Serena's POV
I found myself in an endless void. Everything around me was dark and sinister, as if the world itself had been swallowed by darkness. I could barely see anything beyond the mists that surrounded me, save for distant howls that sent shivers down my spine.
Suddenly, the fog parted, and my eyes widened as I took in the sight before me. A massive wolf with auburn-colored fur stood, growling at a figure cloaked in darkness a few feet away. The figure—most likely a warlock—was covered in a vile purple aura that seemed to taint everything it touched.
I couldn’t see his face, but his presence alone felt like a cold, sharp blade pressed against my skin. It felt... like death.
Before I could blink, the wolf lunged forward with terrifying speed, its claws outstretched and jaws snapping in fury. The warlock responded by raising his hand, chants escaping his lips as dark energy began to ripple from his fingertips, blasting the wolf with powerful spells. Sparks of magic flew everywhere, and the ground beneath us trembled from the force of their battle.
The wolf refused to back down despite the barrage of attacks. It kept fighting, risking severe injuries as it launched itself at the warlock with brutal force, managing to land several vicious blows.
My body shook, as every strike and every spell seemed to vibrate through me as if I was somehow connected to this battle. Suddenly, pain unlike anything I had ever experienced coursed through my body, causing me to stumble backward.
What is happening? Why did I feel pain all of a sudden?
I tried to steady myself, but my legs refused to cooperate. My bones felt as though they were splintering, breaking apart, making the pain even more unbearable. I clutched my chest, gasping for air, trying to figure out why I was in this much pain in the first place.
Then, out of nowhere, I felt a presence behind me.
Before I could react, something cold and unforgiving clamped down on my throat. It was a hand, and by the looks of things, an extremely strong one at that.
The hand jerked me up from the ground, lifting me as though I weighed nothing at all. I kicked and thrashed wildly, trying to free myself as I struggled to breathe. My vision started to blur, and panic set in, making me claw at the hand gripping my neck in desperation.
I managed to look down, catching a glimpse of my assailant, and my heart sank.
Draven.
I blinked again, and he was still there, gazing at me with crimson eyes. It was really him, the very man who had torn my life apart. His crimson eyes bore into mine, devoid of any sympathy, and his lips curled into a dangerous smirk as his grip tightened.
"Dr...aven!" I gasped, spitting his name from my lips like poison. Hatred welled up inside me, so potent that it threatened to overwhelm every ounce of fear I had previously felt. "You bastard!"
I struggled even harder against his grip, my nails digging into his skin, but it felt like I was scratching stone. My strength was nothing compared to his; it never was. I had been wolfless for as long as I could remember. Weakness was something I was all too familiar with.
He locked his eyes on mine, unfeeling as he savored every moment of my torment.
"Scream, little mouse. Let me hear you scream! Show me your fear!" His smirk widened into a maniacal grin. The pressure on my throat increased, and spots began to dance in front of my eyes. My chest burned as the air was forced from my lungs, and I felt myself sinking deeper and deeper into darkness.
"I will kill you. I swear to the moon goddess... Draven... I will kill you." I managed those words even as my vision faded.
Just as I was about to pass out, everything around me began to crumble. The dark landscape, the warlock, the wolf—everything shattered like broken glass, and I found myself free-falling through a black void.
******
I gasped awake, feeling the not-so-soft bed beneath me. My heart was pounding erratically in my chest, like I had just finished a 10-kilometer run, and my breaths were coming in ragged gulps.
For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. The terrifying image of Draven’s crimson eyes still haunted me, his laughter echoing in my ears.
Shaking my head, reality began to piece itself together. My eyes widened as the first thing I became aware of was a pair of stormy gray eyes staring down at me. I froze under the intensity of that gaze, my mind taking a second too long to catch up with what I was seeing.
Alpha Kaidon.
What was he doing here? It was a really good question because, of all the people to wake up to, I never expected it to be him—the cursed alpha who didn’t even acknowledge me, wanting me gone from his castle by tomorrow.
Strangely, his hand was on my head, and to further my shock, I felt a strange tingling sensation spreading from his touch. Sparks erupted where his fingers brushed my skin, soothing my frightened nerves. It was something I had never experienced before—calming and... magical.
We stayed there, locked in an awkward silence. His hand lingered for a moment longer before Kaidon’s brows furrowed slightly, and he pulled his hand back, as if the contact had disturbed him. The sparks vanished with it, and for reasons I couldn’t explain, I found myself yearning for them. It was like being thrown back into cold emptiness.
I forced myself not to react, watching him as he stood up. His expression hardened, and he glared at me with those gray eyes that sent shivers down my spine. Oh, what I would give to know what this man was thinking right now, and more importantly, why he was in my room in the first place.
I forced myself to meet his gaze, trying to maintain my steeze and composure; however, inwardly, I was an emotional mess, shaken by the nightmare and the strange sensation Kaidon’s touch had left behind. What was that, though?
“What happened?” Kaidon demanded with a cold voice.
What sort of... bossiness was this? He was in my room without permission, with his hand on my forehead. The least he could have done was explain why he was here, right?
“I’m waiting,” Kaidon raised an eyebrow in annoyance.
Screw you. I cursed him, inwardly of course. My hand reached for my throat as the nightmarish scene came flooding back. The wolf, the warlock, and... Draven.
“I... don’t know. It was just a nightmare, I guess.”
“A nightmare?” Kaidon’s brows raised slightly.
“Yes, a nightmare,” I replied, trying to sound more composed this time.
He stared at me for a long moment, as if he were searching for something. His gaze was unnerving, and I had to fight the instinct to look away.
After what felt like an eternity, he turned his back to me, walking out of the room. “Nightmares are for the weak. If you have any demons, you’d better learn to face them without crumbling like a child.”
I flinched at his harsh words... but he was right in a sense. My demon, in this case, was Draven, and I had already sworn that I would have his head. By hook or by crook.
“Wait!” I called out to Kaidon, making him stop in his tracks.
“What is it?” He looked over his shoulder, his voice tinged with impatience.
“I want to talk to you about something.” Taking a deep breath, I got up from the bed and walked toward him.