CHAPTER 02: Take My Hand

Theo walked to the entrance of the grand hall, a place where he knew his father would surely be. The man would never leave the place, too occupied by his duties. Theo knew that he wasn’t going to take the news of someone breaking into their territory well and he had to do everything possible to defuse the situation.

The tall, golden doors creaked as they opened, revealing the alpha hard at work. His head turned quickly to see who had disturbed his process but instantly, his face formed into a smile as he saw his only son walk through the doors.

“Theodore. What do I owe this pleasure?” he gleamed.

Theo tried to smile, but he couldn’t. He knew anger would soon erupt through the quiet.

“Is everything alright, Son?” his father was becoming more concerned now, and Theo decided to just come out with it.

“Father, we were out hunting by the borders, and we found someone unconscious, someone, who doesn’t belong to the pack.”

It was better to just get to the point, explain what had happened, and hopefully defuse it.

“What?! A rogue trespassed onto our land. Where is he?”

“We aren’t quite sure if it is a rogue, Father. I think she might be human.”

“She? Where is this woman?”

“She’s just a girl, probably around my age. I put her in the cells until we figure out what to do with her.”

“You found her, so this is your responsibility, Son. You need to figure out how she got here, or else you have to bring her to me, and I will figure it out for you.”

“I will, Father.”

With those last words, Theo nodded and retreated. He knew his father would be angry at the intrusion and the fact that he had instructed him to bring the girl to him was not good.

***

Cold

That was all she felt. Her body quivered slightly, the only conscious part in-tuned to the reality she was so rudely thrust in. Sophie wanted to open her eyes but putting off awakening a prisoner was the one thing she could control now, and she grasped at that.

Bang!

Her eyes flew open as she scrambled to find her bearings in the corner of her newfound home, a prison cell.

‘Curse this place.’

She wished she could blame how she got there on the persons who captured her but honestly, this one felt like her fault. She had no recollection of the moments leading up to her capture, and the only piece of information she was left with was her name. Sophie, a six-letter word with no explanation.

She shifted back and forth on the ground groaning out her discomfort at the harshness of its texture. In her movement, something shifted in her deep pocket, jabbing at her thigh violently. She reached in and, to her surprise, pulled out a glowing blue gem. She didn’t even have time to inspect it as the doors at the entrance of the cells creaked open loudly.

Sophie quickly returned the stone to her pocket, hiding it away from the eyes of her captor.

“Hello again.” The tall figure walked into the room, his presence looming over her, giving her a compelling feeling to return the greeting.

“Hello.” Her voice was soft, almost meek, but her eyes held a more serious disposition.

“You’re talking more today. That's good. Maybe now you’ll tell me who you are and why you’re here.”

Sophie stared at him before she sighed in frustration. She had no way of answering these questions, so she chose silence instead. Theo shook his head at her defiance, as he asked more questions that she couldn’t answer.

“Okay. Where are you from? How did you break through the barrier?”

Still no answer. Theo was at the end of his wit. He chose to abandon his failed pursuit when suddenly someone else’s voice cut through.

“You better answer the prince’s questions right now before something happens that you regret.”

The words very much sounded like a threat. The guard was driven to anger by their prisoner’s defiance. Theo, however, grateful for the enthusiasm of his people, was not pleased with the threats that he would bring harm to her.

He pulled the man to the end of the hall, their whispers too low to reach Sophie’s ear. They came back over to the front of her cell, and the guard's angry eyes were fixed solely on her.

Theo stared at her for another second before he sighed and turned in the opposite direction. He was about to leave when suddenly his ears were blessed with her voice once again.

“My name is Sophie, and that’s the only question you’ve asked me that I can answer.”

Theo watched as a small tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it away aggressively. Her frustration got the best of her at the fact that her memory was lost.

He had no idea why but something within him hated seeing her cry. So he decided to try again and gave her another chance to explain.

“So you mean to tell me that you don’t remember anything from before you got here?” Theo questioned as his suspicion rose.

Sophie provided the same answer she had been repeatedly, showing him that she was truly clueless about the situation.

He couldn’t believe that she had gotten through their protective barrier all by herself. She must be something special, something not human, but as far as he could tell, she didn’t seem deceptive or untruthful with her words.

The thought of that made him feel horrible instantly. He had locked an otherwise innocent person in their cells for no other reason other than she couldn’t remember how she got there.

Immediately he took the keys off the guard’s belt, opening the door before anyone could utter a word in rebuttal. With his palm outstretched, he reached in for hers through the now open door, an olive branch of sorts to gain her trust.

Sophie looked at his hand lightly, as her eyes switched between it and his eyes.

Could she trust him? Or was this just another trick he was using to gain her trust, only to imprison her?

“Take my hand,” he whispered, so genuine and kind.

After a second she reluctantly took his hand, and both of their palms connected. This was a step in the right direction to freedom. Besides, all she was going to gain from staying in this place was probably some kind of sickness.

She now held the hand of a total stranger, but somehow it didn’t feel so strange.

***

They walked together peacefully, side by side, as if to watch who would make the first move.

When Sophie once again reached the outside world, a sigh of relief left her body.

The sun was so warm and so welcomed. It was as if she hadn’t felt its burn for a hundred years.

Theo watched her curiously, finding something so peaceful in the way she appreciated the smallest of things. Their eyes made contact for a second, and something about her just pulled him in. It was short-lived, though, as she turned her head away from him quickly. He didn’t know if it was because she felt something too, or it was just too awkward a situation to be in.

He instructed her to follow him as he walked off before her. She followed behind and wondered where they were going but chose to wait and see their destination rather than ask more questions.

Theo always made sure to keep track of her movements, ensuring that her scent was always close behind him. He had seen now that the situation wasn’t one to be controlled, and even though his father was clear on his instructions, Theo had other things in mind.

“Where are we going?”

She knew he heard her, he must’ve, but he didn’t respond. The man in front of her seemed to be in deep thought, not paying attention to her presence.

Sophie stopped at the top of the hill. The short grass tickled at her feet. She no longer walked behind him, only watched as he went on in front of her.

‘This was it,’ she thought to herself. This was her chance to run and find a way out of this hell she was in. But as soon as the thought was processed in her mind, the opportunity evaporated.

Theo stopped walking and turned to her slowly. His head tilted from side to side as he observed her demeanor.

“If you run, there’s nowhere for you to go. But if you stay, if you keep following me, we will figure out who you are together.”

She had no idea why, but his words resonated and something within her told her to trust him.

“If I do this, if I trust you, you know that it goes both ways, right? You have to do the same as well.”

“I will.”

Two words so small, but that simple act of trust was the beginning of everything.