Chapter 131 Miss me
Chapter 131: Miss me
Milo's POV
(The dream)
I was drowning in darkness.
No, not drowning. I was floating, like I was underwater but could still breathe. Drifting between different weird and confusing dreams.
The sky was dark, not night black, but the type of darkness that felt so wrong.
I found myself in a field. Or what was once a field… because now it was nothing like a normal field. The grass was red, red like human blood soaked the ground. Mangled bodies and corps of warriors decorate the red soaked ground.
I gasped,
I was in the middle of war. I looked around me and saw people running around the helter shelter. I knew them, mothers with their babies, homeless children, and even warriors from the once mighty Damon's pack.
They were all screaming and running away from something.
But who??
Booom!!
A powerful explosion that erupted immediately answered my question.
A wolf, no not any normal wolf.
This wolf was huge. Bigger than a house. Its fur was red furry in color, as if it was on fire, but then seeing the wolf roar and the fire increase in intensity, I knew that the fire was part of the wolf.
A fire wolf!!
It moved through the crowd of running civilians and warriors like death itself. Every step left behind charred bodies. Every breath was someone's last.
"Stop!" I tried to scream, but no sound came out.
The wolf kept killing. Kept destroying
Buildings fell. The sturdy palace that was carved of stones finally crumbled. I watched as the once prosperous pack was consumed by fire, everything turning into ash and dust.
Then I saw him. Damon.
He stood in the middle of it all, covered in blood. But he wasn't fighting the white wolf. He knelt there. Watching. Like he had given up already..
"Damon!" My heart lurched forward. I tried to run to him, but my feet wouldn't move.
The red beast saw him too. It turned its massive head toward him.
Damon didn't run. Didn't fight. He just opened his arms wide in surrender.
"Do it," he said to the wolf. "End this."
My eyes widened. "NO!"
The wolf lunged. Its teeth went for Damon's throat.
But then something strange happened.
The wolf stopped. Right in front of Damon. Like it hit an invisible wall.
It turned its head. Looking right at me.
Those red eyes burned into my soul.
Then the wolf smiled. Wolves don't smile, but this one did.
"You did this," it said. Its voice was deep and barely sounding human. "This is your fault."
"What? No, I didn't…"
"Look closer, watch as the world burns under your palms."
The wolf's face started to change. The red fur faded. The features shifted…
It was me.
The giant wolf destroying erything, killing everyone.
It was me.
"This is what you become," the wolf-me said. "A beast!!..."
It raised his hands, sharp claws glimmering wickedly…
“Noooo!!”
I wanted to run to it. To stop it. But the dream was breaking apart. Like glass shattering into pieces…
"Remember," the wolf-me said as its claws slashed down. "Remember what you are."
“Noo!”
woke up with a gasp.
The first thing I noticed was that everything was loud. Too loud. My eardrum threatened to burst from the explosions and shouts that were going on around me.
I could hear someone's heartbeat from across the room. I could hear mice in the walls.
My nose was going crazy too. I could smell everything all at once. The smell of medicine. A metallic scent continues to irritate my nose, but all this was not comparable to the amount of pain that was running through my body.
My whole body hurts. My head felt like someone had hit it with a hammer.
Where was I?
I tried to open my eyes, but the light was too bright. I slammed my eyelids shut immediately, a groan escaped my mouth.
I heard a hasp from the owner of the heartbeat I have heard before, followed by the sound of someone running.
"Milo!You're awake! Thank the Goddess!"
I knew that voice. Female, it was Familiar.
“Daphne" I croaked. My throat felt like sand.
"Yes milo, it's me.”
She leaned over, but I flinched back. She smelled too strong. Like herbs and worry and something else I couldn't name.
"It's okay," she said gently, stopping a few feet away. "Your senses are stronger now. It's normal after the first shift."
First shift... like a light bulb, the memories came flooding back.
The death match. The evil voice in my head telling me to kill. My bones are breaking and reforming at the same time. Turning into a wolf. Attacking Selene.
Attacking Damon…
"Oh god!!” I whispered, "I... I attacked him. I tried to kill him."
"You weren't yourself," Daphne said quickly. "You were poisoned. Someone gave you Lunaris Draught."
"Poisoned?" I tried sitting up. Daphne lended me a hand. My head spun for a moment. "Who would..."
An explosion outside cut me off. The building shook. Dust fell from the ceiling.
