Disturbing Dreams
Emmalee
"Emmalee," Sybille says as she rushes after me. "Calm down. You won't want to—"
I barge my way inside Fang's office, shouldering past the people standing in my way, not caring that I might be hurting people or being overly hostile.
Sasha, who's standing right next to Fang's desk, whips her head around to fix me a look as if sensing my approach. I don't stop. I keep going and halt when I'm a few feet away from her.
"Emmalee," Fang begins, "what—"
My hand stings after slapping Sasha across the face. A collective gasp is heard around the room and I hear her people stepping forward but I couldn't care less. This bitch tried to have me killed in the worst possible way; a slap is the lightest punishment she could be given.
"Stand down," she commands, raising a hand, her glittering eyes on my face while her cheek grows red.
"You fucking bitch," I spit, unable to control myself. "You tried to have me killed. You had your men throw me into that pool like some rabid animal. You're shameless!"
The room's silent and the tension's palpable. I step even closer to her and grit out, "Do you really think that I'll ever let you see him?"
"I'm not ashamed of what I did," she proclaims. I could punch her for even uttering such absurdities. "If you think your words will have any effect on me, I suggest you save your breath. I'll never stop fighting for him. I don't care if I have to kill you to get what I want."
"You're delusional!" I exclaim. "Do you really think that fighting dirty and killing people is going to get you the love you think you deserve?"
"All's fair in love and war," is her answer.
I scoff. "Give me a break and be original for once. Spewing out this kind of nonsense isn't going to help you justify what you've done. There's such a thing as cowardice, and that's exactly what you are!"
"You can say what you want but you'll never know what it's like to find your true mate. Maybe if you do someday, you'll understand. You'll know why I have to fight for him. Why I love him. You're mistaken, Emmalee. There's nothing cowardly about fighting tooth and nail for something that's rightfully yours."
"Romain isn't yours and never will be!" I burst out, my fists balling at my sides once more before I remember that Fang is in the room with us.
I cut him a look. He's watching us with an amused look in his eyes. "Aren't you going to do something? This is your pack and Romain is your son! He's only dying on that bed because of her. The effort it took to save me did that to him. Can't you see that?"
"This isn't a pack," he corrects me, choosing to ignore everything else. "We're a group. And I already mentioned that this conflict of yours has nothing to do with me. Sasha and her mother are still our allies."
I shake my head at him, disgusted. "You take pleasure in being an instigator of conflict, don't you? This is all a game to you!"
"I'm an old man, my darling Dravensworth," he claims, sipping the drink in his hand. "Instigating is my only diversion."
Looking away from me, I settle my gaze on Sasha, who looks way too smug for my liking. "You're not going to see Romain. Stay under this mountain as long as you want but if you try to go anywhere near him, I'll stop you."
Sasha closes the distance between us, anger blazing in her eyes. "And how are you going to do that? Hm? You'll fight me."
"If necessary, I'll kill you."
"Enough, enough," Fang says, rising from his seat. "You're awakening my blood thirst with all these threats. I reformed ages ago. Sasha, a minute, please. Emmalee, I think it's best if you check on Romain."
I whip my head in his direction to glare at him. "You don't tell me what to do. Fucking coward!"
I storm away from him—from all of them—rage rushing through my veins and making me feel unbearably hot. I find Sybille seated next to him—she changed her mind halfway through following me and decided to stay with him so nobody would steal him while we were away—and she appeared to be saying something before I entered and interrupted her.
Rising, she asks, "What happened?"
"Your father's the worst person I've ever met in my entire life!" I rage. "What's his problem? What's his goal, after all? He said she's welcome to stay. Said this has nothing to do with him when she contributed to Romain's debilitated state!"
Sybille presses her lips together and momentarily looks at Romain before her eyes return to me. "I don't know, Emmalee. I wish I had the answers you're after."
"Has he always been like this?"
"No," she admits. "Something about this war has changed him. The impression I had of my father was that of a dominant man. A true, self-sacrificing leader. There's not a single thing he wouldn't do for the cause. For us."
"Why then is he letting that bitch do this? Why's he giving her so much power?"
"I don't know," she admits. "I'll go talk to him again. Stay here. We can't leave him alone for a second as there's no predicting what Sasha would do."
"I'll stay," I claim as I take my seat next to him. Goddess, I'm so desperate for him to wake up. What wouldn't I give to hear his voice and feel his eyes on mine?
Why do our happy moments always have to be cut so short?
Will we ever have the happily ever after we've wanted since we fell in love?
"Romain," I say his name before bringing his hand up to my lips. I hold onto him, refusing to let go. Tears cascade down my cheeks.
Now I have to worry about that woman wanting to see him. My blood's singing in my veins and I fear losing control of my anger and doing something stupid.
Like repaying the favor Sasha would've given me if she'd had her way.
I never thought I'd hate anyone more than I do Soren.
I lie in bed next to him, kissing his cheek. I do this every night—sitting beside him during the day and sleeping alongside him at night.
Like I said, I refuse to leave his side.
I close my eyes and it doesn't take me long to drift off to sleep. I'm just starting to dream—the usual dream I have. Running through the garden while the house is on fire and Romain is nowhere to be found. That's the part that haunts me more—not finding him. In my dream, I go around and around in circles and he's never there. It's crushing.
I wake up to someone touching me. My face, to be precise. Slowly, I open my eyes, and in the dark, I see someone hovering over me.
A strangled cry leaves my throat before he whispers my name. Then, I burst out, "Romain?"
He's awake.