Chapter four: Not My Prisoner, My Wife

Dune

Light.

The first feeling I felt on my skin after waking up from coma.

After the dark, after water and after steel twisting.

My skin prickled like someone had set the sun on me and trying to open my eyes, my lids felt like sandpaper.

How long? Days? Weeks?  

The last thing I remembered was the wheel jerking in my hands. The ocean was coming up fast at me and my car was going off the cliff because they had vine.

Because Dad said "execute the Luna or we execute her family."  

So I crashed. I chose the water over killing her.

The room smelled like antiseptic and old sheets. There were no voices like they'd left me to rot.

But she was still there, in my head.  

Vine.  

My mate. My Luna.

I sat up too fast, ripping off IVs and blood swelled but I didn't care.

My legs shook under me, like my muscles were gone

My wolf was quiet. Like he’d been drowning too and hadn’t come up for air yet.  

"Get up" I told him. "She’s in danger"

But I felt nothing just a dull ache behind my eyes.  

Hastily jumping out from the bed, I'd staggered outside, had my head spinning like everything was different.

I was already out, scrolling around, with my heart pounding. I swear, if dad hurts her, I'd kill him.

He fucking knows what I could do.

I haven't gone halfway when I saw a shadow coming. Hastily, I folded my hand into fists, ready to fight anyone who stops me.

But then I saw her, same eyes! My vine. Her hair was a mess, she looked like a walking corpse and that's when I caught her.

I expected my wolf to react but I guess he was still recovering.

When she had said she hated me...my vine had every right to.

I never supported her, I never defended her in a family like mine.

But now that the moon goddess granted me a chance to live again, I promise to protect her, even with my last breath.

In a haste, and with fear, tears and agony in my eyes, I carried her in my arms, running out from this hallway.

"Anyone there!!!" I roared, panicking. Her body has turned cold.

It came out half-human, half-growl. My canines were down.  

Please...please...my vine, don't die.

Three bodyguards skidded around the corner. They took one look at me. Barefoot, IV trailing, carrying a bleeding prisoner and froze.  

Then they bowed so low their foreheads almost hit the floor.

"Alpha Dune," one stammered. "You’re— you’re awake. It’s been two years, sir—"

"GET A DOCTOR. NOW." I didn’t stop walking. "Royal clinic. Move."  

"But sir, she’s a prisoner. Orders from the Alpha—"

I stopped, turned and let my eyes go gold.  

"Say that again." I charged and their wolves winced.

"No one calls my wife a prisoner. Not in my house. Not while I’m breathing."

They quickly scattered and I brought her to the royal clinic, laid her on the bed and cuddled her.

"Please vine...give me a chance" I begged but she wasn't responding.

My wolf stared at her like she was a stranger, like we were making a mistake but I pushed him down.

A doctor rushed in, not just alone but with nurses. I didn't even want to let her go, I was so afraid.

A nurse tried to pry my fingers off. I snarled.  

"Don’t touch her like that."  

"Alpha, we need to—"

I've never been scared for anyone but her now.

Once they'd managed to cut my embrace, I found myself pacing to and fro.

I didn’t know what any of the machines meant.  

I just knew if that flatline beeped which made it worse.

But I swear, if she dies, everyone in this castle does and I'd kill myself again.

"Son?" I heard his voice, stopping me half way.

I turned to look at him, froze by the door, eyes diluted, trace sweat on his forehead like he ran all his way here.

"You're alive!" He cried drawing closer with arms stretched for an embrace.

I didn't move.

Wema came up next, obvious, she looked like she ran too, tears poured out from her eyes.

"Dune!" She covered her mouth "you survived"

I ignored them, turning to look at my vine.

"What happened to her?" I questioned dragging their attention to her.

"Wait! Isn't that the prisoner dad?" 

"Stop the treatment!" Dad roared, his alpha aura rose as his eyes switches to gold.

"Stop and you die!" I countered at the doctor who was trembling.

The sight of her had them taken aback. My wolf surged forward, teeth bared in my mind.  

The doctor resumed working. 

But resumed.

Dad heaved a sigh. Wema looked more terrified, hiding behind father now.

She very much knew what I was capable of.

"Dune, she's not the vine you know...the coma...it causes confusion. Temporary delusion. According to the doctor"

I didn't want to listen to that, as their explanation only taunt me.

They were lying, just to take her away from me.

This was my vine, I felt it in my bones. My wolf haven't felt her because maybe he was still recovering.

Wema swallowed. "Maybe because she was the first woman you saw after coming out of coma, that you think she's vine"

I moved so fast the bodyguard didn’t see it coming, seized a gun from him and shot a bullet into the ceiling 

Gun in my hand.  

Shot to the ceiling. Plaster rained down.  

I seized a gun from the bodyguard beside me and shot in the air, then pointed it at my skull.

"One move old man and you lose me again"

"Dune please, she defiled the laws"

I aimed at wema, the bullet barely brazed her ear and she screamed.

Always screaming. She covered her ear, gripping father's suit and fuming at me.

"Dune!!" Father yelled and my wolf snapped before my eyes.

His cowered a bit, like he feared the very thing in me.

"You weren't deaf when I claimed her as mine, were you?"

Everyone went silence as I stepped closer to father who gnashed his teeth.

"Get ready old man" I placed the nuzzle of the gun to his chest.

"If anything goes wrong with her, you unleash the beast in me"

His eyes grew wild, his vein tightened as he opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.

"And that beast has a control doesn't it?" Dad countered cocking a brow at me.

"Not anymore"