Page 8 of The Wolf's Bullied Pregnant Mate
Nothing. They were just taunts. Soon, a silence settled, replacing the whispers.
When I did one last scour of the trees, I finally saw something. But it wasn’t the blue of demon portal lights. No, it was the bright green eyes that had plagued my dreams—and my days. A deep growl reverberated through the woods.
I gasped, not wanting to wait for whatever was in there to come out for me first. I could fight—should have fought—but I didn’t have enough amplification on my person. A rookie mistake. I had some spells that would have felled demons, but Icouldn’t fight a wolf. I didn’t even know if I could outrun one, but I tried.
Nothing followed me as I sprinted back down the trail, towards town. I didn’t stop running until I reached the front door of my apartment and shoved my way in.
My heart pounding, I slid down against the door. I was brave and strong—a powerful enough witch, but the threat of both wolf and demon out there was enough to shake me. I let my body go limp as I stumbled towards my bed. I collapsed on top of the sheets, suddenly drained of the energy the waterfall pool had given me.
My dreams found me quickly, as if they had pulled me into sleep themselves.
In my dreams, I was levitating above a sandy road. A car door was open, and blood trailed out of it, across the road. I tracked it until I saw bigger pools of red at my feet. Only then did I see the blood coating my hands.
I gasped. Several feet in front of me, a huge wolf lay dead, its dark fur red and sticky with blood. What had happened? Had I killed the animal? Had I tried to save it? Its eyes were closed. If I pulled back the beast’s eyelids, would I see dead, green eyes? I was too scared to do it.
But then blue started slipping into my dream. More voices came together in an eerie song.
We were always meant to reunite our bloodlines, Adalyn. But you killed mine. You killed mine. You killed mine.
The demon chorus got higher and higher, piercing my dream until I woke with a cry.
I gasped awake, my hair and skin drenched in sweat.
Demons.Demons. That was the true threat.
But…
You killed mine. Those words were partially from my past dream. Zephyr’s proclamation echoed in the demon’s voices. But I hadn’t killed any demons, not properly, nor had I killed any wolves.
What was going on?
My eyes drooped once more. I still had hours to go until sunrise. Despite not wanting to sleep anymore, I pulled the sheets back over myself and closed my eyes. I could handle this. Zephyr was getting into my head.
All I needed to do was ignore him.
I could do that.
Chapter 4 - Zephyr
The villa we rented over the summer had become familiar to me. We had fought the demons in Harper’s cottage, banished them for the time being, and reported all their activity to Commander Tylen. However, when the vacation ended, we found ourselves being sent right back for surveillance on the island.
So, I wasn’t really on vacation anymore, but how could I complain about working in such a beautiful place? Everyone knew each other; businesses had been in the families for generations, and the gossip was rife. Everybody wanted to talk and be friendly. I loved it.
I had claimed one of the upstairs bedrooms, the one with a balcony. I padded outside into the balmy air, inhaling deeply, letting that ocean breeze fill my lungs. Sometimes, I still swore my lungs were clogged with sand and grit from our past missions.
I gritted my teeth. My phone screen lit up with a message from Alex. The time flashed up as 3:47am. I had yet to sleep—part of me didn’t want to. I didn’t want to risk those Adalyn-filled dreams again. I had gone plenty of nights without rest, but demons were faster than humans, more acutely tuned into every sense they didn’t have. I couldn’t afford to risk seconds if they attacked, and I was sleep-deprived.
Like that, I was useless.
Alex: Whenever you want to stop pacing that balcony and talk to me about your hang up with Adalyn, let me know, all right? I’ve got your back.
I text back.I’m not pacing. And I don’t have a hang up.
Alex: Okay. I can feel your anxious vibe all the way over here. We’re attuned, remember?
I snorted. Of course, he could sense the turmoil. But this week was about him and Harper. I couldn’t let my issues with Adalyn get in the way of that, even if it meant ignoring her outright.
Alex: Try and get some sleep. You’re on duty with Sweeney and Hec tomorrow.
