67

Sixty seven
*Freya*
“Rafe is in peril… the Crimson kingdom sits on the edge of grave danger, dear Freya…”The whisper slithered through the darkness like an invisible force, chilling me to the bone. Its tone was hollow, sending cold dread down my spine. Turning around in the void, I tried to look for the source, but found only enveloping shadows that seemed to mock my confusion and fear. I seemed to be hallucinating a lot more now which disturbed me.
“Where am I?” My voice sounded small, almost consumed by the pressing silence that followed the ominous voice. The air itself felt thick, as if charged with an unseen presence. My heart raced, a frenzied rhythm against my ribs. Rafe-how could he be in danger? And the Crimson kingdom… what exactly was coming our way? And why was I the only one being warned of this?
A sudden jolt, and my eyelids flew open. The scary shadow realm vanished, replaced by the familiar darkness of my own chambers. My chest heaved with ragged breaths as I sat up, my fingers clutching at the sweat-drenched sheets. It had been a dream, a nightmare, but one that had an urgent message I couldn’t ignore. I knew it wasn’t my mom this time around.
“Rafe’s life hangs by a thread,” the voice echoed in my thoughts, refusing to be dismissed as mere phantoms of sleep. I shivered despite the warmth of my bedchamber. How could I ensure his safety? The need to act, to shield him from whatever threatened him, consumed me. I was so entangled in my worry that I didn’t notice the presence of someone else in the room.
“Freya?” The concern in Connor’s voice finally pierced my thoughts, and I turned towards him, my eyes wide with the effect of fear. There he stood, his figure outlined by the soft glow of the moonlight streaming in through the windows.
The relief that washed over me at the sight of Connor was like a balm to my disturbed spirit. Despite everything, his presence was what I needed in the chaos that threatened to consume me. He crossed the room with swift strides, and before I could utter a word, I found myself enveloped in the safety of his arms.
“Freya,” he murmured, his voice a rumble of genuine concern. “I’m so relieved you’re fine. It’s a miracle Rafe caught you.”
I tensed in his arms, the memory of the fall igniting a flicker of fear in my heart. The air around us seemed to grow heavy, thick with unspoken words. I wasn’t ready to relive that terrifying moment, not yet.
“Let’s… not talk about it,” I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. His hold on me loosened, but he didn’t step back, instead studying my face as if searching for answers I wasn’t prepared to give.
“Freya,” Connor began, his tone gentle yet insistent, “you need to tell me what happened up there. The truth.” His eyes locked onto mine, piercing in their intensity.
A knot formed in my throat, making it hard for me to breathe, let alone speak. I wanted to confide in him, to share the burden of the secret that weighed heavily on my soul. Yet, the words refused to come out, trapped behind the fear of the consequences they could cause.
“Was it Kelly?” The question hit me like a bolt of lightning, unexpected and jarring. My gaze snapped up to meet his, a mix of shock and confusion swirling within me.
How could he know? Did he see something, or did someone tell him?
“Connor, how-” I stammered, my thoughts racing as I tried to comprehend this new twist.
“Freya,” he said softly, an undercurrent of certainty in his voice. “It’s not the first time she’s acted out of jealousy towards you.”
His intuition both comforted and alarmed me. That Connor, always so observant, had pieced together what I wanted to say without me telling him, spoke volumes of his loyalty. And yet, it also meant that the secret would be out. After all, Connor was loyal to his alpha. He would tell Rafe in no time.
With a heavy heart, I nodded slowly, the truth coming out of mouth like a dark magic. “I saw Kelly near Rafe, I think they were… making out. I later met Kelly and she asked me to follow her to the balcony nearby, we argued.” My voice cracked as the memory surged through me. “She pushed me, Connor. She pushed me off the balcony.”
The fury that ignited in Connor’s eyes was unlike anything I had ever seen. His jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might shatter, and his hands balled into fists at his sides. “She’ll pay for this,” he growled, a dangerous edge to his voice that sent shivers down my spine.
“Connor, no!” I reached out, grabbing his arm with a desperate strength of fear. “Please, don’t do anything rash.”
He looked down at me, his body tense with anger, unleash his pent-up wrath. “Freya, she nearly killed you. How can you ask me to stand by?”
“Because…” My throat felt tight, the words struggling to emerge. “I don’t want her to ruin the competition. It’s important to Rafe, to all of us. We can’t let her wicked acts overshadow everything.”
Connor’s gaze wavered, conflicted emotions battling within him. He exhaled slowly, the rigid set of his shoulders softening slightly. “Fine,” he said at last, though each word seemed to cost him. “But only for now, Freya. Only because you ask it of me.”
Relief washed over me, weakening my knees. I knew how much it took for Connor to stay calm. His loyalty to Rafe, to the kingdom, and to me, was unwavering. But this restraint, it was for me. And for that, I was eternally grateful.
The silence stretched between us, a fragile thing that felt like it could break at any mention of vengeance. Then, with the weight of the revelation I had that was pressing on my chest, I broke the silence.
“Connor,” I whispered, my voice barely audible even in the silence of the room. “Last night, I had a dream-a nightmare, actually. It was so vivid, so… real. A voice, ominous and ghostly, spoke to me.” I swallowed hard, the memory of the dream sending a shiver down my spine. “It said Rafe is in danger. That our Crimson Kingdom is under threat.”
Connor’s eyebrows knitted together, his eyes clouding over with a mixture of concern and confusion. He leaned in closer, his presence a comforting warmth in the cool air of my room.
“Freya,” he started, his voice steady despite the confusion that creased his forehead. “You’ve had a terrible fall. Perhaps it’s merely the aftereffects playing tricks on your mind.”
I shook my head, clutching at his arm with an urgency that surprised even me. “No, Connor. This felt different. It wasn’t just a whisper in the dark-it was a warning. I can’t explain it, but… I feel like someone is plotting against Rafe. Against all of us.”
The confusion on Connor’s face deepened into a frown, his protective instincts clearly wrestling with the pose of my words. His lips parted as if to question the validity of my dream as a source of truth, but then he paused, looking at me intently.
“Freya, you believe this dream-this voice-was more than just a nightmare?” he asked, searching my face for certainty. His skepticism was palpable, yet there was also a hint of trepidation-a fear of dismissing something that could potentially be a real threat.
“Yes,” I affirmed, meeting his gaze with all the conviction I could muster. “I can’t shake the feeling that it was some sort of premonition. We need to be vigilant, Connor. We have to protect Rafe.”
For a moment, he remained silent, the gears turning behind his thoughtful eyes. Then slowly, almost reluctantly, he nodded. “Alright, Freya. I trust you. We’ll take extra measures to ensure the Alpha king’s safety. But we must tread carefully; we can’t cause a panic based solely on a dream.”
“Of course,” I agreed, relief flooding through me once more. Connor’s support meant everything. We would do everything we could to safeguard Rafe and our kingdom, no matter what shadows lurked in the corners of my dreams.
***