Part Seventeen: Dying. 

I awoke when screaming filled the quiet air; it took a few seconds of gaining consciousness to realize that it was me.

Damian sat up and grabbed my face in his, making me look at him. “What’s wrong?” He growled.

“They’re here!” I gasped, scrambling across the bed. Ignoring him as he called after me, I sprung from the bed, running full speed down the stairs and barreling outside. Only to find that it was quiet, very peaceful, nothing but crickets chirping, most pausing their peaceful music at my unexpected arrival. I looked around, unable to speak for a few seconds, before falling to my knees in the soft grass. This was the second time this week I’d had a nightmare. It’d seemed so real! They came marching into the field and snuck into the house, slaughtering my family without a second thought, leaving me to wake up and see the horror.

What was happening to me?

‘We’re under too much stress.’ Lorry said, as way of explanation.

‘No. We’re under too much pressure. The Wolven Goddess can’t possibly expect me to train these people on my own, can she?’

‘I don’t know.’ She whispered.

“The dream again?” Gabriel asked, startling me. “Sorry. I was on watch, I heard the scream. Saw you come running out. I put two and two together.” He said, sinking down on the grass beside me.

“I just don’t understand!” I whispered. “The dreams are so…real! I expect them to be there when I wake up…it just makes it so much worse that I’m worrying everyone for nothing.”

He slung and arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side in an offer of comfort. “Don’t worry, kid.” He teased, trying to lighten the mood, but sobered when I didn’t smile. “It’ll be alright.”

I smiled slightly, weakly. “I’m sure you’re right. But while we’re outnumbered…I just can’t see the fate in my dreams being very far off from the truth.” I admitted softly.

“Hey.” He admonished, giving my shoulder a squeeze. “Don’t talk like that. We’ll figure something out. Besides, I heard that the packs in the surrounding territories are contemplating joining us in fighting. If they join us, there is no way we can lose.” He smiled slightly, giving me a wink.

I sighed heavily. “This is all on me, Gabriel. It’s my responsibility to kill the leader. Mine. No other pack can get involved. They’ll die.” I was sure of this. The feeling that twisted in nauseating patterns in my stomach; that dread that settled like a virus in the pit of my stomach every time I heard of the other packs, I knew it was a mistake.

Gabriel sighed as well. “Then…what?”

The answer was simple, too simple to be easy, “I kill Paul. If I kill Paul, then the vampires will stop their attack. No matter what.”

Gabriel shook his head slowly. “How do you know this? You can’t know that they won’t try to avenge-“

“You don’t know who-“ I paused, no, not who, “What, Paul is, do you?” I asked him.

Gabriel’s blank stare gave her the answer she needed. “He’s something that all vampires fear, and dread. When I was trapped in that cave, I saw the fear in each coven’s eyes as they passed the thresh-hold of that damp doorway that Paul called home. They weren’t given a choice to join his army; they were forced- threatened by Paul with who-knows what. He is their lord, more powerful than the Wolven Goddess herself, which is why she needs me to stop him. I’ve denied the truth for too long, and now is the time to accept it. I’m going to die.

“The Wolven Goddess chose me because I am the only one that will die for her pack, for her mate. She has not said it, but dread pulls at my thoughts. This is the reason for these nightmares. This is the reason I pull away from Damian’s comfort each night. My fate has been chosen, and nothing can pull me from its dark, cold fingers.” 

Gabriel’s arm slowly slipped from my shoulders as I let this sink in, and his eyes stared, glasslike, into mine. “You mean to tell me that-“

Breaking the calm silence of the dark night, right behind us, was a voice, hard, and full of anger. “What?”

My eyes slowly drifted closed as pain clenched my heart. I hadn’t wanted him to know.