Page 42

Dani

Blood stains my hands and thighs as I lay in a pool of blood from Jules and Amelia.

I hold their lifeless bodies to my chest and scream. I scream out with all my strength, my voice piercing through the silence like a desperate cry for salvation. I wail into the void, hoping that someone, anyone, might hear my anguished plea for help.

“PLEASE! SOMEONE! FUCKING HELP ME! ADONIS! DAX! KILLIAN!”

I can hardly catch my breath, my chest heaving from the intensity of my sobs, and a haze of tears nearly swallows my vision.

Memories of Jules flood my mind like vivid snapshots in an ever-turning photo album—each moment shared, every heartfelt conversation, the echoes of our laughter.

Each recollection serves as a bittersweet reminder of our sisterhood and the irreplaceable joy that now feels so painfully distant.

How did this happen? Who did this!?

The haunting sounds of their piercing screams reverberate in my mind, lingering like a chilling melody I can’t escape. Hearing Jules scream... it cuts through the silence, sharp and unrelenting, replaying scenes of terror that I wish I could unhear. Wish I could forget.

I ran as fast as I fucking could to help them.

It was too late.

As I cradle their dead bodies in my trembling arms, I gently sway them back and forth, desperately seeking a sign of life.

“Please, come back to me! Come back!” My voice breaks with raw emotion, each word laced with unbearable sorrow.

“I can’t live this life without you, Jules.

Without either of you!” Tears pour down my cheeks, hot and relentless, and as I sob, the weight of my grief is pressing down like a suffocating weighted blanket, consuming me whole.

Laughter echoes hauntingly from behind me, jolting me upright. My bare feet slip on the slick, crimson pool that stains the floor of my guest bedroom.

Before me stands a vision of exquisite beauty, a captivating woman that shimmers with an inhuman allure.

Her hair, as long and dark as a moonless night, cascades in elegant waves that frame her delicate features.

Those mesmerizing violet eyes sparkle like the rarest gems, drawing me in with a captivating intensity that feels dangerous.

Her porcelain skin glows with a ghostly radiance as if lit from within, casting a soft halo around her.

She wears a flowing black gown that clings to her curves, dipping daringly to her belly button and revealing her flawless cleavage. A thin gold chain wraps around her wrist as she holds whatever charm hangs from it. Every movement she makes is graceful and dangerous, exuding a confident charm.

“Octavia.” I clench my fists. My fingernails bite into my skin. She starts to clap. “In the flesh,” she tosses her long black hair behind her back. “So smart, you are. No wonder my boys took a liking to you. But, not clever enough.” Her tone is condescending, and I want to rip off her fucking head.

“This was easy,” she waves her hands over Jules and Amelia’s bodies. “Killing them. Taking your precious friends and gutting them like fish.”

As I stride toward her, fury bubbles within me, replacing the emptiness and heartbreak.

She raises a hand, a gesture that halts me in my tracks.

Suddenly, the words of anger poised on the tip of my tongue dissolve into silence.

An invisible force grips my voice, and I find myself unable to express the torrent of emotions churning deep inside .

“This is the consequence of crossing me,” she hisses, her voice dripping with disdain.

“Adonis is MINE! He does not belong to you, you foolish mortal!” She takes a deliberate step closer, the air around her thickening with an unsettling energy.

A smirk plays on her lips as she continues, “You walked right into my trap, didn’t you?

Discovering my book… my necklace… and then, as if by some twisted design, you summon the demons to your side.

But little did you realize, you beckoned me forth as well.

” Her chilling laughter echoes through the room, slicing through the anguish that fills my heart.

Hot, stinging tears cascade down my cheeks, a testament to my despair.

“You have a choice, Danika .”I’ve never hated my name more. “You walk away, leave town. And I will spare this entire town. If you do not leave, I will kill every single person in this town, starting with Carter.”

I lunge at her, clawing her face with my nails like a hawk, and scream fiercely into my head. My hands wrap around her throat, and I squeeze as hard as I can.

She laughs, and I go flying out the window. Glass cuts into my back, arms, and thighs. I take off running.

I run into the woods. The sticks cut into the bottom of my feet, but I don’t care. I need to feel the pain. I need to feel anything besides the heavy burden that they are dead. My best fucking friend is dead.

“AHHH!” I scream; my voice is raw and unrecognizable in the stillness around me.

Panic surges through my veins as I collapse onto the cold, damp earth, my fingers clawing desperately into the sodden, dark soil.

