Page 45 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

*****

I’m floating underwater.

It’s dark, but I can breathe. Now there is sand under my bare feet, and when I look around, I realize I’m standing at the bottom of the lake. I don’t know how I know it’s the lake, but I do. I take a few steps, and then I see a figure just a little bit ahead of me. It’s a woman.

Her back is to me, her hair floating behind her. As I approach her, she turns to look at me. I go still.

I know her. She’s the dark witch that I saw in the lake, the one who grabbed my wrist.

This time, her eyes are not white but a light blue. She smiles at me, and her expression is gentle, almost warm.

My feet are frozen to the spot, and she glides toward me gracefully. Her hand presses on my chest, and she says something. I can’t quite make out the words, but she repeats them, bubbles of air floating out of her mouth. She pushes her hand against my heart insistently, and I begin to feel a strange sort of pressure. Nervous, I try to move back, but I can’t budge. Her smile does not waver. Then, she points to the surface.

As soon as I look up, I hear someone calling my name.

“Alice.”

“Alice, wake up.”

When I look back at the witch, she shoves me away lightly. As soon as she does, my eyes fly open.

I stare at the bedroom ceiling, disorientated.

Wasn’t I just in the lake?

“Alice?”

Darian’s voice prompts me to sit up. The room is dark, and when I look to my right, I see Darian standing beside my bed, staring at me.

“If this is your idea of a joke…” I begin, my heart pounding in fear.

“Your little friend let me in,” he replies, sitting down beside me.

“My little friend has a name,” I say in a snarky tone before turning on the lamp. “What are you doing, creeping around in my room at night?”

“I wasn’t creeping around,” he protests. “I wanted to see you.”

I study him for a moment. “How did the hunt go?”

He shrugs. “How it goes every year.”

“Who got the most prey?”

He shifts uncomfortably before admitting, “Me.”

“And who did you dedicate your prey to?” I demand. This is starting to feel more like an interrogation rather than a simple question, but I can’t help myself. I’m not a petty person by nature, unless I really hate somebody, but the idea of Darian presenting his prey to anybody other than me makes me uncomfortable.

“My father.”

He seems a little too prepared with that answer, but I let it go. After all, why would he lie to me?

“So, what are you doing here?” I ask, watching him intently.

“I wanted to see you,” he replies, playing with a strand of my hair. “Everyone gets to be with their fated mate but me. It’s not fair.”

I slap his hand away. “That’s because you’re too busy to come see me.”

Darian gives me a delighted look. “Did you miss me?”

---