Chapter 24: CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Garrick's Point Of View

TW: Mention Of Blood.

I was running through the dense woods, my tiny legs trembling as those terrible wolves chased me. Their roars deafened everything, including the rapid beating of my own heart. I screamed when I tripped over a fallen branch, causing me to roll over on the dirt, before I could  even move, a piercing scream erupted from my lungs as one wolf pinned me down, digging into my side.

"Mom! Help!" I screamed as I saw my mother rushing towards me, her face evident with fear, her cheeks streaked with tears and blood as she ran towards me, her hands trembling as she reached out, I  tried to raise my hand, but then suddenly, blood spurted from her mouth as another wolf tore into her stomach, claws sinking deep. I watched in horror as one by one they descended on her body, ripping her flesh apart with her teeth and claws.

"Mom-" I choked out despite the pain. My eyes trailed to the wolf that pinned me down, its eyes glinting with malice.

"And now young Garrick," a voice said, I tilted my head to the side to see a cloaked figure walking towards me. "It's your turn."

"Garrick!" I suddenly heard a voice calling out. It sounded like it was trying to reach out to me.

"Garrick!"

"GARRICK!"

I jolted up from my sleep, my heart hammering against my chest as my eyes darted around the room only to land on Silvana who was staring at me with wide red rimmed tears eyes.

Was she the one calling out for me?

Was she the one who saved me from experiencing the same nightmare?

"Garrick, are you-"

"What are you doing here?!" I asked, my voice rough, attempting to mask the raw fear and vulnerability that threatened to overwhelm me.

"What's happening?" She choked out, her voice barely a whisper. "You were....screaming....all those times was it you?"

"Get out," I spat out harshly, my eyes still on her.

I watched as her eyes widened, hurt flashing across her features. "But..."

"Get the FUCK OUT!" I yelled, the force of my voice making her flinch. I saw the fear in her eyes now, a flicker of something mirroring the terror I still felt inside. Yet, she didn't move, she just stayed still, staring at me with a mixture of concern and fear.

"Didn't you hear me-" My words were cut short as her hand lashed out, connecting with my cheek in a sharp, stinging slap.

Oh- she did not just slap me.

"You know what?" She sobbed, her voice trembling with anger and fear. "Fuck you, Garrick!" She got down from the bed, spun on her heels and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her, the sound echoing the chaotic turmoil within me.

Fuck this! The internal roar of my wolf echoed in my mind. Shane and regret washed over me. I liked her, dammit!

I didn't want to hurt her. But yet, I always ended up pushing her away.

I got down from the bed, grabbed my robes, shoving my arms through the sleeves with frustrated movements, and stormed out of my room, headed towards her chambers. The corridors were deserted, silent. A sense of dread twisted in my gut. Why weren't her guards outside? Had she dismissed them in her anger?

As I reached her door,  I heard a soft sob from inside, a broken heart wrenching sound that pierced through my anger and defensiveness. It was killing me, hearing her like that. I reached for the doorknob, twisting it, but the door wouldn't budge.

Shit, she'd locked it from inside.

"Get away from there Garrick!" I heard her scream, the sound muffled by the thick oak door. "I know you're the one so fucking leave!"

I let out a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. "Open this door, now!"

"No!" She screamed even louder.

"Silv- Morgana if you don't open this I'll fucking break this door down!" I warned, which was actually the truth.

"I don't care! It's your palace!" Her voice was thick with tears, laced with a bitterness that made my stomach clench. "You said leave, and I did. So why are you here?! To curse the shit out of me some more?!"

"No," I murmured. "Just please...open the door,"

I heard her sniffle, followed by soft footsteps approaching, slow and hesitant. Then, the click of the lock.

I didn't waste a damn second, I pushed the door open immediately and stepped inside before she changed her mind.

She stood a few feet away, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her eyes downcast, avoiding my gaze. She looked so small and vulnerable, her shoulders were shaking with suppressed sobs.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry," I said, the words feeling inadequate, a pathetic attempt to repair the damage I'd inflicted.

"Okay, you may leave then," she said, still refusing to meet my eyes.

I bit my lower lip, a nervous habit I hadn't been able to shake since childhood. I ran a hand through my already disheveled hair, then leaned back against the door. "Look, I......"

"I don't care, Garrick," she murmured, turning away from me. She began to walk towards her bed, then sat down heavily on the edge, her head bowed. "I don't care," she repeated, the words a fragile whisper.

I said nothing, just stood there, staring at her in silence, feeling the weight of my actions pressing down on me.

God, she's beautiful. Even with her face blotchy from crying, her hair a mess, she's still the  most beautiful thing I've ever seen. My wolf stirred within me, his possessiveness of her was growing harder day by day. The urge to protect her, to soothe her pain was overwhelming. But fear held me back, fear of what I might do, fear of the darkness that lurked within me, the darkness that had plagued me since childhood.

I was a monster, and she doesn't deserve me, she deserves better.... But hell I'll let her be with someone else.

I'm a sick person, aren't I?

"I have nightmares," I confessed, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them. I needed her to understand, even if I couldn't fully explain.

She raised her head up, her eyes wide with shock. "What?"

"Yes," I nodded. "I've always had them since I was a kid. It comes and goes,"

She said nothing, just kept staring at me, her expression unreadable. A sliver of hope flickered within me. Maybe, just maybe she was willing to listen.

"It's....I can't explain it.... It's just..."

"Is that why you always scream at night?"

"Yes," I admitted, the shame burning in my chest.

This was the last thing I ever needed her to know about. That's why I instructed everyone in the palace to keep mute about it, and now......well, she knows.

"What's it about?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Silvana. Don't even ask," I said in a firm tone, pushing back away the raw vulnerability that threatened to engulf me.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her gaze softening. Her room was dark, but I could still see her thanks to the candles and soft moon glow.

I stood up, pushing myself off the door and began to walk towards her. I stopped when I was just a few feet away, close enough to see the individual strands of her hair, close enough to smell the faint scent of lavender that always clung to her.

Fuck, I want her, I want to hold her, to tell her everything, to make her mine. But I'm scared, I've never been scared like this in a very long time and it drives me nuts.

As I stood there staring down at her, the bond, the pull....that undeniable connection thrummed between us. It was like a physical ache, a deep longing that I could no longer ignore. I had tried for so long to deny it, to suppress it, to convince myself that it was nothing more than a fleeting infatuation. But it was so much more.

"Garrick?" She mumbled in a tiny voice, her eyes searching mine.

"Yeah?"

She stood up from the bed, moved towards me slowly, but enough to close the remaining distance between us. She reached out, her fingers brushing against my arm, a feather light touch that sent a jolt of electricity through my veins.

As her gaze locked with mine, I felt it again. The undeniable pull, the mate bond, the connection that I had long tried to deny. It was a primal feeling, a deep resonance that echoed within my soul. My wolf surged to the surface, eager, possessive, desperate to claim her.

And then, she rose on her toes, titling her head slightly, and closed the remaining space between us. What I hadn't expected was the softness of her lips pressed against mine.