Page 25 of The Silent Mountain (Under the Werewolf Crown #2)

twenty-five

It Lurks in the Dark II

*ALANA*

I can smell him before I even see or hear him. His scent is just everywhere, so strong. I’ve grown so accustomed to it that I don’t think I can live in a world where his scent doesn’t exist. I have obviously very much fallen for my dragon king, and I am not embarrassed anymore to admit it; not to me, not to him or anyone else.

I am in love with Favian, and I want to be his. In fact, I am already his, only the mark is still missing, but it’s just a technicality now. There is no way I will let him walk away and mark another woman. I want to be his.

I can feel his strong arms engulfing me from behind. “What are you doing outside?” he asks softly.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I admit. “And I felt restless.”

“How come?”

“Just a feeling.”

A feeling.

I try to turn around to look into Favian’s eyes, but he holds me so tightly I can’t quite move. It’s comforting to be held like that, and a tad unusual, but also… so comforting. It’s almost lulling me to sleep. I feel heavy and tired. Shifting my weight slightly, I lean further into his touch when I can feel this twinge again. Why isn’t he talking? He isn’t doing anything. That’s not like Favian. Favian would have already asked more questions. He has trust issues, not necessarily in me anymore, but in my ability to stay safe. He has lost so much that whenever something goes unplanned, I can feel his worry.

I feel nothing now.

And his embrace… It’s almost like he is holding me hostage.

Why don’t I feel anything?

I push at his arms, tugging with more strength now. “Who are you?” I exclaim when I have ripped myself free. I spin around to look at him, but his image disappears. It turns dark around me and cold. So cold and heavy.

My throat burns.

The shock drives into me like a blizzard, jolting me awake in one rough motion. My eyes snap open, and I am met with the dark nothingness of the ocean. “What!?” I gasp. My whole body freezes. I am dreaming, this is still a dream. It’s a nightmare. I can’t be swimming in the middle of the night, in the ocean!

This is not possible!

I close my eyes, taking a couple of shaky breaths before forcing them open again. I am still surrounded by water, my clothes wet and cold. There is nothing beneath me but the vast depth of the ocean.

My head starts spinning, my blood rushing so fast that I am getting dizzy. I can feel blood dripping from my nose, a reaction I had as a child sometimes, when I was terrified of a nightmare. Keep it together, keep it together. I can’t lose consciousness now.

My first instinct is to scream before my warrior training takes over. An unknown situation; I’ve been thrown into an unknown and unpredictable situation. What did Ita teach me back when she trained me? Never scream. It could alert my enemies. Assess the situation first. Keep a cool head. A cool head, Alana. Freaking out will just make matters worse.

How did I get here? How is that possible? The path here takes me forever to cover on foot, a couple of hours at least. I must have been in some weird trance, or sleepwalking or damn it, was I abducted? Did someone kidnap me and throw me here?

Okay, calm down, Alana.

My heart beats so fast I can feel my head getting dizzy. Alana, Ros exclaims. Oh, for Goddess’s sake, I can reach you again! Our connection was blocked.

What happened?!

I have no idea, she blurts out. I was having the best dream, cuddling with our favorite dragon, when I woke up to this nightmare!

Her words make my stomach sink further. If I can talk to Ros, it means this is real. It’s real. I try to link Favian, but I can’t seem to reach him. Ros, Favian-

Our link is blocked, she growls.

Of course it is, because apparently, I attract bad luck. I carefully shift around again, trying to find some orientation. To my relief, I can spot the shore not too far away from me. It’s not the one the dragons usually use, but I can see the well-known silhouette of the mountain which the castle towers on. Well, at least that’s something, though I better not think of the sea monster that attacked the warriors close to the shore earlier today.

Ros tenses, alerting me that something is off. There is something… in the ocean right in front of us.

I squint my eyes in the direction she is nudging me. For a moment, I see nothing aside from the deep, black darkness of the night and sea, until there is just the tiniest movement that catches my eye. A sudden sound fills the air, a hum.

A hum…

I close my eyes, feeling calm again and comforted; so comforted. No way! Shaking my head, I try to pull myself out of the spell. I need to get out of here immediately; time for everything else later. Once I am at the shore, I can break down and freak out!

Without taking any precautions, I start paddling like crazy to get away from the creature that seems to be haunting me, or hunting me. It’s difficult to tell what’s real and what’s my imagination. Goddess, if only I weren’t so tired. Ros, stay on alert in case the monster from today attacks.

