I assumed we must be underground at least partially due to the temperature. Perhaps that's why the ceilings are so high. For people who claimed not to capture prisoners, this room was surely starting to seem designed with torture in mind. I wrapped my arms around myself protectively and rubbed my arms to warm them.

I realized I had spent too long quietly studying the situation, "I appreciate the gesture, Lorién. I think I'll be alright though. I am quite used to having nothing and no one but myself. I didn't need you to save me. Why did you? What do you want from me?"

My cheeks flushed, and my mask slipped just a little, letting my bitterness show. I need to educate myself on this new world and fast. I cannot rely on this guy's words. If there are others out there who share my blood maybe I won't have to be alone anymore. First, though, I have to get out of this cold ass room. Then I'll find a way to get to my brother. There has to be a reason these people who drugged and kidnapped me want to keep us apart and I don't think it's because my own family would hurt me. No, I don't think my brother is what they are making him out to be at all. I glanced at the heavy wooden door and then looked back at Lorien who was still on the floor in front of me.

I still couldn't help but wonder how there could be so much about the world around me that I have been willingly blind to. I lived with both vampires and some werewolves. Yet, the history I was taught seemed to just be the tip of the iceberg. My willful ignorance seemed to run far deeper than that though. Why did I not know that Fae families still existed in the world? If what these people were saying was really true, how had I not seen any of these things before? Clearly, the information is available out there somewhere. I did not previously think myself so ignorant, but since arriving here it had been blazingly clear. If these people are not delusional, then I have been blind.

"I'm sorry that I cannot take you to your brother. For the Fae, I'm not sure how rejection works. I do know that when Malakar rejected my sister, and she did not accept it, it drove him to madness for quite a while. So, it must be intense for your kind too. I wouldn't risk even a total stranger's safety bringing them to him. You are being held for your saftey," he offered up his explanation again and looked at me to confirm my understanding.

"Goddess be damned, I'm not asking you to take me to him. I didn't ask you to save me from him either, though. I can take care of myself, I have my entire life. You had no right to bring me here. Where is here anyway? Some kind of freaking cellar or something? It's fucking cold," I said more viciously than I intended.

Deceit... There was deceit in his voice when he spoke of my brother. I noted that carefully in my mind. I did not let it show on my face. My thoughts tried to wrap around his words, looking for any cracks, any obvious lies, and any hint of what he was hiding. I continued to come up empty on all fronts. I need to find a way to meet my brother. Surely he wouldn't attack a stranger unprompted.

"What a dirty little mouth you've got! Who taught you to speak like that? Those filthy vampires? Well, I would offer you my shirt but I didn't bring one," Lorien said.

“I don't want your clothes or your company. Just let me out of this place and we will go our own separate ways like this all never happened,” I demanded.

Lorién laughed a little, and he said with a smirk, "I have a feeling we will break you of that mentality. By this time next week you'll be begging for my company. Being part of a pack is something that once you experience it, you wouldn't want to leave."

"Part of a pack? Isn't that just for wolves? You said I'm Fae. Are there others of my kind here?" I asked with a spark of hope.

"There sadly is no other Fae within Sunlite's protection. I am offering you a place among my pack, Kasia," Lorién said standing up and meeting my eyes with his hopeful gaze.

"Oh," was again the only response I could muster as a feeling of unexplained sadness overtook me.

The idea of it being okay to not find people of my own felt suddenly foreign. Do I actually want to be a part of something more than just me? Is that what this feeling means? This is a lot. I need to focus on the right now not the what if. Maybe later, when I find my brother it will help fill this newfound void.

My eyes trailed too slowly over the chiseled, broad chest of the man standing before me and up to his strong jawline. I became keenly aware that he seemed to know a whole lot about my family and me. However, I knew absolutely nothing of him or his people. I wondered how normal, how mundane, his life was compared to the one I had lived. I doubted he could ever understand what I went through to get where I am.

This place is huge, judging by the room size, and expensive, judging by the stoned floors and intricately carved doors. I wondered if he lived a luxurious life while so many of his kind suffered as slaves. I was feeling jealous of him. I never had luxuries. I always had to work to be able to eat, sleep, or take an unhindered breath even. It must be nice to not live under the thumb of the vampires who ran this island.

“Why?” I finally asked.

Then Lorién looked at me for a long moment and then gave the most sinister smirk. He brushed my hair to one side and leaned down so close to me that I could feel his breath on my neck as he spoke.

"Because you're the most stunning woman I've ever seen. I want you to be my Luna, Kasia. I can protect you from whatever Lisana was playing at with her poisons and schemes if you're mine," he whispered causing a chill to go down my spine.

"I'm not interested,” I blurted out far too quickly.

