Chapter 104 Save Them All
1174words
As my eyes fluttered shut, my wolf became increasingly restless. I fought to push her down, regretting that I hadn't thought about going for a run and letting her out before we left. I relaxed my body against my mate's chest, running my fingers over the ridges on his sweater.
Jaxon and Alpha Christian must have deliberated for hours—"alliance this," "pack law that." It felt like the two of them were a broken record, endlessly repeating their same individual demands. Somewhere between the constant bickering of the two Alphas and fighting my wolf to stand down, I was lulled into darkness.
A spine-chilling breeze grazed through my red fur as I raced through an unfamiliar forest. My senses sharpened as I felt danger thick in the air all around me. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, darting from tree to tree as my paws hit the moist forest floor. Faint howls of injured wolves echoed in the distance, but no matter how fast I moved, I could never get close enough to find them.
The rain began to patter with vengeance, each drop feeling like a shard of glass against my body. "Adeline," whispered from what I was certain was a nearby clearing. I pushed harder toward the voice, every breath hopeful that it was Jaxon's. My four legs felt on the brink of collapse, the burn intensifying with every stride toward the clearing that only seemed to be getting farther away.
"My dear Adeline," rang in my ears in a louder whisper. The voice was soft and gentle, like the most beautiful melody I had ever heard. It was motherly, soothing, and somehow filled with love. I slowed my pace, desperately searching for more of that gentle voice that felt like it filled a piece of my heart. I couldn't help but feel like I had heard it somewhere before.
Stopping abruptly, my ears perked up at the trickling sound of running water. Yet, I couldn't help feeling deceived, as there was nothing but endless forest around me. I was alone. My mate gone. Sophia gone. Alpha Christian gone.
The forest went silent; the echoes of wincing wolves in the distance were no longer there. The only thing I could hear was my heart stammering in my head, making it hard to focus with the anxiety filling my chest. As I began to walk, still oddly unaware of the maze I found myself in, a gentle hum made me stop in my tracks and whip my head around.
There she stood—an undefined beauty like I had never seen before. Her entire being glowed iridescently, her silver hair flowing in the breeze. "Adeline," she whispered with a small smile.
She was captivating, making it difficult to tear my wide eyes away, feeling like I should know better and run in the opposite direction. Yet, something inside me felt comforted and safe, like a child with its mother in the presence of this stunning figure. I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew her, knew that humming, knew that voice. It rattled my brain, but my mind remained blank for answers.
She wore an all-white flowing dress, making me realize that she was actually floating on air, her feet inches off the ground. She glided toward me, the rain still pounding violently against the earth yet somehow missing her essence. She was dry as a bone; her long, straight locks stayed perfectly in place.
I struggled to move toward the glowing figure, only to find my body frozen as if under a spell, numbing all my limbs. "Shh, my child, I know you're scared. I will never hurt you, my blessed child," she cooed.
I closed my eyes for a moment, taking in that sweet calming voice. A hand grazed my jaw, a freeing feeling blossoming through my veins. My eyes fluttered open to the woman, my body defying me, trusting that she wouldn't hurt me.
"Great danger lies ahead, my child. I need you to be brave. Great things will indeed come to you, but a greater battle is approaching first. Save them. Save them all," her melodic voice explained. Save them? Save who? I wondered. How was she so certain yet so calm at the same time?
"W-who are—" I stuttered before being cut off by a low growl behind me. The stench burned my nostrils. Rogue. I could recognize that foul smell anywhere.
I whipped my head toward the angry growl, feeling protective of the floating Goddess behind me, only to meet a pair of piercing blue eyes. The rogue's canines began to extend as it geared up to launch. "No!" I screamed, feeling a possessive need to protect the woman I didn't know.
Just like that, she was gone. Vanished without a trace, leaving only her scent of blooming lilacs in a spring storm lingering in the air. My eyes widened in panic as they fiercely scanned for her. The calm before the storm.
Before I could turn back to the rogue, my body slammed against the forest floor, my forearm striking a large boulder. The air nearly left my lungs. A long cut on my forearm began to bleed profusely, making me feel lightheaded as I watched the crimson drip from my body. My blood mixed with the wet ground, but instead of staining the dirt, it washed away as if it never existed.
Drool splattered across my cheek, causing me to look up into the clear, sky-blue eyes hovering over me. I shrieked as he pushed forward, closing in on my neck with sharp canines extended—reminding me of the knives Chef Mark used in the kitchen. He let out a deep growl that made the tiny hairs on my body stand on end.
Just then, I heard Jaxon's voice calling my name. The rogue pulled back, shooting his gaze behind him. What felt like raw power pounded within me—a force so strong I had never felt before. I knew it was the mate bond taking over, my wolf refusing to let this dirty rogue get to my mate.
I hurled him off my body and into a tree trunk with all my might, hearing his limbs shatter on impact. I could have leapt forward and sunk my teeth into his neck, but my mind raced—I needed to get to my mate. I heard the rogue struggle to stand back up on all fours.
My legs took flight in the direction I heard Jaxon's voice, my body begging to be near him and keep him safe at all costs. He was my mate. He was my Alpha. A small voice called from within: "Keep the Alpha safe at all costs"—a testament ingrained into my mind since I was a pup.
I hadn't noticed the running water until I stumbled into it. The smell of copper drifted into my nostrils. I looked down to pull myself out, but what I thought was water against my fur wasn't water at all. I was standing in a river of ruby red blood.
