The Devil's Creature

Winter studied the face of Thamus, waiting for an answer.

But the silence remained in the room, and she felt more uncomfortable the longer he kept silent.

"Well?" asked Winter, her eyes fixed upon his face.

"Have you heard folklore sing about the wolfman?" Thamus then asks while he wraps a bandage around Winter's wrist. 

Winter's heart beat faster as Thamus's face stayed emotionless.

But she could feel his energy shift, and she became guarded.

"Of course I have," Winter said, frowning, "but they are only fables," she went on, and Thamus sighed.

"They are quite real," Thamus responded, confusing Winter with his sureness.

"No, a man cannot become a wolf, and if so, he would be the creature of the devil," Winter mumbled, and she could see Thamus's eyes gleaming with darkness.

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"Are you calling me the devil?" Thamus uttered coldly, and Winter got up and backed away, fearful of the sudden mood change.

"No? I'm not calling you anything," Winter shuddered with a racing heart.

Thamus lured her in with his dark eyes, and she backed into the wall.

He approached her with decisive steps, his eyes burning into hers.

"I didn't mean to offend you, please," Winter stammered when Thamus stopped inches away. "I'm the Wolfman, Princess... The King of the Brigads," Thamus spoke coldly, and his eyes turned black before black fur appeared on his face.

Winter was terrified, but something about this was also fascinating.

The years locked up inside the kingdom had killed her soul slowly, and even if she was a prisoner to Thamus, she still felt more free than ever.

Thamus was growling in her ear, but Winter didn't want him to know she feared him. She extended her trembling hand and placed it on Thamus's cheek, but as soon as she reached him, he turned around and left the room.

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Thamus left the chamber and locked the door. He had no clue why Winter did what she did? He could tell she was afraid, but then he sensed that little flutter inside her, searching for something in him...

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Winter felt disturbed and stressed that Thamus had left her alone again, and she jerked when the door locked. What is she supposed to do now, locked up in a chamber?

Winter entered the bedroom, took an apple from the brick, and took a bite as her mind wandered away. What about her family? Did they make it out of the castle? Are they protected by the Kelton kingdom now?

Winter shuddered when she relived her mother's harsh words and slap across the face. Not in a million years would she have believed this is how her 20 years of life would unfold. She was detained captive by a savage, a wolfman, not knowing the ending.

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"King Thamus?" Argon called when Thamus exited the castle, "Yes?" Thamus answered, but he kept walking.

"It had come to my attention that you have the royal princess captive?" Argon shouted as he tried to keep up with Thamus.

"That does not concern you," Thamus coldly murmured.

"Of course not, I was just wondering why she's still alive?" Argon struggled to keep up, making Thamus very angry with his questioning.

"I suggest you keep your nose out of my business, Argon." Thamus said coldly, "This decision is not regarding you or any other man."

Argon nodded and withdrew while Thamus walked out into the village outside the castle where his warriors and citizens lived.

"King Thamus!" his right-hand man Ashton shouted from behind.

"Ah, Ashton. Can you shed any light on last night's damage?" Thamus asked when Ashton came to him.

"It doesn't look good... Almost 60 men lost their lives, and hundreds were injured." 

"I see. Burn the bodies. Anything else?" Ashton glanced around them before leaning into Thamus, "I heard you took the princess as your prisoner? What is the status there? What do you foresee?" He mutters, and Thamus shrugs.

"For now, it is not anybody's business but mine. However, there was one more thing: Did the men murder the girl who was with the princess in the castle?"

"I don't know, I can look around. Which men had her?" Ashton answered,

"Cullen and the duo," Thamus replies, "I'll look into it. Would you like me to send her your way if she's alive?" Ashton asked, "Yes. You know where to find me." Thamus answered and headed back to the castle.

Winter was not used to dressing and cleaning herself without a girl helping her, and she was in need of a bath. She was dirty from traveling with Thamus but had no clean dress.

She looked around the room and realized this must be the former king's master bedroom. Winter entered the large chamber into the adjacent attachment and found a large dressing room.

Robes and other garments were hanging on the walls, and Winter guessed they belonged to their former leaders.

She grabbed a dress and went into the bathroom to heat the tub, which was already filled with clean water. A few moments later, the water warmed, and she took her clothes off and climbed inside.

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Thamus met with Sadon to go over the following steps and battles. They were delayed for a while before he returned back to his chamber. He entered the room and looked around for Winter, but she was not there.

Then he saw a crack in the bathroom door and noticed Winter bathing; her bare back and hair were glistening from the lights of the candles.