Chapter 42 Eiden
Eiden's POV
'Eiden! Wake up,' the shout echoed. I glanced around, my legs continuing to carry me away from that damn house.
'This is a dream, Eiden. You're just dreaming.' The voice came again, trying hard to wake me up.
I looked up, wincing at the reddening sky. My heart thumped against my ribs as the howls of the pack of rabid dogs grew louder.
They were behind me.
The thick snow made it difficult for me to run any faster.
My eyes widened when I realized I had to cross the frozen lake.
I couldn't be sure if the ice would crack if I ran across it, as the rabid dogs wouldn't stop chasing me.
The wounds on my hands and feet were gone, thanks to my body's rapid regeneration.
I had no idea where the rabid dogs came from or why they attacked me as I slept on the sofa. I didn’t even know that hut.
“Damn it.” I clicked my tongue, my head gripped in confusion as I was ten steps away from the frozen lake.
'Eiden!' the scream rang out again, pounding repeatedly on my head. 'Wake up. You’re having a nightmare.'
In a panic, convinced I was going to die because no one would help me, I tried to calm down and think about the screams echoing in my head.
Nightmare. Those were familiar words. Even my tongue was sure it had said them often.
“Moon Goddess, help me.” I had no other idea than to walk across the frozen lake to reach the forest on the other side, not letting my head down to see the water beneath the ice.
It was slippery. My shoes couldn’t grip the ice.
I glanced back to find the pack of rabid dogs standing at the lake’s edge, growling at me.
I couldn’t feel happy until I reached the forest.
My heart pounded violently, and my breath felt tight as I saw the pack of rabid dogs daring themselves to follow me.
My breath caught in my throat, and time seemed to stop as the ice beneath me cracked. I didn't know when it had happened or why it had broken there.
'Eiden, wake up.' The voice in my head rang out again. 'Hey, you idiot. I'm so tired of waking you up.' He snorted. 'You're usually always aware you're dreaming.'
His words kept ringing in my head as I watched the cracks in the ice beneath me grow longer and the two rabid dogs getting closer and ready to pounce on me.
I didn't know what feeling was dominant in my heart right now. One thing was for sure: I was afraid of dying. I didn't want to leave my life yet.
Liam. Celeste.
The two names that suddenly appeared in my head were like a brick hitting me hard in the head.
My gaze sharpened, and my fists clenched tightly as I stared at the rabid dogs. "You bastards. Be thankful I can't behead you."
After saying that and smiling sarcastically at the hesitation in their eyes about tearing me apart, the ice beneath me shattered, and I plunged into the frigid water, instantly freezing my body and stopping my blood flow.
Because I realized I was only dreaming, not actually plunging into a frozen lake, I wasn't worried about the Grim Reaper taking my life.
“Damn dream.” I woke up, sweat pouring down my body and feeling the painful pounding of my heart beneath my ribs.
I was shocked to find myself asleep in my office chair. I ran my fingers through my hair and shook my head.
“How could I sleep here? Am I so sleepy I can’t even go to my room?”
I muttered, my brows furrowed. I didn’t remember anything other than deciding to work overtime like every other day.
'What happened to me, Arlo?' I asked my wolf.
'I don’t know.' My wolf shook his head. 'I went to bed before you.' Yeah, I forgot Arlo didn't want to accompany me to work overtime.
'I know you were asleep and having a nightmare because you were moving around restlessly,' he added.
I scratched my head and took two deep breaths.
“You know I never fall asleep.” I took a sip of my half-finished cappuccino and then went to the kitchen to make another. “I’ve been fighting my sleep for the past few months.”
'Maybe you let yourself fall asleep because you haven’t had a nightmare in a week.' My wolf offered his opinion. 'Because you believe you are free from the nightmare attack.'
"That makes sense." I nodded. “I’ve let my guard down.”
I sat alone in the dining room, sipping my coffee. I had no desire to sleep anymore, knowing I would have another nightmare.
All the omegas were already in the residence, and the warriors were standing outside this house. I was the only one in the mansion.
It was quiet. Not a sound reached my ears.
"Why did I have a nightmare? What's wrong with me?" I still haven't found the answers to these two questions.
In my dreams, animals and objects want to kill me, and I have to be seriously injured or at least scared to wake up.
I reached for my phone in my pocket and stopped scrolling when I found the contact I was looking for.
“I don’t know why I want to call her.” I smiled bitterly.
‘Your heart is pushing you because you keep ignoring those feelings,’ my wolf teased.
I get annoyed with myself every time I can't reply to my wolf's words.
"Celeste will be surprised that I had a nightmare tonight." I stared at her name on my phone screen. "I called her last night to let her know I hadn't had a nightmare in a week."
I wasn’t going to call Celeste to vent about my nightmares again.
I pushed the urge aside and opened my social media. My eyebrows raised when I received a message from a woman showing off her son’s ultrasound photo.
\[I have a child with my boyfriend. I suggest you see the doctor, Alpha. Aren't you wondering why I didn't get pregnant while I was with you?\]
I looked at the photos of the woman on her account to remind myself of who this woman was.
I rolled my eyes when I remembered she was my ex-girlfriend and that we had met at a bar a while back when I was accompanying Gamma Nolan.
"I have a child. He's 5 years old." I didn't tell her. I really didn't care what she thought of me.
“Liam is my son. His face and hair are just like mine. No need for any tests.” I never doubted that Liam was my biological son.
I jumped in surprise and almost spilled the coffee on the table when my phone vibrated to let me know I had a call from Celeste.
I hurriedly picked up the phone. My heart was pounding, waiting for her voice.
“Hello,” I greeted her.
“Hello, did I disturb you? Or did I wake you up?” Her soft voice soothed my heart. Something was wrong with me.
“No, you didn’t,” I replied. “I woke up from my nightmare a few minutes ago.” I don’t know why I told her that.
“I’m glad I didn’t disturb you,” she said. “Why did you have another nightmare?”
“I don’t know.” Unbeknownst to Celeste, I was glad she asked that. “Why did you call me?”
“I wanted to let you know that Liam wants to stay at your house,” she said. “I’m sorry I called you so late. I was waiting for Liam and Levi to go to bed.”
I blinked twice, making sure the person on the phone was really Celeste. The news she gave me was what I had been waiting for over the past two weeks.
Liam finally agreed to stay at my house again. This time, I would make sure no enemy spies or anyone else saw them coming in and out of my home.
“I’m so glad to hear the good news from you,” I told her. “You don’t have to apologize to someone who called you twice in the middle of the night.”
“Yes, you’re right.” Celeste’s tone told me she was smiling.
For a few seconds, no one spoke. Then Celeste said goodnight, and I told her the same. Our call ended.
'Look at him, his lips curled up in happiness.' My wolf taunted me. 'Tell me, are you happy because Liam wanted to stay over or because Celeste called you?'
I didn’t answer, but I felt my cheeks heat up.
I had two days to prepare everything, especially to make sure they felt comfortable and safe staying in my mansion.