Chapter 26 Trust no one
It seemed Rue's life was constantly in danger after the dream she had that first time.
And that dream, she was having it again.
She was back in that barren land, surrounded with thick, white fog. But this time, an invincible force held her against the ground.
She tried as hard as she could to break free, but it was futile. She was stuck.
"Hello!" She yelled, listening as her voice echoed eerily.
Whispers suddenly echoed around her, speaking in a strange language she couldn't understand.
They sounded close, but when she turned her head to the side, her eyes darting about, she found no one.
"Who's there?" She called out again, then after a second thought, called out the name of the white wolf that appeared to her the first time. "Xora?"
Still, no response came.
Suddenly black vines pushed out of the earth and wrapped around her. Terror seized her as she struggled, a ball of fear trapping the scream bubbling up her throat.
Then the whispers sounded closer, though still incoherent. Dark creatures appeared from the fog, crawling and slithering towards her.
"HELP!" Her voice rang out shrilly as the ball of fear in her throat dissolved.
Strangely enough, the creatures looked very much like the skinwalkers that attacked Eryndor days ago.
As they closed in on her, claws outstretched to strike her, the white wolf appeared.
"Xora!" Rue yelled, relief flooding her.
Xora landed beside her, opened her mouth, and a blinding white light exploded from it, obliterating the creatures who instantly turned to dust.
The black vines which were wrapped around her pulled away and disappeared into the earth. But when she tried to get up, the invisible force still held her down.
"What's happening?"
Xora turned and looked at her, her body slowly fading off.
\[They are beginning to suspect what you are.\] She said in a soft whisper that weaved through Rue's mind. \[But the time hasn't come for me to awaken. Your mate must mark you first.\]
Rue was confused. "I don't understand." She yelled. "What are you talking about?"
\[You must be careful, Rue. They know what you are. Trust no one.\]
"Who?" Rue yelled, but it was too late. Xora was gone. The fog turned thicker, and the earth opened up suddenly, sucking her in.
She jerked awake and sat up, realizing that it was all a dream. She was back in Thane's bedroom.
She frowned and looked down at her body. How did she get there?
The last thing she remembered was falling asleep. Then after that, darkness. It seemed a huge chunk of her memory was missing.
As she looked around the room, something felt different. She could smell Thane. His scent was all over the place, the smell of the forest and new rain.
She sniffed, pressed two fingers over her nose and waited for a few seconds. When she released it and sniffed again, his scent remained.
She slowly got off the bed and walked over to the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her. There were no changes. She still looked the same, but her sense of smell had definitely enhanced.
"Could it be that I'm changing?" She whispered. "Could it be... I would shift soon?" Hope tried to bloom within her.
But Xora, the white wolf, told her that she would awaken the night her mate marked her. How would she find her mate when she was Thane's concubine?
Then a thought occurred to her. She remembered the golden thread of light that appeared each time she and Thane held hands. Could it be that Thane was her mate?
Impossible. Thane's curse prevented him from finding his mate, so it ruled out the possibility of being mated to him.
Then who was her mate? What did the golden thread of light mean? So many questions and no single answer.
The door opened suddenly and she whirled around, expecting to see Thane.
Instead, a petite woman stood there, holding a towel and a bowl of water.
Her eyes widened when she saw Rue. "You're... you're awake."
Rue regarded her curiously. "Who are you? How did I get here?"
"How are you awake? You were just shivering a moment ago. I left..." She paused, looking down at the towel and bowl of water she held. "I left to get some water and a towel to keep your fever down."
Rue looked more confused than ever. "I don't understand. I don't have a fever."
The woman didn't speak again. Her eyes fogged as she mind linked Thane.
\[Alpha, the girl is awake.\]
In a matter of seconds, Thane appeared inside the room.
The door slammed open with the amount of force he used in opening it. His eyes flickered as they landed on Rue.
Before he could stop himself, he closed the space between them in three long strides and took her in his arms.
"Are you okay, Rue? Are you hurt?"
Rue stared at him in surprise, wondering when he suddenly started acting all caring.
"I'm fine. What happened? Why am I in your room?"
Thane didn't reply immediately. His eyes lingered on her face where there had been bruises. Then he glanced at her feet that had been covered in more bruises.
They were all gone.
He turned around. "Annabeth, what happened?"
"She started to shiver, Alpha." Annabeth answered, and calmly explained how Rue had suddenly developed a fever, and how she had gone to get water and a wash cloth.
"When I returned, she was standing by the mirror, looking completely fine."
Rue listened silently, finding it hard to believe that she had a fever minutes ago. She felt fine.
Thane slowly turned back to Rue and slowly examined her. "Are you sure you're okay, Rue?"
"I feel fine. But I don't understand. Did I fall sick? Was that why you brought me here?"
Thane frowned. "You don't remember what happened last night?"
"Something happened?" She questioned. "What happened?"
Thane then realized that pieces of her memories were missing. He gently held her arms and led her to the bed
"Tell me, what's the last thing you remember?"
Still confused, Rue looked up at him. "I went to sleep. That's all. Is there something else I should know?"
Thane turned back and exchanged a look with Annabeth.
\[Don't mention what happened to her.\] He ordered through the mind link.
\[Yes, Alpha. But did you notice that her bruises are healed?\]
\[I noticed. Don't say a word about it to anyone. Do you understand, Annabeth?\]
\[I understand, Alpha.\]
He focused on Rue again and slowly released her. "Annabeth, you may leave."
"Yes, Alpha." Annabeth nodded and hurried out of the room.
Thane stood up and walked to the door, shutting it softly. Behind him, Rue still looked confused.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?" She asked. "Why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?"
"I'm not hiding anything." He lied. "You fell sick. I think it was something you ate."
Then he settled beside her and looked into her eyes. He needed answers, and this was the only way.
"Tell me about your parents, Rue."