Alpha of Dahael

Chapter 15 - Unexpected Trials

As Sayde drove home from the mall in the neighbouring town, a sense of contentment enveloped her. The night enveloped her in a cocoon of solitude and reflection. The encounter with Audeion had left her with a warm glow, and a reminder that life often had a way of surprising us when we least expected it.

The road stretched out before her, illuminated by the soft glow of her headlights, each passing mile marking how close to her new home she was. It was a quiet night, the only sound being the gentle hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of branches in the breeze.

The countryside rolled by in a tapestry of muted earthy colours—fields of swaying grasses bathed in silver moonlight, dense forests whispering secrets in the darkness, and the occasional glimmer of a distant star reflected in tranquil lakes.

It was a symphony of nature's beauty, a serene backdrop to her thoughts and musings. There was a deep longing in her heart to feel the forest itself, the grass brushing against her skin as the cool breeze danced against her body. Oh, how freeing it must feel to experience this first hand, to taste the due and dance with the wind and the flowers.

She felt a tugging feeling in her mind, her body felt almost like it wanted to grant her wish. She thought back to her conversation with Audeion and smiled. He made her feel like that when he talked to and smiled at her

His easy charm and genuine curiosity had made the encounter feel effortless and enjoyable. She replayed their words in her mind, savouring the connection they had shared, even if it was fleeting.

A small migraine began to form at the back of her head, a subtle reminder that maybe she hadn't drank as much water as she should have today. She reached up to massage the spot where the dull ache had formed, trying to alleviate the discomfort.

Despite that Sayde's heart felt light, she couldn't wait to enter her new home permanently, a sense of excitement building within her. She imagined the cozy living room where she would unwind after a long day, the kitchen where she would experiment with new recipes, and the peacefulness of the surrounding nature.

Music drifted softly from the car speakers, a playlist of her favourite songs providing a soundtrack to the journey. The melodies ebbed and flowed, matching the rhythm of her thoughts—sometimes upbeat and energetic, other times introspective and contemplative.

Lost in her own world, Sayde allowed herself to daydream, thoughts of decorating the bedroom and living room, planting flowers in the garden, and exploring the nearby forests filled her with excitement and anticipation.

The road signs passed like milestones, each bringing her closer to her destination. She imagined the welcoming glow of her new porch light, the comfort of her bed awaiting her.

The night sky above was a canvas of stars, twinkling in silent approval of her journey. She felt a sense of calm and clarity wash over her.

The familiar sights of Daysville came into view and she sighed in relief.

Home sweet home.

She slowly turned into her drive and parked her Jeep, taking a moment to breathe in the cool night air. The migraine had subsided slightly but she wasn't gonna take any chances. She quickly grabbed her stuff in the back of her Jeep looking around her to make sure no one was waiting to jump her or anything.

She looked up at the sky and admired the moon's beauty against clear skies. A small voice inside her head said, "The moon goddess shines favour upon you, child of the moon you are the key."

She looked around and scowled, she must be unwell if she was hearing things. Is this how her grandmother felt before she died? She must be developing an early onset of schizophrenia.

She shook her head as she quickly headed inside, fumbling with the keys and unlocking the door. She kicked off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water and looked in one of her bags for some painkillers. She grabbed the lunch Mrs Bonny had packed for her and popped it in the oven to heat.

She sighed and sat down at the table, she wasn't sure what was going on but from the voices and the headaches and the random tugging feeling she was getting in her chest she was very close to going to the doctor.

She slowly got up and started packing away the things for the kitchen and carrying the stuff for the bed into the bedroom. She quickly spread out the sheet and comforter onto the bed fluffing the pillows and adding the sealed throw pillows she bought. She looked at her masterpiece with the proudness of a young girl fixing her doll house with all her favourite things. The oven beeped and she hurried down the stairs to take the food out of the oven.

She set it out on the counter and took a deep breath, soon she would be able to take a long shower and rest for the day. She turned towards the glass doors and right there stood a dark large creature, its golden green staring piercingly into hers.

The last thing she remembered was an angry voice inside her head growling loudly, "Where is he? I can smell the pup on you, so where is he now!"

She felt a sharp pain in her head as she hit the ground and the world went black. She had small sounds of talk and murmurs as well as the smashing of things before she fell back into slumber.

The other time she woke up she heard "She's just a human being, let's dump her here." The light was too bright to see who was talking about her but the pain in her head was causing ringing in her ear and she couldn't help but wince at the sound of the voices.

"I think she's coming to, we gotta do something about this quickly."

The world faded into black again and she welcomed the peace that ensured this time, 'If she was to die she rather not know when she was going to.'

She woke up to the sound of beeps, groggy and with a headache. She slowly turned her head to take in where she was and was surprised to see Trish in a deep sleep at her bedside. She smiled to herself, maybe she did have a friend here.

She turned her head towards Trish, despite the slight tugging feeling she had behind her head. She rested her hands against Trish's and rubbed it gently. She woke up with a start her eyes wild in panic before settling on Sayde's face.

"Oh thank god you're awake, they found you slumped at the bottom of the road near the hospital."

"Someone recognised you and called me because they had seen me a few times with you." She rose and hugged Sayde, "I'm so happy you're okay," she said with tears in her eyes.

Sayde put her hand on her head and groaned slightly before looking at Trish in concern, "Someone was in my house last night, they were asking me for someone." She closed her eyes a bit waiting for the pounding to subside, "Then they hit me, I remember them saying something along the lines of they could smell him on me."

She tried to speak but the pain got worse and Trish patted her hand comfortingly. "You don't have to talk right now, just tell me what you need from your place, with directions I'm sure I could get you some clean clothes at least."

Sayde mustered up a small smile before nodding gently. Several minutes late and a pen and paper later, Trish was able to get a list and directions out of Sayde before she fell back asleep.