The Alpha's Hunt Chapter 157

Darian carried me to the shower and washed me off before he put me in bed and covered me. He placed a kiss on my head and mumbled something but I was too exhausted to hear him and my eyes closed before I could fathom what was happening.

I opened my eyes and looked around but where was I? I didn’t recognize anything around me. There was a lit fire in a small fireplace against a wall where a pot hung from metal hooks. It was dark and gloomy, with a single carpet in the center of the cottage and furs placed all around. The bed I was lying on was hard and when I looked down I realized that there was no mattress, just thick fur, and blankets.

Don’t freak out, there is an explanation for this. 

“Hello?” 

It was a one-bedroom cottage with no place for anyone to be hiding.

“Darian?” 

No answer.

I didn’t smell anything either, not from the fire or from the fur or the scents of whoever lived here. 

Panicking wouldn’t do me any good so I decided to take a look around. The last thing I remembered was Darian putting the covers over me, that’s it. 

But where was he? 

Where was I?

I set my feet down on the cold floor and realized that I was barefoot but covering my body was a white nightgown. The material was thick and warm and not something I owned.

What the hell kind of a universal shift was this? Maybe the Gods were playing a trick on me, or maybe they wanted to show me something.

Maybe I wandered out in my sleep or maybe someone had taken me. So many maybes and so few answers.

“Trixy, where the hell are we?” Odd, she wasn’t answering.

“Trixy?” 

It’s not just that she wasn’t answering but I also couldn’t feel her presence.

The door to the cottage opened up, squealing loudly on the rusty hinges before it closed and a hooded man walked in. He walked over to the fire and I stood up straight.

“Who are you?” I asked stretched my fingers. Claws were supposed to come out but when I looked down all I saw were my natural nails.

I scanned my hands and flipped them over. Nothing was out of the ordinary except I had no fucking claws. 

I had no claws and no wolf.

I looked back at the man who was emptying a porridge-looking blend into the pot and stirred it with a wooden spoon. 

Had I somehow traveled back in time? 

The man lifted his hands and removed his hood. It couldn’t be…a gasp left my lips and I staggered back.

He turned his head but it twitched and I saw three faces before they merged and he eventually looked at me. 

“Angus,” I whispered under my breath. 

Alive and unharmed but that wasn’t reality. I watched him die and get dragged off.

I was losing my mind, I had to be, why else would I see a dead man in a cottage while I stood dressed in a nightgown?

He rose from the makeshift cushion he sat on, every moment took three times as long- it was like a glitch in reality and right when I blinked he stood in front of me. So close that if he were alive I would be able to smell the pine tree scent he had.

Angus smiled softly but a shadow rapidly twisted his features and darkened his smile before his lips turned down and his eyes widened in a warning.

“They’re coming,” he whispered.

Angus leaned in. “They’re coming!” His loud voice pierced my ears and shook my brain.

My eyes darted open and I flew up in panic and heaved on the bed. 

I touched the covers and looked around the dark room. Darian’s room…our room. 

Everything was as it had been.

But why did I feel like that was all about to end?

I hurried out of the bed and realized that I was naked. The robe hung on the door I pulled it down and put it on before I hurried outside. The sun had set already. I had no clue for how long I’d been asleep but there was still chatter and movement on the bottom floor- hopefully, Darian would be there. He had to be. 

I ran, nearly tripping on the stairs, and pulled the strings on my robe when it started to come undone.

I slid around a sharp corner and hurried to his office.

The door was closed and I couldn’t hear any voices but I burst into the office and saw him sitting behind his desk.

His chair flew back when jumped up in distress and ran over to me. 

The touch of his hands when he cupped my face sent a soothing calm down my jittering nerves but I was breathless and in full-blown panic, something he couldn’t take away. 

“Breathe,” he said and I drew in a deep breath.

My eyes sank when I gazed into his and my stomach turned.

“They’re coming, Darian,” 

It took two seconds for the words to settle in him before he started barking orders at everyone around us. 

They were told to secure the border but call back a hundred Guards. The plan was to let them pass through and we would take them on here. Tam had orders to take his men and enforce a curfew, send all the pack members home, and make sure they stayed there. The Guards would patrol the streets and the neighborhoods and the Obsidian Pack was sending their warriors- half of which would be staying with the people and half would come and strengthen our numbers. 

I looked at Lauren bowing her head at an order but her eyes widened a fraction and quickly shot to me when she hurried over. At first, I didn’t realize that the floor was coming closer to my face, but a shooting pain in my stomach made me fold and before I face-planted on the office floor I felt her arms holding me up. 

“What’s wrong?” Darian asked, panic coated his words and his eyes glimmered with fear.

“Nothing I’m fine,” I said and took a breath.

Lauren pulled the robe tighter over my chest and eyed me cautiously.

“Are you sure?” He asked and I nodded. 

Darian sent a mind link to his Guards and grabbed my hand. 

“They’re meeting us on the grounds behind the palace. Stay close to me,” 

“Darian,” I said and squeezed his hand to hold him back.

He looked at me with a deep worry that warmed my heart but he wasn’t seeing the whole picture…clearly.

“I’m in a robe,” I whispered and looked down at my bare legs.

Anger flashed across his face and he sent warning glares at everyone who was still with us- they averted their gazes and looked down at their feet in a flash.

“Change and meet out back,” he ordered before he left but he stopped and turned halfway- clenching and unclenching his fists.

“I’ll be fine,” I promised.

Darian nodded and left but I knew that he’d already told someone to shadow me. Though it wasn’t much of a shadow. Lauren stood still in front of me with her hands clasped behind her back. She shrugged a shoulder, “I have an order.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled while we walked back to my room. My body was getting out of hand, I didn’t recognize it anymore.