Chapter 14 Running From The Monster
Fernanda’s legs trembled violently, the icy ground biting through her skin, but she forced them forward, faster and faster, anything to get out of the pits.
The urge to break down and sob clawed at her chest, but she bit it back. "Not now, Fernanda. Not here." She whispered to herself, her breath puffing white in the frigid air as she hurried on.
In a burst of fury, she tore the heavy fur coat from her shoulders and flung it onto the frozen earth. Sebastian’s show of affection. The thought of it against her skin only deepened the ache inside her.
“How could he be so cruel? And how... How could I be so foolish, so naïve to think he is capable of kindness?” Her voice broke, tears spilling freely now as she stumbled into the elevator.
She braced herself against the freezing metal walls, the tremors of the lift rattling through her bones. Her breaths came short and ragged, chest tight with both the cold and the crushing ache within. All she wanted was to flee, to put as much distance as possible between herself and Sebastian.
When the elevator finally shuddered to a halt, Fernanda wiped at her face with shaking hands. She hoped for the guards stationed at the entrance of the pits to not recognize who she is as she quietly stepped out.
Relief coursed through her body when she saw they didn't know who she was, her steps quickened even more and soon she was running. "Run, run as fast as your weak legs can carry you." Her subconscious roared at her, excited at the thought of escaping Sebastian Kozlov's tyrannical world.
"Do not look back Fernanda, once you do he'll catch up with you and we will never be free again!" Her never silent subconscious snapped at her while she ran. But her body betrayed her. The deeper she pushed into the snow-dusted woods, the weaker she grew.
Numbness gnawed at her limbs, her lungs seared from the freezing air. She collapsed onto the forest floor, laughter tumbling weakly from her lips. “Forests again, Fernanda? Always the forests.”
"Are you really that determined to run away from our marriage?" The deep, familiar voice sent her heart into her throat. She spun toward the sound, eyes widening. There he was, Sebastian Kozlov, leaning casually against a tree, his muscular arms crossed, his gaze fixed on her as though she were a wild thing he had all the time in the world to tame.
Her breath caught. "How… how did you find me? How are you here already?” She sounded ridiculous even to herself. He was the most powerful Lycan king in Lunareth, master of ice and war. Of course distance meant nothing to him. Of course escape was a fool’s dream.
Sebastian’s lips curved into something sharp and amused. "Can’t a man come retrieve his angry, wandering wife?"
The sound of him calling her his wife, fueled her rage anew. Fernanda scrambled to her feet, every muscle taut with fury. "You are a treacherous monster, and I want nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with you. So let me go!" She told him exasperatedly as she tried to find a good footing against the ground to avoid slipping and falling miserably in front of him.
Sebastian’s laugh was low, dangerous, and far too pleased. "A monster? You do love inventing names for me, Fernanda. Each one sharper than the last."
"Isn't that what you are? You love seeing people get hurt, you thrive on people's pain, that's what a monster does." Fernanda said, not minding how shaky her voice sounded.
Sebastian's face would have been completely expressionless if not for his amused eyes. He didn't mind her calling him a monster at all as long as she was speaking to him. "Is that what I seem like to you?" He replied, all hint of amusement now seemingly left his eyes.
"There are sometimes I always thought that perhaps the townspeople were exaggerating whenever they describe you as vicious and merciless, but now I've truly seen the way you are and can now say the townspeople were even kinder with their words!" Fernanda hurled out everything she had been holding in at him without stopping to catch her breath.
"This is how I've always ruled, Fernanda. With strength. I don't know how to be weak." He told her, his calmness the exact opposite of what Fernanda was feeling. "This isn't strength, it's ruthlessness. If this has been what made Clawshire feared, then it's wrong."
"Then tell me how exactly to rule a kingdom, or whatever it takes to be a ruler then my lovely wife?" Sebastian said, his tone rough and determined. Fernanda shook her head, "The problem comes from you. You need to heal from whatever had broken you and made you so twisted, Sebastian!"
"I'm not some broken human that needs fixing!" He growled and for a moment, Fernanda could see something beastly and dark flashed across his eyes, rendering her cold and speechless.
Seeing how pale she looked made him gather himself together, "Oh no." He whispered, silently berating himself for almost losing control.
She could feel the tension between them growing higher by the seconds as thick silence enveloped them. The tears she had been holding back were now streaming down her face as she shook terribly from the cold.
Sebastian started approaching her with the same furry coat she had angrily thrown away, unfurling it as he got closer.
"Do not come any closer!" Fernanda snapped at him but he didn't stop, "stay where you are and don't come near me." Fernanda said in between sobs.
"You can either choose to stay angry at me or freeze to death, Fernanda. But I won't let you do both." He told her. Fernanda was too cold to even move so she stayed still while he draped the coat over her.
He tried to caress her face but she looked away, avoiding his touch and burning gaze. It felt like a huge blow to Sebastian and he hated himself for it.
"What can I do to make you happy with me?" He asked her, unable to stop himself after a moment of silence. "Stop the madness, the tyranny, everything please." Fernanda whispered, her voice pl eading.
"Alright." Sebastian said, gently pulling her into his embrace. "But first, we need to get back to the palace and get you properly warmed up."
"He is still a monster." Fernanda repeatedly reminded herself as she tried not to melt away into his warm embrace, which was weird because he is an ice King with a very much icy personality.