Sixty five
A flicker of fear burned in my heart at my mother’s words, but it was quickly overshadowed by a fierce determination in my heart. I would not let anyone stand in the way of my happiness, my destiny. “I won’t give up, Mom. I’ll fight for what’s right, for the Kingdom, and for the love I and the Alpha king have.”
She nodded, pride shining in her eyes. “I know you will, Freya. You have a strength within you that even you have yet to fully realize. Trust in it, and in the love that surrounds you, even in your darkest moments.”
I hugged her tightly, memorizing the feeling of her arms around me, the scent of her hair, the warmth of her love. In this moment, I felt invincible, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. “I won’t let you down, Mom. I promise.”
She smiled, and in that smile, I saw a reflection of my own heart – full of love, hope, and an unbreakable spirit. “You could never let me down, my darling. I’m certain you will face every obstacle with the courage I know you possess. And remember, I am always with you, in your heart and in your dreams.”
Suddenly, the ground beneath our feet began to tremble, a low rumble that quickly grew into a violent quaking. I stumbled, grabbing my mother’s arm for support. Around us, the once peaceful garden erupted into chaos, the joyful laughter of the children replaced by terrified screams.
“Mom, what’s happening?” I cried, my voice barely audible above the deafening roar.
Her eyes, usually so calm and reassuring, were now tinged with sorrow. “Freya, my darling, this world is crumbling. You’re waking up in the real world, and our time together is coming to an end.”
“No!” The word tore from my throat, raw and desperate. “I can’t leave you, Mom. I need you. Please, don’t let me go.”
The ground heaved beneath us, splitting open with a sickening crack. I clung to my mother, my tears mingling with the dirt and debris that rained down upon us. The once vibrant colors of the garden bled away, replaced by a dull, lifeless gray.
“You must go, Freya,” my mother urged, her voice laced with an urgency I’d never heard before. “You have a destiny to fulfill, a kingdom to save. You can’t stay here, no matter how much we both wish you could.”
I shook my head vehemently, my grip on her tightening. “I’m not ready, Mom. I need you I can’t do this without you. I’m confused on what I need to do”
She cupped my face in her hands, her touch gentle despite the chaos that surrounded us. “You can, Freya. You’re stronger than you know, braver than you believe. I will always be with you, even when you can’t see me. My love for you is eternal, and it will guide you through even the darkest of times.”
The world around us continued to disintegrate, the once solid ground beneath our feet now little more than a crumbling picture in an endless void. I knew our time was running out, but I couldn’t bear to let her go.
“I love you, Mom,” I whispered, my voice broken by sobs. “I’ll make you proud. I promise.”
She smiled then, a smile filled with love and tenderness, tinged with the bittersweet knowledge that our parting was inevitable. “You already have, my darling. More than you could ever know.”
And with those final words, the world shattered around us, and I was falling, tumbling through an endless abyss, my mother’s love the only light in the suffocating darkness.
My eyes flew open, the lingering remnants of the dream world fading away as the sterile white of the hospital room came into focus. I blinked, my vision blurry with tears, my heart aching with the loss of my mother’s presence.
“Freya! You’re awake!” Addy’s excited voice cut through the haze, her face swimming into view above me. “We were so worried about you!”
I tried to speak, to ask what had happened, but the moment I opened my mouth, a searing pain shot through my skull, as if a thousand needles were piercing my brain. I winced, my hand flying to my head, a whimper escaping my lips. “Ah!”
Addy’s expression shifted from excitement to concern in an instant. “Hey, take it easy,” she soothed, her hand gently squeezing my arm. “You’ve been through a lot. The doctors said you need to rest and recover.”
I wanted to tell her about my dream, about the message my mother had given me, but the pain in my head was too intense, the words caught in my throat. I could only nod, my eyes drifting closed again as exhaustion washed over me.
“Sleep, Freya,” Addy murmured, her voice soft and comforting. “I’ll be right here when you wake up. We all will.”
As I surrendered to the pull of sleep once more, my mother’s final words echoed in my mind, a secret whispered in the space between dreams and reality. “You will give birth to the heir to the Crimson Kingdom,” she had said, her voice filled with certainty and pride.
I didn’t understand what it meant, but I knew that whatever lay ahead, I would face it with the strength and courage my mother had always seen in me. For now, though, I needed to rest, allow my body and mind to heal, hopefully when I awoke, everything would become clear.
I gave in to urge and slept off, feeling my mother’s love wrap around me one more time.
After what seemed like the whole day, I blinked my eyes open, the soft light of the room filling my eyes in. The pain in my head had dulled to a steady throb, and I took a deep breath, testing the limits of my battered body. Beside me, Addy slept peacefully, her head resting on the edge of the bed, her hand still clasped tightly around mine.
I shifted slightly, trying to sit up, and Addy stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She smiled at me, relief and joy mingling in her expression. “Freya, you’re awake again,” she whispered, squeezing my hand. “How are you feeling?”
I managed a small smile in return, my throat dry and scratchy. “Better,” I croaked, my voice rough from disuse. “Um…Where’s Alpha Rafe?”
Addy’s smile widened and she glanced ahead, her eyes darting to the corner of the room. I followed her gaze, my heart stuttering in my chest as I saw him there, standing motionless, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that stole my breath.
For a long moment, we simply stared at each other, the world around us fading away until there was nothing but the two of us, caught in a silent exchange that spoke volumes. In his eyes, I saw a wall of emotions – relief, anger, fear, and something else, something deeper and more profound that I couldn’t quite name.
I wanted to go to him, to throw myself into his arms and feel the solid strength of his embrace, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t tear my gaze away from his. It was as if we were locked in a battle of wills, each of us waiting for the other to make the first move, to break the silence that stretched between us.
Finally, Rafe took a step forward, his jaw clenched, his eyes never leaving mine. “Freya,” he said, his voice low and rough with emotion. “I thought I lost you.”
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