Chapter Seven

I wasn't exactly sure when I fully woke up. I could only remember the flickering black slate of nothing in front of my eyes, then suddenly finding myself staring up at the pristine, white ceiling. My whole body was alert of my surroundings, including the stiff, luxurious bed beneath me.

The bed wasn't actually stiff. It held much more comfort than the springy bed I owned. But this bed felt as if it had never enjoyed the company of a person, much like the rest of the clean, sterile-like room.

The room held a modern, sleek look. It was themed with white walls and white tiles that decorated the floor while the furnishings that seemed carefully placed against the walls were tar black. The furnishings weren't much, but included an antique wardrobe, two small nightstands that each held an equally small lamp, a large television that was settled against the wall, and the stiff bed. There were only mere "necessities" here, nothing personal.

That was around the time I noticed I was no longer covered in a pelt of white fur but in a coat of olive toned skin. I also realized I was only covered by the silk bedsheet and an oversized jacket. I inhaled the scent, smelling the mildly pleasant, musky scent that invaded my senses. I closed my eyes briefly, feeling content with the smell that reminded me of home.

I sighed, about to leave the bed to find something decent to wear when I spotted an emerald box lying on the floor beside the bed. I paused, my mind instinctively wondering if it was a trap of some sort. But they could've just left me collared and chained down in the cellar, surrounded by the desperate wails of broken wolves.

So I went against my instinct and picked the box up, laying it carefully on the bed. Everything from the shine of the box to the weight of it screamed "expensive." The green ribbon laced around it sparkled and dazzled, wanting all the attention in the room. I slipped a finger through the loop and yanked up, watching the ribbon unravel and flutter off the box.

I lifted the top which slipped off as easily as the ribbon had. Inside, there were dark, contrasting clouds of tissue paper folded neatly on top. Nestled in the middle of those puffy clouds was a small, white card. I bristled seeing Snowflake written elegantly in the front.

The memory flooded back, and I could clearly remember him calling me Snowflake right before I blacked out. If I got my jaws around his neck, he'd better count his blessings. I wasn't his to place a collar on and pick out a "pet" name for. He, the human, should be sitting at my feet while waiting expectantly, not the other way around. What kind of name was Snowflake anyways?

I picked up the card despite my growing urge to tear it into small pieces. I flipped the card over, my eyes glancing over the words.

For my beautiful, potential Protector. I imagine you will look as stunning in this as you do covered in fur.

- Kendall, your future Master

I let the card fall before pulling away the tissue paper and looking in the box with genuine curiosity. The paper held a sea of green silk. I gasped, running a hand lightly over it and watching ripples cascade up and down. We'd never had enough money for something as fancy as silk back home. I was always covered in something worn out and faded.

I pulled out the fabric, telling myself it wouldn't hurt to see what it was. The fabric unfolded into a long dress that I was sure would be appropriate for the type of sophisticated dances they probably held here.

There was an interrupting knock on my door and I scowled, folding the dress with care and gently putting it back in the box before sliding the top back on. I started debating whether I should go open the door, but the impatient sigh on the other side told me they weren't willing to wait on the stalled decision.

"You're expected to have made yourself presentable for the Prince within an hour!" The voice barked, showing his dislike towards having to attend to a "future Protector" through the venom that coated each of his words.

Many questions arose, the biggest being why the Prince would want anything to do with me. I certainly hadn't done anything worthy of catching his attention or having him glance my way. Maybe they had the wrong person. But with that dismissive doubt came sinking unease.

What if the Prince wanted to see me because of my recent behavior? I'd bitten off a guard's finger and tried killing someone who I assumed was one of his acquaintances, judging by the clean look of his clothes. So what if the Prince wanted to punish me?

I chewed on my bottom lip while mulling over the whole situation. If I clawed my way out and fought my hardest, it was likely I'd get captured and find myself in more trouble. But if I stayed and played nicely, maybe the surveillance would ease, making stealthily disappearing much easier. But could I actually do it, pretend to be that arrogant man's protector for so long without killing him?

I fiddled with the edge of the jacket covering me before I slipped out the bed with a weighted sigh. I would play nice for a few days, no matter how much it irritated me, and slip out into the night when the golden opportunity presented itself.

I looked down at the box with a deep frown. I didn't want to wear the damn dress; I really didn't. But I couldn't afford to walk into the Prince's office in nothing but a jacket. I highly doubted that would get me anything but dirty, lingering looks from hungry strangers. I snatched the box off the bed with great reluctance and sulked into the bathroom.

The bathroom held as much elegance as the bedroom had. It was the same black and white theme and everything shined with the lemon polish that scented the bathroom. The bathroom alone was nicer and much cleaner than my room back home.

Weren't prisoners supposed to suffer? If I had a prisoner, I would put them in the cellar that seemed like it had come straight from a chilling nightmare. I wouldn't keep them in a luxurious room accompanied with a huge bathroom. Things were so odd here that it slightly scared me.

