Kamrynn's POV
That night, I stayed on edge, pacing my room as though the act alone could shake off the ominous sense of foreboding hanging over me. Every sound made me jump-the soft creak of the wooden floor beneath my feet, even the ticking of the clock felt too loud. Sleep seemed impossible.
But exhaustion eventually won. I sank into bed, my body heavy with fatigue. My eyes fluttered shut, and for a moment, I felt the beginnings of peace. Then the nightmare came.
It started the same way the others always did-with nothingness. The darkness was suffocating, the kind of abyss that pulled you deeper and deeper, until the pressure in your chest made you think your lungs would burst. I floated in it, weightless, lost, and completely at its mercy.
But then, just as I thought I might sink forever, the darkness shifted. Images began to form, sharp and vivid. I was standing in the middle of a field cloaked in darkness. The grass was tall and brittle, crunching beneath my bare feet.
Blood splattered across the lush grass, the deep red fluid seeping into the soil underneath.
But blood wasn't the only thing on the grass. Faces contorted in pain, eyes wide and empty. Among them, Alpha Orion's and Rmonica's lifeless faces stared back at me, their necks twisted at unnatural angles.
A red moon hung low in the sky, casting everything in an eerie glow, like a psychopath's painting of hell. The wind howled, carrying with it faint whispers.
"Kamrynn," a voice came, guttural and chilling.
I spun around, but there was no one there. The whisper came again, louder this time, chilling my blood. Then I saw him. Alpha Draven.
He stood at the edge of the field, his form blurred but his eyes blazing like molten gold. He smiled, a slow, deliberate twist of his lips that promised nothing but pain.
"You can't run," he said, his voice echoing unnaturally.
I tried to move, to run, but my feet were rooted to the ground. He began to walk toward me, his steps unhurried, his expression amused.
"You've always known, haven't you? That this would end with you begging for mercy."
As he approached, the ground beneath me turned to ash, crumbling and dragging me down. I fought against it, clawing at the air, but it was no use. The harder I struggled, the faster I sank.
Draven knelt by the edge of the pit, peering down at me like I was nothing more than an insect. "Weakness," he sneered. "That's all you are. That's all you'll ever be."
"Stop," I tried to cry out, but no sound came.
Draven only laughed, his form shifting, his eyes glowing an unnatural yellow. "You cannot stop what's coming," he said. "You can only drown in it."
My body convulsed as the ash closed over me and the abyss swallowed me whole.
"Kamrynn!"
Rmonica's voice pierced through the darkness, snapping me awake. I jolted upright, gasping for air. My body was drenched in sweat, my heart racing like a drumbeat in my ears. Tears streaked my cheeks, and my throat was raw as if I'd been screaming.
"Kamrynn!" Rmonica called again, rushing to my bedside. "Goddess, you're trembling! What happened? Are you in pain?"
I struggled to catch my breath, clutching the blanket like it was the only thing tethering me to reality. "I…I had a nightmare," I whispered, my voice hoarse.
Rmonica grabbed my hands, her touch warm and grounding. "A nightmare? Kamrynn, you were talking and crying in your sleep. I've never seen you like this. Tell me what happened."
I hesitated, still shaken by the vividness of the dream. But when I met her concerned gaze, I knew I couldn't keep this from her. "It was about Alpha Draven," I admitted. "He…he was there."
"Draven?" Rmonica asked, her tone sharp. "What did you see?"
I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. "It was so vivid. There was blood…so much blood. The Alpha and you…your faces. You were…dead." My voice broke on the last word.
Rmonica inhaled sharply, her grip tightening on my hands. "And Draven?"
"He stood at the peak of it all, reveled in it." I said, my voice trembling. "He said I was weak, that I couldn't stop what's coming. And then everything burned. The ground, the sky-it all turned to ash."
Her eyes widened, and she leaned closer. "And then?"
"He just watched," I said, my throat tightening. "He didn't even need to hurt me himself. It was like…like he was playing with me, letting my surroundings do the work for him. Rmonica, it felt so real. I could feel the ash pulling me down, the air leaving my lungs…" I trailed off, my voice breaking.
Rmonica's face paled. For a long moment, she didn't say anything, her eyes distant as if she were processing my words. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet. "That's… very unsettling."
"Unsettling?" I repeated bitterly, my voice rising. "Rmonica, this isn't just some bad dream. It's a warning. I know it."
Her expression was grim as she spoke. "It's certainly something…" She shook her head. "I don't know what to make of any of this. What are we supposed to do about it, Kamrynn? I know this isn't normal. These nightmares…they're something more."
"I know that better than anyone," I whispered, clutching the blanket around me. "I have completely no control over them, they're absolutely dreadful. I don't know what to do."
She didn't say anything, probably just as shaken as me and the silence between us was heavy.
I cleared my throat, desperate to shift the conversation. "Did you talk to the Alpha?"
Rmonica's lips pressed into a thin line. "I did."
"And?" I prompted, though the look on her face already told me I wasn't going to like her answer.
"He said he believes you," she began, her voice careful, "but he won't act on it. Not until he's certain Draven is a real threat."
"What?" I stared at her, disbelief flooding me. "How can he-"
"Kyven got to him first," she interrupted, her frustration clear. "He told Orion about what happened with Thalia, about…you attacking her. Orion believes Kyven and thinks you're being emotional, Kamrynn. Hormonal."
I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. "Hormonal?" I repeated, my voice rising. "This isn't about jealousy or hormones, Rmonica! Draven is dangerous! How can the Alpha not see that? I was poisoned, Rmonica, I would have died if I wasn't immune. Does he really think I'd make up something like that?"
Rmonica's frustration was evident on her face even as I continued. "I know attacking Thalia was the wrong move but I was desperate, I didn't know what else to do. Is Kyven's word really all it took for him to dismiss me? I guess it makes sense, he's the Alpha's nephew while I'm a nobody."
Rmonica didn't answer right away, but her silence said everything. "Orion said we can't act without proof. I tried to make him see the truth but he told me to keep my emotions out of politics. He's adamant about keeping good relations with powerful Packs. He thinks that it would be foolish to antagonize Alpha Draven and the entire Amethyst Pack when there's so much to gain from them. According to him, it would be reckless to risk the Pack's safety over unfounded claims."
"Unfounded claims?" I spat, my hands curling into fists. "Rmonica, I know what I heard, what I experienced. He tried to kill me! Alpha Draven is planning something-something catastrophic. And we're just supposed to wait until it's too late?"
Rmonica reached for my hand, her eyes softening. "I tried, Kamrynn. I really did. But Orion is stubborn. He's convinced we need to keep the peace, especially with the mating ceremony so close."
I shook my head, disbelief and despair crashing over me. "The mating ceremony…" My voice trailed off as the weight of it settled in. "It's only three days away. That's when it's going to happen, Rmonica. I can feel it."
Rmonica looked just as distressed as I felt. "Then we have to do something," she said firmly. "We can't just sit back and let this happen."
"There's only one option," I said after a moment of silence, my voice low but determined. "We have to bait Alpha Draven."