Her Alpha's Greatest Secret

Chapter 3- Dreams and Streams

I fell asleep quickly, drained, on my little childhood bed and I was swept swiftly into dreams.

I was back in the snowy forest from two nights ago. The woman in white was gone, but a powerful surge of déjà vu had me certain it was the same woods. I wandered aimlessly in the cold- even in sleep I was swarmed by my sorrow. My feet dragged with the weight of my heart and I pressed senselessly deeper among the mournful trees. I didn’t notice the sun had set until I could scarcely see in the darkness. I stumble stubbornly forward for a while until I saw a brightening in a clearing ahead of me. The silvery light was magnetic and I hurried forward. I found myself at the end of the forest- the trees gave way to a sheer cliff and poised at the edge of it was a naked woman. She was not the same woman I had followed before- she had short cropped hair and a more shapely figure. She perched recklessly on the precipe gazing out at the landscape below. Something about her made me sad. The cold breeze blew my loose hair out in front of me and I shivered convulsively. She turned and met my gaze looking surprised- I felt embarrassed to have intruded on such a private moment which was absurd seeing as how this was my dream.

“Who are you?” she demanded in a musical alto.

I raised my eyebrows a surprised short laugh bubbling up my throat. “I was about to ask you the same thing,” I rebutted.

She glared at me, “Are you…real?”

“What kind of question is that!” I exclaimed, “this is MY dream!”

She appraised me for a moment- making no move to approach or cover her nudity, “you were here before.” she finally said.

“In my own dreams? I should think so,” I sassed at the specter.

Her hard frown twisted in amusement at my sarcasm, “you’re a feisty one.”

I crossed my arms in annoyance and against the cold as another breeze bit along my arms, “I don’t know if that was meant to be a compliment, but I am choosing to take it as one.”

She laughed. Stepping away from the cliff’s edge and toward me.

I squared my shoulders defensively at her approach before I remembered this was only a dream and relaxed.

“You never did tell me who you are,” she prompted continuing to study me like I were an ambiguous sculpture she was attempting to identify.

“Wouldn’t you like to know!” I bristled- offended by her brazen examination.

Before she could reply I woke to a knock.

“Emilia, your brother is here and dinner’s ready,” my dad called through the door.

I blinked, disoriented by the lavender walls of my old room and the reality that I was back home. I sat up and rubbed my eyes and smoothed my hair as much as I could before I went to join the others for dinner.

Everyone was assembled around the kitchen table when I arrived.

Lilia hopped up to give me a quick hug, her ginger bob tickling my neck as I gently embraced her slight frame.

“Wow!” I gasped when she pulled away and I got a good luck at her round belly.

“I know! I’m massive!” she giggled.

Henric put an arm around her from behind, “you are perfect- my boy just takes after the other Oriel men.”

I blinked at him, “I hadn’t heard. A son, congrats pops.”

He grinned and hugged me with his free arm, “I’ve missed you, Mellie.”

Lilia’s hazel eyes sparked with excitement, “We haven’t settled on a name yet, but we still have a few weeks.”

“Sit!” my mother commanded from the end of the table, “the roast is getting cold.”

I grimaced and Henric chuckled, but we all sat obediently.

After dinner Lilia sat in the kitchen while mom and I did the dishes, and the men graciously unloaded my car for me. Lilia chattered about her pregnancy and setting up their house, but I was only half listening- the woman from the woods was on my mind. I bit my lip as I scrubbed the pot over and over- bubbles blooming in circles on circles as I hypnotized myself thinking about her skin glowing in the silver moonlight and the perfect curves of her body as she stood fearlessly nude before me.

“What do you think, Millie?” I heard Lilia ask.

I froze, “sorry, what?” I bit my lip apologetically at her.

“Do you want to come tomorrow? The men are off and I was going to go into the capital to run errands and I thought we could meet up with Saela and Fritz if they have the time.” I could see the shadow of hurt in her eyes as she realized I hadn’t been listening.

“Absolutely! Sounds like fun!” I encouraged- quickly trying to salvage her feelings.

“Fab! I’ll pick you up at 8,” she recovered excitedly.

“You girls have a fun day and if you have the chance, I’d appreciate some of Olda’s honey if you go through the market,” my mom added leaning wearily against the counter.

“Why don’t you head to bed, mom. I’ll finish up here,” I encouraged.

She raised a defiant eyebrow not missing my babying. “I think I will,” she agreed, surprising me, she kissed Lilia on the cheek and swept out of the room.

I rinsed the pot and set it aside and whipped around to study Lilia, “how has she been, REALLY?”

Lilia wrinkled her nose, “not herself most of the time. She has good and bad days,” she admitted.

My stomach churned as my heart settled low in my gut.

The long drive to the capital took the entire morning, but Lilia was a pleasant companion. We took turns choosing the music and sang most of the way. By the time we wound our way up the mountain into the capital my throat was hoarse, and I was feeling lighter than I had since I’d closed the door on my life in Blood Moon.

“Ariel has been asking about you,” Lilia blurted out trying to seem casual.

My blood felt suddenly substance-less and it rose airily to my head. Ariel was my high school sweetheart. She had cheated on me our senior year and begun my string of ill-fated romances with several men and women in college.

“Oh yeah?” I tried to sound indifferent, but my reply was too slow, and Lilia was not deceived.

“Yeah, she still hasn’t found a mate either. She’s a medical assistant at my OBs office.”

“Maybe I’ll reach out,” I muttered halfheartedly. What she had done to my trust still ran deeper than I cared to admit, and I felt old wounds flare open pulsing with vulnerability. Fortunately, we arrived at the market and Lilia was distracted by her missions, she had to submit some paperwork at the city hall and I didn’t want to wait in the crowded waiting room so we agreed that we would meet at a café for lunch and I wandered off in search of Olda’s shop. The streets were shoveled clean of snow, and none had fallen yet today, though swollen clouds hovered threateningly.

Olda’s shop was cozy- she sold honey, teas, and other natural remedies. She had a special blend in my hand at the mention of my mother’s name. My errand took less time than I had expected so I wandered aimlessly.

The reminder about Ariel had me thinking in circles, I shook my head against the stormy thoughts- nothing productive came from sulking. Needing a distraction, I followed a little stream that ran beneath the road, and I veered off the main road walking on river rocks. The balancing act took all my focus and I soon forgot Ariel as I focused on my task. A nearby tree branch saved me from becoming a popsicle when I made a precarious leap and didn’t stick the landing. Needing an added challenge, I started spinning and dancing as I leapt- skirting above the surface of the inky water like the whisper of a breeze. I laughed aloud- not worrying if anyone heard. I was alone anyway, or I thought I was until a gust of icy wind brought the scent of adventure, passion, and moody evenings to my nose. I stopped short my head snapping up to search for the source, but I lost my footing and slid off my rock into the churning bitter stream. I felt my ankle yank painfully and then my foot was lodged between rocks. Somehow my stream had become a river while I travelled mindlessly away from town and the glacial water was up to my chest.

The shock of the cold took my breath away and numbed my skin with a painful urgency. I attempted to free my foot, but all I did was further anger my ankle. I was about to panic when I felt strong hands clutch me beneath my arms and I was suddenly being dragged to the bank.

I stumbled shivering onto the snowy bank and turned to thank my hero when the scent hit me again. MATE my wolf purred in satisfaction as I turned and got swept away in a river of gold more helpless against the current of his eyes than I had been against the stream.

“What the were you thinking!” he hissed.

My appreciation died in my throat, and I swallowed it tasting ash on my tongue.