Ch. 26：A Recurring Dream

“You are burning up.” I felt cool hands on my forehead.
“Leave me alone,” I muttered, slapping the hand away but my limbs were heavy and I didn’t have the strength needed to push his hand off me. “You deceived me,” I croaked, feeling my throat burn.
I’d screamed my throat out throughout the evening and ended up sleeping like a dead log throughout the night and now I’d woken with a burning fever.
“How did I deceive you?” I couldn’t even open my eyes to look at him but I heard the mockery in his voice.
“You said you were tired.” If the way he’d taken me yesterday was any indication then he must have lied about being tired.
He lied to me to get me to – to get me to ride him and then he bent me in half and bruised my insides. He’d been too rough and I hated how I couldn’t fault him completely. It was also my fault. I cringed remembering how I screamed his name and begged him to take me harder. I liked it that way – enjoyed the way my thoughts scrambled making it difficult for me to be self-conscious.
“I forgot how weak you are,” he muttered and I clenched my eyes tight. “When you beg so sweetly, I forget that my weakness is by far greater than your strength.”
At twenty, I still hadn’t shifted and it was clear I would be an omega wolf. Alpha wolves shifted as early as twelve years. Compared to the king, my strength was almost laughable. I should have remembered that before foolishly engaging him like I did yesterday.
I didn’t say anything else as I felt him leave the bed. Even when he left the room, I kept my eyes closed. With time, sleep took me and as usual, I found myself in a strange place yet again.
‘Scarlett, leave me alone. The throne is what you want and you will get it.’ Prince Seth swiped his hair from his forehead. “You have wormed your way into my mother’s heart so I cannot even break off the engagement.’ Irritation vibrated in the prince’s voice.
‘Is that all you have to say to me? Have you not heard the rumours about you and that maid –‘
‘I am tired of this conversation,’ Seth cut Scarlett off. ‘I do not concern myself with the rumours around you so you should do the same for the rumours around me.’
This dream, I’d had many times but I still could not understand what it meant. Why did I continue to dream of the late prince and Scarlett? It felt like something I should understand – like someone was showing me something, but who?
‘You should respect me at least.’ Even in my dream, Scarlett’s attitude irritated me.
‘You did not think of respecting me when you tried seducing my younger brother,’ Seth growled, his eyes sharpening. ‘You never respected our betrothal so do not speak to me about respect.’
‘It is not my fault you’re not half the man he is,’ she sneered. ‘Hiding behind your mother’s skirt while he fulfils your duties to the kingdom, winning all the wars while –‘
‘Scarlett,’ he warned. ‘Do not test me.’
‘Why not?’ The girl’s eyes gleamed wickedly. ‘What will you do if I test you?’ She laughed. ‘You are a weakling, Seth and in case you have forgotten, I am Scarlett Hawke. There is nothing you can do to me no matter what I say’
Despite it being my dream, I felt like I was intruding on their conversation. I wanted to wake up and get out of this bizarre dream but a force held me rooted to the spot. I’d dreamt of this often enough to know what would happen next.
Seth jumped out of his seat and grabbed Scarlett by her neck, his red eyes shining with danger. ‘Scarlett Hawke,’ he growled, hair covering his skin as his wolf surfaced. ‘You will not disrespect me like that.’ The first time I watched this scene, goosebumps filled my skin but now, after watching it so many times, it was no longer sensational.
‘Will you threaten me with the throne this time?’ Scarlett was fearless, her eyes changing to the colour of her wolf. ‘Do you think you are the only man that can make me queen?’ She slapped his hand off her throat.
‘You have to choose between the man you love or the power you crave.” He laughed, the sound loud and harsh. ‘Oh, wait.’ He stopped with a snicker. ‘The man you love hates your guts.’ Seth threw his head back and laughed.
‘Stop it, Seth,’ I muttered as Scarlett spoke the same words. All this was familiar and boring even.
‘Face the reality. Killian has loathed your guts since that day and nothing will change. It’s pathetic to watch you pine for a man who would spit on your face if he had the chance.”
Smack.
A loud sound echoed in the room as she slapped the prince.
‘I always get what I want.’ She sang in a sweet voice, her eyes cold and menacing. ‘If I say I want Killian and the throne, I would get both.’ With that, she turned and left the room.
I sighed, waiting for the dream to end. It was always after she spoke those words that my eyes opened to the real world but not this time. A hook lodged itself in my stomach and before I could move, it yanked me out of the prince’s bedroom.
My vision blurred as I was dumped on the hard ground of a dark room.
‘Can I wake up already?’ I asked the dark room picking myself off the ground.
The new scene was pitch black, so dark that I couldn’t even see my hands when I held them out in front of me. My mouth opened on a curse when I heard voices.
‘Scarlett, you will be queen. Dark Moon’s influence will be solidified through you, do not fret.’
‘But, Father!’ I couldn’t see them but I knew those voices. ‘I don’t want to be Seth’s queen,’ the brat cried.
‘He is the next in line to the throne so if you must be queen –‘
‘He is not the only prince.’ I swallowed as Scarlett uttered those words. The quietness of the darkroom became deafening.
‘Careful,’ Hawke growled. ‘What you are saying is considered treason.’
‘Think of it, Father,’ the girl continued. ‘If we support Killian, he would have no choice but to bow to us, after all, he is a bastard prince. With Seth, our influence is limited.’
‘Scarlett.’ Alpha Hawke sounded distressed. ‘Stop.’
‘If we make Killian the Alpha King –‘
‘Stop,’ he roared. ‘What nonsense is this?’ The man shouted. ‘How can you – Do you know how close those brothers are? If we – do something so dangerous, Killian would kill us rather than bow to us!’ He breathed harshly.
‘He does not have to know,’ Scarlett said calmly. ‘He doesn’t –‘
‘And the queen?’ Alpha Hawke growled.
‘Leave the queen to me.’ My heart pounded.
I didn’t understand my dreams but this one – it felt as if I was witnessing a murder plot.
‘Think about it, Father,’ Scarlett’s voice became soft.
In the darkness, I heard footsteps and a door opening and closing. Then a loud burst of loud laughter startled me. Alpha Hawke laughed loudly and eerily.
‘She is too smart for her own good,’ he muttered.
I gasped as my eyes opened. My mind was groggy as I sat up in bed with a racing heart. All my dreams were vivid but this one with Alpha Hawke’s laughter and Scarlett’s words made my guts churn.
I didn’t think I was seeing visions or anything like that but – was it really possible that Scarlett and her father killed Prince Seth? Bile rose in my throat and I shoved a fist into my mouth.
A knock on the door had me blinking. ‘Lady Amethyst, it’s Ian of the Royal Guards.’ The voice was unfamiliar but I got out of bed, smoothing out the creases in my dress as I went to open the door.
‘Good Afternoon,’ I greeted the man at the door.
‘Good Afternoon, My Lady. The King asked me to deliver this.’ He handed me a small scroll and I skimmed through it. My lips lifted after I finished reading.
‘The Alpha King has granted me permission to release a prisoner,’ I informed the man. He nodded without looking surprised. ‘Please, get me Sabrina, my aide. She knows him better.’
“Alright. I will be right back.” He left and returned a short while later with a pale and trembling Sabrina.
“My L – Lady.” She looked from me to the man. “You – You called –“
“Yes, Sabrina. I’ve gotten a pardon from the king.” I held up the short scroll.
“My – My Lady –“ Her eyes widened in shock.
“Let’s go get your brother out of prison.” I smiled at her.