I took a long shower, making sure to savor the heated beads of water as they beat against my skin and slowly rolled down. At home, there were three people including me sharing a single bathroom, so by the time I took a shower, the water was barely lukewarm.

After the shower, I used a black towel to dry myself off before opening the box I'd set on the counter. I frowned slightly but pulled the dress out, watching it flow gracefully to the floor, shimmering and glowing as the light beamed against it. I'd never admit it to the man I'd met in the cellar, but the dress was the most beautiful piece of clothing I'd ever laid eyes on.

I stepped into it, the silk sliding carelessly against my body and settling itself into my curves. The dress was the perfect size, caressing and wrapping around me. I glanced in the mirror, hating how much I loved it. It didn't help that it had been a gift from that man whose blood I'd love to taste. I grinned at the thought, running my fingers through my damp hair and sighing as my mood curled with the feeling of unease. But I brushed the feeling away, not wanting it to ruin my chances of charming the Prince.

I glanced into the steamy mirror one last time before I walked out the bathroom, hoping I looked innocent and not as threatening as the thoughts tearing through my mind were. The thoughts of killing anyone who dared to come near me with a collar might put a silly grin on my face, but I highly doubted it would color anyone else's face with anything but caution and fear directed towards me.

I took a look around the room, hesitating before swiping the musk-scented jacket off the bed. Maybe if I located the owner and returned it, I could gain brownie points around here. Judging by the look and feel of the jacket, it didn't belong to one of the guards standing outside my door. It was much too fancy for flexible movement and held little to no protection against any kind of danger.

I quickly opened the door, swiftly stepping out and closing it so I didn't crawl back in the room where my last remaining shred of hesitation beckoned for me. When I turned, I stiffened, completely aware of the three guards who stood on high alert around me. I started questioning my going-with-the-flow plan. Why would the Prince assign three guards to me? He couldn't possibly know for certain I was as dangerous as the guards probably informed him.

I flashed them a smile, hoping it disguised my increasing dread. They just stood there, staring at me with a mixture of emotions in each of their eyes. I kept smiling despite my annoyance at the unbending silence. They still stood there not saying a single word, so I gave the one closest to me the brightest smile I could rack up.

"Lead the way," I gestured, watching as he mumbled under his breath and shot a glare in my direction all before he briskly started walking. I just smirked behind his back as I trailed behind with confidence.

I was sure the human guard was walking quickly with the goal of trying to lose me on the sharp turns planted in his mind. Unfortunately for him, I followed behind effortlessly and my werewolf senses helped me detect which turns he had taken. All he was managing to do was wear out his fellow guards behind me.

From what I had been able to see when I wasn't smugly smirking at the guard's back, the castle was enormous. I found myself questioning how many people resided in this place. I'd easily put a stack of green bills on at least a hundred people, ranging from the almighty Prince himself to the maids who kept the place from attracting cobwebs.

The guard in front of me halted to a stop so suddenly that I had to place a hand on the wall to my side to steady myself. His eyes held disappointment and anger when he turned around and saw me grinning at him. He'd obviously expected to lose me on the way. The other two guards were still standing tall, but I could hear their labored breath showing that the walk hadn't been as pleasant for them as it was for me.

"Are we just going to stand here?" I asked, letting a little sarcasm slip into my voice.

We were currently standing in front of a large, mahogany door that proudly stood tall. It was beautiful door, but it seemed odd in a castle that was trying to hold a more modern look, going against the traditional air most castles were rumored to hold. Of course, I'd never actually been in a castle before now, so the rumors could be completely false.

"No," he snapped shortly, but his inferior mood seemed to fade when I defensively bared my teeth to show my elongated canines that put a German Shepard's to shame. He lowered his head immediately, and I grinned even though he was probably unaware that he'd just acknowledged my dominance with that simple movement.

"The Prince prefers punctuality over arriving early. He expects you at 5:00, no sooner," he grudgingly explained and I blinked slowly. The clock nearby read 4:59.

"It's just a minute early," I slowly pointed out, giving up the quiet and obedient act. It wasn't going to get me anywhere with this guard who had clearly already made up his mind about me.

"He expects you at 5:00, no earlier. So we wait until the clock reads 5:00," he said, straining himself to keep from snapping at me once again.

I watched the second hand on the clock inch by before throwing my hand up in the air. "This is pointless!" I yelled, storming to the door and opening it while ignoring the guards hissing behind me.

I had been fully prepared to charm the Prince, maybe even plead on my knees to him if that was what it came to. What I certainly hadn't expected was to meet a pair of irritatingly familiar blue eyes. They looked startled and annoyed, but they flickered with amusement as they met my own pair of outraged ones.

"You!" I snarled, my innocent act flying out the window entirely, making room for my blood-thirsty wolf.

"Hello, Snowflake."