Shadows Of Flames: Tales Of The Forbidden

Pain.

That was what Myra felt when she awakened.

Pain in her arms, wrists, legs.....

She winced and tried to move her body but regretted the action dearly. More pain exploded in her arms, forcing her to grit her teeth.

Her head throbbed faintly as she regained consciousness, struggling to piece her memory together.

Then it hit her.

Her father was killed, her kingdom was burned and her fiance had betrayed her at the dying minute.

Presently, she was in a carriage moving to the pack of the perpetrator of her plight.

Now her eyes were adjusted to the darkness, she could see people asleep, awake, crying, all locked up in chains like she was.

It stabbed her heart swiftly like a needle to see their state but she refused to cry. Not anymore.

She had to think. Think of a plan.

In a matter of minutes, she would be in Silvercrest Pack. And she needed all her mind to confront the alpha.

Abruptly, the carriage came to a stop, silently announcing their arrival. Its wheels screeched to a halt, shoving her forward.

Myra knew the moment they entered. She could feel the power surrounding this pack from afar.

She clenched her jaw. They were here.

In the domain of the very monsters who had burned her home—and life—to the ground.

Her stomach twisted into rock-like knots at the notion.

The doors slammed open and clawed hands reached out to drag people outside.

The moment her feet touched the ground, Myra knew she had stepped into the lion's den. After a whole night spent in darkness, the sudden brilliance of light had her squint her eyes to see properly.

Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the brightness and she took in her surroundings.

Though the palace had a dark and heavy presence, its beauty was undeniable. Blooming gardens stretched across the grounds, and tall ivy-covered trees towered above.

The palace itself stood at the centre and was a dark, majestic structure that seemed to absorb light itself. Tall spires reached toward the sky and large, arched windows allowed glimpses of the inside.

But Myra wasn't awed by it. Even in all the glitz and glamour, this was the territory of her enemy. Awe couldn't enter the sentence.

She could feel the heavy stares of other wolves pressing on her like boulders. Yet, she held her head high, refusing to let them see her as anything less than a princess.

She squared her shoulders and—despite the chains that bound her wrists—walked like royalty.

Because I am royalty, she forcefully corrected herself, as if the thought alone could reverse her status.

She felt Evelyn's hand close over hers as they drew nearer to the palace, and spared a glance at her sister.

“I won't let anything happen to you. I promise" she whispered reassuringly.

Evelyn nodded with a weak smile.

But deep down, Myra felt the weight of that promise like a rock on her shoulders.

When they walked into the palace, her eyes discreetly scanned everywhere, burning the image into her head.

Its interior was even more luxurious. The great hall was vast, with high ceilings and elaborate designs. Beneath them, shiny marble floors stretched endlessly, while heavy crimson curtains cascaded down the walls.

The grand double doors of the throne room opened and they were ushered inside.

The air in here was different. It was much stronger and authoritative that it had the hairs on her neck stand on end.

The warriors forced them to their knees on the cold ground.

“Well well well, what do we have here?" A man drawled, lazily sitting on a high, golden throne.

Myra swung her gaze upwards and it fell on him.

The alpha. The man who had stolen everything from her.

He was nothing like she imagined. He sat upon the throne like he was born for it—relaxed yet exuding a composed dominance. His features were almost too perfect, too ethereal for a man so ruthless.

Sharp cheekbones framed a face that spoke of elegance and charm, his skin glowing bronze under the sunlight.

He didn't need to move or speak to command. Power oozed from him, wrapping around the room like a fog.

But his exquisite features and aura weren't what made her blood freeze like ice.

This must be one sick joke.

He....He was the man in her dreams. This was the man who invaded her sleeps every night and consumed her thoughts for the past few months.

But how? How was this possible? Was this all a dream?

If possible, her mind swayed with confusion, filled with more questions than answers.

“These are your captives Alpha Arthur" Nathaniel, the leader, bowed before the man.

His statement broke the brief spell that clouded her mind.

This couldn't be the man in her dreams. The man before her eyes was the monster who had taken away her kingdom and ruined her life.

He wasn't the man in her dreams. He was the man in her nightmares.

“I beg to differ" Myra spat out, attracting the gazes of everyone—human and wolf alike—in the room.

Arthur's eyes fell on her. She could feel the weight of his piercing gaze, as if it were a blow, but she stood her ground, refusing to cower.

“Quite audacious for a woman" Arthur commented with a click of his tongue. His voice was smooth but had a faint chilliness to it.

He rose from the throne slowly and advanced towards her with calm, calculated steps.

Myra's fingers trembled as his aura suffocated her with each step. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears but she masked it all with a defiant tilt of her chin.

“I am not just any woman. I am Crown Princess Myra of Vespera" she stated with a clear tone of authority.

“So this is Vespera's crown princess" Arthur remarked, halting just an inch away from her then crouched to her eye level.

His gaze swept over her, lingering for a moment longer than necessary on her disheveled appearance. “I expected more"

Myra's blood boiled. Even after everything—after her people had been taken, after she had been dragged here like a slave—this man had the audacity to look unimpressed? To act as if she was beneath him?

A humourless laugh escaped her lips. “And I expected a real Alpha, not some cold-blooded monster and coward"

Gasps resounded within the wolves in the room. A few of his warriors exchanged wary glances, uncertain if their Alpha would strike or laugh.

Arthur did neither. He simply titled his head with a smile—devoid of any emotion—and observed her. Scrutinized her. “You think I'm a monster?"

Myra leaned in, holding his gaze directly. “I don't think. I know"

Amusement swirled in his unusual golden orbs. “You have fire" he murmured, standing up to his full height that forced her to crane her neck. “But that quality led to your ruin. I can see why your people had blind loyalty to a weak throne"

Myra shot to her feet before the wolves could stop her, her chains clinking against the marble floors. “And you're just a coward who hides behind the facade of royalty. Your people are blind to your cowardice"

His smile faded, replaced with a dark look.

