Chapter Eleven
Nyx
Despite the darkness and rustle of leaves, the air is surprisingly warm.
Above the treetops, the moon is full in all its glory, glowing a shade of orange. The light resonates brilliantly through the branches, making it easy to see.
It almost feels familiar, yet, I can’t picture this place.
The trees and nature are different. The terrain is thinner than what Shadow Creek houses, and scattered along the ground, flowers bloom in vibrant purples and reds.
Even the dirt feels… different. It’s strange, I can’t quite explain it.
As I glance around slowly, I realize I’m not bothered by the fact that I have no idea where I am. I just feel at peace. Relaxed.
Fuck…
Am I dead?
I strain my ears to listen for movement, standing from the ground as I focus on a clearing in the trees ahead. The branches and vines weave into an archway, the pathway illuminated clearly by the moonlight above.
My feet carry me forward, the sound of rushing water growing louder as I pass the wooden arch. A few minutes pass when suddenly I find myself in a clearing, staring at the base of a waterfall.
“Whoa,” I mutter to myself, eyes scanning the cascading water, the rocks sparkling like diamonds.
Walking over, I peer into the water, surprised at my reflection.
There’s no injuries, no markings at all. My hair is perfectly brushed, and when I gaze down, I’m wearing a long white dress.
Shit. I think I might actually be dead for real.
Frowning, the thought is unsettling. Yet, I’m still at peace—accepting.
I just hope Sarah is okay. Hopefully she made it out alive.
As long as Reese’s mate was rescued, I can live with that. Well, not alive. But you know what I mean.
The last thing I remember is Alpha Daxton’s face. Oh, yeah. He looked hilarious. Damn, I wish I could give him grief one last time.
“See! I knew you cared about me. That’s why I was spared all those times I was late to training.”
Oh, well. There’s no use regretting things. I can’t control it.
Time feels peculiar here. If I had to guess how long it has been since the fight, I could say five minutes or ten years… and both would seem like possible answers.
I can only assume that Lex, Maverick, and Cade know. If I’m dead, then they would have felt the mate bond break. And whatever this place is, I’m happy to see I’m alone. That means they are alive, fighting.
I didn’t wipe out three packs.
It’s okay.
“Nyx.”
Not alone.
Slowly, I turn around, following the sound of the voice. Once again, I’m not frightened or scared. If anything, that sense of peace seems to have intensified.
A woman stands in front of me about ten feet away. Her long black hair kind of reminds me of mine–-the strands flowing as freely as the waterfall behind me.
“Who are you?” I ask calmly.
She smiles softly but doesn’t speak. It’s as though she’s waiting for me to pick up the pieces and put them together.
The Moon Goddess? No. That wouldn’t make sense.
There’s only one possible person she could be.
“Ophelia,” I say.
Raising her hand, she beckons me to follow her. “Come this way.”
We round the edge of the water, the lush grass beneath my bare feet feeling like clouds. I walk toward the rock face, noticing an entrance way into the stone.
As I enter, I blink and suddenly I’m in a field full of wildflowers. Spinning around, I’m confused to find the entrance way I just walked through has completely vanished along with the waterfall.
“Sit, Nyx.”
When I turn back, I see Ophelia sit at a tiny table sized for two in the middle of the flowers.
“Where are we?” I ask, sitting down across from her.
“Your dreams,” she answers casually. “But with the essence of my existence that still lingers.”
Oh, geez. I was never good with riddles. What does that even mean?
“It means,” she says, making me question if I accidentally just voiced that thought out loud. “The essence of my soul that still remains on this Earth has found you while you are between realms.”
My eyebrows furrow. “Am I dead? Wait. What do you mean between realms? But I’m still on Earth?”
Ophelia nods. “You’re between the physical and divine cosmic plane while Mira heals.”
“You know about Mira?”
“Of course. She’s tied to my wolf.”
“I’m alive?”
But how?
Smiling, Ophelia leans forward, resting her arms on the table. “Yes, you’re alive. Unconscious but you’re healing slowly.”
“Oh,” I mutter, falling back into my chair. “Good.”
It takes a moment to let that sink in, relief flooding through me. At least, I hope she’s correct. Maybe I’m in purgatory or concussed somewhere. Worse, this is just a horrible dream, leading me into a false sense of hope.
Still… if what she’s saying is true I need to ask questions while I can. At this point, almost anything is believable.
Perhaps if you had asked me a few months ago if something like this was real, I’d laugh. But after everything that has happened recently, nothing surprises me now. I think I used up all my shock after Cade.
“Do you…” I pause. “Know what’s happening? Down there? Or here. Whenever home is.”
Ophelia’s face falls. “Yes. That’s how my essence found you. The universe is shifting as cosmic balance swings. The ancestral tie between us has been growing.”
“Are you the reason I glow?” I blurt out.
To my astonishment, she laughs loudly. “Kind of. We were both chosen ones. Protectors assigned by the Moon Goddess.”
Frowning, I cringe. “She chose the wrong person. Me, I mean. Not you. You were great. I’ve been reading a lot about your history.”
