Still Valerie’s POV
I don’t know what triggered this dream, I thought it has gone away. I guess it’s the endless banter between Shane and Liam, or maybe it is the fight between Cameron and Beverly, but something triggered my nightmares and it made me wonder if this nightmare of mine is really a nightmare, or maybe it’s a memory that is buried deep within my subconscious. Since I met Maverick, I stopped having these terrible nightmares, and I thought I would never dream about it anymore. But I was wrong because it came back to me this morning and it is more vivid this time, I felt even more scared because it feels as if I’m in danger again.
My nightmares are always the same episode repeating itself…
I’m running…
I’m running as fast as I can. I don’t know who he is, but the terror in my heart is too great to be ignored. It’s raining and I’m freezing from the cold, my clothes are drenched from the heavy downpour, but I can’t think about that right now because he is so close, his footsteps keep getting closer and the more he got closer to me, the more terrified I become.
I’ve never been so cold and scared before, The rain is whipping and I feel a sense of loss so heavy that it mulls on my heart. I could hear voices around, it seems like everyone is running away from imminent danger, but not this guy. No, he wasn’t scared of anything and his only wish is to find me.
“Give me that ornament, you wench!”
The sound of his voice makes me shiver in fear. His aura is intimidating and scary. So scary, I could feel it as I run away from him. I can tell from his compelling aura that he is not an ordinary werewolf. He is of high rank, he could be an Alpha or Beta, I really can’t say and I’m not going to stick around to find out who he is. He’ll probably kill me before I get a chance to see his face. I have no idea what he is talking about, I don’t even know who he is. But one thing is certain, he wants me dead and he will stop at nothing until he gets the ornament.
I wish I know what the ornament is, I would have gladly given it to him to save my life. But I have no idea what he is talking about and he doesn’t sound like someone who is ready to listen to anything I have to say. The only option I have is to run as fast as my legs can take me and put some distance between us.
I kept on running, and even when I stumbled and fell to the floor, I picked myself up and continued running. I could hear the sound of the water flowing into the river down below. I know where I am, and I know exactly what is going to happen next. It’s the waterfall, and it’s the only way out of here. I know this because I have been through this process before and it always ends the same way.
“Jump, Val…
I’m right here waiting for you, I’ll never leave you alone, I’ll protect you from him. He will never hurt you as long as you are with me, together, we can defeat him…
Come to me, my love, Jump!” he screams at the top of his voice.
Right on cue…
That is exactly what he tells me every damn time, and I always listen to him.
Always…
His voice, that amazing voice that makes the butterflies in my stomach summersault. I could never turn back, even if I wanted to. The attraction, the pull is so strong, so alluring. The sound of his voice makes my heart beat faster in excitement, whenever I get to this point, I tend to forget all about my assailant. All I can think about is the feeling of warmth that surrounds me and the tingling sensation that I feel all over my body. The anticipation makes me ignore every other thing around me, and I jump willingly, hoping to meet my prince charming that would save me from the terrible monster that is after my life.
But when I finally jump down the cliff, I discovered that it wasn’t a waterfall, No. It was a room, a very dark room with no doors or windows. Then I heard the sound of footsteps approaching me, and I turned to see if it is my handsome prince that makes my heart beat rapidly, but I am met with the most frightening sight ever. It is not a handsome prince, it is not even human. It is a monster, with razor-sharp claws and elongated canines protruding out of its mouth. It tries to come close to me, you tear me apart and feed on my carcass. I scream at the top of my voice, and I turned to run away, but he held me back and pinned me to the wall, forcing me to look into his eyes.
“Mine!” he whispered in my ears, awakening my desires once more. I felt so hot within me, I could feel the heat pooling between my legs. I desire to be ravished by this beast, I want to wrap my legs around his hips and let him screw me to the moon and back. But the fear of being in a dark room with a monster was greater than whatever I’m feeling for him. And so I screamed at the top of my voice, trying to push him away and make a run for it. But he is too strong, too powerful. He smiles at me and he holds my two hands, stopping me from thrashing around like a lunatic. Then he leans forward and peck’s my lips softly. Then he whispers into my ears,
“Wait for me on the other side, my love. I’ll come to find you.” He assures me with a smile, then he brings his hand forward and drags a finger on my cheeks, using his claw to draw a line on my cheeks, making me scream out in pain as his razor-sharp claw rips my skin open and I bleed profusely. I scream and yell for mercy, and I thrash around furtively in an attempt to free myself from his grip…
And if I was still sleeping, this is when I wake up from that terrible dream, screaming at the top of my voice with blood on my face, and asking myself how the hell was I able to see so clearly in the dark, and how am I able to heal myself?
