looked at him apologetically, lowering her hand for him and was pleasantly surprised when he accepted her help.
Aila pulled him up and stared back up at him. "Yes. How could you tell?" She asked curiously. It wasn’t like it looked like she was currently a prisoner, and she calmed Cassius down by touching him intimately.
"Because you’re still shaking," Harry replied quietly, making her blink and look away. "I’ll stay, but only because I’m a nosy mutt that wants to know what’s going on here. A vampire who has kidnapped the Alpha Queen.. and has lycans in a cell.. He also felt powerful. Heh, you might even need my help.
I should gain a reward for helping the Queen, right?" He winked.
