Chapter 105 Warned.
1161words
"Adeline, Adeline," Alpha Jaxon's panicked voice echoed.
I felt large hands shaking my body, startling me out of the crimson red river I had been standing in moments ago, and dragging me into the backseat of the black SUV. I opened my eyes, trying to regain consciousness as Jaxon hovered over me. Sophia and Alpha Christian stared wide-eyed, sharing the same concern that was reflected in my mate's eyes.
"Shh, it was just a dream, calm down," he said softly, pulling my body against his rock-hard frame.
"Are you okay? You were screaming in your sleep," Sophia gulped, water pooling behind her big amber eyes. She looked like she had just seen a ghost, her porcelain skin now pale.
I was drenched in sweat and my breathing had become ragged. Everything about the last few moments felt so undeniably real. "Protect the Alpha," I muttered softly, barely audible even to myself.
It was my responsibility to protect the pack as Luna, but it was my duty to protect Alpha Jaxon. A duty given to me by the Moon Goddess herself when she paired me with the Blood Alpha. My thoughts were a cluttered mess. Alpha Jaxon had earned his reputation; why would he need saving? I was the weak wolf who was just starting to grow into the shoes I had been given.
I steadied my breathing and nodded, "Just a bad dream. I guess being captured did more to me than I thought," I said with a shrug.
I desperately wanted to tell them the truth, tell them what the iridescent lady floating above had said, tell them about the river I had found myself standing in. I just wanted to make sense of it all, if sense could even be made. My wolf growled inside, knowing just how bizarre it would all sound.
Jaxon clenched his teeth but said nothing, his arms tightening around me in an effort to soothe my pain. I could feel every muscle in his large biceps ripple, yet his chest heaved impatiently. I felt his warm lips press against the top of my head. "Never again, little mate. Never again will I put you in harm's way," he whispered into my ear.
I glanced up at him, memorizing that perfectly sculpted jawline, and gave him a sheepish smile. If only he knew what my worries really were. I realized I would do anything for this man. As if he could hear my thoughts, he smiled and placed a small kiss on the tip of my nose.
The frightened eyes glued to me only added to my racing anxiety. "How far are we?" I yelped, trying to divert the conversation to anything except my dream.
Alpha Christian shifted uncomfortably in his seat. That's when I noticed that he had somehow gone from the window seat to the middle one, his arm brushing against Sophia's at every given opportunity.
"Not far, half an hour tops," Jaxon piped up. "If you're up for it, maybe we should take a break from this car and go for a run. There's a place nearby that I'd love to show you."
Alpha Christian's body tensed and he shook his head. "No," he said in his Alpha voice. Sophia cocked an eyebrow at him. "And why is that? I wouldn't mind a run. My legs are starting to cramp."
His eyes softened when he looked at her, but the edge quickly returned. "I have to get back to my pack. The shifters are already eager for my return after the threats we've been facing. We can go for a run once we're on my territory," he said with unusual sternness.
Sophia sighed and slouched into the leather seat. "Got it, Captain," she said cheekily.
The remainder of the car ride was quiet between all of us, except for Alpha Jaxon, who kept trying to break through the mind link to check on how I was feeling. The higher I built the walls to block him from my mind, the harder he pushed back. I snapped my head toward his and muttered, "Stop," in the most commanding tone I could manage.
Alpha Jaxon laughed, a devilish smirk on his face. "You're my mate. I'll never stop," he replied playfully. There was something about his banter that made my heart flutter.
I stared outside as I rested my head against the cold glass, taking in the majestic scenery. The tall mountains circled us, clouds of snow visible at their very tips. It was all vastly different from Midnight Moon. We passed small houses that looked like quaint cottages, each painted a different pastel color.
My wolf suddenly pressed forward, making me nauseous with the abrupt movement. I swallowed hard; she was on the brink of surfacing. I fought hard to keep her down. Shifting in a moving vehicle wasn't exactly ideal.
In an instant, I heard Alpha Christian's breathing nearly stop. His heart was pounding so loudly I was sure we could all hear it, our eyes lingering on him. Yet, it seemed only Jaxon knew what had gotten Alpha Christian so worked up. He placed his hand on his shoulder from behind. "Stop the car!" he yelled to the driver.
The line of vehicles quickly skidded to a stop, tires screeching against the concrete. I watched in confusion as Alpha Christian's shifters poured out of the vehicles, all shifting midair until they surrounded our car. "Um, Jax..." Sophia said in a steady voice.
"GO. You're faster in your wolf form. I'll send a few of my men with you; the others will take the cars. Now GO," Jaxon said urgently.
Without another word, Alpha Christian burst from the car door and shifted into a large brown wolf. He glared at Sophia, his wolf torn between leaving or staying with her. His eyes held an anger I had never seen before—dark and cold, detached even.
The swarm of shifters raced into the treeline and, I was certain, up the mountain.
"Jax. I'm not playing around with you. Are we in danger? What the fuck was that?" Sophia squealed, her breaths short and shallow.
My own breathing matched hers as I turned to look at Jaxon. His shoulders were tense and his hands balled into fists, his own fury nearly boiling over inside him.
I placed a hand on his arm, and I noticed he relaxed as he took a deep breath. The mate bond was helping to soothe him, but it was still not enough.
Jaxon released a bone-chilling growl. "His pack. Something is wrong. I don't know what, but something is definitely wrong."
He swiped his hands down his face, nearly defeated. Jaxon held his head in his palms as he shook it, racking his brain. "I should go. He would fight for Midnight Moon. He did fight for Midnight Moon. But I can't leave you. I can't leave either of you," he whispered, low enough for only me to hear.