Just amazing, she mutters. But I got you. Focus on swimming, and I will focus on whatever is… She cringes visibly. Possibly beneath or behind us, or in front of us. Alright, just SWIM!

She doesn’t need to tell me twice! I start kicking my legs and flailing my arms to get further towards the shore. I am not the strongest swimmer. It’s just not something we did a lot in my home, but at least I know the basics. If I hadn’t known how to swim, this would have been my end, and not even Ros would have been able to save me.

I am moving excruciatingly slowly. The shore seems so close but also so distant. The ocean is scary, constantly tricking my eyes. I am not sure how long my strength will remain with me, but I am not called the Warrior Princess for giving up quickly. As long as I even have a little bit of will and strength left, I will fight.

The moonlight shimmers through some clouds, finally giving me some more light, when I see it: a golden shimmer in the distance. Gold like the sun, like hope. There is only one being in this world with that color.

“FAVIAN!” I yell out, using all my strength to scream his name over and over again. If my enemy hears it, I don’t care. There is no way I will reach the shore without help. It’s either Favian who hears me or whatever is behind me, and I will battle with it.

The golden shimmer comes closer and closer until I feel claws reaching out towards me. I raise my arms, my heart skipping a beat when I feel them closing around me and pulling me upwards. My clothes are so wet and heavy, I feel them being pulled downwards, but my dragon is making sure to hold me tightly.

*FAVIAN*

It’s an instinct that pushes me to leap off my balcony, shift and swoop into the air, just a mere instinct. My mind link to Alana is blocked, and while it could mean different things, I just know something is off. I love her, and I won’t let anyone take her from me. It’s the mate bond and my desperate fear for her safety, but also my love for her, that makes me head for the most terrifying part of my kingdom first: the ocean.

Favia is still asleep, due to my having used her powers for something so dangerous earlier today, and for her further guiding a soul to Aengus.

But for once, my instincts prove to be a real blessing.

The moment I make it over the mountains and make for the shore, I feel a pull, strong and desperate, and I just know she is there. My heart sinks further than it has ever before when I hear her screaming my name. It goes through the thick scales of my dragon and right into our heart, piercing and stabbing it mercilessly.

She is there, in the ocean! How? How?

For Aengus’ sake, how?

I don’t linger on my thoughts, just speed through the night sky, toward the small dot in the ocean that is my mate. With every inch we get closer, I recognize more of her. Her hair is wet but still sparkles red under the moonlight.

“Favian,” she sighs tiredly when we fish her out of the water.

The moment I have her in my claws, I can feel the mind link opening again like a spell has been broken.

Alana, Alana, I link her. I am here! You are safe.

I want to carry her directly home, but seeing the state she is in, I decide instead to fly for the shore until I reach a safe, secluded spot. Once I land there, I let her down gently and shift back. Alana gasps for air, as her whole body shivers. She wraps her arms around her body, rocking herself.

I need someone here immediately. Instead of linking Stefan or Ludwig, I decide on something unusual for me. Erin. I link the witch. Since she pledged her loyalty to me, I am able to link her, which makes everything much easier. Alana likes and trusts her, and I think she would cope better with a motherly figure now. The queen was in the ocean. We don’t know how and why, but she is freezing and in shock.

Where are you!? Erin seems to be wide awake immediately.

At the shore. You can’t miss us. Have Frederick call a warrior to bring you here!

I will be there immediately, she promises.

I cut the link and hurry to my mate, gently wrapping her in my arms. Her gasps have turned into sobs right now. “I am sorry,” she states, laughing hysterically. “I don’t know what… why… what…” She coughs violently, as another shiver goes through her body. “My body is not list… listen…”—she coughs again—“listening to me.”

“You are in shock, my love,” I say, carefully pulling her against my chest, hoping that the mate bond and my warmth will help. I whisper words to her that I hope will sound calming while gently rocking her.

Erin arrives much sooner than I anticipated. She must have really rushed both Frederick and the warrior, and I am impressed that she managed to do it. To my surprise, she has also brought Cassie along. “She needs to learn,” she whispers towards me. “I hope you don’t mind, Your Highness.”

“Not at all,” I say.

Erin instantly wraps a thick blanket around Alana. “Cassie, get the second blanket and the set of clothes. We need to get her out of these wet ones.”

I go to step away, to give Alana some privacy in such a vulnerable moment, but she grips my hand. “S… sta… y,” she manages to rasp out.

