Chapter 182: Rhys
I stared at my mate as she slept. She had barely stirred in the last 5 hours. We had gotten back to the room, and she hadn’t so much as opened her eyes since I laid her down in our bed. I had showered, and cleaned her up, but she was sound asleep. I don’t think I had ever seen her sleep so well. She was normally a fairly light sleeper. I worried that maybe I had pushed her too far. Maybe my punishment had been too much. She hadn’t asked me to stop, but would she? If it was too much, would she have asked? Would I have listened?
I shook my head. Of course I would have listened. But I hadn’t been thinking about her trauma. I had only thought about how much fun I would have making her body react to me. I loved the way her body reacted to me. But maybe I went too far...
I gently ran my fingers down her hairline, and she smiled slightly in her sleep. Goddess, I could watch her sleep forever. She looked so at ease and peaceful. I wished that I could bring that same sort of peace to her reality... I would work toward it till I could. She deserved a life of peace. Even if that meant I stepped away from being Alpha King. At the moment, the seemed to be the only way to keep her safe in any regard, and if it came down to it, I would walk away from it all.
I closed my eyes pulled her closer to me. As much as I loved watching her sleep, morning was already fast approaching as if it was going to be anything like the last few days, I needed my rest. At best I was only going to get a few hours of sleep, but I was having trouble not worrying about my precious mate.
Every thought I had revolved around her. Everything happening in our lives, also revolved around her. The whole Lycan pack at war with us because we have Grace, though I think they were trying to overthrow me, even before I took Grace from them. Maybe they even had a plan of how to use Grace against me. I wondered if they actually would have. They feared her power. So far, I knew she could throw people off of her and heal others. Did she have more hidden superpowers? Would her Lycan eventually make an appearance? Or would her Lycan just continue to stay dormant, just granting her powers when she needed them?
I remembered the children’s story that Leon had found.
The Alpha’s Choice
Once upon a time there was an Alpha, whose mate was special.
She had magic in her veins, and they all feared her.
She could rain blood on them and turn the sky dark with only a flick of her hand.
She was kind, but the world made her cruel.
The Alpha had to choose whether to save her or his pack.
The prophecies told of greatness in their reign,
But the Alpha broke her instead,
And the Alpha’s choice was made.
I had memorized it. I had read it so many times now, I kept hoping it would change. But it never did. Was this actually a warning or was I reading too much into it? I was determined to not be the reason my Grace broke, but I wasn’t sure it was that easy. This poem could be about anyone... And I had yet to see Grace rain blood or turn the sky dark with a flick of her hand, but she was still powerful... She was kind too and had every reason to be cruel. As far as I knew, there were no prophesies about us, but maybe... Maybe I was looking in the wrong places. I had to be smarter.
Think Rhys. Think.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax. I wasn’t getting anywhere like this. I needed to sleep so I would be at my best for Grace. I would not let her down like the prophecy said I would.
I fell into a fitful sleep, still thinking about how I wouldn’t betray Grace. She was in my dreams. To be fair though, she was always in my dreams.
I was standing in the tree line as she waltzed through the meadow. She was stunning. Her blonde hair was pulled into a long braid down her back. I couldn’t see her face, but she was practically glowing. The light made her look golden. She was wearing a simple dress that was knee length with spaghetti straps. It was blue. Blue was definitely her color. And her scars, they stood out more than usual, but they only added to her beauty. This was the healthiest I had ever seen her. My heart fluttered at the sight of her. She was perfect in every way.
Another woman approached her, seemingly out of nowhere. I looked around to see if there was anyone else lurking around, but there was nothing... Grace didn’t show fear, but I inched my way closer to them, sticking to the shadows when I could but the meadow had little protection. The woman was older, but still very beautiful. She had dirty blonde hair that was braided in a crown around her head. She wore a long white dress that flowed in the gentle breeze, and she was tall for the average woman.
“Hello, my dear,” The woman said.
I couldn’t see Grace’s face still, but I could feel her curiosity. Interesting. I had never felt the bond in a dream before.
“You’re her, aren’t you?” Grace asked.
“I am.” The woman smiled gently at Grace. Her smile may have been gentle, but power oozed off her. “Welcome to the land of the Gods.”
I held in a gasp. I wasn’t ready to make myself known yet. This was weird. It felt… real.
But that was crazy. It was just a super vivid dream, right? It had to be. There was no way that this is real. But it felt real… I could feel the sun on my skin and the wind in my hair.
The woman looked past Grace with a smile and made direct eye contact with me. I froze. A part of me felt like I wasn’t supposed to be here.
“Well, come on then, don’t waste the little time we have,” The woman gestured for me to come closer, and Grace turned to look, her eyes meeting mine. Her little gasp making my world spin a little.
Her face displayed her confusion for the world to see, and when she finally found her voice she asked, “What are you doing here, Rhys?”