Chapter 189: Fright

Pandora's POV

The forest was dark, a labyrinth of towering trees that seemed to close in around me as I ran. Rolan's screams pierced the air, echoing from every direction.

My heart pounded in my chest, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I sprinted through the underbrush, desperate to find him.

"Rolan!" I shouted, but my voice seemed to be swallowed by the darkness.

His screams grew louder, more agonized, and I felt a rising panic. Where was he? Why couldn't I find him? I stumbled over twisted roots and low-hanging branches, my feet moving faster than my mind could process.

Every shadow seemed alive, every sound magnified in the oppressive stillness of the forest. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, but beneath it lingered something else, something metallic, blood.

Suddenly, movement to my right caught my attention. I turned, my heart leaping into my throat. Ashley was running toward me, her eyes wide with terror, her hand clutching the hilt of a knife that was lodged deep in her chest. Blood soaked her clothes, and she reached out for me, gasping my name.

"Pandora… help…"

I froze, fear rooting me to the spot. Ashley's hand stretched toward me, her fingers trembling, her face contorted in pain. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.

Then, with a sudden burst of panic, I turned and ran.

I didn't want to see her like that, I didn't want to face the reality of what was happening. But as I fled, something heavy and solid caught my foot, sending me sprawling to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and I gasped for air as I looked down at what had tripped me.

A scream tore from my throat as I realized I was lying on top of Kiara's dismembered body. Her limbs were scattered around her, her once vibrant eyes now lifeless and staring into the void. Blood pooled beneath her, dark and thick, soaking into the forest floor.

I scrambled backward, choking on my own terror, but everywhere I turned, the nightmare followed. Wilson's headless body was impaled on a nearby pine, his blood dripping from the branches like morbid raindrops. And Caleb, his lower body was completely torn off, his torso lying in a twisted heap not far from where I knelt.

I screamed again, louder this time, my voice raw with horror. The world spun around me, the grotesque images blurring together in a sickening whirlwind.

"Pandora!"

I jolted awake, gasping for breath, my body drenched in sweat. My hands were shaking, my chest tight as if I'd been running for miles. Rolan was beside me, his hands gripping my shoulders, his eyes wide with concern.

"Pandora, it's okay," he said, his voice steady but laced with worry. "You're safe. It was just a dream."

I clung to him, my whole body trembling. "No," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "It wasn't just a dream, Rolan. It felt… real. Something's wrong. I can feel it."

Rolan pulled me closer, his arms wrapping around me protectively. "You're safe here," he murmured, brushing his hand through my hair. "I'm here, and nothing is going to hurt you. It was just a nightmare."

His reassurances did little to calm the terror that still gripped me. I could still see Kiara's body and still smell the blood in the air. My mind couldn't shake the feeling that the dream was more than just a trick of my subconscious. It had been too vivid, too visceral.

Before I could say more, the door to our room burst open, and several guards rushed in, swords drawn, their faces tense. They must have heard my scream.

Rolan stood up, still keeping a hand on my shoulder as he addressed them. "It's all right," he said firmly. "The Luna had a bad dream. I'm taking care of it."

The guards hesitated, glancing between us before nodding and sheathing their swords. "Our apologies, Alpha," one of them said before they quickly exited the room, closing the door behind them.

Rolan turned back to me, his face softening. He reached for the glass of water on the nightstand and handed it to me. "Here, drink this. You need to calm down."

I took the water, my hands still shaking as I sipped it, but it didn't do much to settle the unease twisting in my gut. I set the glass down and looked at him, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Rolan, this isn't just stress," I said, my voice shaking. "That dream… I saw Ashley. I saw Kiara's body. Wilson and Caleb were all dead. Something is coming, something terrible. I can feel it."

Rolan sat down beside me, his expression serious now. He took my hand in his, his thumb rubbing small circles over my skin. "Pandora, you've been under a lot of pressure lately. The festival, the council meetings, everything has been weighing on you. It's understandable that your mind would manifest those fears in your dreams."

I shook my head. "No, it's more than that. I want the security around the pack house tripled. I don't care if it seems paranoid. Something is coming, Rolan. I can feel it in my bones."

He sighed softly, clearly not wanting to argue with me. "I'll talk to the guards," he said, his voice gentle. "We'll increase security, if that makes you feel safer. But Pandora, I don't want you to overexert yourself. You've been pushing yourself too hard."

I narrowed my eyes on him. "I'm going hunting with you later today."

His eyebrows shot up. "Pandora, I don't think..."

"I'm going," I cut him off, my voice firmer than I intended. "And that's final."

Rolan exhaled, looking at me carefully before nodding. "All right," he said quietly. "If that's what you want. But promise me you'll take it easy. No overexertion. You've been through enough."

I nodded, but the unease in my chest didn't fade. There was something more at play here, something that I couldn't quite grasp. The dream had felt too much like a warning, a glimpse into something dark and inevitable.

Rolan pulled me back into his arms, gently guiding me to lie down again. "Rest now," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head. "I'll be right here. Nothing is going to happen to you."