Kamrynn's POV
"It didn't stop there," Tiona said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The Black Stalker didn't just take their souls-it used them to spread its poison. The affected villagers would stand in the doorways of their homes at night, calling to others with those dead, hollow voices. And those who answered... well, they joined the ranks of the soulless by morning."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with dread.
"It spread like wildfire," Tiona said, her voice trembling for effect. "By the time the remaining villagers realized what was happening, it was too late. The Stalker had seeped into the very foundation of their lives. And then, one night, it disappeared."
"Disappeared?" another voice asked, trembling. "Just like that?"
Tiona nodded slowly, her eyes glinting in the firelight. "When the sun rose, the village was empty. No bodies. No signs of struggle. Just the faint, lingering echoes of whispers in the wind. Whispers that promised... it would return."
Her voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "Some say it moves from place to place, waiting for nights like this, looking for its next victims. It doesn't need claws or teeth. It doesn't need violence. All it needs is for you to listen."
The fire snapped loudly, sending a flurry of sparks into the air, and several people flinched, their eyes darting toward the darkness.
"Shhh," Tiona hissed, her voice almost inaudible. "Do you hear that?"
A tense silence fell over the crowd, everyone holding their breath. The wind whistled softly through the trees, but to me, it felt as if the very air had turned sinister.
"Be careful," Tiona warned, her voice like a ghostly echo. "Once the Stalker knows your name, there's no escaping it."
The silence after her story was deafening. No one dared to move, as if the smallest sound would summon the very thing she'd described. The bonfire crackled ominously, and I felt a shiver run down my spine, the eerie weight of the tale lingering far too long.
The story settled over me like a weight, the dread thick and suffocating. A sharp image suddenly flashed through my mind-blood splattered against walls, guts and entrails spilling across the ground, and lifeless faces staring into the void.
I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth as the distorted vision gripped me. It was hazy and fragmented, like a memory seen through broken glass, but the faces were unmistakable.
Alpha Orion.
Rmonica.
Their lifeless eyes stared back at me, their bodies mangled and torn beyond recognition.
The fear was overwhelming, paralyzing me as the fragments of the nightmare tore through me with merciless precision. My breath hitched, and my fingers dug into the fabric of my sweater. The overwhelming sense of helplessness from the dream surged back, leaving me trembling.
"Kamrynn, are you okay?" Amara's voice broke through the haze, but I couldn't answer. My teeth chattered as an inexplicable coldness washed over me though the fire blazed only a couple of feet away.
Something warm suddenly draped over my shoulders, and I turned to see Kyven standing behind me, wrapping a thick blanket around me.
"You're shivering," he said, his voice softer than I expected. "Here. You look like you need this more than I do."
I blinked at him, startled. "Thank you," I said quietly, my words fumbling over each other.
He smiled faintly, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "I couldn't let you sit here turning into an icicle. And..." His tone softened. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. For what I said yesterday."
I blinked, too stunned to respond.
"I shouldn't have said those things," he continued, straightening up. "You didn't deserve it."
Before I could respond, he was already gone, slipping back into the crowd as if the exchange hadn't happened.
I stared after him, my throat dry and my heart still racing. What was happening to me? Why do I keep getting these horrifying flashes and why does the nightmare feel like more than just a bad dream?
I clenched the blanket tightly around me, the terror from the vision still lingering in my chest. Whatever was coming, it wasn't good.
"Kamrynn, are you sure you're alright? You don't need a doctor?" Amara's worried voice pulled me back from my thoughts.
"No, I'm fine. Thanks. The story just spooked me out a lot. I just need a few minutes."
With that , I excused myself and made my way to the open bar for a glass of water. The cool liquid was a welcome relief to my parched throat.
As I sipped, movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. Alpha Draven.
He slipped into the courtyard quietly, just as he had the night before. Instead of taking his designated seat among the Alphas, he lingered near the edge of the crowd, his expression unreadable as he listened to Luna Rielle begin another chilling tale.
Something about him set my nerves on edge. My instincts screamed that something was off, and this time, I was determined to find out what.
Minutes later, he turned and headed back into the palace.
I hesitated only briefly before following him.
Despite my heavily pregnant state, I moved as quietly as possible, keeping to the shadows and staying just out of sight. Alpha Draven paused at the entrance to his room, glancing around to ensure he was alone before disappearing inside.
Heart racing, I crept to the door, pressing my ear against the wood. Taking a deep breath, I activated my enhanced hearing.
The sound of his voice drifted through the door, low and urgent. He was on the phone.
Who was he talking to?
And what was he planning?
The questions lingered in my mind as I listened closely. What I heard made my blood run cold. My hand flew to my mouth, stifling a gasp as my heart thundered in my chest…