Ch. 5 - Wife

Kiera POV

Sleep dragged me into a realm of twisted dreams and dark visions. In the murky depths of my subconscious, a little girl in a red dress danced around, her red bows fluttering as she waved for me to follow. Her voice was a distorted echo, leaving me unnerved.

"You're being foolish, Aunty. I thought more of you."

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"That is not important. The question is, who are you?"

"I don't understand. Why am I here?"

"Because you wished to escape, to understand."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Nothing rarely does," she giggled, a sound too innocent for the malevolence in her eyes. "You are being fooled, and deep down, you know it."

A deep, menacing voice called out, "Kiera!" My head whipped around, searching for the source.

"Jackson?" I asked, recognizing the growl in his voice, yet it was tinged with something darker.

"Kiera!" he shouted again, his tone now furious. I stumbled back, knocking into the little girl.

"Don't go to him; he doesn't love you. Stay with me!" she pleaded, but I shook my head. I had to find Jackson and wake up from this nightmare.

"I never thought you to be so weak," she said, her disappointment cutting through me. Before I could respond, she vanished, and the dreamscape dissolved, pulling me back to reality.

I jolted awake, my breath ragged. Relief washed over me as I realized it was just another vivid nightmare. Since childhood, these twisted dreams haunted me, their details fading like whispers in the wind.

A raspy voice beside me made me jump. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

Jackson, my husband, lay next to me, his robust, shirtless frame half-asleep. "Just a bad dream, Jackson," I reassured him, though I was still shaken.

"Another one?" He pulled me into his strong embrace, his warmth melting away the remnants of fear.

"Yeah. I'm okay, really," I lied, nestling into his chest. His presence grounded me, pushing the eerie dream into the back of my mind.

"You've been having these dreams a lot lately."

"It's nothing," I said, trying to dismiss the growing frequency and intensity of my nightmares. But deep down, they felt more real, more like living a second life.

Jackson tightened his arms around me, planting a soft kiss on my head. "I'll be right here to chase them away."

As I soaked in his love, our alarms blared. My body tensed. "Jackson, we're under attack."

"It's just a few rogues at the border. We're fine," he whispered, his lips trailing over my skin, igniting a familiar fire.

"We need to meet the council. Something happened out there," I insisted, pushing him away despite the growing desire.

Jackson looked different today—happier, more powerful. His kisses sent shivers down my spine, but we had responsibilities.

"I want you every second, Kiera. You make it impossible to leave," he murmured, his hands roaming my body.

"I'm yours, always. But we need to go now. We can come back to bed later," I said, trying to stay focused.

He smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I want you pregnant. I want a son as powerful as you." His possessive tone unsettled me.

I forced a smile, letting his desire for a family wash over my lingering fears. "Let's get dressed so we can quickly get undressed," he joked, pulling me from the bed. I shook off any doubts and concentrated on the man I loved.

In the conference room, council members greeted us with respectful bows. "Alpha, Luna," they murmured.

Alpha Marcus approached with a sly grin. "Alpha Jackson, you look well-rested."

"I am. I feel more powerful than ever," Jackson declared, his arm around my waist.

I leaned into him, noting the change in his demeanor. Despite rejecting his fated mate, he seemed more alive. We needed his strength now more than ever.

"Let's get started," Jackson announced, taking his seat.

"The Dark Wolves have been dangerously close to our territory for the past month, somehow evading detection. They've advanced twenty miles closer in the last 24 hours," Alpha Marcus reported, his words sending a chill down my spine.

"The night of our party, that wasn't the Dark Wolves," I blurted out, interrupting the discussion on battle plans. "We have more than one threat."

Jackson looked at me, a hint of fear in his eyes. We hadn't talked about what happened to me that night. "Why do you say that?"

"After the explosion, I ran to the old pack house," I began, but Jackson's dark growl cut me off.

"Why would you put yourself in danger?" he snarled, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Because we don't hide," I snapped back, Athena's power flaring within me. "I'm sorry, but I had to protect the others."

"What happened?" a council member asked.

"Three wolves encircled us. Andy and I tried to protect the women, but we were outnumbered."

"How did you survive?" Alpha Marcus's curiosity was piqued.

"The Alpha of the Dark Wolves saved me," I said, the memory still surreal. "He killed every enemy around us, then left."

"Why wasn't this reported?" Marcus demanded.

"It's over now," Jackson interjected, his anger simmering.

"Whether they saved your Luna or not, they are our enemy. We should bring the remaining packs from the South here," Marcus suggested.

Despite my reluctance, he was right. We needed strength in numbers.

"Jackson, you should head to the Green Forest pack. We need to gather any remaining armies," Marcus directed.

I knew what this meant. Jackson would be leaving, and the thought of losing him again was unbearable.

He kissed my mark, his voice full of confidence. "I won't be gone long, sweetheart. We will always be together."

I believed in him. My Alpha. My husband. Together, we would face whatever came next.