At her words, the beast in me hisses and growls. Having her want us in such a moment of vulnerability is more telling than anything else. Of course I oblige, holding her hand while the two women swiftly undress her. Erin guides Cassie, showing her how to work effectively and quickly. Soon, Alana is free of her heavy and wet clothes, and they wrap her in the two dry blankets again, rubbing to warm her. Slowly, I can feel Alana’s heartbeat slowing down and the clacking of her teeth subsiding. “A song,” Alana mutters. I almost believe she might be hallucinating, but then she looks at me. “There was a song.”

Erin looks up at her words, a frown on her face. She doesn’t say anything at first and keeps tending to Alana until she has calmed down properly and is more stable. Then, she leaves her with me and Cassie and walks over to the shoreline, her eyes pinned to the horizon where the water meets the sky. She stands there for minutes, just staring out at the dark water.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” she says when she returns to us, deep worry etching her face. “It’s as if the world is restless. The peace of nature is disturbed.”

“Does this have something to do with the song I heard?” Alana asks. She is sitting on the ground now, both blankets tightly around her. “And the reason I was in the water? I mean, how could that even happen? The path here is so long and dangerous.”

“Is it possible that Alana was sleepwalking again?” I ask. “Like back with the mare?”

“I don’t think she was sleepwalking,” Erin says. “And I am certain it wasn’t a mare this time. When the mare had you under its spell, you thought your dreams were reality, am I right?”

Alana nods. “Exactly. It was like I was hallucinating.”

“And today?”

Alana blinks. “I can’t remember. I briefly dreamed about Favian, then woke up in the water. But I don’t know how or why I came here.”

I frown. “So, did someone enchant and manipulate her, or even kidnap her?”

“Possibly,” Erin mutters. “I don’t sense anything here on land though. If something is targeting us, then it’s clearly in the water.”

“Why me?” Alana asks. “That’s the second time.”

“You are perceptive,” Erin says. “It’s nothing bad, Warrior Princess. In fact, I would call it a gift not many shifters have. It’s the reason you were able to see the dragons and believe in them when everyone else thought they were extinct. You have a sixth sense to you. Normally, that’s something only witches have.” She pauses. “I wonder… your mother…”

“What about her?” Alana asks.

“The former queen, Sine, maybe it runs in her blood. I don’t think she is of witch blood, but she is a scholar and very gifted. You are said to be her spitting image, not just in terms of looks. You might have inherited more from her than you think.”

“You are saying it’s a good thing, but doesn’t it make me weak?” Alana asks. “Or rather vulnerable?”

“Every talent and gift comes with a downside,” Erin says. “Think of your sister-in-law, Queen Azadeh, and how she grew up feared and shunned. You just need to learn how to block outside forces from your mind.”

To my surprise, Alana chuckles. “That easy, huh?”

Erin smiles. “We will work on it. I also assume being in the vicinity of your mate enhances your natural gifts. It’s the beauty of the mate bond.”

“Something blocked our connection earlier,” I tell Erin. “That was very worrisome. How can that happen? Alana wasn’t that far away from me. I should have still been able to link her and vice versa.”

“That’s worrying indeed,” Erin mutters. “Even unmarked, your connection should be strong enough. An outer force must have blocked you. Once you mark each other, your connection might be stronger, though I can’t say for certain.”

Alana sighs, with a tired expression on her face. I can barely fathom how she must feel. She is so far away from her home, and in such a short period of time, she has been attacked twice. I feel a pang of guilt in my chest. It’s my lands, my kingdom. What kind of king can’t protect his mate?

“I am getting cold again,” Alana says into the silence.

“We will return immediately,” I say, gesturing for the warrior who has been waiting a respectful distance to come closer. “Take Erin and Cassie back home,” I instruct him before looking at the two women. “Thank you, Erin,” I say. “And Cassie, you did well today.”

Cassie’s eyes widen in joy. “Did I really?” she blurts out.

“Yes, you did,” Erin chuckles. “Come, dear, let’s return home.” She tosses a look at Alana and me. “I will research this further.”

“So will I,” I say.

“There is something else, Your Highness,” she says. “It might be too early to tell you, but I can’t keep it from you. Cassie and I are currently testing potential antidotes to whatever sickness Barbara has. I was able to analyze her blood and how it reacts to the virus. While we still don’t know what it is, I can work with that knowledge.”

“We can’t make a potion for Babs yet,” Cassie says, excitement in her voice. “But we could do a prophylaxis for the healthy clan members.”

Alana gapes. “That would be amazing!”

“I agree.” At least we could protect the rest of the clan that way.

“The queen needs to return to the warmth of the castle,” Erin says. “Please make sure she takes a hot bath to warm up further.”