CHAPTER 16
1085 Words
Aura
As if the world itself held its breath, the night was oddly quiet.
With my eyes wide open, I lay on the edge of the bed and gazed into the gentle shadows created by the moonlight coming in through the wooden blinds. Instead of convulsing in pain as before, my fingers were heavy with anticipation as they lay softly over my calm belly. This enigmatic life inside me, my baby, was too silent. But I sensed it. Even in this peaceful moment, something much greater than me was taking place, as I was reminded by the thunderous beating of a heartbeat beneath my skin.
Sleep came now in fragments. It was restless when it comes. It pulled me down into strange, deep visions that were not mine but appeared to be memories.
In my dream tonight, I wasn't alone.
The forest around me was old and silver-lit. The trees whispered secrets in a language I couldn't understand, their leaves rustling like old papers. The air was bright, full of vitality, and then she emerged from the fog barrier.
It was the same spirit wolf.
Witha golden and wise eyes, her fur was white as snow with streaks of iridescent blue glowed under the moon. She looked at me, unflinching, as if she could see past every wall I had ever built.
"You're ready," her voice sounded from somewhere deeper, a sound I felt more than heard, but not from her mouth . "But you must see the truth."
Barefoot and shaking, I moved toward her. The ground throbbed under me; when my hand touched her fur, time broke.
I was no longer in the forest. Instead, I stood in a place I had never seen before—stone walls covered in runes, a fire flickering in the hearth, and a man kneeling before a table, his hand extended.
Ryder
I felt a pang in my heart. He looked younger, frantic, wild-eyed. Before him stood an elderly woman, her skin drooping, her fingers long and soiled with oils and herbs.
"Are you sure of this, Alpha?" the woman asked.
"She is mine," Ryder growled. "But I can't afford to let the bond control me. Not now."
The woman nodded and took a vial from her robe; I recognized the dark root right away. A forbidden herb used to block the mate bond, to sever connection, twist it. Something only the darkest packs dared to use.
I watched in horror as Ryder took a sip.
I wavered.
The spirit wolf next to me remarked, "He chose power over you," with a piercing glare.
"He marked me," I said to myself. "He said I was his."
"He lied Aura.” The wolf said, her voice echoing through the space.
The vision vanished like smoke. With a gasp, I jolted awake and gripped the covers tightly. My body was drenched with sweat. Even though I had never eaten the dark root, its taste lingered in my throat like ash.
Except for f the wind nudges the windows and the gentle ticking of the wall clock, the cabin was silent.
I put my hand to my chest. My heart pounded. I wasn't just someone Ryder had used. He had manipulated me. And instead of a mate, he had chosen a throne. Over me.
My vision was obscured by tears. I didn't cry because of the past. I cried for the young naive woman I once was.
A tentative, gentle knock came from the door.
"Aura?"
It was Kai.
I hastily wiped my face. "Come in."
Gently, he pushed the door open. He was wearing a gray sweatpants and white t-shirt that clung to his chest. My heart stuttered. Not because of his appearance, it was the warmth in his eyes. Worried.
He moved closer and asked, "Are you okay?"
I wanted to lie. I wanted to say that I was all right. But I broke down instead.
"No," I muttered.
He didn't ask further. Instead, he moved closer and took my hand while kneeling next to the bed. His touch firm and grounding.
“Another dream?” He questioned.
I gave a nod.
"The wolf spirit?"
I looked him in the eyes. "She showed me the truth. About Ryder."
Kai's jaw tightened. His hand tightened on mine, but he remained silent. I could see he was trying to ask me something or say something, but he allowed me finish instead.
"He took something called the dark root," I continued. "To block our bond. To...control me."
Kai muttered curses to himself.
I glanced down. "I thought I was crazy for feeling it. I thought maybe I imagined the bond. But he made it happen, forced and masked it."
Without asking, Kai sat next to me on the edge of the bed after slowly standing up without releasing my hand.
"He didn’t deserve you," he softly murmured. "He never did."
His words soothed my hurting spirit. Nevertheless, a part of me fought the comfort. I'm marked, also with Ryder's child. How could I ever feel this way again?
Kai reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I froze.
His voice was gentler than I had ever heard when he said "You know, you don't have to bear this pain alone."
I turned to face him. "Why are you doing this? Why do you care so much?"
He smiled at me sadly. "Because when I look at you, I see someone who has suffered and still stands. I see someone who deserved better. And because... I feel something too."
My throat became parched.
He leaned in and planted the soft kiss on my skin as his hand traveled from my cheek to my forehead.
It wasn't romantic. Not quite yet. It was like a promise.
I closed my eyes, letting warmth seep into me. He was still there when I opened them again, courteous enough to allow me room yet close enough to touch.
My wolf shifted.
My heartbeat accelerated.
There was a spark between us, it was slower, softer, and more genuine than the forced tug I had experienced with Ryder.
With a thudding heart, I reflexively pulled back.
Kai didn’t rushed the moment. He simply stood and nodded. "Goodnight, Aura."
"Goodnight," I said in a whisper.
He left the door ajar, just a crack, the way I preferred it.
But I sensed it as I laid back on the bed.
That same feeling. A pull in my chest. The impossible bond.
Fated.
And I was scared.
- Writer
