The sound of heavy footsteps echoed the castle's dungeons, with each step he took, it grew louder and louder. Trembling, the captured man tried to find a way to escape, but no one can escape the wrath of . The King, the legend, the slayer. With his head held high, a scowl on his face, and fangs ready to murder, he entered the dungeon.

It held people, who not even their mother could recognise due to Easton's beatings. Men, women, wolves, vampires, witches, anyone who's done Easton wrong is in there.

"He's waiting for you in there, my king", one guard said while bowing their head in respect. Without another word, Easton walked into the room which held one of his trusted companions.

"East- my King! Get me out of here, look what they have done to me", the man spoke frantically, attempting to lie his way out.

Key word: Attempting.

Nobody could lie to Easton, he could sense a liar from a mile away. And trust me, he doesn't like liars.

Looking at the bruises and scars his men had given him, he smirked to himself, but he isn't satisfied. He craved blood

"Tyler", he started, gaining the traitor's attention. "You know I don't like people telling me lies", he stalked over Tyler, his tall build of 6'5 completely hovering him. Tyler tried moving the chair he was tied on, but to no avail.

"So, save yourself the hassle, and tell me the truth", he commands, his vampire counterpart, Axel, taking over. Tyler's eyes widened when he noticed that Easton's eyes had gone blood red. Gulping, Tyler struggled against the ropes, causing both Axel and Easton to chuckle.

"Oh, you don't want to do that, have you forgotten who I am?", he said calmly, not showing any indication of emotion. Tyler shook his head vigorously. "Then speak, boy, tell me what I want to hear", he ordered.

"He f-forced me to do it! He s-said he'll kill m-me if I didn't", Tyler stuttered out in fear.

"Who?" he asked, getting slightly irritated and very impatient.

"Alpha Robinson", Tyler answered, closing his eyes to avoid Easton's bloody ones. Axel chuckled menacingly.

"So you sided with the enemy, huh?", he said while circling Tyler, taunting him.

"Let me teach you something your mama should've taught you when you were a kid. When you defend the enemy", he starts, grabbing a whip from the table of weapons. "-."

He mercilessly whipped the man, harder and harder each time, spitting words of venom at him. He went at it until Tyler was screaming in pain, begging for him to stop.

"P-p-please! I won't d-do it again!", he cried out in agony

"Aww, did I hurt you? Was that too much for you?", he teased in a sarcastic voice.

"H-how did N-Noelle deal with you-",

A gunshot to the head silenced him. That was the last straw.

Easton took back his control, knowing Axel would do something he would later regret. He breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm himself down. Both Easton and Axel lose it when someone mentions their beloved Noelle. (A beloved is what Vampire's call their mates, for anyone who is confused)

One rule in the Kingdom of Highland:

It was too painful. Too painful for him to remember. Too painful for him to hear. Too painful for him to recall. She was the tape that held Easton together, and when she was taken, the tape was teared in two pieces, never to be fixed again.

Dropping the gun and the whip, he left the dungeons, the guards eyeing him strangely. He would always leave the dungeons with a satisfied smirk etched onto his face, but today was different. His eyebrows furrowed, lips frowning and eyes drooping. They automatically figured out that something had gone wrong, and they knew it had to do with Noelle. The King was only ever upset when it came to her.

They've all witnessed drunken nights, where Easton would come home at 3 a.m, visibly intoxicated. He would constantly yell 'Where is Noelle?' frantically while running around the endless hallways of the vast castle, searching for his Beloved. He would cry himself to sleep when he couldn't find her.

They've all witnessed sleepless nights, where he would work his a*s off, busying himself with paperwork and answering emails, just to get his mind off Noelle. He would never go to sleep unless it was in her old room, the room that still smelt like her. Her fruity, natural scent that was the key to Easton's calmness. Even though her tiny bed wasn't big enough for Easton to fit on comfortably, he was the most comfortable in it.

He walked into her room, slipping the heavy suit of armour off his body and stripping down to his boxers. He collapsed onto her bed, pulling the picture frame from the nightstand with him.

On the picture, a younger, happier version of Easton cuddled beside a sleeping Noelle. He still remembers each and every detail about her. Her light brown eyes that glistened in joy whenever she laughed. Her silky, auburn hair that danced with the wind and cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her petite self that could fit into the smallest of spaces, which came in handy when they would play hide and seek as children. The beauty mark on her right cheek that complimented her milky, smooth skin. Her angelic voice that was so calming and refreshing. He smiled at the picture, stroking the glass frame and giving it a kiss. He would talk to the picture every night, hoping that somehow she would be able to hear his thoughts. Whether she was still a captive, or in the high heavens above, he hoped she could hear him.

