Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Whoever said the Earth couldn’t be soaked in blood hadn’t seen enough blood spilled upon it.

Screams echoed in the distance, the wails of bodies burning within the flames reaching every crook and crevice of the area.

Houses burned to the ground, the air toxified by flakes of charred skin drifting through the breeze.

The mud beneath my feet was drenched in blood, and in the middle of it all, more bodies sprawled across the land like cut down bushes in a vast clearing.

My eyes scanned the chaos like an observer trapped within his own nightmare, until they halted when they found Kai.

Pierced through the heart and suspended midair by a long spear, he no longer breathed.

His body was cold, devoid of life.

The fear shook me to the ground, my gaze catching the blood staining my hands. Kai’s blood.

No, no, no... I killed him. I killed Kai...

I jolted upright on the bed, my breath seizing instantly and my nerves spiking as I clutched the pillow against my chest, trying to recover from whatever nightmare that had been.

Beads of sweat coated my forehead and the skin down to my cleavage.

I wanted to get out of bed, but the mattress held me captive. I still felt sleepy, and goodness, it felt like foam crafted from clouds.

So squishy. So soft...

I never wanted to wake up again. Well, that was, if I didn’t have another nightmare of Kai’s death.

"You must be that sleepy." A familiar masculine voice spoke.

Before me sat Marcellan on a large armchair, legs crossed and staring so deeply I feared he’d lock eyes with my soul itself.

"And what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that. Here you are, in the royal master bedroom of the acting Alpha King. Well, I’d rather call him the Alpha King anyway." He muttered the last part to himself.

Following the wrinkle between my brows, a sinister look crossed my face. "Why are you watching me?" I gasped. "Wait, are you actually watching me? Where’s Kai?"

My eyes centered on my surroundings as I scanned the room. Kai’s scent had almost faded, which meant he hadn’t been around in a while.

"He left to deal with some matters. He’ll surely be back."

"I know."

Marcellan stood, adjusting his gloves. "I can’t remember the last time I had one of those, by the way." As though he read the confusion on my face, he added, "Nightmares. You mere mortals call it that."

"It was clear you were insufferable anyway."

"Ouch."

"Just the truth."

I shoved the duvet aside and headed to the bathroom. My recollection of the previous night led me toward the faucet. After washing my face and gathering myself, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

Once oceanic blue, my irises were fading into a more turquoise green. I wondered if it had something to do with the One Tree. Reflexively, my nails clasped against my chest, the silence it left within me still painfully evident.

"I’m sorry," I whispered under my breath.

Speaking of my powers, my dreams had never included Kai before, so what had changed?

The sound of someone clapping in the bedroom made me groan. Marcellan came back into view.

"Marcellan, what do you want?"

"Don’t you see? I’m babysitting you, stern bird." His nickname for me brought back memories instantly, my face twisting into a devious scowl.

"Oh, please."

"Well, come on. I had the staff prepare some sweet delicacies." He commented and twirled toward the exit. Emerging with him, we followed the path down the library hallway.

When the first aroma hit my stomach, I immediately remembered how starving I’d been. I dove into the food like some beastly creature while Marcellan watched with amusement dancing in his eyes.

Once we were done and now strolling down the stairs toward the lounge, he questioned, "Why did you contact me?"

I wrapped my arms around myself, shrugging lightly.

"Kai might not have listened, but I’d like to think you were undoubtedly sure. You’ve only known me for a day. How could you have known?" he continued, stepping in front of me.

"Why are you babysitting me, Marcellan?" I asked, and he perched against one fist, head tilted in perplexity. "You watched out for me the other day, and now again. I think it was obvious why I trusted you, and why I contacted you."

I stepped past him and we continued our walk outside the castle. "Will Kai return soon? There’s much he and I need to discuss."

"Oh, I trust he will. There’s much more he’d like to discuss with you." Marcellan scoffed, satisfaction curling within his grin.

It made me wonder what I’d missed while I was gone. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one tangled in an interesting situation.

Outside, the air was much colder, and the scent carried by it was salty, the scenery completed by distant mountains. The sun caught against them reflected a shimmering glow, the moss greener than usual, and the tips of the large rocks gleaming like diamonds.

But something even shinier caught my attention. Clawface’s swordsmanship.

He handled his blade with a flexibility unlike anything I’d ever seen. His movements were swift, and he tackled the last of his opponents to the ground. Within seconds, the sword swirled in the opposite direction, the sharp edge pressed against the man’s neck while Clawface’s thighs pinned him down.

"I see they’re still training for the war," Marcellan told me. I glanced at him before focusing back on Clawface and the other knights.

I let my legs carry me toward them, paying no attention to Marcellan’s silent curses. Nearing the open training field, the knights’ drifting attention caught Clawface’s, and then he turned to face me.

Unimpressed, he gazed down at me with heavy eyes. "You’d get hurt, princess."

"If that’s an attempt to mock me, you’re mistaken. Although there’s someone who’d gladly call me that. Guess who?" I narrowed my eyes, and so did he, releasing a scoff. Seeing as he remained silent, perhaps even subdued, I finished, "Your Alpha King."

"Well, he’s not here. You should go back inside before you catch a cold," he said, his expression returning to deadpan.

Who the fuck did he even think he was? Unlike other Omegas, I wasn’t the kind who let any superior gender talk down to him. In previous situations, Leo would’ve come running to my rescue using the influence of his Alpha uncle. However, I could stand up for myself now.

Very much so.

"I need you to train me."

His attention sharpened again, so I continued. "If I have to pay you, I will."

Clawface was thrice my size, and if he wanted to pick me up and tear me into pieces, he easily could.

"No," he replied curtly.

"You should be grateful to me," I said, and he groaned. His patience was visibly wearing thin.

"I already told you. I’m not falling for your tricks. Alpha Kai’s affection for you doesn’t mean I give two fucks about you."

I grabbed his arm before he could turn away. "Bullshit."

"What did you say?"

"I said bullshit. Does it hurt your fragile ego that an Omega would say that to you?" I snapped. He tried to speak, but I took another step closer, raising my voice enough to overpower his. "When I phoned Kai, you could’ve refused to give him the phone, but you didn’t. I think you’re just scared to care about me."

"And why would I?"

"Knowing your Alpha’s love for me, it scares you that if you care about me too, then you’d have two people to protect, and your heart simply can’t handle it."

"Ridiculous." He chuckled.

I closed the remaining space between us, blinking up at him. "I ended the war and protected Kai, and everyone else in the Pack. If you can’t stomach that simply because you deem me weak, then that says a lot about how fragile you are." My words dug beneath Clawface’s skin, yet I continued. "You want to hit me? Then train me. Use that chance to beat me. Let’s see if you’ve got the guts, or else you’re admitting you fucking care about me."

Clawface’s nostrils flared. Around us, the other knights looked shaken with fear. Not for their own lives, but for my neck. Clawface looked like he’d yank my head clean off if I weren’t so important to Kai.

Just then, Marcellan dragged me back, easing the tension and snapping me back to reality.

"Let’s go," he said.

Clawface remained silent and I grinned. "Who’s the bitch now?" Raising my voice, I flashed him the middle finger while he sent scorching daggers into my back with his glare.