I woke to a gentle shake, but when I parted my eyes, I saw nothing but darkness.
I breathed uneasily, feeling myself being weightless off the ground as two arms held me from underneath.
My sight was pitch black.
Was I dreaming? Why couldn’t I see?
I tried gazing around, but when I found my sight enclosed in darkness, I just reached up to touch my eyes…
And my fingers brushed along a fabric.
I blinked.
A blindfold.
“You’re awake,” Damon commented from above me, and I looked in his direction, knowing he was the one carrying me.
“Why am I blindfolded?” I asked him.
He just chuckled. “You’ll see.”
I pursed my lips as set my head on his shoulder, continuing to stare into the darkness.
After a moment, Damon finally lowered me to the ground, helping me onto my feet as I remained blind.
He lightly took my hand before removing the cloth from my eyes.
I winced when light burned me, blinking a couple times before it adjusted.
Wait.
I snapped my gaze around then, finding a clown girl next to me as she tipped her head to the side, smiling sadistically.
Where was I?
I was in a small hall-like space… there were these odd funky mirrors around, covering the walls up and down, and the ceiling was made of some odd type of yellow and red fabric.
Another circus house?
Right before I turned to face him, Damon just wrapped his arms around me, making me freeze.
His breath dusted my neck, and I swallowed something hard.
“You can tip-toe on the string of madness, Winter,” he whispered low. “But you need to watch your steps in the darkness.”
I glanced back at him curiously.
“I always will creep up behind you, my little kitten,” he said then, lashes lowering. “Your mind will be mine.”
I stared at him carefully.
“I am not who I portray, Angel,” he said slowly, smirking now. “I look normal, but I am not, I assure you. You seem not to fear death and darkness, but are you prepared to see the blackness inside me?”
I watched him curiously now. “Yes.”
His smirk darkened as he whispered, “I kill effortlessly. I slaughter those who dare defy me. Are you prepared to witness that?”
I stared for a moment, feeling something hot twinge inside me. “Yes.”
“Even when that someone could be you?” he asked me then.
I turned then, facing him as his hands now locked around my back. “You lie,” I whispered back, standing on my tiptoes so my face was inches from him. I just smiled. “You cannot kill me until I get my wish. You know this, and you will follow through.”
He just smiled, tipping his head to the side as I let my own breath dust his cheeks. “How do you know for sure?” he asked me.
I gazed up at him fully now, smile sharpening. “Because you have to. Unless you want to die alongside me… violating the blood pact will result in such.”
His teeth showed through his grin. “My, my… are you teasing me or threatening me?”
“Both,” I answered, “because we both know that if the blood pact is violated… you die, too, Alpha.”
He just lowered his lashes. “Are you prepared to see the real me?”
I gazed up. “Why?” I said curiously. “Are you insane, too?”
His eyes glowed a slight green. “Deadly.”
I just watched him as the green glowed unevenly… like waves from an ocean.
“Are you prepared to see me slaughter anyone who dares to touch you?” he asked me then, smirking. “Are you prepared to witness countless blood baths and watch me tear someone’s throat out? Are you prepared…” he said in a low tone, “to see how truly sadistic I can be? When someone hurts you?”
I just leaned in closer. “Yes.”
He just brought his lips inches from mine. “I think I like you.”
I smiled a little more. “Are you growing attached to your victim?”
“Like a wolf who finds his food,” he stated lowly. “One must grow an attachment to his prey… in order to protect them from harm. Until they are ready for death.”
“Are you saying I’m your fresh meat?” I said in amusement.
“What if I am?” he countered.
“Damon…” I said then, gazing up with a dark smile, “kill who you want, hurt who you want, blindfold me and take me anywhere, scare me endlessly, throw me in a cage with lions and wolves… you will allow no harm to me. You are obligated to protect me from the pact we made. I know you will stand by it.”
His eyes glowed a bright green, and he just smirked. “Me and my friends…” he stated then, “are called the Midnight Sinners. Every night in a month before and after Halloween, we commit havoc and destroy anything we come across. The people who know us call it the Sinner’s Hour. Now that you have met my main group of wolves… you have been introduced to my favorite game. Are you ready to be a part of my freak show?”