“Oh? You have a more desirable suitor?" He asked dragging his gaze over me with hot intensity.

“No,” realizing what I just said, I suddenly found the floor very interesting.

"Why don't you sleep on it then. Make a decision when you're not fresh off being drugged and dragged through the woods. Would you like a hot bath?" Lorién's lip quirked in a sexy half smile as he offered me his hand which I did not take.

This guy is fucking bonkers. He kidnapped me, his sister drugged me, he wants to turn me against a family I have never met, and he wants to marry me? Absolutely fucking bonkers. Why on earth would I wanna sleep on it? I just want away from you, crazy man. Shit, I bet if I said that out loud he would blow his top... heh...

Somewhere down the hall, a clock began to chime. I focused on counting the chimes to determine how long I had been here. When Lorién heard the clock begin to chime he moved away. It seemed as if he sensed something coming that I had not realized was there. I looked at him incredulously.

"Happy birthday, Princess," he said with a strange tone to his voice.

Was that malice I heard or lust? Princess? Didn't I decline his proposal to be Luna...? What's with the "Princess" bit?

I was going to respond to him, to remind him that I'm not going to be his princess, but just as I counted the twelfth chime of the clock, I heard another voice. It was a female voice. I looked around for its origin but saw only Lorién within the room with me. Then it hit me. The voice that I was hearing was coming from inside my head. That was a realization that made me feel sick.

"Kasia, don't puke," I heard her say.

"I am Selia, your guide. You need to relax and let me have control right now."

"NO!" I shouted at the voice, unsure if she could hear me since she was in my head.

Lorién seemed startled, "Don't fight it. That only makes things more painful," he said, but he sounded so far away.

My skin felt like it was on fire, and my brain felt as if someone else was trying to shove me to the back. I fought hard to keep them out. I tried to claw at my skin, but the pain stopped me from moving. I screamed as the searing pain of my skin beginning to ripple hit me harder. It was like the surface of a calm lake that someone had cast a skipping stone across. My body flickered, becoming nothing more than a noncorporeal shadow before stabilizing. My breath became ragged, and I was unable to focus past the pain at all.

Eventually, Selia was able to force her way into the foreground of my mind. I still felt everything. I felt every flicker, every movement, every stretch, every ripple, and every searing hot vibration of my skin. I was sobbing and screaming in pain when I heard my bones begin to crack. I saw long, sharp, deadly talons sprout just above my knuckles. My body was covered in the tingles of magic by the time it was over. Slowly I realized that my screams were no longer filling the room, just my own head.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"I told you to let me take control! It wouldn't have hurt so badly," the stranger in my head scolded me, and a low growl echoed in the room.

I heard the sounds of sharp nails clicking on the ground. I vaguely realized that I had felt myself move from near the chair I had been perched on earlier. The movement felt fluid, balanced, almost feline. Lorién was standing a safe distance away, holding up a small mirror that he had pulled from his pocket. Selia controlled my movements and took us over to the mirror to look. Staring back at me was...

It was me, but a reddish glow emitted from my skin. I watched myself with eyes that were sapphire blue but flecked by such a deep hue of golden amber that they appeared to be painted onto my face. I surveyed my body. There was a crown on my head. It was made of some precious stone that I did not know the name of, but I certainly felt the magic within it. My hair was woven through it beautifully, creating the vision of a torrent of fire cascading through the stark darkness of a starless night.

My hands bore dagger-like talons, and I dared not reach out with them. I innately knew that they would kill whatever they touched. I winced and willed them away. To my surprise, they obeyed and retracted into my skin. My ears had an elegant curve and point to them now. I felt, more than saw, a power within myself too. Something about the power I now possessed felt wild and untamed. I focused on it and began to understand. I am a deadly force, I am the fire within, I am Fae.

Selia growled out loud fiercely enough that even Lorién slightly flinched. I looked away from the mirror, although I knew I had not seen all of this new form yet. I watched Lorién now as Selia approached him with my body and began walking circles around him. I was unsure whether she was trying to size him up to fight or fuck, but she clearly meant to leave an impression.

He lazily smiled, "Hello, beautiful. Why are we growling?"

I was so dumbstruck that I could not form thoughts for a moment. I needed to make this stop. Too much was happening all at once and I was becoming very overwhelmed. First and foremost, I needed to get this strange female voice out of my head so that my thoughts and my body could be my own again.

"Selia," I said out loud.

"Selia, let me have control back," I demanded.

Selia pouted and began to back off of her hold on my mind.

"As your guide, I will be available at your beck and call, Lady. Just say my name, and my services are at your disposal," she said, and then a searing pain snapped down my spine.