"I miss you, my love", he whispered, on the verge of tears. "I still have hope, hope that you are alive, hope that you still remember me, hope that you are safe, hope that I will find you one day, hope that I will get to hold you again, and kiss you for the first time. I wish I had waited for you. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have given myself away like that, especially not to that random girl in the castle. I should've waited for you, but I was so lost, I was positive that you were dead. I promise, I'll never do it again. Today my mother baked your favourite meal, chicken Alfredo and for desert she made those chocolate brownies you loved so much. I feel like you loved them more than me. I saved you some, even though you won't get to eat any, I made sure that no one else took them. She misses you a lot, and so does my father. And God you have no clue how broken Nathaniel and Lilah are. We're all broken without you. Please come back to me", his voice cracked at the end, and tears began to flow down his cheeks as he hugged the frame close to his heart.

(A/N - I'm just going to 'spoil' it because of how much hate this is getting, he got , he didn't do it willingly)

"Goodnight Noelle, I love you", were the last words he said before he fell into a dreamless sleep.

Meanwhile:

"Eat up, mutt", the guard threw the small piece of bread and water bottle into her cage-like cell. She patiently waited for him to leave, then began to eat. She was only ever given a piece of bread and water bottle once a day. And this has been going on for the last 10 years, leaving her dangerously underweight and unhealthy. She had gotten used to it, the beatings, the training, the small portions, the verbal abuse. All of it became a routine.

Confused, aren't you?

Noelle was kidnapped when she was 10, by someone she doesn't even know. For all these years, everyone that had ever entered her cell wore a mask. Even the doctors she visited, and women that nursed her when it was that time of the month wore masks. She didn't know their names either. She's only ever heard, the Alpha, or the Boss.

This was because she was a fox shifter, the only remaining one. She had supernatural powers that no other creature has, not even the witches. She was a target for many people, they saw her as an invincible weapon. All other Kingdoms were jealous of the Highlands, jealous that they were able to have such a special rarity. They all wanted her. Because of this, Highland knew the chances of someone taking her, were

What they didn't know, was that it was someone who was smart, someone who they wouldn't suspect, someone who left no traces behind, making it close to impossible for her to be found.

Noelle, the pure soul, kindhearted beauty, who had done no wrong in all her life, was given the short end of the stick. As a child, she knew everything about her past. How her parents were forced to leave her in the woods alone when she was a baby, how Nathaniel and Lilah weren't her real parents, but she still called them mama and papa, and how Easton was her beloved.

It sounds fake. A Vampire, not to mention the future king, mated to a fox. But believe me, it's the truth.

Some saw this as an abomination, something that wasn't meant to happen. They didn't believe it. In fact, some of the Highland residents had tried sending their daughters off to see if they were mated to the future king, but obviously, they weren't. Noelle was the true mate of Easton Xander Mitchell, and no one could change that.

Easton

The memories from when they were still children are as fresh as the brownies Sheila used to bake. From the days they spent watching movies past midnight, thinking they were so rebellious, to the days where they would cuddle all night when Noelle had a nightmare. The love they shared for one another was unbelievable, unbreakable, unstoppable. They were stronger together than ever apart. They were two peas in a pod, she was the beauty to his beast. Although they were children, their connection was stronger than anything the residents of Highlands had ever seen.

So when she was taken, the world felt like it had stopped.

Noelle cried herself to sleep every day, much like Easton. During her beatings, all she would think about was Easton. She would close her eyes, and imagine him comforting her.

'It's okay, Noelle, I'm right here with you' he would say in her mind. The sound of his deep, serene voice made her feel safe even in the most dangerous of places.

She thought to herself, does he still remember me? Does he think about me? Has he found someone else? Does he cry himself to sleep like how I do? Does he fill his head with all our memories just like I do? Does he imagine what life would be like if I hadn't been taken?

So many unanswered questions. The thought of him not caring, not remembering, moving on, tortured her mind and hurts her more than anything else. Hurts her more than anything her captures could ever do to her.

"Goodnight Easton, I love you", she whispered, hoping he could hear her.