Chapter Text
Thunder roars outside the windows, rattling the ancient glass panels but inside is nothing but warmth as a fire roars with life, and the bundle of bodies upon the bed snuggles closer. The daughters, Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela used to be weary of you, how could they not? Another failure of Mother Miranda's dumped at the castle gates in the pouring rain, the only one of your kind. Instead of lycan properties you took on characteristics of a large cat; retractable claws, fangs, large fluffy ears upon your head, cat like eyes with matching vision, a tail, and of course unimaginable warmth. Daniela was the first to crack, once she heard you purr for the first time she instantly fell in love with you, wanting to cuddle whenever possible. Bela was next, she found you and Daniela in a snuggle puddle purring to your heart's content when she caved and joined in. Cassandra was the hardest, but when she had a close call from a broken window and your warmth was the only thing that kept her alive until her mother could intervene, she too began to seek you out for comfort.
Now all three of them cuddle with you, each of them purring their own frequencies with yours being the loudest. The fire is nothing in comparison to your warmth, and each daughter snuggles impossibly closer trying to grasp onto any bit of warmth they can. Cassandra rests upon your breasts, Daniela in the crook of your arm, and Bela lays on your stomach. The mood is rudely disrupted when a large crashing sound of an opening door startles you, the sound of rushing heels makes you sit up in a panic.
"Your mother is home" you state.
"And from the sounds of it, the meeting did not go well" Bela says with a soft groan.
"Daniela, get any maids out of her wake we do not need unnecessary blood shed" you order.
Daniela nods her head and flies away in her swarm to do as you ask.
"Bela-"
"I know" she says as she swarms away.
Cassandra also nods her head and swarms away as you climb down from the bed, listening to the sound of her feet head to her office. You quickly make your way there already finding Bela waiting for you with wine. You take it and smile at her before you enter the dragon's lair where Alcina stands in all of her fury. She has the window open as she smokes a cigarette, you set the tray down and swallow nervously. The last time you were this nervous was when you met her the first time, intimidated by her size and the sheer power she radiates.
"Alcina-"
"What did you just call me?" She snaps, not looking at you.
You flatten your ears, maybe she doesn't know it's you.
"Lady Dimitrescu-"
"I said not to disturb me, what could you possibly want?"
She turns to face you, her anger evident on her face as you wrap your tail around your thigh nervously.
"How did the meeting go?"
"How do you think it went?" She growls, taking a step toward you, "that man-thing Heisenberg has somehow wiggled his way into being Mother Miranda's favorite. What does he have that I don't? Do I not provide excellent specimens? Do I not do as asked? Am I not good enough for her approval?"
"I'm sure-"
"Shut it!"
You swallow and step back, trying to make yourself impossibly smaller in her presence as she continues to rant, walking back and forth in her office. Only pausing to take a breath of her nicotine before exhaling and continuing.
"I've had it. Leave me" she orders.
"I don't-"
She glares at you, "disobeying are we? Perhaps we have forgotten our place!"
She leans down and grabs you forcibly by the neck and slams you onto the ground, there's a loud snapping sound and you're unsure if it's the floor beneath you, or you own bones.
"Alcina you're hurting me!" You cry out.
"I don't remember giving you permission to speak!"
Clearly she's too involved in her own emotions to realize it's you, she brings you up and tears form in your eyes as you resort to the unthinkable. You rear up your hind legs and claw her arm with your feet, and your hands drawing up black liquid until she releases you.
"You vile vermin! I'll show you!"
She grabs you by the back of the neck, this time dragging you behind her, from this angle you can't scratch her despite your best efforts. She takes you down to the dungeon and tosses you like a ragdoll into a cell, slamming the door shut and instead of locking it with a key, she smashes the bars together.
"Perhaps some time in here will remind you where you stand!"
You hyperventilate as you stare at the bars, flashes of reminders from when you were a test subject for Mother Miranda. The insane torture she put you through, all the needles, cutting you open while still awake, all the blood. You whimper and curl up into a corner, tears running down your cheeks as you hug yourself and shield your head. A few minutes later there's a soft buzzing which makes you look up to see Cassandra standing there, her stone exterior melts upon seeing you are the one in the cell. She kneels down beside you and you fall into her, sobbing quietly when more buzzing fills the cell room. Two more sets of arms encompass you, holding you tightly as you continue to shake violently from your sobs.
They sit with you as long as it takes until you pass out from exhaustion, curled into yourself leaning against the three of them. When you awaken you find yourself back in the bedroom, you look beside you and scoot away upon seeing Lady Dimitrescu sitting there. She looks at you and her face falls, her mouth frowned, her brows pushed together. You shake and tremble as she tries to reach out for you, you hiss, the hairs on your neck standing up. She retracts her hand and folds it into her lap looking away from you.
"I'm sorry my love" she whispers.
You continue to posture, keeping a defensive stance as your eyes scan her entire body for any movement.
"I was so angry, and I took it out on you. I will never forgive myself for doing such a thing."
"You promised" you choke out quietly.
"I know, and I broke that promise. I'm so very sorry, I will do whatever it takes for you to forgive me and show you how sorry I am. I should have never allowed my emotions to take me over."
Slowly you relax, the hairs falling back into place as you carefully approach her. She looks over at you as you slowly climb onto her lap and lay on her chest. A moment later you let out a soft purr and she takes that a sign to wrap her arms around you, holding you tightly.
"This is a good start" you whisper softly.