In the dead of night, Doris woke to the sound of someone calling her name. She shot up straight in bed and looked around to find only darkness in front of her. She heard the soft sounds of breathing beside her and a smaller one across the room.
Something about the sight of her family calmed her almost instantly. Whatever that startled her must have only been a dream... nothing more. With all of the stress this palace has had, she wasn't surprised.
William didn't stir. He was further from her than usual on their endless bed, she expected his arms to be clamped tight around her small body like they usually were. It felt like mountains separated them and perhaps that was why he couldn't feel her jerk awake.
"....Doris...." The voice said again. She flinched at the sound that was so close to her yet so far away as if it wasn't there at all. It felt as if a hand had caressed her arm and pulled her from the bed by force.
"Wait! No-William!" Doris tried to jerk free and turned to look at where William was, but all she saw was darkness. She was no longer in her room at all.
Her chest felt tight, almost as if she couldn't breathe. She clenched her throat and looked around to see herself in another room in the kingdom. She turned and the door was wide opened behind her, but she didn't remember how she'd gotten there to begin with.
Doris turned and went to head back to her room, but something stopped her. It felt like a strange power was pulsing in the room. She turned and saw the same box from before on the table... but it wasn't there when she first looked around.
Doris glanced behind her and flinched when she saw the door was closed. "What is this?" She asked the air, would anything come out? Was this just another nightmare trying to warn her to teach her a lesson?
Her voice sounded normal again. Before, it was almost hollow and far away from her. Nothing answered her... had she been sleep walking?
"How did I get here?" Doris asked her inner wolf.
"Where...." Cordelia sounded drowsy as if she had been drugged or something. Suddenly, she felt an alertness inside her. "Why are we near that thing?" She hissed.
Doris neared the box but hesitated. "Why did it call me to it?"
"It wants you to put it on." Cordelia said. "The power is calling to a host and you are the only one that can use it within miles and miles of this palace. Strange, though. Normally it wouldn't call for help unless something was happening."
"Like what?" Doris whispered. "What would be happening?"
"Something... bad or dangerous. It pulls you to it to use your full power against it-but it can kill you if you actually do."
"Kill me?" Doris took a step back. "What? How?"
"It could drain all of your power and trap it inside the necklace if you don't hold on. If you don't take it off in time, it could also trap you to do it's bidding and no one could break you of the power. It's happened a few times before to other white wolves. They did whatever the power wanted them to do until it used up all the power or until someone killed them to stop it."
"If I take it off in time... is it safe to use?"
"Well, I suppose. But there is always a risk." Cordelia whispered. "Look what it did to you already, that's not a power you should mess with. Only if it was life or death, do you understand."
Doris backed away from the necklace that seemed to glow inside the box. She opened the door with ease and left.
The halls were empty. Not one soul was standing at the walls or by the doors like they normally would be in the dead of night. The halls were dim, she had to grab a candle off a table just to find her way back to the room.
"Something isn't right...." Cordelia said.
"I know, it's been like that-"
"No, something else. Cant you smell it?"
Suddenly it was like a switch that turned her senses on. She could smell everything from miles away including- fire.
Doris gasped and took off down the hall. She ran as fast as she could to get to William and her baby.
When she bursted through the door, William was halfway dressed. He dropped his shirt and grabbed Doris's arms to pull her against him. She gasped at his embrace. It was everything she needed, his warmth and protection made her want to melt into him. "William-do you smell it?"
"I do. Where were you?" He pulled away to look down at her. She couldn't help but glance at Alec who sat on the bed chewing on his own tiny hand.
"I-I think I slept walk to the necklace-William-"
A guard threw the door open and William pulled her back behind him. The man had wild eyes as he looked at the king.
"Your majesty-forgive me, but the villages-it's absolute chaos!" He stammered. He looked sweaty and out of breath, he could barely get his words straight. "There's some sort of attack, everything is on fire! People are dying-"
William quickly finished dressing himself and turned to Doris. "Stay here."
"William, I can help!" Doris tried to follow him but he pushed her back just as Beth and Enzo came into the room with wide, tired eyes.
"Stay here." William growled before he followed the guard out. Enzo took one glance at Doris and Beth before he followed close behind William and shut the door once they were out.
Doris held Alec and Beth came to comfort both of them. "What's happening?" She asked.
"Something is happening to the village! He said people are dying-"
Beth turned to the door with a gasp. "What should we do?"
"We have to help them! I know I can help if he let me, I've helped him before." Doris stood and handed Alec to Beth.
Beth looked at Doris with wide eyes. "Doris-"
"I can't sit here and be a useless excuse for a white wolf. I'm going to help them whether he likes it or not."
Beth swallowed and nodded slowly. "You are a star, Doris. I don't think anything could ever take your light out."
"Let's hope not." Doris turned to grab a cloak. Beth grabbed her hand before she could leave the room without another thought.
"I love you, Doris. Please be careful and remember that your son is waiting for you to return."
Doris looked down at her beautiful baby and kissed his head before smiling a little at Beth. "I will return. Stay in here and lock the door, I will find a guard to watch you."
Before Beth could change her mind or support of Doris throwing herself into fire, Doris hurried out of the room and went to find it.