The chill of the ground seeps into my skin as the weight of despair presses down, almost suffocating me.

“HELP!” I scream once more and hang my head.

The sound of Octavia’s laughter dances in my mind, a dark melody, yet she is nowhere to be found .

A thick fog begins to creep in, swirling around me like a shroud of mystery. I remain motionless, my head bowed in contemplation, but as I gather my courage, I slowly lift it, letting my eyes search through the haze.

The biggest shadowmire I have ever seen slowly emerges from the thick fog. I prepare myself for what will happen as I accept my fate.

I’m going to die.

I want to die.

If I have to live in this world without Jules, then I don’t want to. At least I know that I can be with her and Amelia in the afterlife.

I stay still and silent.

My breath hitched in my throat.

I can’t stop picturing Jules and Amelia dead.

I scream as loud as I can, tears pouring down my face. I dig my blood-stained hands into the dirt.

Fuck it.

I sit up on my knees and hold my arms wide open as I get ready to surrender. I tilt my head back and close my eyes, prepared to embrace the pain.

Thick drool drips onto my face, but I don’t dare open my eyes. A primal roar bounces off the trees and razor-sharp claws swipe at my face, then my chest. The beast starts to feast on me, and I scream in pain.

“Fuck! Dani! Wake up! Wake up!”

My mind feels hazy as I’m being violently shaken awake.

Once I come to, the most beautiful amber eyes loom over me, and strong hands hold my sweating body.

“Jules!” I scream out and jump up from my bed.

My bed.

Why am I in my bed?

“Dani, baby, calm down. It’s okay.” Dax grabs me and holds me still. “You were having a nightmare. You’re okay. I got you, little dove. ”

Dax rocks me back and forth, and I let out a sob. He pulls my face back with both hands and kisses my tear-soaked cheek. “I got you. You’re safe.”

I intertwine my legs around my mate, gripping him tightly as if he were my anchor in a turbulent sea.

I bury my face against the warm skin of his neck, inhaling deeply to absorb his familiar scent—a comforting mix of earthy musk and a hint of the outdoors.

I savor the warmth radiating from his body, grounding me and assuring me that this moment is undeniably real.

“Jules and Amelia… oh god,” I whimper again, “it felt so fucking real, Dax! Octavia was here. She killed them. She told me I summoned her, too. She said that you all belong to her and that she was going to kill everyone in this town, starting with everyone I loved most.” His strong hands rub my back up and down.

“You are burning up, baby. Here, take this off.” He lifts my sweat-soaked shirt from my body, tosses it on the floor, and then grabs my controller to turn my fan on high.

“Go take a cold shower. I’m going to change your sheets.” I look down at my sage cotton sheets, and it looks like I pissed the bed with how much sweat is soaked into my sheets. I look a little lower and see blood, and my eyes widen.

I roam my hands over my body, trying to find the blood. Nothing. I sit up and notice the blood stains on my inner thighs. Embarrassment immediately washes over my expression.

“Relax. It’s just your time of the month,” he says all too casually for me. I’m mortified.

I jump out of bed and then grab my robe, tightening it over my body.

“I-uh… I’ll change those. I have to check on Jules and Amelia first.” I feel my chest getting blotchy and my cheeks turning red .

I quietly leave my room. Fuck, I’m super embarrassed. I usually get my period once every three months, thanks to my birth control. I must have lost track.

I get to the guest bedroom, peek inside, and see Jules and Amelia sleeping soundly.

I let out a deep exhale.

“See?” Dax says from behind me while running his hand up and down my back. “They are fine. Come, your shower is ready.”

I can feel fresh blood dripping down my leg, so I quickly head back to my room to shower.

I sit in my shower for a long time and let the cold water wash away the nightmare, sweat, and blood.

I still can’t comprehend that it was a dream.

It felt so real. I could smell their blood, feel the warmth of its freshness pooling under my feet and in my hands.

Their lifeless bodies haunt me… And Octavia… I can’t get her laugh out of my head.

Dax opens the shower door. I don’t bother looking at him.

He grabs me and sits behind me on the cold, tile floor, and holds me tightly.

He moves my long, wet hair all to one side and kisses my neck.

“It’s okay, little dove. It was just a bad dream.

I’ll stay in here with you as long as you want.

” He presses his lips to my neck, distracting me from my thoughts and humiliation.

Maybe he is the distraction I need to get that nightmare out of my head.