And then I remember the words of my stepfather, the same words he keeps repeating to me while he abuses me every damn day,
“You are a witch, Valerie. A blood-sucking demon, that is what you are. Get away from my house, leave my family, you spawn of Satan!” he spits out in my face, making me rejected and alone as he kept reminding me every damn day that I am not a part of his family.
That is how my dream always ends, it repeats itself like clockwork, and even if I try to wake up before it comes to an end, I wouldn’t be able to. It feels like I was programmed to have these nightmares and immediately after my nightmares end, I regain consciousness and I begin to think deeply about everything I dreamed about, searching for means and answers to everything I just witnessed. It’s always so difficult to interpret my dreams and get all the answers I’m searching for, but as I got to the ending this time, I didn’t wake up. I got past the part where I jerk awake in fear, I got past the part where my stepdad abuses me verbally, I even got past the part where I make out with Maverick, but I still couldn’t open my eyes, it felt as if I was in a deep sleep. I feel so lightheaded, I could feel myself floating in the air like a feather. If I didn’t know better, I would think that I was dead already. But that’s a lie, I could still hear the chanting of a white witch, and I heard her name in my head, it sounded so clear,
“I am Devon, the last of my kind. Hear my voice, you Salutary wolf, and obey my command. Come to me Valerie, come to me and surrender your powers to a greater authority.” she ordered me, trying to lure me in, or so I thought anyways. She was chanting in that strange language, and she called out to me in a clear tone, sounding so persuasive. I tried to resist her voice, but I couldn’t get it off my head because I understood everything she was saying to me. I know she is trying to force me out against my will, but all she succeeded in doing is opening my mind and feeding me with more information than I asked for. She unknowingly gave me the key to unlocking the information hidden deep in my subconscious.
This time, I didn’t just hear the voices in my head, but I also saw the faces as well. Her magical chants failed her miserably. It was supposed to make me susceptible and stupid, but instead, it took me back to the very beginning of our existence and I was made to see how the healers were betrayed by a very dangerous enemy. I was shown the face of our enemy and how he deceived my family.
He sought out a poor family from the line of healers, they were a family of four, and they are well gifted in the art of healing. The Amaruks were neither rich nor poor, they were one of the best healers in the city, but they do not use their abilities to earn money for themselves, they view their gifts as a blessing from the moon goddess and they simply use their gifts to help the people.
They are as pathetic as the king, and easy to fool because they are very gullible. When he discovered that the Amaruks could give him what he wants, he pulled the close and showered them with gifts, trying to earn their trust. He offers the father a job that would fetch him enough money to cater for his wife and two kids. His son was seven years old and his daughter was just a suckling child. He claimed to be interested in their welfare, but he simply wanted to use them to achieve his desires.
He delayed his plans for a few months, trying to get them to trust him. During this period, he kept filling their heads with his conspiracy theories, trying to get them to believe that they were all in danger. He made them believe that the king was not acting in his right senses because he is under a spell. As usual, he blamed the other packs for putting a spell on the king, and just as he anticipated, the Amaruks believed him. Even when be suggested that they delve into magic, they still agreed to do it.
They know the rules, they know they are not supposed to perform magic and sorcery of any kind. Anyone caught in the art was killed by the king. The moon goddess forbade magic and sorcery in the land after the last sorcerers tried to drain all her powers with the magic she taught them. Everyone knows that story, and no one dared to perform magic. But the Amaruks disobeyed the laws because they thought they were trying to save the pack from traitors. They got every other healer involved, and together, they drained some powerful magic from the moon goddess. The magic was meant to be for the king, it was going to make him more stronger than ever, and that was what they were made to believe.
But that was a lie…
The Amaruks were my family, and that bastard lied and deceived my family. I’m not just the last healer, I am from the family of the Amaruks, and I am not just here to save our lineage, I am here to defend my family and regain our lost honor. Devon did me a huge favor, she just doesn’t know it yet…