I did not react. I refuse to let Lorién see any weakness within me. When the pain quickly dissipated, I no longer felt like someone else was inside my head. It was quiet and calm again, thus allowing my thoughts to refocus. Jeez, I have a lot to learn. Then another pain began to build, and my poker face completely failed me this time. Transitioning back to human form hurt just as badly as the initial shift had, and the process left me lying on the stone floor naked and sobbing.

"How did I get naked?" I vaguely thought as my body shuddered with pain.

"You ripped your clothes off while you shifted back into your human appearance," I heard Lorién say before he scooped me from the floor and pulled me into his chest.

Just the contact with his bare skin, the sheer warmth of it, alone was enough to calm my shuddering and sobbing into small trembles and whimpers. I relaxed into his grasp, but I did not let my guard down completely. Why do I suddenly feel okay with mister crazy touching me? Why is he so freaking warm and strong? I felt violated after having just had a complete stranger inside my head and Lorién for some reason felt like a shelter from that impending storm. She... that voice... had been in control of my very own body. That was a terrible experience. I do not trust anyone to make decisions for me, not anyone at all. I certainly do not trust someone who just burst in and took over against my will. A guide? No, she will not be guiding me anywhere. Apparently, Lorién will be carrying me somewhere though, I realize vaguely. My body is too exhausted to fight it.

"I've got you, you're safe now," Lorién whispered against my hair.

"What a strange man," I breathed as I leaned into his chest and forced out the strange feeling of violation Selia had left lingering.

Lorién carried me into the hall, up a flight of stairs, and into a warm, dark room. He carefully placed my still-slightly-trembling body onto a fluffy king-sized bed and pulled a blanket over me. I whimpered at the loss of warmth and began to reach for him immediately, so he climbed into the bed and held me. What are you doing Kasia you're naked in a bed with your kidnapper. This is no time for a nap, you twit. Get up and find some clothes. My thoughts faded into the fuzzy warm feeling I got from the strong arms embracing me and I fell into a dreamless sleep.

I was awoken by the sound of someone calling my name and a slight pressure against my neck. When I opened my eyes I found the golden-eyed man whom I had learned was Lorién. Is this really the werewolf king who is known for his part in the destruction of an entire vampire court and his vicious temper? The same man that there are whispered stories among humans and vampires alike warning of his brutal and unforgiving nature? Lorien is... nuzzling me?

I blinked a few times to clear my eyes and make sure that I was not still asleep. When the realization set in, I immediately sat up and scrambled backward. The blanket that had been covering my bare body fell into a pool around my waist. A warm waft of air caressed my mid-drift causing me to notice my nudity. Mortified, I pull the covers up over my chest and square my shoulders pridefully. I don't feel very proud right now, but I'll never show that to a stranger. I eye the man next to me cautiously.

"Did we... uh...?" I have trouble finding the correct words to convey my question, but I refuse to let embarrassment cause my voice to tremble.

Lorién raised an eyebrow as his lips curled into a small smirk. He slowly lifted the cover away from his own body exposing the fact that he was still wearing pants. A feeling of relief washed over me, and my shoulders relaxed almost immediately. Lorien let out a soft chuckle and watched me as he stood up. His frame darkened my view of the room as he stretched his back.

"We did not. Although, if that is what you're interested in, I am not opposed," he gleamed at me.

"Thank fucks-sake! Honestly, how dare you offer that!? You are not my type at all," I growl at him.

"Watch your tone with me, Kasia, and that dirty little mouth of yours. I might just turn out to be everything you were taught to fear," he warned.

"What happened last night? My memory is very... foggy," I ask heeding the warning for now as I cautiously study him.

Lorien sauntered over to the balcony's French doors and opened them. The warmth of the midmorning air was unexpected. NZ Island's weather can be quite unpredictable, but warm air in the morning was not something that I had ever experienced. This entire place feels a bit surreal to me.

"You had your first Fae shift. Like I told you, you're not a human," he informed me like he expected me to know what that means.

"Fae shift... uh okay... and what exactly is that?" My eyes narrow in on his arrogant expression.

"You really do not know a single thing about what you are, do you?" He laughed, and I did my best to ignore it.

"Where is my bag?" I question and spare a glance around the room.

"In the Madri Forrest, likely," Lorién stated plainly.

That was not the answer that I was looking to hear. Of course, I had not exactly been looking to get kidnapped or turn into some sort of Fae creature either. This entire escape plan has gone to Hell at this point, and I am really struggling to formulate a plan to resolve everything. I still need to find a way to the mainland. Gustav will still be looking for me. I can't trust anyone on this island to keep me hidden or keep my identity a secret. The least this guy could have done was keep my damn bag while he kidnapped me!

"Do you intend to hold me hostage in your house-sized bedroom by depriving me of clothes?" I growled at Lorién as I huffed and stood up.