The air thickened with tension, holding an edge sharp enough to draw blood.

Myra knew she had struck a nerve. And she was damn glad she did.

“I would watch my mouth if I were you" his voice was a spine-chilling murmur that awakened goosebumps on her skin.

“But you are not me" she scoffed. “You are nothing but the Alpha who has killed and ruined lives. I hope you sleep well knowing that"

Arthur's jaw ticked as an emotion flickered in his eyes. “Yes. I sleep well knowing that, and soon enough, you will" his voice was low, and laced with warning.

The unknown underlying meaning in his words made her palms clammy with sweat.

He clicked his fingers, and just like that, guards came forward instantly, grabbing her arms.

“You can lash out at me all day if you want to, but the bitter truth is this—your kingdom was captured and you belong to me now. If you were truly a princess, you would have defended your kingdom and saved your people..... and your father"

Arthur watched as the stubbornness melted away, and pain crept in, her eyes wide and round. He had hit a soft spot and struck it well.

“I-I am not weak" she said, her voice wavering.

“Face the facts princess. You are weak and that's why you and your people are captives of Silvercrest. I hope you sleep well knowing that"

His bomb-like words nearly sent her to her knees. The impact weakened her fury, and left her heart sore with the painful truth.

She was weak.

He turned to the guards. “Take them to the dungeons" he ordered harshly, “bind her up specially, and let her know the price of her rudeness to me, the Alpha"

Just before she was taken out of the room, she gave him one last, controlled glare. This wasn't over yet.

As she was dragged down the hallway, whispers from her people slid into her ears.

“If she was truly strong, we wouldn't be in this situation."

“She couldn't save her father and now, she can't save us"

“She is weak. Just like her sister"

Her steps faltered. She couldn't believe her ears.

Their words hurt more than the chains around her wrists.

How could they say such things? She had practically confronted the alpha before their eyes. She stood up for them!

Tears burned her eyes. She wanted to shout at them. To tell them she had tried, that she was only human and had done her best. But she didn't.

Face the facts princess. You're weak

Myra gritted her teeth and turned her tears to blazing anger. She would prove him wrong. She would prove them all wrong.

The passage leading to the dungeons was narrow and dark, a stark contrast to the grandeur of the palace. The walls, cold and worn out, were covered with rough edges.

The dungeon was not better. Dampness clung to the stale air, carrying the stench of death and blood. With each step, the air became tighter, as if a door hadn't been open in a century or two.

The ceiling was low while heavy iron bars formed the doors to small cells, each one barely large enough for a person.

The guards loosened the chains and locked them behind the cells.

When one reached for Evelyn, she slapped his hand away. “Don't you dare touch her"

“Ooh. Feisty, aren't we?" Another mocked, snatching her wrist and dragging her to a separate cell. “Too bad that can't save you"

There were chains on the walls, rusty with age and darkened with what she suspected was dried blood.

Her stomach churned uneasily and she tried putting up a fight but the guard was easily stronger than her and binded her wrists and ankles.

“Enjoy your stay while it lasts" he crowed, shutting the iron bars behind him.

Fury seethed within her. They had reduced her—a princess of Vespera—to this? Like some common criminal?

She curled her hands and tugged at the chains but they didn't budge.

“Stop wasting your time. Those chains don't break" came the Alpha's voice as he appeared outside the iron bars.

Her spine stiffened as a guard unlocked the cell, and his heavy footsteps echoed against the cold stone floor.

“You think chaining me up will make you powerful?" She asked sharply. “It won't. Besides, a real Alpha wouldn't need chains to make a princess bow"

“And yet here you are. Caged" he pointed out smoothly.

His words irked her. “Cut straight to the point. Here for another round of threats? Or are you missing my taunts?"

Arthur's lips twitched, almost like he was amused. Almost.

“Neither. I came to check how my new.... guest isn't settling in"

Her dry laughter echoed sarcasm. “You call this hospitality?"

Arthur chuckled, low and deep. “Most people that dared defy me craved to be in your shoes"

“They can have it" she retorted.

“They're dead" he stated flatly.

A sliver of unease pricked her spine but she forced herself to stay calm. “Then kill me too. It would save us both time"

He chuckled again, as if she said something funny, then reached out, fingers gripping her chin—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to remind her she was at his mercy.

“Death would be too easy for someone like you. Breaking you bit by bit is much preferable"

“You wouldn't dare" she whispered, fighting the urge to look away.

His gaze burned into hers. “I never back down from a dare"

Silence stretched between them for a minute.

Thankfully, he released her, stepping back. “I heard you have a sister"

She shuddered at Evelyn's mention. “Leave her alone" she said, glancing away.

Just before her eyes left his, Arthur caught a look of vulnerability in her eyes. A look he noted and stored away.

“You care for her" he murmured.

“Mind your business. She's not your concern"

“Everything in my territory is my concern"

Her eyes narrowed to a glare. “Don't even think about laying a finger on her. Do you hear me?"

A smirk tugged at his lips. “You're forgetting one tiny detail here princess. You're a prisoner here. And prisoners do not give orders"

“Make fun while you can, but mark my words. You'll regret this" she spat out.

“It has been an eventful day. Let me leave you to rest, after all the journey has been tiring" he gave a mocking smile that infuriated her.

He stepped out of the cell then stopped and glanced at her over his shoulder. “Get used to this place. You'll be here for a while"

She watched him walk away from the filthy cell she was left in, anger simmering within her.

He may hold the chains but he would never break her.

You have fire.

He was playing with fire, but soon he'd realize that fire didn't just burn—it reduced everything to ashes.