Hellbound Heart

A series of loud noises of something hitting on metallic bars echoed inside the underground chambers of the castle. Then it stopped and everything returned to being quiet again.r

What could be heard next was some heavy breathing that was also then followed by a deafening silence. r

It was so dark that nothing could be seen inside, but pure inky black darkness. A few moments later, a buzzing of a phone broke the silence. r

The light from the phone's screen created a dim light in the dark and revealed Sebastian who was sitting on the ground, his wrist resting on top of his bended knee, as he leaned his head back against the bars that seemed to be like an ancient prison – an underground dungeon. r

His grey eyes gleamed in the dark as he swiped on the button to accept the call. r

"Your… Your Highness? Uhm… it's the princess." Rion's voice instantly made him squeeze his eyes closed. As though the mere mention of the princess had done something unspeakable within him. r

"What happened this time?" Sebastian asked in a low tone, running his fingers through his hair before silently sighing. r

"She's been running around everywhere looking for you, Your Highness. Where are you right now? Did you already leave the castle? She's outside right now and –" Rion dutifully reported to his lord about the matters of the princess.r

When he had heard Rion mention that she was outside, Sebastian sprung from his sitting position and left without even ending the call.r

In just a matter of a few moments, Sebastian was out of the dungeon. He ran swiftly towards the courtyard and the instant he saw Izabelle's silhouette squatting dejectedly on the ground, his entire frame stilled as he froze in his tracks. His face looked like he could not believe what he was witnessing. r

When he came to, he slowly approached her. His footsteps were light as he did not want to startle her.r

He knew when she had felt him when she suddenly stiffened. She did not lift her head even as he stood just one step away from her. r

His gaze fell to the goosebumps that were raised all over her skin. His jaws tightened as he took his jacket off and draped it over her. What on earth was she doing out here in just her thin clothes?! r

Finally, she lifted her slightly pale face. Their eyes held as Elle opened her mouth to say something, only to close it again without saying anything. But Sebastian waited patiently and did not interrupt until she eventually spoke. r

"I… I thought you left... again…" she said in a small and weak voice. r

"So, you came running after me?" he asked. His expression was well masked. Nothing could be gleaned from his neutral looking face.r

Elle's eyes wandered from his head to his toes, before she found herself staring at his hands that seemed to have been stained with some kind of liquid that was dark. She could not quite tell what it was as it was dim outside. She thought at first that it was blood, but there seemed to be no wound on his knuckles. But she noticed that there was a tinge of coppery tang that tinted the air. Was that really blood? Where did he get it?r

Despite the curiosity, Elle decided to shift her attention from it. She might be wrong anyway and she was afraid the conversation will only lead her away from the very thing she had wanted to say to him first and foremost. r

"I… need you to explain to me why… why you locked me up." She met his gaze again as she voiced out those words. She did not want him to leave without saying anything again. "Why did you take my phone away? Why can't I meet with other people? You should give me some kind of reasoning if you wanted to restrict my freedom so much!" r

Elle was not sure what had gotten into her to chase after him unthinkingly. Her body had just made a move even before her mind could even react. If she let her mind think first at that moment, she would most probably have kept herself inside the room and swallow everything within herself, like she had always done in the past. r

She was still worried and fearful of what he would think of her for chasing him even until to the extent of following him down here into the courtyard. But she had an excuse now to not appear desperate in stopping him from leaving, so she relaxed a little. She was also thankful because it seemed that all that running had made her feel a little better. And now the stupid lump in her throat that had initially made talking even a struggle to her, now seemed to have reduced in size and was much better. r

Those questions she threw him… she truly wanted to know the answer. She wanted him to explain to her everything behind his unreasonable actions. Because if he would not… r

"Please… answer me… don't keep me in the dark anymore." She pressed. "I am not some pet you can keep at home and lock up whenever you want to." Her tone became a little hard saying this sentence.r

Sebastian stared at her without speaking, but Elle could not fathom what was going on in his mind as he gave her that peculiar look. Try as she might, she could not read his expression.r

"Fine, I'll explain some of it to you. But not everything. For now, only some can be revealed." He responded. r

Elle momentarily thought about it but eventually nodded. That was a good compromise. He did say 'for now' so it meant that he was not keeping whatever he was hiding from her forever. That was enough for her. For now, she just wanted him to say something. To tell her something. r

"Okay." She agreed after some thought. r

"But on one condition, Izabelle." His tone suddenly became a little intense as he stretched his hand and pointed to their room above where they were standing. "I want that f… wolf out of. Our. Bed." r