I let the cover fall to the bed in front of me. I growled out an annoyed huff and glared at the man across the room. I am sure Lorién has already seen my naked body. After all, he did bring me to this room last night. I stand straight and slightly lift my chin before confidently walking over to a door on my left. I open it and walk inside the room without speaking. Once the door clicked shut behind me, the sound of a deep laugh rumbled through the air.

I groaned and leaned against the door of the coat closet that I had just shut myself inside of. Lorién's laughter continued to echo through the air for a moment before his footsteps approached the door behind me. I closed my eyes and sank to the floor. The cool wood felt nice against my bare skin. I took in a breath and tried to ground myself as I heard Lorién pause on the other side of the door.

"Wolves are naked a lot from shifting, so I guess I'm not sensitive about it. You will get used to seeing naked bodies while living here. In the meantime, there is a bathroom in the next door over from this closet. Please get cleaned up and I will provide fresh clothing for you," he said loudly enough to be heard through the door but in a gentle tone.

"Thanks but I will NOT be living here. I can take care of myself," I bit out and waited for the sound of receding footsteps, but it never came.

A quick glance around the closet revealed that covering myself to get into the bathroom was an option I could take. I made such a show of strutting in here, though. Maybe I should just walk out nude? That would look confident, but it could be weird if he is still standing right next to the door. Why did I have to get kidnapped by a fucking man who has the looks of a demigod? Reluctantly, I slip on a long black trench coat. The leather is heavy and cool against my skin.

"I did not intend to drop your bag. You kept fighting me. I could only focus on not dropping you. There's no need for your hostility. You are my guest, Princess" Lorién informed me through the still-closed door.

I did not answer. There was more than just clothing in that bag. I need to find it as soon as possible so that I can get out of here. I again waited for the sound of his footsteps. This time, a soft padding sound led me to believe he had moved at least a few feet away. I cracked open the door and quickly stepped out into the main room. Lorién is nowhere to be seen, and the door next to me is opened wide, showing off a large bathroom.

I turn to head towards the open door, but I am suddenly met with hard wood pressing into the leather on my back. My breath is knocked from my chest on impact. I gasp and react immediately by swinging my right fist right at Lorién's temple. He catches my arm mid-swing and slams it into the wall above my head. I try to push him off with my left hand, only to have it quickly pinned in his grip above my head with my other. His bare chest is hot against mine, where the coat has fallen open.

"Do not touch my leathers," he growls in my ear.

Lorién maneuvers expertly to turn me around. I am facing the wall now. All the while, he had managed to keep my arms restrained with a one-handed grip. The cold wood bit into my breasts as Lorién leaned into me, forcing my entire front flush against the wall. I turned my head to the side and gasped. Lorién released one arm and peeled the coat from it. He repeated the movement with the other side so that now only the weight of his body pressing me into the wall remained as a means of restraint.

Once my arms were out of the coat, he slowly slid it over my shoulders. My overly excitable body took note of the distinctive contrast of his warm breath on the back of my neck against the cold wood in front of me. I attempted to turn around, but he pressed me harder against the wall. My mask of calm began to slip, and my heart rate skyrocketed.

"I told you that I will provide you clothing. Theft is not something that I will tolerate. Now, I am going to release you and you are going to go get cleaned up. You smell terrible," Lorién said in a way that left no room for argument or rebuttal.

I nodded my understanding. The pressure on my back disappeared, but the warmth of Lorién's body remained close. The leather coat was removed from between us and cast onto the end of his bed. Slowly I turned around to face the man behind me. Golden eyes bore into mine as he took a very small step closer to me, bringing our bodies flush together again. He rested his right hand on the wall beside my head as I looked up at him. My breath caught in my throat. The air around us felt like it was crackling with electricity. The way he was looking at me felt dangerous, like a predator stalking prey. My lips parted slightly to speak but no words came. He smirked and his gaze slid down and back up my body before landing on my lips just long enough for me to notice. When his eyes returned to mine I quickly broke eye contact and stepped to the side into the open bathroom doorway.

Once inside the bathroom, I closed and locked the door. My stomach is in my throat, and my heart is racing. Lorién sure knows how to make someone feel uncomfortable. I braced my hands on either side of the sink vanity and let out a heavy breath. My body slowly relaxed, and I regained control of myself. What the actual fuck was that? This guy is so...

The bathroom was meticulously clean. Everything sparkled from the glass shower door to the marble finish around the soaking tub. I took a few moments to look through the drawers on the vanity and found some shampoo with a feminine enough scent profile. The large glass shower appeared to have a million gadgets inside it to create a torrent of water. I decided against the learning curve that the shower would require, and ran a steaming hot bath instead.