STARLETTE
Terror infiltrated my body, seeping into every inch of my bone as I leaped out of bed and rushed to the pile of dirty laundry. My hands scrambled through the clothes until I found the jeans I had worn when I visited the witches’ land. Desperately, I dug my hand into the pocket and pulled out the piece of paper Amelia had given me.
Maximus stood beside me, worries etched on his face. “What happened? Talk to me, Star. You’re scaring me.”
“I need a phone.” I breathed. “I need to call Amelia.”
He raised a brow, a lot of questions dancing in his eyes. But for some reason, he chose not to air those questions. Instead, he nodded and said. “I have a phone in my office. I’ll get it for you right away.”
He left the room and returned shortly after with a phone in his hand and a sceptical look on his face. As I reached for the phone, he pulled it back, just out of reach.
“Not until you tell me what’s going on, I’m not giving it to you.” He said.
“I had a dream…” The nightmare replayed in my head, and I shut my eyes tightly closed, a shiver running down my spine.
“Look at me,” he said softly, placing his warm palm on my face and gently caressing my cheek. I opened my eyes to meet his. “Breathe in,” he instructed.
I did as he said.
“Breathe out.”
We repeated that pattern a few more times before he finally asked. “What happned?’
“You died.” My voice cracked, and tears stung my eyes. “A man twisted his sword inside you, and you died.”
“It was just a dream. Don’t stress over it.” He tried to soothe me.
“It wasn’t just a dream!” I snapped. I knew what I saw, and it felt so real. Too real. I didn’t want to ever lose him. Which was why I needed to call Amelia to hear what she had to say about the invisibles. They had been the only threat to the pack, so I was sure the man from my dream had to be one of them. We had to stop them before they could strike, before my nightmare became a reality.
He pressed his lip into a thin line and caressed my shoulder. “You-”
“Please,” I interrupted. “Give me the phone. Amelia promised to help us. I need to call her before it’s too late.”
He sighed, finally giving in. “Okay.”
As soon as he handed me the phone, I dialled the number Amelia had given me, pressing the phone to my ear. She picked up on the first ring.
“Who is ” She started from the other end of the line, but I quickly interrupted her.
“Amelia, it’s me, Starlette.’
“Oh, Starlette.” She beamed. “How are you?”
“I am really sorry for what happened. You came here to help me, and you ended up being held against your wish.”
“Oh, it’s okay.” She assured. “You’re not to blame. That dick is. Your Alpha.”
Maximus snarled in response, and I shot him a look, urging him to stop. He could hear our conversation because of his super-hearing abilities.
“I can see that he is there.” She remarked.
I quickly changed the subject, cutting straight to the chase. “He said you promised to help us with the invisibles.”
“Yes. I did. I didn’t know much about them, so I asked my father for help.”
“What did he say?” I asked with urgency. “Does he know who they are, the witch helping them, and how we could get to them?”
“He doesn’t know where they are.” She said, and my face fell with disappointment. “But the witch helping them is a blood witch who practices dark magic. And he knows who that witch is. In fact, he’s very close to home.”
Before I could respond, Maximus snatched the phone from my hand. “Who is this bastard?” he growled into the phone.
I leaned closer, listening intently.
“Give the phone back to Starlette,” Amelia demanded, her tone icy.
“No, speak to me.” He insisted.
“I told you before, I would only speak with Starlette.”
He grumbled something under his breath before reluctantly giving the phone back to me.
“Who is he?” I asked her.
“My uncle. My father’s estranged brother.” She revealed, and my eyes narrowed as I waited for her to continue. “My father has been searching for him for a long time. I can’t explain why right now, but he’s willing to put aside their differences and work with your Alpha to catch him.”
“Work with Kaelin? What? No.” Maximus’s face twisted with disgust. But he soon took a sharp breath and reconsidered. “Where should we meet?” He asked reluctantly.
“Do you think my father is happy about this either?” She scoffed. “It’s just this stupid circumstance that’s causing it. Anyway, he has your number. He’ll contact you to discuss the next steps.”
After the call ended, my gaze settled on my mate. “Please don’t do anything that would jeopardise this. Don’t let your hatred control you.” I implored.
His eyes blazed dark with hatred and disgust at the idea of working with the clan elder. I feared that that would drive him to do something stupid, and I needed to make sure he would behave. We needed their help to put an end to the invisibles once and for all.
“I won’t do anything stupid,” he promised with a tight smile.
I could only hope he would keep his word.
***
The horrifying nightmare wouldn’t stop troubling me, no matter how hard I tried to get it off my mind. I was scared to the bones. I decided to take a walk around the pack. Maybe a breath of fresh air would help, I thought.
As I wandered outside, I spotted Lauren from a distance. Our eyes met briefly before she quickly averted her gaze and disappeared into the woods. Something about her movements struck me as suspicious. She wasn’t allowed to go into the woods, so why was she out here?
Without giving it a second thought, I followed her, trailing her in secrecy. Far into the woods, she suddenly came to an abrupt stop and spun around, locking eyes with me.
“What do you want?” She snapped.
Oh, she knew I had been following her all along.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“What are you doing here?” She countered.
“I am allowed to roam about the woods. You are not.”
“Oh, right.” She slowly approached and stopped right in front of me. A calculated expression saturated her face. “Did you tell Maximus about what you saw?”
“Not yet. But-” I tilted my head, my eyes narrowing. “I think I should today. He needs to stop having hope that he’s having a child. Because he’s not.”
“With you.” I added.
“Good.” She replied, her voice firm. “Don’t worry, you won’t have the chance to tell him.”
“What?” I asked confused. Out of nowhere, someone suddenly hooked his arm around my neck from behind, and I let out a shrill scream. He quickly clamped his palm over my mouth to shut me up. My eyes widened in fear as I struggled to free myself from his tight grip, but all attempts proved futile.
A sharp needle suddenly pierced the skin on my neck, and its content was released into my bloodstream. The effects kicked in immediately. I felt drowsy at first, then paralysis set in.
Wolfsbane-a thick concentration of it.
I was shoved to the ground like a rag doll. I tried to scream but I couldn’t. I blinked back the tears in my eyes as I looked up at Lauren, who had a sinister smile on her face.
“Today is the day you die.” I heard faintly.