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Lagoon Of Regrets And Bargain One Thing
“Are you sure you want to remain?” I asked the primary question as the thick veins of black began to slither back to allow us passage. “Wallas said your kind won’t function well down here long term.”
“If I’m destined to fizzle out of existence in these realms, so be it,” Lauren voiced as she followed my lead. “Being in this form is rather strenuous but it’ll be counterproductive if I shift back to my original state outside of the lagoon.”
“You risk losing your alibi by aiding me,” I reminded her.
“Being the ‘daughter’ of Fox Moon has far fewer benefits than one would assume,” she muttered. “Maybe death was a better option for Laura than she realizes.”
“She wouldn’t believe you if you told her that,” I grumbled.
“She’d believe it if I told her those nightmares of being fucked by her own father were true,” Lauren argued which made me come to a stop. She took three steps forward before she stopped and glanced back at me as I held Lexianne in my grasp.
“He did what?”
“He sexually abused her. I won’t get into the details. It’s what humans refer to as triggering,” Lauren suggested with a deep frown. “It’s intriguing how everyone criticizes the villain of every story and yet no one wants to look into the trauma that individual experienced to make them who they are.”
She looked away and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Trauma molds a person into something they wish not to be but have no choice but to become. If you’re a sex slave for your entire pack and forced into trafficking and prostitution whenever you leave the pack lands, what does that make you? Addicted to sex? Addiction is negative, at least that’s what they label it as, but why doesn’t anyone find the root cause? Why do people smoke two or three packs a day? Why are there individuals who have to drink a gallon of alcohol a night to function in this mad world? Why does everyone like to call a woman a slut, prostitute, or whore because her whole life has revolved around sex and she knows nothing else Why does this world crucify before they figure out the rooted cause of one’s problems?”
My eyes lowered to Lexianne’s sleeping figure, the lines of exhaustion so etched into her face I feared they would remain. She was pale and brittle looking, so fragile in comparison to the fierce woman who took every challenge on like she was destined to walk this chaotic path.
All the trauma she experienced in her current lifetime molded a woman who had to act selfless and naive to the rest of the world when the true nightmare occurred behind closed doors and in the depths of her mind.
I bet her dreams and the dark oasis that came with sleep was a blessing to her, for the moment she woke up, her nightmare began, and she spent all those waking hours in a state of suffering.
“I’ve been a blind fool,” I muttered with a sad smile. “Makes me wonder if I had perished from the drop, would the world be better off.”
I began walking again and ignored her watchful eyes as she trailed my movements until she had no choice but to follow my lead once more.
“GWAREEEE!” We paused in our tracks as the ground trembled, but I knew what was coming before its massive frame appeared in our line of vision—blocking the few steps it would take to reach the lagoon.
“Bishop.” I got to the point as my eyes lifted enough to see the growling creature of forbidden darkness. “Not now.”
I couldn’t deal with his antics, not when Lexianne was on the line.
“GAWRR!!!” He was ready to pounce at me anyways, but his eyes briefly landed on Lexianne in my arms. “Gaw… rr?” He went from a growling menace to a whimpering tainted hellhound in three seconds flat.
“Bishop, was it?” Lauren questioned the creature as she didn’t hesitate to approach him. She reached out to lightly stroke the back of his left ear. “We need to pass and reach the lagoon for your Luna’s sake. Can you give us passage?”
“Gawr!” He was up and moving out of the way before he was back on all fours and staring at Lexianne with burning eyes of worry. His obvious concern made him somewhat likable for an overpowered beast that loved to cause me and the others trouble on the regular.
“We won’t be long. Then you can stick around with Lexianne,” she insisted.
“He can’t fit in the Pack House, let alone the main Residence,” I pointed out.
“He’s a creature of shadows,” she reminded me as if I’d forgotten. “He can change his size as easily as we change our appearances.”
She had a point.
“You know a lot about the valley,” I muttered with a hint of annoyance as we made our way towards the final path that would invite us into the sacred grounds of the lagoon.
“It’s my duty to know what occurs upon these lands, just as it is my responsibility to observe what occurs on the lands of your father,” she voiced. “Though, the valley you’ve created is far more intriguing than the surface above. For one who lacks in self-confidence, your imagination holds no boundaries.”
“I don’t lack self-confidence,” I grumbled defensively.
“Your life has revolved around seeking validation from those you were taught to love the most: your Alpha, your pack, those who should have not only taught you and given you words of wisdom, but also should have balanced your childhood with compassion and affection.” It felt different to hear those words of tranquility leave her lips while she maintained her image as Lauren, but I felt the oozing power with her generous advice. “Even now, as you cling to the woman you’ve come to fall in love with a second time, you mentally ponder why you were brought to the world if leadership wasn’t your forte.”