"What was that?" I asked.
Daphne's face went pale. "The Righteous Pack. They're attacking us now."
"What? Why?"
She sat down next to me, careful not to touch me. "They have always hated us. They think we're evil because we don't follow the Council's rules. But to attack during the blood moon festival that's three days to come..." She shook her head. "It's madness."
Another explosion came. This time closer.
"Where's Damon?" I asked, even though I already knew where he might be.
"Fighting, Leading the defense." Daphne's voice was tight. "He didn't want to leave you, but..."
"But he's the Alpha," I finished. "He had to go."
Of course he did. The pack needs him.
I tried to stand, but my legs were shaky. Everything felt different. Stronger but also unstable. Like I had too much power and didn't know how to use it.
"You need to rest," Daphne said. "The poison is mostly gone, but your body is still adjusting to its first shift. Your wolf is affected also. It might take a while before he replies to you."
Daphne answered the silence question that had been in my head all this time.
"The voice," I said suddenly. "There was a voice in my head. Dark and cruel. Is it...?"
"Gone," Daphne confirmed. "That was the poison talking. Making you hear things. Feel things that weren't real."
Relief washed over me. The voice was gone. That horrible, evil voice that wanted me to hurt people.
The evil made me hurt Damon.
My mood turned bitter remembering that episode. “Hope everyone is okay?” I asked again, worry written all across my face.
"Yes." Daphne smiled softly. “Thankfully Damon was able to get to you, before it became late.”
She was still smiling… I raised my eyebrows.
“Your wolf, a red fiery wolf…”
"That's rare," she continued. "The Ashbourne wolves are special. They say they're blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."
I snorted. "Blessed? I nearly killed his sister."
"Who was trying to kill you," Daphne reminded me. "She challenged you to a death match, remember?"
I did remember. But it still felt wrong. Selene was Damon's sister. No matter what she'd done, she was still family to Damon, my master.
"Speaking of family," Daphne said carefully. "There's something else you should know. About the Council."
"What about them?"
"Words going around us that they have a new leader. A queen, they're calling her. No one knows who she is, but they say she's incredibly powerful. Maybe even as strong as a True Alpha."
A chill ran down my spine. "A True Alpha."
“Yes, it's another hidden rank above the alpha. There have only been four recorded true alpha since time memorial.”
MY eyes widened at her words. If they were only four true alphas that have ever lived, that shows how rare it is.
"Well, it doesn't matter right now. What matters is getting you somewhere safer…"
"Safe? I'm in the palace. Where could it be safer?"
Daphne bit her lip. "Milo, the attack outside... It's not random. The timing is too perfect. Right after the death match, when everyone is distracted and divided. Someone planned this."
"You think there's a traitor?"
"I think there's more going on than we know," she said carefully.
Another explosion. This one shook the whole building. Books fell off shelves. Glass bottles shattered.
"That was really close," I whispered.
Daphne stood up. "Too close. We need to move you."
"I can fight," I said, trying to stand again. "I have a wolf now. I can help."
"No." Her voice was firm. "You're still weak from the poison. And your wolf will be useless for a while. Live with it.
She was right. I hated it, but she was right.
"Besides," she added, "Damon would kill me if I let anything happen to you."
The way she said it made my heart skip. Like I was important. Like I mattered.
"Why does he care so much?" I asked quietly.
Daphne looked at me strangely. "You really don't know?"
"Know what?"
She opened her mouth to answer, but then we heard it. Fighting. Right outside the door.
"Get behind me," Daphne ordered, moving between me and the door.
"Daphne, you're a healer, not a fighter…"
"I am many things," she said, and something in her voice had changed. Gotten harder… if not Scarier.
The fighting outside got louder. I could hear the sound of swords clashing. Growls and snarls.
Then, silence.
That was worse than the noise.
"Daphne," I whispered.
"Shh." She pulled something from her pocket. A knife. Where did sweet, gentle Daphne get a knife like that?
The door handle turned slowly.
My heart was pounding so hard I was sure whoever was outside could hear it.
The door creaked open.
And a figure stepped inside, covered in blood.
My heart almost jumped out of my mouth.
"Hello, ladies," the predator said, smiling like a snake. "Miss me?"
My eyes immediately went to his hand, or rather what he was holding.
My eyes widened, deep fear ran through my body like electricity.
A head of someone??
At the same time Daphne whispered,
“Cornelius!!!”