Forbidden Lies

3

Selena awoke briefly to the sound of machines beeping around her. Her eyes felt heavy and her breathing became shallow, tiredness took over her and she went into a slumber again.

The blurry images came quickly and soon the white-haired woman appeared in Selena's dreams. The woman was restless as she paced dramatically in her chambers. She was angry at her father's orders. She needed to go with the team, she needed answers. She opened a pair of hidden drawers and took a couple of pistols which she then fastened on her hips. She knew her father would be angry with her, but only if she got caught.

As she peered out her window into the darkness, she saw Azriel and his team getting into cars. Soon they were gone and only their muddy tire trails were the only thing visible under the moonlight. The woman jumped out her window and landed softly on the wet ground. She quickly made her way to the nearest available car. Without hesitation, she put the car in drive and gunned it.

The images blurred again and when Selena's focus came back, the white-haired woman was in the dark wet tunnels. She cautiously followed the sound of gunfire. As she pushed forward, her attention wavered momentarily when she heard a splash coming from a far away corner. Her curiosity got the best of her, and she decided to investigate. Flash forward, the woman appeared next to a barred entrance with little light. Growls came from the other side and as she focused her sight she saw a creature in the shadows.

"No, you can't expose yourself. Stay clear of this, the others will take care of the vampires." A man with long brown hair stepped into the sliver of light. His arms were exposed and a black tattoo became visible, it was a black snake coiled, eating its own tail. Compared to the creature, this man was small. The creature growled and pushed forward as if to challenge the man. The woman had to hold her breath as the creature finally came into sight. It was the biggest werewolf she had ever seen. He had to measure over 10 feet tall! He was three times the size of a regular werewolf.

The woman carefully stepped back, but the creature heard her and his blood-red eyes saw her through the darkness. With one loud ferocious growl, the monster lunged forward and tore the bars clean off the entrance. In a flash, the woman was running full speed through the maze of tunnels. The creature was faster, however, and swung his giant muscular paw. The woman was slammed hard into the cold wet concrete walls. She quickly unloaded a clip onto the monster and for a moment he retreated. She continued to run and weave through the tunnels, her eyes fully focused on any sign of moonlight.

Her heart pounded loudly, she could hear the monsters' savage growls right behind her. An exit appeared and through it, she could see the night sky with the full moon shinning down. She was almost to the end of the tunnel but the monster managed to clip her side with his claws as she jumped forward. She hit the tunnel's wall hard, resulting in her head bouncing from side to side, knocking her out instantly. The force was so great her body kept sliding, and she fell out of the tunnel exit.

The tunnel exit had led to a 200-foot drop into the freezing river below. The monster howled savagely as the woman's body plummeted through the air. The force of her deadweight body broke the several inches of ice that had built on the surface of the lake and a loud splash echoed.

Selena's eyes snapped open, and she sat up straight, panting erratically. The nurse rushed to her side and patted her back, assuring her that she was safe.

"The worst of it is over. Don't worry, you're safe." The nurse comforted her once more. She felt empathy and pity for Selena. The trauma would last longer than anyone would like. Out of instinct, Selena reached for the nurse's thin arm and slapped it away.

"Take deep breaths and try to calm yourself. Everything went well." The nurse continued in a gentle tone.

"I keep having these dreams. They are draining me." Selena said between deep shallow breaths.

The next hour went by slowly as Selena fought to keep her mind focused and sane. The dreams were so real, as if she had been there! The face of the monster hovered in her memory bank and when she closed her eyes she could picture it clearly. What was that?

A soft knock broke her thoughts and the door slowly opened. The nurse and the doctor came into view along with a third party. It was a man in a fitted suit, definitely not a staff member.

"How are we doing, Selena?" The doctor asked, his face a warmer shade than before.

"Fine." Selena responded.

"You have a visitor!" The nurse chimed in. The tall man stepped forward and gave her a half smile.

"This is Callum Morrow, the man who found you." The doctor motioned to the man.

"Hello Selena. I am pleased to see you with your eyes finally opened." The man's tone was warm, but he held an accent she couldn't quite pinpoint. From any woman's perspective, the man would be considered handsome and appealing to the eyes. Tall, with an athletic frame as his fitted black suit showed off, blonde hair perfectly trimmed and slicked back, a square jaw with perfectly trimmed stubble, pink bowed lips, thin straight nose, and stunning honey-colored eyes.

"You're the man who found me?" Selena asked subconsciously.

"Yes. You were pretty banged up, it was a good thing I found you on time." He answered in a very kept manner.

"Thank you." Selena said sincerely.

"Great news! All your tests have cleared you for perfect health. Well, besides the amnesia and the leg paralysis, but with dedicated therapy your motor skills will recover to 100 percent!" The nurse had a huge smile plastered on her small round face, genuinely happy for the girl.

"If you would like, you can finish your recovery at my manor. I have more than enough space to accommodate you. Or if you'd like, I could keep paying for the hospital stay, although no offense, but it wouldn't be as comfortable or private." Callum suggested.