Ophelia tilts her head. “Why do you feel that way?”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Have you met me? Stupid question–of course you haven’t. But I’m the biggest disaster and defect ever. Somewhere along the way in my—our–-family lineage, something went wrong. I’m not the person for this. I’m not you.”
“But you are, Nyx. Everything happens for a reason.”
My lips tug into a smile. “Multiple mates?”
She smiles. “It’s… challenging at first. But you’ll get the hang of it. I did. Though from what I can tell, you’re doing just fine.”
“I don’t know how to do what you do,” I admit. “Negotiate… talk to Alphas and stuff. I tend to just piss them off. Shit, sorry. Double shit. Sorry. I’ll stop cursing.”
Ophelia shakes her head, leaning down to pluck a flower from the ground.
Placing it on the table in between us, she continues.
“The only advice I can give you is to just be yourself. We, wolves, can sense things. They will know on some level, even if they don’t understand.
But the situation now is not the same as it was before.
I cannot give you guidance on that. You will know what’s best.”
“But I don’t,” I murmur. “I’m scared I’ll hesitate or say the wrong thing. I don’t want to lose anyone. What if this is all a mistake and I mess it up? I could end the existence of wolves–-packs I can about. My loved ones.”
She pushes the flower toward me. “The fact you care so much tells me the Moon Goddess knows what she’s doing. You might surprise yourself, Nyx. But for now, keep fighting. It’s time to go back.
Darkness.
There’s no moonlight, no sounds of waterfalls or smell of flowers. Though, there are sounds. Familiar ones actually.
Beeping—like an alarm. And shuffling as if people are moving around quietly.
Goddess… it fucking hurts. The pain is terrible, reminding me that I had my ass handed to me by Orson’s wolves.
I try to move but can’t. My entire body feels locked up, as if the muscles have forgotten how to move.
“We should just go straight in, give no time for reaction. No negotiations, no discussions.”
I know that voice. That sweet voice I love.
“Lex?” I mutter weakly, barely sounding like myself.
There’s a second of silence before a chair falls backwards and someone grabs my hand.
“Nyx?”
Cade.
My other hand gets squeezed by a warm palm, and I do my best to try to clench it back.
“Say something.”
Oh, yes. I know that demanding voice.
“No,” I mumble, defiantly.
Maverick scoffs somewhere to my left, but the timed grasp of my hand indicates that he’s holding one of them.
It takes a few tries, but finally, with the speed of a pet rock, I crack open my eyes. Everything is blurry, but through the haze, I can make out the three figures surrounding me.
It hurts so fucking much though.
“Take your time,” Cade says soothingly. “Let’s try to sit her up.”
“Is her back able to?” Lex asks with concern.
“Marie gave something to Daxton’s doctor to help speed up the healing. Her bones should be mended enough now.”
I feel a hand slip underneath me, gentle fingers inspecting my body. Even with the careful touch, I yelp, jolting away.
“See—healed,” Maverick proclaims. “She jumped to get away from Cade. I don’t blame her. I’d do the same as well.”
Hands lift me, a pillow being stuffed behind my back as the bed is raised forward. Blinking, I ignore the pain as I focus my attention on getting my eyesight back.
Two. Three. Four.
Seven.
Clarity returns, my mates appearing beside me. I find Maverick first, breaking out in a smile when I see the downright panic on his face.
Ha. He looks funny too.
Scowling, he asks, “What’s so funny?”
“You look worried,” I point out. “It’s a weird look on you.”
Cade snorts behind me and I turn my head, wincing as my neck aches. But I temporarily forget about the pain when I see Lex and Cade watching me closely.
“Hey, Red,” Lex murmurs, cupping my face. “You gave us quite the scare.”
Cade nods. “Try not to do that again, yeah? Preferably, no more leaving the house.”
I smile—well, a half-tilted one as the pain intensifies. Lex frowns, giving my hand a quick squeeze before walking to the door. I watch as he leans out, quietly talking to someone.
A few seconds later, Dr. Madison enters, a bright smile on her face. “Nyx, it’s good to see you awake.”
“Help,” I plead quietly, suddenly feeling desperate since I know she’s right there.
The three men look ready to avenge me if she doesn’t take the pain away. But she pays them no mind, heading over and fiddling with my hand.
A rush of fluid shoots through my arm, the coldness shocking me. I spot a cannula in my hand, but before I can think anymore about it, sweet relief washes over me.
“That’s the spot,” I groan, melting into the pillow. “Thank you.”
Maverick visibly relaxes, and I chuckle again. But this time, he doesn’t seem annoyed at me. If anything, he looks broken. And that breaks my heart.
“Hey,” I murmur softly, reaching my hand out to touch his face. “I’m okay. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to try to kill me.”
He covers my hand with his, holding it to his face. “I’m going to kill Orson,” he replies. “I’m going to make him regret the day he fucked with us.”
Part of me expects Lex, my rational alpha, to jump in. But when I hear him agree, I find him and Cade nodding.
“We need a plan,” I say, words slurring a little. “Ophelia will help. The flowers.”
The three of them share a silent look of confusion and concern. But Cade just turns back, smiling as he taps my hand. “Okay, killer. But let’s heal a little first.”