233
Lucy
"I told you it was a bad idea to try and take the pack back so quickly."
He hissed. "And you wanted me to do what? Call those two whelps alpha? Never in this or the next life."
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter how you feel about it, or what you've already done. There is no changing it. We can't afford any more delays," Selene insisted, her eyes reflecting the silver glow of the moon above. "The plan must proceed as scheduled."
Oren's expression was troubled, and he ran a hand through his dark hair, mirroring a gesture I'd often seen from Matt and Tony.
"Before or after we starve?"
"Perhaps you should stop being such a barbarian and do some work."
He growled at her. "Back in my day--"
"I know well what it was like in our day, Oren," she said primly. "But you must learn to adapt. This age isn't one of blood and war. There are suits and deals--finances that are not increased by raiding people. You can't just go around stealing wives."
He smirked. "Did you tell Tony and Matt that?"
She scoffed. "Lucy wasn't stolen. She was purchased that much is still allowed."
"Not from what I hear. That stack of paperwork in that stupid office says otherwise."
"Humans," she said flippantly. "That too is your fault."
He scoffed. "The old alliances aren't what they were."
He sighed deeply. "You'd think they would all just fall in line. The strongest and all that..."
"The strength you're speaking about would have you back in a cage sooner rather than later."
I worried my lip as the dream world around me shimmered with an otherworldly aura, and I couldn't escape the feeling that I was glimpsing some secret that I had no chance of understanding on my own. Oren turned again growling.
"Well, any bright ideas?"
Selene's eyes, blazing with an ethereal light, bore into Oren's.
"I've told you before. Get the crystal necklace," she urged, her voice commanding. "Get Lucy. You must find it, Oren. It's essential for our plans, and we can't afford to delay any longer."
Oren's frustration was palpable as he clenched his fists at his sides. "I don't know where it is," he admitted, his voice tinged with helplessness.
Selene's expression remained stoic, unwavering. "David has it," she replied with certainty. "Retrieve it from him, Oren, and do it swiftly. We have no time to waste."
He scoffed. "Xavier's brat, huh?"
"Perhaps that would be an appropriate application of your strength."
He grinned. Then, it dropped and he glared at her, coming closer and looming over her.
"I'm beginning to wonder... how it that we're partners in this and I've been doing all the heavy lifting." He leaned closer, his tone dropping. "Shouldn't I be compensated for picking up the slack for your weakness?"
Selene went rigid and glared at him.
"Weakness? You dare accuse me of weakness, Oren?"
Oren met her gaze unflinchingly, his eyes smoldering with anger. "I dare, Selene. If you hadn't allowed Lucy to go to David in the first place, or even better, had just given me the woman I wanted instead of making me settle for second best, we wouldn't be in this situation now, would we?"
Selene's anger flared, and her voice dripped with disdain. "You underestimate the things that I have put in place."
She turned away. "Even I have underestimated my own power--"
"Oh, please--"
"I'm warning you, Oren. You waste more time fucking your little whore and terrorizing the little people in your pack, and you will regret it."
"Me?" Oren seethed.
"The bond between Lucy and David is growing stronger." She chuckled. "I believe you're familiar with the hold a black wolf can hold on a woman, don't you?"
He growled.
"I wonder if perhaps Xavier was just a bigger man than you or a better man than you."
Oren snarled. "Don't fucking tempt me to rip your throat out. You barely exist as it is."
She laughed. "I assure you, I exist far more than you do."
She vanished and suddenly had a knife at Oren's throat. He went still.
"If I wanted, I could pluck your soul out of your body and replace it with ease." She walked him back and away from her rock. "Perhaps I could go and get Xavier's soul from the other side. He would be upset, but as he was far closer to unifying the packs again than you will ever be if you keep being a brute, maybe it's a potential I should consider!"
She shoved him and he caught her wrist, pulling her up against him and laughing darkly.
Oren scoffed, the tension in the room growing palpable. "You've grown soft, Selene. It's time for me to take matters into my own hands."
He grabbed a handful of her ass.
"Are you always saying that since I'm alpha I should take what I want?"
He backed her up onto the rock and kissed her. My eyes widened as they started to make out. Then, he went flying across the clearing, slamming into a tree.
"Focus, fool. Thinking with your dick has already ruined most of the plan."
He chuckled and got to his feet. "Get the necklace from David. However, you have to as well as Lucy."
With that, Oren's form began to dissipate, and he vanished from the dream, leaving behind a sense of unease and uncertainty. My stomach churned as Selene sighed and turned looking around the circle before looking at one of the empty spots.
"If only you hadn't been such a little traitor Eve," she hissed. "I hope you're enjoying oblivion wherever you are."
She started to pace around the circle, glaring at each one of the women.
"All of you traitors, and that one too, but it's no matter. Oren may be a brute, but he's useful."
She returned to the rock and stroked the white wolf lovingly.
"As soon as I can get rid of him, I will, now that you exist... I simply wish you would have been a little more agreeable."
I frowned at the sleeping wolf on the rock. Then, Selene turned.
"You have your mother's obstinance, but you can't resist me for much longer. Rest assured, I'll figure out how you're doing it now."
I looked across the clearing and saw the other white wolf hiding in the underbrush, reluctant to approach her. The tension in the air was palpable, and a sense of foreboding hung heavy.
"Come here."
The wolf didn't move. Her voice thundered. "Come here!"
The wind picked up around the dreamscape. The women all disappeared into streams of moonlight. The trees shook around us.
"Obey me!"
I awoke with a start, the echoes of Selene's shouts still ringing in my ears. The abrupt transition from the bewildering dream world to my bedroom was disorienting, but I didn't fall asleep and the headache was gone.
The memory of the dream was vivid, every detail etched into my mind. Selene's frustration, the mention of a crystal necklace, and the mysterious woman named Eve—these were pieces of a puzzle I couldn't quite decipher on my own.
I reached for my backpack and pulled out a notebook to take as many notes as I could in my dream journal. It was a mess of disjointed information and questions, but I hoped that with time and some guidance, I might be able to make sense of it.
As I finished jotting down my notes, I made a mental note to speak with Duke about the dream. Had he had one like it recently? We hadn't been talking much about the dreams since he'd started training.
Maybe he wasn't having any dreams of Selene anymore.
I jumped out of bed and headed out the door, hurrying downstairs. My heart was pounding, and I could still hear the voices telling me to run.
I skidded to a stop at the entrance of the dining area.
Duke lay sprawled across the dining table, looking utterly spent. His clothes clung to him, drenched in sweat, and I couldn't help but wonder what he'd been doing while I was asleep. Beside him stood David, dressed in athletic wear and sporting a mischievous grin. He seemed to be reveling in Duke's exhaustion.
Hunter was there too, perched on the edge of the table and pecking at a bowl of nuts. His wings glinted gold every time he moved and even he seemed tired.
Amos bustled about, hauling boxes and arranging them with a sense of purpose on the table.
I entered and David looked at me. "Hey, Lucy, how was your nap?"
I bit my lip. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I... I had a dream, and I think we should talk about it."
David frowned as Duke struggled to sit up. "Was it about that witch?"
I nodded. "And Oren."
David's eyes narrowed and he turned to Amos. "Could you get Trent, Amos? I think we'll all need to hear this."
He looked back at me. "Should we call Lucian?"
I shook my head. "They were talking about you."
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