Chapter 9 #3
My words transformed into soft, ethereal voices, guiding me through the forest like a gentle breeze. As I had done before, I chased their murmurs, my pulse racing. Each step I took felt lighter as I neared the cottage of the three witches.
If I had to, I would beg them to save my parents and the kingdom. They could contact Tammy, Adrian, or Lucy—everyone who dared to stand against Hayden. Once my family was saved, I could enter the fairy realm.
As I walked, my thoughts drifted to Greyson, wondering how he was faring in the kingdom. He had gambled everything to be my ally, and a surge of thankfulness and worry for his well-being filled my heart.
The whispers grew louder and more insistent, leading me deeper into the enchanted forest, dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves overhead. I focused on the task at hand, praying that Hayden wouldn't show up in my dream realm.
But as if summoned by my very thoughts, a sinister presence crept into the edges of my senses.
Abruptly, the sky became dark, and goose bumps pricked on my forearms. I felt the moment when Hayden accessed my dream realm. The thickening air charged with tension around me, and a sense of dread crept down my spine.
"Breanna…" His voice slithered through the trees like a snake in the grass, and I froze, anxiety coiling in my gut.
The suspicious guards must have alerted Hayden after Greyson sent them away with his illusion magic.
Without turning, I bolted. With each step, the lush greenery around me began to twist and warp, transforming the once peaceful forest into a treacherous swamp.
It had to be Hayden's actions. He was altering my dream world. As my mate, he had the power to invoke changes in it. And, if he were indeed a fairy, he could create illusions.
The forest became denser and darker, as the trees overhead blocked most of the sun's rays.
A damp, earthy scent from the murky waters around me filled my lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
The ground beneath my bare feet consisted of tangled roots and sinking mud, making each step difficult to take.
"Running from your mate?" Hayden taunted, his voice laced with poison.
I could feel him drawing closer, my heart pounding wildly behind my rib cage. I pulled my feet free from the thick mud that threatened to swallow me whole. My legs felt like lead, but I forced myself to run, the slippery ground sucking at my every step.
Hayden was dominating my dream world either as my mate or a fairy. But I couldn't afford to stop and fight him. I needed to reach the witches. Once I crossed over the invisible witch barrier, Hayden wouldn’t be able to follow me.
As I stumbled forward, the air around me seemed to come alive with magic.
Vibrant colors swirled and danced in the distance, forming a kaleidoscope of light that dazzled my senses.
I was so close to the witches’ cottage. The whispers grew louder, urging me onward.
I hoped the witches sensed my presence already, or I was in big trouble.
I wrenched myself free from the mud and sprinted toward the edge of the swamp. I glanced over my shoulder and gasped. Hayden was only a few feet behind me.
His icy-blue eyes held the depths of a glacial lake—cold and unyielding. Frosty fury radiated from his body, causing cold chills to run down my spine.
What would he do to me if he caught me—once he caught me? I only had to make it out of the swamp forest and enter the witches’ dream realm.
I felt the change in the temperature as I crossed it just as Hayden lunged for me.
"No," he roared in frustration as the barrier repelled him, sending him sprawling backward onto the muddy ground.
I didn't waste a moment, hurrying away from him. I was still in danger.
I followed the whispers deeper into the open grassy area, my heart hammering in my chest. A meadow opened before me, revealing a straight path leading directly to the witches' cottage.
I was grateful that the witches had eliminated the maze obstacles.
The air around me hummed with magic, the energy tingling on my skin like a thousand tiny pinpricks.
As I approached, the three cloaked women emerged, as if they'd been waiting for me. They glided toward me, lowering their hoods. Their eyes widened as they took a good look at me.
"I need your help," I managed to say, my breaths coming in sharp gasps from running. "Please go to the kingdom and first save Mom and Dad away from—"
I stopped abruptly, feeling an odd sensation on my body, as though something cold and wet caressed my skin. Instinctively, I reached up to rub my neck, only to realize what was happening.
Hayden was waking me up out of my dream realm. He must have woken up and tried to wake me as well.
My body shook violently, reality shifting and warping around me like a sheet being torn away. My breath hitched, and one of the witches reached out to me, but it was too late.
As the dream realm faded, I snapped my eyes open. The first thing I saw was Hayden’s face looming over me, with a clenched jaw and eyes on fire. I lay back on the bed, Hayden straddling my body, two unyielding hands at the sides of my head.
"Get off me," I spat.
He smirked at my defiance. His eyes narrowed dangerously before he pulled his hands to his sides.
My heart pounded in my chest like a wild animal trying to escape its cage. I stared into Hayden's furious eyes, and for a moment, all I could think about was my fear threatening to consume me.
“Hayden…” I warned.
Way too slowly, he stood, releasing me. I scrambled off the bed, putting distance between us. He laughed cruelly, stalking me like prey. Hayden knew I was cornered and trapped, and a predatory smile played on his lips.
My wolf spirit surged, and a low growl escaped my throat, surprising me. Adrenaline infused my veins, and I felt the familiar energy pulsating behind my chest. My shift into my brown wolf happened faster than I expected.
Fur sprouted after my bones reformed painfully. My senses sharpened as I stood on all fours before Hayden, baring my teeth.
His smile widened, and he, too, began to transform. His light-brown fur rippled as his muscles expanded, his frame shifting into his wolf. His wolf’s piercing blue eyes locked onto mine.
And then he lunged.
The impact of his claws on my body sent a shockwave through me, but I kept on snarling and snapping at his throat. We collided and tumbled while furniture toppled around us. I dodged his attacks when it struck me that Hayden’s wolf could have bitten my neck, but he didn’t.
He was stronger and faster and trained. His massive paw slammed into my side, sending me sprawling across the floor. The air whooshed from my lungs, but the pain in my ribs was minimal, as if Hayden’s wolf had held back.
Before I could stand, he was on top of me, pinning me to the floor with his weight. I struggled, my claws scraping against the hardwood. The wolf growled his warning, and only after I stopped fidgeting, he released me.
The sound of bone cracking echoed around me, and when I stood on wobbly paws, I turned to face naked Hayden in his human form.
“Shift,” he said. His eyes were like storm clouds, dark and brooding. “Game over, Breanna.”
My blood boiled in my veins. I visualized my human form as Torin had instructed me and embraced the pain that came with my transformation. Then I stood before my captor, naked and vulnerable.
I dashed towards the door, only for him to grab my wrist and yank me back.
With a surge of adrenaline, I twisted out of his grasp, using every ounce of strength I had to shove him back. He stumbled, surprise etched on his face, and I took advantage of the momentary distraction to dart towards the door. I didn't stop, my heart racing wildly as I reached for the doorknob.
But it was locked.
“Were you going to run outside naked?”
I turned, leaning my back against the cold door. Hayden approached slowly, a wicked grin playing on his lips. He held a blanket he must have taken from the bed.
"Give up, sweetheart," he taunted, his voice dripping with scorn.
Hayden wrapped the material around my shoulders, and I flinched as his fingers brushed against my skin.
“Why are you so obsessed with me?” I shouted, tears threatening to pour out. “Why do I have to be yours?”
“The truth is hidden in your soul, in the essence that sets you apart. You are destined to play an important role—a purpose only you can fulfill.”
My essence? Was he talking about my blood? My half-witch, half-werewolf heritage? He needed me for something, but what was it?
And who was this man? He didn’t even talk like the Hayden I knew.
My chest tightened as I grappled with the knowledge that my fate was somehow intertwined with my captor’s sinister game.