Chapter 43 (The Figure 2)

Chapter 43 (The Figure 2)
Kaelenya's pov

Kaelenya… wake up. Wake up. Open your eyes...Now!
A voice cut through the dream…loud and powerful. I woke with a jump, breathing so fast and loud . My whole body was trembling, as sweat ran down my neck, sticking on my shirt.
My heart banged so loud it felt like the whole room could hear it.I sat up fast, panting hard, gripping the sheets, as I tried to calm my nerves.

Just as I was trying to catch my breath, I noticed a dark shape standing at the foot of the bed. It moved really close to me, it's arms hung in the air, with it's fingers long and curled, aiming for my neck.My eyes opened wide, and my mouth opened but no sound came out. I tried to scream, but it felt like my throat was locked tight.

My hand shook as I fumbled for the lamp,on the table by my side. My fingers hit the switch really fast,the light came up, and the brightness flooded the room. And just like that,the figure vanished... disappeared.

I scrambled off the bed immediately, my feet slipped on the cold floor, and my legs felt heavy and weak all at once. My breath came hard and rough. My palms were wet with sweat, and the air around me felt really heavy.

I grabbed the door and ran out, the sound of the door banging was so loud that it startled the guard at the other end. The hallway narrowed around me, dark and tight.

“Luna? What’s wrong?” the guard asked.

“I…I need to see the Alpha,” I gasped. My heart beating really fast. “Now. Please. Take me to him.”

He hesitated, staring at my face, then nodded and led the way. First it was the figure from the garden, I whispered to myself as I walked behind him, and now this.I don't know what exactly I just saw, but I know I wasn't just imagining it, and if I didn't speak up now…I may be in danger.

At Roman’s chamber the guard knocked. “Alpha, the Luna wishes to see you.”

The door opened, and Roman stood there in loose black trousers, his eyes were sharp even in the late hour. He looked at me, then at the guard, and stepped aside. “What is it?” His voice was steady but edged.

I stepped inside, and the door closed. My eyes stared at every corner of the room. This was the first time I was inside his quarters. My hands trembled so hard I could barely speak. “Some...someone was in my room. I woke up and…there was a figure standing there. It..it tried to...” My throat tightened. “It tried to choke me.” I stammered.

Roman frowned,his eyes narrowing. “A figure?” He asked.

“Yes," I replied. "It was dark, and so close to my throat. It disappeared when I turned on the light."

His eyes swept over me, like he didn't believe a word I had said.

I shook my head violently, "I’m not imagining it, Alpha Roman. I swear.”

He studied me in silence, his gaze heavy on me. Then he exhaled slowly. “Kaelenya, no one can enter your chamber without the guards noticing. Perhaps it was a dream. Fear can sometimes make you...”

“It wasn’t a dream!” My voice cracked. “I saw it, it was there!”

“Enough,” he snapped, low and firm. “There was no one in your room. Go back to your room and rest.”

“But...”

“That is an order.Leave! Tomorrow I will call the chief priest.”

The guard opened the door, and Roman’s eyes stayed on me, cold and unreadable. I wanted to scream, to shake him until he understood, but the words stuck in my throat, as I turned and let the guard lead me back to my room.

Back in my room, I couldn't sleep. I sat on the bed with my back against the headboard, one hand over my stomach, gently caressing it. My only thought was to keep my baby safe.

Every sound in the hallway made me flinch, every flicker of shadow made my heart race. My eyes kept darting to the dark corner at the foot of the bed. Suddenly, the door creaked open, I flinched, grabbing the ornament on the table by my side.

As Janet walked in, I let out a deep breath and dropped the ornament.

"Luna," She called, walking closer to me. I'm so sorry I wasn't close by.

"It's fine,Janet." I replied, staring at her.

“I will stay with you till you feel better,” She said, taking a sit at the empty chair in front of her.

All through the night, she tried everything to make me relax. She brought warm tea and whispered soft words, but nothing calmed me. My heart kept racing,as I held my belly tighter and whispered silent prayers to the Moon Goddess until the sky outside the window turned pale.

By morning Roman summoned the chief priest. He came with a tall staff and a small pouch of herbs. His white robe brushed the floor as he moved. He circled the room slowly, muttering prayers under his breath, sprinkling ash into the corners, breathing the air as if he could taste danger.

At last he stopped and faced Roman. “The room is clean, there is no evil here.”

I stared at him. “No. I saw it, it was standing right there...” I pointed to the dark corner near the foot of the bed. “It tried to choke me!”

The priest shook his head. “Perhaps a shadow of the mind. The Luna is with child, and at this point, fear can take many forms.”

Roman nodded, his face calm and hard. “You see? Nothing is here.”

My lips trembled. “I’m not imagining things,” I whispered, mostly to myself.

Roman stepped closer. His voice stayed firm but not unkind. “Snap out of this nonsense, and rest.”

The priest bowed and left. Roman gave me one last look,it was unreadable, then followed him out.

I sat there trembling, staring at the place where the figure had been. Maybe it was in my head, I whispered. Maybe… I'm I seeing things? Oh goddess, is the same thing happening to Roman, beginning to happen to me too.

"I have to leave to the maid quarter Luna," Janet said, breaking my thoughts and standing at the door. "I will be back very soon."

I swallowed hard, and nodded. She smiled and walked away, leaving me to my silence and thoughts.

I was still sitting on the edge of the bed when the door creaked open again. Clarissa, the head maid, stepped inside. Her movements were slow and careful. “How do you feel?” she asked,standing in front of the door, with a basket of laundry.

I lifted my head. My eyes felt heavy, and my voice thin. “I… I don’t know.”

Clarissa closed the door behind her and came closer. “Still frightened?” She asked as she began folding the clothes.

I nodded and clutched the blanket tight around me. “I don’t know if I’m going crazy,” I said. “No one believes me. But I know what I saw...or maybe, it was all in my head.”

“You are not crazy,” she said softly, folding the last dress. “Trust your instincts...it is one thing that will never deceive you.”

I looked up, startled. "I don't know what to do.”

A small, cold smile touched her lips. “I will tell you one thing for sure. This pack, and the title you hold, isn't for the faint of heart. Here, it’s eat or be eaten. You decide which you want to be.”

Her eyes glinted in the dim light, as she leaned closer, her voice low, but serious. “And something else, Luna...trust nobody, not even your shadow. A shiny white surface can hide the darkest shadow.” She straightened up, and walked to the door. Before I could ask what she meant, she was already out of the room.

I sat there with my heart beating really fast, and Clarissa’s words echoing in my mind.I held my arms tight around myself, and looked at the corner where the figure had stood. Was this what the strange woman from the
market was talking about? I took a deep breath, and collapsed on the bed. Oh goddess help me.