The Alphas Prize

Chapter 30: The forest of the damned - Part 2/2

I frowned. "Honestly, I haven't given that any thought. My mind has only been focused on getting the cure and getting it back to Cain." I told him truthfully.

His expression softened, and he pursed his lips. "I know that doing this means a lot to you, and your mind is made up, but I just want you to consider the idea that we may not make it there, that the cure might not even be there or that the cure won't even work," Gunnar said solemnly.

I closed my eyes and swallowed roughly, my throat tightening with the hard-hitting truth of his words. I nodded my head slowly. "I will," I said, then rolled over, facing away from him now, not wanting to have this conversation anymore. I must have been even more exhausted than I had thought, as sleep quickly overcame me.

I opened my eyes and sat up, realizing I was surrounded by yellow flowers in the middle of a field. I stood up, frantically looking around for Gunnar, but I was alone, and there wasn't a soul in sight. The field stretched on for as far as the eye could see, littered with nothing but these yellow flowers. I bent down to look at the flowers, entranced by their beauty; they were a bright yellow, with red in the middle of it and a thin layering of black dust.

Just as I was about to pluck one, I heard a familiar voice call my name. I shot back up, standing straight and whipped around. My chest heaved, and tears brimmed my eyes as I stared at the face that I longed to see again.

I rushed towards him, the flowers brushing against my legs with each stride. He stood there smiling and opened his arms wide, ready to embrace me.

I jumped into his arms, and he held me tightly to his chest. "Cain." I choked out, my voice scratchy.

He rubbed up and down my spine. "It's ok, love; I'm here now," Cain said in that deep, husky tone of his.

I pulled back from him, my eyes roaming over his face. "How are you here? How are you alive?" I asked, bewildered.

Cain raised a brow. "Does it matter?" He asked me, a hint of irritation to his voice.

My brows pulled together as I got a feeling of unease suddenly. "Yes, it does matter. But, wait......this isn't real; it can't be." I had to be dreaming or something, as my gut told me this wasn't my mate.

I tried to pull away from him. "You're not Cain, and this isn't real. Let me go!" I demanded.

I squirmed in the person's hold, trying to free myself, but when I looked up at them, the blood drained from my body, and fear gripped me tightly, as their face was now frail and withered.

I gasped loudly and froze, unable to move or speak. "This is your fault; look upon my face and see the damage you have caused, Freja," Cain said, in a cynical and unrecognizable voice.

I shook my head violently. "No, this is just a dream, and you're not Cain. I will get that cure, and I will save him." I shouted at the top of my lungs, not letting this nightmare deter me.

Suddenly, I woke up, sitting up with a jolt and looked around for the figure from my dreams, but it was no longer there. I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath, trying to let go of the nightmare and calm my nerves. I looked over, and Gunnar was sound asleep next to me, snoring away.

I gave him a shake. "Gunnar, wake up; we need to get going," I shouted, trying to wake the sleeping beauty. The sun was starting to come up, and I wanted to get a head start before it was too late.

Gunnar swatted my hand away and groaned loudly, "I'm sleeping; leave me alone." His voice was groggy, still filled with sleep.

Standing to my feet, I kicked his boot. "Get your ass up! Or else I'm going to drown you with cold water." I shouted.

He rolled over and opened one eye, glaring at me. "You are a pain in my ass; you know that?"

I shrugged. "Yes, I'm aware. Now, let's get moving." I didn't want to waste any more time as we were racing against the clock.

Gunnar reluctantly got up from his bed and stretched, giving me an evil look as he did. I gathered everything up and placed it into the backpack, ensuring we weren't leaving anything behind.

I looked to Gunnar. "Do whatever it is you need to do before we head out," I told him, not wanting to make any stops, and he just groaned in response, then walked off into the brush. I followed suit, looking for a spot for me to relieve my aching bladder.

Once we had finished, I grabbed the bag and threw it over my shoulder. "Ready?" I asked Gunnar.

Gunnar looked at me with a deadpan stare. "If I say no, can I go back to bed?" He asked blatantly, sleep still evident in his tone.

I snorted. "In your dreams. Now, come one there, princess, you can catch up on your beauty rest once we have the cure and get it back to Cain." I told him, smiling broadly.

He rolled his eyes. "Then I guess I'm ready." He said in a tone that was anything but pleased.

I laughed at his childlike behaviour, and he shoved me playfully. Then, grabbing out the map, I looked over it, trying to figure out where we were and where we needed to go next.

"From what I can tell, we are here." I pointed on the map, going by the last marker we passed before stopping for the night. "We need to head East now." I pulled out the compass and moved it around until it pointed East. "Alright, we need to go this way," I told Gunnar, and he nodded. We then left our campsite and started on our trek.

We had been walking for what felt like an eternity, following the map accordingly and keeping an eye out for the markers that would indicate we were on the right path. Still, for the umpteenth time, we continued to pass by the same marker over and over again.

I groaned loudly in frustration. "This is fucking ridiculous! According to the map, the forest should be just ahead of us. The last marker before the entrance looks like a gargoyle and that." I pointed at the stone, shaped like a gargoyle. "Looks like a fucking gargoyle, but we seem just to be going in circles, and we have passed that same stupid rock five times now." I threw the map onto the ground, beyond frustrated and lost. I didn't understand what was going on; I was beginning to feel hopeless and as if I was failing before I even had the chance to begin.

The map showed that the entrance to the forest of the damned was just beyond this last marker, but each time we continued past it, we ended up right back at the stone. We were no closer to the forest and feeling a little disoriented now, as if something was playing a trick on us.

I walked away from Gunnar, needing a moment to collect myself and clear my mind. I closed my eyes and rubbed my hands down my face, sighing heavily. Sucking in a deep breath, I calmed myself and turned around to face Gunnar in hopes of being able to figure this out together. Only, when I turned around, I was alone, and Gunnar was gone.

I spun around in a circle, looking all around me, but Gunnar was nowhere in sight. My breathing increased, and my heart began to pound in my chest as the fear slowly crept up my spine. Then, a thick and chilling fog started to roll in, wrapping around me like a blanket and engulfing what little of my surroundings were left to be seen. Suddenly, a pungent smell invaded my nose as the fog grew, making me gag.

I stopped moving and stood still, knowing I would get lost if I continued to advance. I closed my eyes and focused on my wolf, allowing her to be my guide. My wolf's hackles rose, and she was on full alert, growling at something that was closing in on us. I opened my eyes, the fog still growing thick around me. Only now, a slim figure was coming into view, and as it closed the distance between us, those familiar green eyes from my dream came into view.