Chapter 134
That night, sleep didn't come easy. My heart felt heavy, tangled in the unease left by the soldiers' visit. Were they really looking for me to hurt me?
That was all my mind could think.
Was it true?
When I finally drifted off, the dream came.
I was in a large, sunlit room, wrapped in soft, silken sheets. Warm hands traced my cheek, and I looked up to see him. A man with dark hair, piercing green eyes, and a strong, familiar face. He smiled, but his eyes were full of sadness.
"Ariadne," he whispered, his voice raw and filled with longing. "Please... come back to me. I miss you. I love you. You have to remember. Please, my love... don't let them take you from me."
His hand squeezed mine, and I felt a pull — like my heart recognized him, even if my mind didn't. I wanted to reach for him, but the dream shattered, leaving me gasping awake in the cold hut.
My chest ached, my pulse racing. Rowan. His name echoed in my mind like a forgotten melody.
Rowan.
That was his name. His name was Rowan.
Gregor entered the hut a little later, his expression unreadable.
“Are you okay? You look exhausted.”
I shook my head.
“I just had a dream. I saw a man in it. He looked very familiar. I feel like I know him from somewhere.”
“Really? You know dreams aren’t always real.” Gregor said as he started removing his heavy fur coat.
I couldn't hold it in, I had to ask him.
“Gregor... do you know any wolf named Rowan? Maybe from another clan?”
He froze, just for a moment, before shaking his head. "No. Never heard of him. Could be one of the men who attacked you. Maybe you're remembering something from before. Maybe your brain is muddling everything up.”
I swallowed, unsure. "I... I think he might be my husband. I saw him in a dream. He told me to come back to him. He said he loved me. I don’t think he’s one of the men who attacked me. Maybe I’m trying to remember him because he’s important.”
Gregor's eyes darkened. "It’s a dream, not a memory Ariadne. Until it’s a memory, it might be deceptive. Dreams can lie, Ariadne. Your mind's broken right now — it's trying to fill the gaps with whatever it can. False memories, maybe. Don't put too much weight on it."
My stomach twisted. It didn't feel false. It felt real. Very real. But what if he was right? What if it was just a cruel trick of my damaged mind?
Gregor leaned closer. "Look, I have to go on a hunt. I'll be back by nightfall. Rest. We'll talk more when I return.”
He left without another word.
\---
The women of the clan gathered around me later that morning. They were busy with preparations, chattering among themselves.
"You're lucky Gregor took you in," one of the older women, Marta, said as she braided my hair. "We are a very private clan. We rarely even intermarry with wolves of other clan. Most wolves wouldn't want a woman from a rival people. Especially not an Otsayak."
"He's a good wolf," another woman, Freya, chimed in. "He’s been lost and alone ever since he lost his wife Helena. We didn’t think he would find anyone else, but he found you. It must be the will of the moon goddess. He is strong. He'll protect you and your baby. You should be grateful."
I didn't know what to say. My heart twisted again, the dream lingering in the back of my mind.
They all meant well, but my heart was on Rowan. I kept replaying the scene in my dream in my head. Thinking about him.
"Gregor's giving you a home and a name," Marta continued, her voice stern. "That's more than most would do. Hell it’s more than any wolf would ever do.”
One of the younger women, Anya, smiled kindly. "I'll make you a wedding gown. Something pretty. You’d love it.”
I shook my head quickly. "No. I... I'd rather wear my old clothes. They're all I have left of... of who I was. I think I should wear that instead.”
The women exchanged glances. Marta huffed, but Anya nodded, a smile on her face. "We'll clean and mend them for you, then."
I forced a smile. "Thank you."
The women seemed satisfied with that and went back to their work. But the pit in my stomach only grew.
Something in me told me I was making a grave mistake.
\---
Later, as I returned to the hut, I heard voices — Gregor's voice, low and serious, along with another man.
"...can't risk them coming back," Gregor was saying. "If the Alpha King finds out, it's over. He'll tear this place apart to find her."
My heart stopped. Alpha King? Who was that? Were they talking about me?
"We should hand her over. All the signs point to her," the other man said. "If he wants her that bad—"
"No." Gregor's voice was sharp. "She’s not her. She’s not who he’s looking for. There’s no way she is the one. She stays. I'll marry her. Make her one of us. He won't have any claim on her then."
There was a pause.
"So you suspect she is the one? Yet you want her still. You’re playing with fire Gregor. You think that'll stop him?" the other man scoffed. "If she's really his—"
Gregor cut him off. "She's not. She never was. Let us stop all of this assumptions. Ariadne is mine now. I won't let anyone take her."
My blood ran cold. I stumbled back, heart hammering. The dream... the man... Rowan. Was he the Alpha King? Was I really his? Why would Gregor lie to me about knowing him?
My head spun with too many questions, none of them with answers.
I slipped back into the hut quietly, hands shaking. I sat down on the edge of the cot, my mind racing.
The door opened a few minutes later, and Gregor walked in. His face looked tired.
"Everything alright?" he asked.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "Yeah. The women were helping me get ready. They says they would help me with a wedding dress.”
He nodded slowly. "Good. The wedding will happen tomorrow."
My throat tightened. "So soon? I think I’d like to wait a bit longer. Besides, it’ll take time to mend my wedding dress.”
"There's no time to wait." He looked at me seriously. "The world isn't safe for an Otsayak woman alone. You and the baby... you'll be safer as part of the clan."
I couldn't stop the words from spilling out. "What if someone else is looking for me? What if I have a husband out there? Aren’t you worried about that?”
Gregor's expression hardened. "If you had a husband out there, a husband that truly loved you, he would have found you by now. Isn’t it weird? Isn’t it awkward that he hasn’t? I'm here. I'm offering you a future."
His voice softened. "Ariadne... please. Don't throw that away."
My heart twisted painfully. The dream man's voice echoed in my head. _Come back to me. I love you._
But he wasn't here. And I didn’t really know who he was.
But Gregor was here.
I nodded slowly, my voice barely a whisper. "Okay. But I can’t get married tomorrow. It’s too soon…”
Gregor exhaled, like he'd been holding his breath. "After the full moon then. That will give you enough time to make your wedding dress. We will get married in five days. Don’t worry, we’ll make it a good life. I promise."
I wasn't sure if I believed him. But I didn't know if I had a choice anymore.
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