“I’m already a part of your freak show,” I stated then, lashes lowering. “I am the main act. On Friday night with countless viewers… the main attraction to put everyone on their toes. I forever will be. Until the final bell rings… and the axe comes down upon me. But I know when to expect it.” I gazed up then. “I am not afraid of you.”
He just tipped my chin up. “You are now one of us, Winter Williams.” He smirked. “For you have accepted your fate.”
He let me go then and took a couple steps back, and the clowns just giggled. “You two are flirty tonight.”
I glanced over at him, then back at Damon who was still watching me.
I just smiled. “What are you waiting for?”
He just smiled, lashes lowering. “Nothing, kitten. Because it already came.”
A sudden object sliced through the air, cutting through it in a millisecond.
Damon’s eyes flashed a bright green, and he flung toward me before I turned.
And a dagger caught in between his fingers, rattling up and down with the excluded force.
He gazed up when I turned, finding the same clown glaring as she pulled her hand back.
Damon just smirked, flipping the knife up and catching it by the hilt. “Nice try. Good aim, I’d admit. It would’ve hit her straight through her spinal cord.
I turned fully and watched the encounter.
The girl stood back up, still glaring. “How did you do that?”
Damon just flipped the knife again, catching it. “I can do many things that no other wolf can do, I’m afraid.” He gazed up. “I’m not normal. Now,” he said then, smiling, “would you like to tell me why you’re trying to kill my Winter?”
She just gritted her teeth, eyes flashing a bright green. “She’s a spirit. I have a wish. I deserve a wish.”
He threw the knife up and caught it again. “She’s mine. Find another, girl.”
She just growled and flung toward us, claws slicing out from her nails as she went around Damon and came straight at me.
I just remained in place, unafraid.
Damon pulled my arm and flipped me to the side, dancing with me slightly before she stumbled and crashed to the ground.
He then tugged me to a stop, and I clashed with his chest, my dress swirling around me at the force.
He then gazed down at the girl. “This is fun and all, but… I should really be going now.”
“She… was far… away and you moved… like lightning.” She struggled to get up, breaths straining. “You… what are you?”
Damon just smiled. “I’m a werewolf, my friend. There’s no reason to deny the fact.”
She gazed up then, staring into his gaze as he watched her.
Her eyes rounded then, and she scrambled backward. “No… but how? How can you be? You’re supposed to be off the rails! You’re supposed to be insane and unintelligible and damaged! How can you act and look human?”
Damon just smiled. “Why would you ask such things?”
She just stared uneasily. “You… you’re a corrupted werewolf.”
I blinked, gazing up at him curiously. “You are?”
“I can see it in your eyes,” she said then, “like ghosts swarming in your iris… but you’re not nearly as insane as you should be.”
He just smiled darkly. “I think I’m done talking now. This exposition is very boring, you know.”
He then flicked his wrist and the knife flung from his hand.
Before the girl could react, it sliced into her right eye.
She collapsed to the ground, blood spewing from the wound and pooling on the floors beneath us.
Damon watched her in boredom, unaffected that he just killed a women so easily.
I—too—was unaffected, but I was more curious as to how he corrupted.
“Aren’t corrupted werewolves born one?” I asked him then, making him gaze down at me. “When they turn, that is?”
He just smiled, lashes lowering. “Yes, that is the usual case.” He then looked down at the body. “But I am an exception. I corrupted when my sister died. Since I corrupted extremally late… I have most of my personality and can still act somewhat normal. But I’m still insane.”
I gazed up at him then, eyes sparkling. “You’re so interesting.”
He smiled slightly down at me.
“If I may ask,” I said then, tipping my head to the side, “why did you bring me here?”
He gazed up to the funhouse-themed room. “I wanted to scare you.” He then smiled down at me. “Didn’t work.”
I blinked curiously before I pursed my lips.
He just ran his thumb along my neck, and I had to resist shivering.
“It’s time I take you home,” he whispered lowly, “and you go back to pretending you’re a spitfire, hardworking school-girl to your lovey-dovey mother. And I will wait in the shadows,” he smiled darkly, “for when I can take you again.”
I just watched him. “I’ll be waiting.”
“Oh, Sweetheart,” he chuckled, “I know you will.”
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