We drove past the last checkpoint before our pack, and I could feel something was not right. My wolf was anxious and restless. She was not like her usual self, and this made me more nervous. I tried to reach her, but she didn’t say anything.
“What happened?” Reed asked, seeing my expressions. He also looked anxious but tried not to show it on the surface.
“I don’t know; something is off,” I said, and as soon the words escaped my lips, something hit our windshield. Reed turned the steering wheel so fast our car lost balance and toppled several times before hitting a large tree.
It happened so fast. One minute we were driving on the road, and the next, we were hit by the tree alongside the road. My ears rang like someone had put them near a thousand bells. I tried to concentrate on my surroundings before everything settled in my head.
“Reed?” I asked lowly. I tried to move and turn to see where he was, but it was like the whole car was upside down, and its weight was resisting my movements.
“REED,” I shouted with all the energy I had. Soon, the car moved, and I tried again. This time, I lifted my head out from the broken door but still couldn’t move.
“Esma, are you alright?” I heard his voice, broken and filled with concern. Thank god, he was alright.
“Yes, yes, yes. Please take me out,” I said desperately. The car turned again, and this time I turned and opened my seat belt. I quickly moved out of the door, and Reed’s strong arms pulled me in his tight hold.
“Oh god, Emmy. I was shit scared,” he said and kissed me as if trying to assure himself I was fine. I kissed him with the same desire. I was equally scared.
We broke the kiss soon, and he turned his attention to my hand, which was healing very fast. He kissed my knuckles and looked for more injuries. Luckily the seat belts saved us. His head was already healed, and there was a faint scar by now.
After he was totally assured I was fine, he finally looked in the direction from which something was thrown at our car and soon turned his gaze to the car. There was a letter wrapped in the stone.
His jaw ticked, and anger was evident in his eyes. We both know to whom the letter belonged. Reed picked the letter without any delay and opened it.
Our lovely couple,
The time limit we gave you has been expired, and we are sorry to break it to you, but now the whole werewolf community has to suffer because of you. We are giving you one last chance. Take over us, Esma. Or better, do what Reed promised years ago.
The Oracle.
Reed’s face worsened if possible, and I could feel the strong waves of anger leaking through the mate bond.
He clutched the letter in his hand and looked in the direction of woods. The letter caught fire, but it didn’t affect him. He kept looking in the same direction.
“What the fuck Reed, let go of this,” I said and tried to snatch the letter from his death hold. The letter burned to ashes. This time Reed looked in my direction, and his eyes were pitch black. All the black ate out the white of his eyes; his irises were not visible, and only then did I notice he had blocked me. He had blocked me from knowing his emotions.
He closed his eyes several times before finally walking away from me. He picked up the phone from the other side of the car and tried to switch it on.
“Hello, Asher.” His voice was rougher and already on edge. It was like his whole persona changed. The Reed I was driving with was gone. He was…he was someone else, the one I first met.
“Yes, we had a little accident, our car is damaged. Yes, we both are fine. Picked us from the way; we are taking the road. Yeah.” Reed hung the phone and turned to look at me. His eyes lingered on my bare flesh, my dress was half torn, and my cleavage was visible.
He quickly peeled his jacket off and wrapped it over me. “Asher is on the way. Sit here.” He gestured to the large rock alongside the road.
I complied silently, but there was a storm brewing inside me. What happened to him every time he listened to the name of the Oracle?
He had sensed my hesitation because he soon pulled me into his arms so that I was sitting on his lap, my head on his chest. I could hear his racing heartbeats. Every beat inside his chest was proof itself that he had a heart, the one he denied the presence of.
“I was so scared,” he said finally, and I peered up to look into his eyes. They were back to blue, the most beautiful contrast.
“Me too,” I muttered and put my head again on his chest. The rhythmic sound of his heart somehow had a calming effect on me.
“I will never let anything happen to you,” he said, and I felt his heart agreeing with him.
“And I you.” I surprised myself with the words. We both were bonded like we knew each other forever. For what thing was more fragile than the human heart.
“Do you think it was Hecate?” I asked, checking the water. His heartbeat quickened, and I already got my answer, but I wanted to hear it from his mouth.
“Yes. I guess it was Hecate but can’t tell surely,” he said, and we heard the sound of a car approaching us. The car soon stopped, and Asher emerged from the car. The first thing his eyes landed on was our destroyed car. Reed and Asher looked at each other for one long minute before Asher nodded and opened the passenger door for Reed and me. He quickly sat in the driver's seat and drove us back to the pack house.
Diana was the first one who met us at the house, and worried was not even the word to start with what I saw on her face. She looked horrified.
“What the fuck, Emmy. I told you…” I stopped her midway by embracing her in a tight hug. Reed and Asher were already gone for further discussion.
“Let’s talk inside,” I said, and she nodded.
We walked towards our room, and Diana locked the door behind me as soon as she was sure we were alone. She quickly checked my injuries which were healed, and made me sit on the bed.
She dragged the chair and sat opposite me. “You looked like hell. Literally,” she commented after rubbing the dried blood from my face. I glanced in the mirror, and it was like I saw a ghost.
Diana’s makeup and my blood had made me look like a full-fledged zombie. She wiped the blood with wet cotton and did the same with my hands.
“I am fine, Diana,” I said after she was done cleaning me. She put the cotton in the dustbin and looked at me like she was unsure if I was sitting in front of her.
“So, did I survive the apocalypse?” I asked, jokingly trying to lighten the mood. She didn’t look pleased but sat beside me.
“This was nothing in comparison to what I saw in your vision. Actually, I had not seen this coming, or I would have never let you go out with Reed.”
“Where’s Mom?” I asked, noticing I had not seen her all day long. “Did she not return yet?” Diana shook her head in denial.
“Dee. When you said you had seen my death. What exactly did you see?” I asked lowly so that only she could hear. I could not risk it to be heard by August, or worse, Reed.
Diana paled as if she was even scared to remember it. She was visibly shivering, and I put my hands on her shoulders, trying to relax her. “Hey, it’s okay, you can tell me. I am here with you,” I said and patted her shoulder. Anyways, it was my death she saw in the first place.
She lifted her head to look at me, and they were empty, like a void. She looked sideways to assure nobody was listening and leaned forward.
“I saw you lying on the ground, drenched in your own blood; your eyes were lifeless and void, and your body was as cold as ice. And standing beside you was one hooded figure carrying the blade of Zydus in his one hand.”
My heart stopped in fear of making any noise.
I hadn't asked for so many details.