The Nightmare

“Enrick!”
Drina yanks up from her sleep with a scream. Disoriented, she first stares in front of her and then looks around the room. She realizes she is home in her own bed, not in Midnight Moon, next to her mate. His name came out before she even thought about it. In her dreams, she saw him with the malicious grinning Alcina in his arms as he stared at her with so much hatred.
Over the next few weeks, she must physically recover before meeting Enrick again. But the nightmare she just woke up from makes her realize that something is terribly wrong. What she feared for years and wanted to protect her mate from, now seems to have presented itself. As she looks around her room, she realizes that Enrick is not only the center of her concern, her responsibilities go far beyond her mate. Sweat of fear breaks out on her forehead, this whole debacle is getting serious now. She quickly throws off the covers and inspects the cribs beside her bed. Fortunately, they all sleep through the night, her scream has gone unnoticed.
Drina now heads to the bathroom for a warm bath to unwind. While sitting in the bathtub, her mind still goes into turmoil. “Did Alcina jump into action and located Enrick?” she whispers anxiously. It's been a week since she last saw him. Obligations at home kept her from going back to him, no matter how much she longed for him. And in the mate bond, she could sense that he missed her too. But now, despite everything, she is forced to meet her mate and ensure he is safe. There is no other option. Although she won't be able to sleep with him, she needs to see him just to be reassured.
But Drina also knows she won't be able to join Enrick as easily as usual. She will first have to inspect the pack and the mansion for traces of Alcina. If the witch has indeed reached Enrick, she will need reinforcements from her parents. Because the situation from years ago has changed, there is more to consider before confronting this witch.
Drina takes a quick bath, puts on skinny jeans with a bright red blouse and goes down the stairs. When she is hallway the smell of delicious breakfast hits her. Her mother is busy in the kitchen preparing to feed the busy house in time. And from the noises one can hear from there, she has more work to do with her 'assistants' than preparing breakfast. When Drina enters the kitchen, she is greeted enthusiastically.
“Drina, why are you up so early? It would be best if you still stayed in bed till you regained more of your strength. I have a tasty soup ready for you. But since you're already downstairs, go quickly to the dining room so I can serve you all." Florence looks at her daughter disapprovingly. But when she sees the concern on the latter's face, her eyes go wide.
“Did something happen, Drina? You seem worked up”, she asks urgently. Drina beckons her mother to walk to the terrace where they can talk privately. When the women are alone, Drina tells her mother about the nasty nightmare. “I think Alcina found him. You know she cursed us and now she will work on Enrick first.” Despair echoes through Drina's voice. “I can't just think about Enrick right now, Mom. I'll try to warn him, but I don't know how much more I can do. My responsibilities here are more important than my mating with Enrick.”
She throws herself into her mother's arms. “How am I going to live without him if Alcina gets her way with him? This is pure hell. And Alcina is mean, she won't rest until she destroys everything and everyone. Can't we stop her?” she sobs on her mother's shoulder.
Florence sighs. “We can only stop her with Enrick's help. If he manages to her, we can repress her power,” she replies without conviction. “But it's just what you say, you will be facing a choice at some point. And we both know which side you'll be on."
“Can your father ask to be ready in case it should be necessary? Alcina is unpredictable and if Enrick doesn't fall into her trap, we have an opportunity that we should definitely take”, Drina asks her mother. “I'm going to see him tonight to see if it's all my imagination. It could be that it was just a nightmare based on fear. I need to know".
Florence nods. She also wants to know if Alcina has indeed appeared on the scene after all these years. She hasn't heard from the witch in the past twenty years and when Drina met her mate, she didn't show up as expected either. And now, five years later, there must be a good reason why she's making herself heard, at least if Drina's nightmare is reality.
Lost in thought, the women walk back into the house.
Florence proceeds to the dining room with her noisy company while Drina sits at the kitchen island to eat her soup, deep in thought. Tonight is her best time to enter Midnight Moon unseen. But for now, she needs to blow off some steam. She walks to the jetty behind the house and steps on one of the watercraft. Just what she needs. After a few testing moves on the waves, the woman goes full speed ahead and takes a tour of the remote island where she lives with her parents.
“Enrick! Please, be strong for our love. We have a lot to live for. More than you imagine, my mate!” she whispers to herself as she increases her pace. After completing three laps at top speed, she feels her confidence returning. She anchors the water scooter at the jetty and jumps onto dry land. Drina knows that she can only win this battle if she stays balanced. Her doubts in Enrick fade, she knows he loves her even though they haven't marked each other yet.
Alcina is the necessary hurdle they must overcome to be together forever, for her to join him finally. And for the total deliverance of her parents, who sacrificed their life and status just to keep her safe....