Page 26 of Reveal Me
A slight frown tugged at my lips as I reached down and peeled the covers back. My breath stalled in my chest. A low growl rumbled deep in my throat. It wasn’t Niamh.
The curve of this woman’s body, the slight rise of her chest with every exhale—it was all wrong. Stella lay in the bed, her face peaceful, unaware of my presence. What the hell?
Before I could process it, I heard the sound of footsteps—heavy, urgent. I didn’t need to turn to know it was my best friend. Aside from scenting him, Oz had never been able to sneak up on me.
I turned just in time to see him at the door. His nostrils flared as he took in the scene. His dark gaze narrowed in disbelief. A murderous rage flashed across his face. His fists clenched at his sides.
“What the hell is this?”
I held up my hands. “I thought it was Niamh. This is her bedroom.”
Stella stirred in her sleep, her body twitching restlessly under the covers. A soft mumble escaped her lips, words too quiet for me to make out. A deep sense of unease settled in my chest. I knew exactly what this was—the night visions. The kind that always came when I was still in the heavy haze of sleep.
These visions were never the pleasant kind. Never the ones that brought news of something good—like a new cub or a friend arriving. No, these were the kind that twisted and gnawed at me, leaving a sickening ache in my gut once I woke up from them.
Stella’s body trembled again. Her brow furrowed with distress. Her lips parted, and she shouted a single word: “Niamh!”
Oz rushed to Stella’s side, his earlier fury evaporating into concern as he reached for her. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her securely against his chest. The moment she inhaled his scent, the tension drained from her body. She stopped struggling, her breath steadying with the simple presence of her mate beside her.
It was the effect mates had on one another—just their scent, their touch, could ease the worst of the pain, the deepest of fears. I’d witnessed it countless times with my parents. But now, watching them, I couldn’t help but feel the pull. The sharp pang of jealousy twisted in my chest. It was overpowered by something else: fear.
“What did you see, Stella?”
“It’s just a nightmare,” she said as Oz rocked her. “Just a nightmare.”
“Tell me what you saw,” I demanded, ignoring Oz’s growl of warning.
“I saw Niamh. She was in the Forbidden Forest... facing down a wild panther.”
A chill shot through me. That scene had happened already. But that wasn’t the only wild panther left in the forest. And I hadn’t dispensed of that panther after Niamh had put it to sleep.
I didn’t wait for any more answers or questions. The tension in my gut, the rising panic, forced me to move. I turned and bolted from the room. My feet hit the floor hard, echoing through the halls of the palace.
The Forbidden Forest was a few miles away, but it felt like a lifetime as I raced toward it. The urgency in my steps grew. The cold air bit at my face as I rushed through the corridors and out the door. I didn’t look back.
All my life I’d seen the future. I’d seen a particular future for myself. One where I was shackled to a woman I didn’t want. Now I did want the woman fate had chosen for me. I just needed toget to her, take her in my arms, and never let her go—whether she wanted me to or not.
I realized I had never seen past Oz and Stella’s wedding. I had always assumed my happiness was a given. But I’d also never considered that my fated mate would reject me. I’d also never assumed she wouldn’t survive for me to claim her as mine.
Chapter 19
Niamh
Ididn’t know what I was looking for, but I knew the forest would listen to me, would offer me the silence I craved. I just needed to think. But really, what was there to think about?
My relationship with Dion had begun with lies. What would happen if we both stopped trying to hide? What if we showed the other our cards? What if we showed each other the truth?
With each step, the soft crunch of leaves beneath my feet was the only sound that filled my ears. Here, in the embrace of the forest, I was alone with my thoughts, my doubts. The last few days had been a blur of emotions, of fear and desire and rejection. Could I really walk away from him, from the man who had made me feel things I hadn’t felt in so long?
As I moved deeper into the woods, I let my magic slip through my fingers, coaxing the plants to whisper to me. The vines curled at my feet, swaying like they knew what I needed—solace, guidance, something that would ease the ache in my chest.
I inhaled, letting the cool, fresh air settle into my lungs. The forest was alive, thrumming with an energy I felt deep in my bones. It was a place of secrets, of things that grew and withered in the shadows, just like me. The poison in my veins hummed in time with the pulse of the plants surrounding me, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt at home.
The thought of staying here, in the forest, crossed my mind. I’d be surrounded by the whispers of the plants, just as my ancestors had once done. It would be simple and safe, and it would keep me away from the complicated mess of royalty and fated mates. I could be like the crazy fairy in the woods that everyone whispered about, untouchable and free. I could stay here, away from it all.
But then, just as I was starting to lose myself in the calming presence of the forest, a low growl broke the silence. My heart stuttered in my chest, and I froze, every muscle tensing. I turned toward the sound, my breath hitching in my throat, praying that it wasn’t who I thought it was.
But no. It wasn’t Dion. It was him.
