Meeting Ulric

For the first time since she was brought in, Keegan regarded her. He surveyed her with a detached intensity, his gaze lingering on her form like she was a curious artifact rather than a person.

Still clutching the bloodstained knife, he moved with a predatory grace towards a rough-hewn table across the room. The dim torchlight cast flickering shadows that danced on the damp walls, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

"How was your stay in the dungeon?" He casually asked like it was a place she was meant to be. 

Sheera clamped down tightly, the metallic tang of fear clinging to her tongue.

Why was she even in his room? Was he going to slit her throat as well?

"F... Forgive me, Alpha. I apologize for upsetting you earlier on." She managed to say. 

Keegan was backing her now. Taking up a strap of cloth from the table, he meticulously wiped off the blood stain from his blade, then started walking in Sheera's direction. 

A lump formed in Sheera's throat, and she swallowed it with a dry rasp. She didn't have a good feeling about this.

With the knife still in his hand, he rounded her like she were a piece before him.

Sheera stopped breathing as he came to a halt directly behind her, the oppressive weight of his presence smothering her. Panic clawed at the edges of her sanity.

By the hunt! She was ready to do anything to get away from this man as soon as possible!

She gasped when he slipped the knife into the strap of her dress, lifting it up. 

"Take it off," he clipped. 

Sheera's eyes widened a degree. Her legs wobbled at the thought of what was about to happen. What?!

A worried wrinkle appeared between her brows. 

Keegan slipped the knife out, then ran the edge on the bare skin of her neck.  

Her breath hitched in her throat. With shaky hands, she reached for the lace of her dress and slowly, started pulling it down. Only then did Keegan pull the knife away from her neck. 

Sheera tried to mentally prepare herself for what was about to come. She knew it was bound to happen. And the whole time, she thought she'd be ready for it. It wasn't until that moment that she realized how unprepared she was. 

Keegan still stood behind her, and it frightened her to the guts not knowing what his next action would be. In seconds, her dress was down to her feet, leaving her in her undergarments. 

"That too," Keegan's voice seeped into her bones, chilling her from the inside out. 

She was going to go naked in front of him!

She tried to do it but realized her hands were too stiff. She couldn't. She wasn't ready for it. 

Keegan noticed her reluctance. Exhaling deeply, he moved in front of her. 

"Would you rather I have a Keeper come do it for you?" There was a glint of steel in his eyes that mirrored the cold finality in his voice. 

The hairs on Sheera's arms prickled, and a shiver ran down her spine. 

Shakily, she took off her undergarments as slowly as her body willed. Her gaze dropped to the floor the instant she was done, shame clawing at her neck. 

Keegan took in her form. He slinked forward, circling her with a slow, menacing approach. 

"Get on the table." He signaled at the table where his box of weapons were. It was quite clear with just the box on it. 

Forcing her legs to move, Sheera reached for the table. And as she climbed onto it, she found a string to hold onto:

'I know how very difficult this must be for you, Sheera. But you need to do it for your family. For your sister.'

Those were her mother's words and the only thing that kept her going. If it wasn't her, it'd have been Naya. So, perhaps, it was better it was her. Naya was weaker than she was. 

She laid on her tummy, feeling the cold air that brushed against her butts. It didn't take long before she heard the Alpha's approaching steps, then his hand on her butt cheek. 

Sheera prepared herself for the worst. Before leaving home, her mother had given her a little prep. Sheera tried to recall all her mother had said, but they seemed to dance at the edges of her memory, offering her scant comfort.

She shifted uncomfortably when she felt the Alpha's hand on her middle part. He touched it for sometime before slipping a finger in. 

Sheera buried her face in the table to stifle her whimper. It stung and left a burning sensation instantly. 

"Never been touched?" Keegan asked. 

Fearfully, she wagged her head. She wasn't sure if she heard him chuckle. 

He slipped out the finger and repeated the intrusion, the pain a brutal echo of the first. Her nails dug into the rough surface of the table, the only outlet for the silent scream trapped in her throat.  

She had no idea what he was doing, but she knew she wanted him to stop. 

"Kalaril, Alpha! It's urgent." Kalaril suddenly announced from outside his chambers. 

It had taken Keegan a lot of effort not to curse as he slipped out his finger. It was his mistake for not telling them he didn't want to be disturbed. 

With a low grunt, he moved away from her. 

"I want you back by nightfall tomorrow," he ordered. 

Getting off the table as quickly as she could, Sheera slipped into her clothes and hurried out of the room. 

****†****†

A tangled mess of disturbing thoughts echoed in Sheera's skull as she paced the Fortress the next day. 

Despite the morning sun's weak attempt at warmth, a nervous chill clung to her skin. 

Suddenly, she wished the Alpha hadn't postponed what he was about doing the previous night. Because, although it gave her more time to prepare, it was so difficult getting to live through the hours. 

Each passing second was a terror to Sheera, reminding her she was only getting closer to being trapped with him. 

The Alpha was a dreamy man - only when you're taking a look at him from a distance without knowing his ill mindset. She had personally thought she'd lick his feet if she was close to him, but that was before she got a glimpse into his dark void heart. It was so void, she wondered how he had any to love Odessa. 

Or maybe he didn't even love her. He only 'possessed' her. 

....

Sheera didn't exactly know how long she'd walked through the Fortress before she came across Ulric in the field course. 

He was alone in it - shooting at different targets in the field. But Sheera was more concerned on how woefully he kept failing. 

Watching him from behind, she didn't need anyone to tell her he was tensed. Angry. Which might explain the reason he was shooting at the wrong targets. 

"Looks like your aim could use some calibration," she said out loud, going forward to meet him. 

Ulric lowered his bow as he turned around to find the unfamiliar lady approaching him. 

His brow cocked, trying to wrap his head around who she was. She wasn't dressed like a maid. Which explained it because no maid would dare to address a prince with such casual familiarity. Not like he would have a problem if they did. They just never seemed to find the guts. 

He held his questions at bay as she drew closer and was finally standing beside him.

To his surprise, she explained what he'd been doing wrong. In that manner, she had sounded like a skilled instructor. And when Ulric attempted another shot, he succeeded. 

He returned his gaze to Sheera with amusement in his eyes.   

"Who are you?" He demanded.