Page 42 of Taming Darkness

In an instant, the oppressive weight vanishes, and I find myself in an entirely different place. Thin, white mist sprawls across the ground, creating an ethereal atmosphere. I sit up and breathe in the unexpectedly fresh air, muttering a disbelieving, “What the hell?”

I rub my eyes and squint, attempting to see through the enigmatic mist. What is happening? What am I witnessing, and could this experience become even more bizarre?

As I reach out to touch the mist, it slips through my fingers, unaffected by my presence. I rise to my feet, determined not to waste any time. Peering through the fog, I desperately seek something recognizable.

“Well, off on an adventure we go. Just call me Dora the Explorer.” I chuckle as the words escape my lips.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t trust myself to venture into the unknown, but I have no other choice this time. I have two options: either sit in one spot in this eerie place and likely perish, or leave and discover where this journey will take me. Surprisingly, I choose life over death.

As I take a cautious step forward, the mist parts around me, inviting me deeper into this mysterious realm. I’ve never seen anything like this before, and I rack my brain trying to remember any similar experiences. I reach out again, and the mist yields to my touch. Nodding to myself, I maintain my slow, cautious trek forward.

Initially, I’d planned to take my time, but the further I ventured into the mist, the more intensely the urge to hurry courses through me. Something—or someone—important is waiting for me, perhaps even needs me. The sensation intensifies just ahead, where the haze is thickest.

“Damn mist,” I grumble, swiping at it once more. “This stuff is really starting to piss me off.” The sensation remains strong, but I’ve already parted the fog countless times during my journey. Desperate to discover the source of this magnetic pull, I grow increasingly impatient.

Just when I’m about to give up and turn back, I spot a door concealed within the mist. I sprint the final steps and grasp the handle, taking a deep breath before twisting it open.

A grin spreads across my face as I fling the door wide open, finally escaping the maddening mist. As it dissipates, I catch sight of her.

Aleera!

Chapter30

~Kalen~

Utter confusion consumes me. Am I in her dream? How on earth did I get pulled into it, and why didn’t it just bring me to her side from the beginning? What was the point of making me traverse the mist to reach my prize?

I step closer, moving towards her side, when I come to an abrupt halt as I walk into something solid. I can’t see what it is; it must be invisible, like unbreakable glass or a transparent force field. Whatever it is, it feels solid. I pound my fist into it, screaming as loud as I can, trying to get her to notice me. Yet, she never looks up.

“Aleera!” I shout again at the invisible barrier, but the result is still the same—she continues moving along, focused on her own worries. Her confusion is visibly noticeable, and it stirs something deep within me. She isn’t afraid of whatever is happening. But I can’t help wondering why I’m here if I can’t even communicate with her. There has to be a reason for me to be here apart from just being an observing phantom. There has to be something more.

There has to be a reason she brought me here.

I gaze at her, focusing with all my might. Wait. That… isn’t possible. I rub my eyes and look again. I can barely make it out, but it’s definitely there. A cascade of hope, happiness, and peace slams into me, one emotion after the other, until I become a trembling mess. I rub my eyes yet again, staring one last time. It’s still there.

My eyes are seeing double, not one, but two distinct auras.

My heart races in my chest, and my breath catches in my throat. I no longer care about getting through to her. I know precisely what this means and why I’m here. A goofy smile spreads across my lips as I continue to watch her.

I need to get back to the others and let them know, and reveal what I have witnessed. But I won’t be able to wake up until she does. I’m a prisoner in her dream until she awakens, but I can’t focus on anything but those auras and the way they dance together and intertwine.

An odd warmth spreads throughout my chest. I never imagined I would get to see anything so genuinely beautiful in my entire life. No, it’s more like I never thought a day like this would ever come, period.

I focus solely on her until everything around me shifts again. Unlike the strange way I’d been sucked into Aleera’s dream, I’m violently thrown out with a force that makes me jolt upright and gasp for breath as if I’ve been resurrected.

I nearly collided with Darius' forehead. He, Lycus, and Tobias are arranged in a circle, watching me intently. Worry is etched across their faces, but all I can do is grin at them like a complete fool.

“What’s wrong, Kalen?” Lycus kneels in front of me and places his hand on my forehead. “Are you hurt? Sick?”

I struggle to form actual words, far too excited for my own good. I’m buzzing like I’ve downed several bottles of moonshine. Darius and Tobias kneel beside Lycus, each reaching for me, trying to figure out what’s wrong; I’ve seen their looks of concern before.

Reacting on instinct and throwing my arms around everyone, pulling them to me. “She was right there; I was in her dream.” I sob against Darius' shirt. “I saw Aleera. She’s…”

I squeeze them all tight as tears slip down my cheeks. However, my tears worry my mates, and fear and fury take them over, so I rush to continue.

“And I saw something else…”

“I saw her. She’s pregnant,” I gasp. The rage and worry that had been building in them vanished in a second. “Aleera is pregnant!”

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