Luna Revealed

Chapter Six

I take a deep breath and exit the closet to find Phoenix sitting on the bench at the foot of the bed, his head in his hands. When he hears my footsteps on the wood floor, his eyes shoot up to meet mine. Relief rushes across his features and he lets a smile grace his gorgeous face. He doesn't stand to greet me like I thought he would. He must see how nervous I am, my fists tightly clenched at my sides.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Phoenix stands and gestures towards the bed. "You can go ahead and get some sleep. I'll be in the room next door if you need me." His words shock me and as he turns to leave the room, I catch his hand, pulling him to a stop. He looks back at me, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Please don't leave." My voice is so small, I barely hear it. I see his ears twitch, picking up on my quiet words. He looks conflicted for a moment, wondering if he should leave me here to sleep alone.

Finally, he concedes, tugging me towards the bed. "Lay down. I'll stay here with you until you wake up."

I gulp nervously and climb onto the bed and under the sheets, pulling the fleece blanket up to my chin. He tucks me in, smoothing my still-straight hair back from my eyes. He then walks to the desk and grabs the laptop sitting on it, as well as the desk chair, and brings them over to the side of the bed. He settles into the chair and opens the laptop before looking at me again.

"It's okay, you can go to sleep," he says in a gentle tone. "I'm not going anywhere."

I clear my throat. "You need sleep, too." My voice is still small, but it's audible now.

Phoenix gives me a warm smile. "I'm not the one who ran through the woods all night. Besides, it's still midday and I have a lot of work to catch up on after my trip."

I nod, pulling the blankets up to my chin. He smiles at me again before focusing his attention on the screen of his laptop. He looks handsome like this – focused on his work.

It also saddens me that he has to work on a Saturday afternoon. Normal men of his age – 25? 26? – would be out with friends or playing sports. Not cooped up inside working all day. But most men his age aren't Alphas and haven't been doing this kind of work since they were teenagers.

I try to clear my mind of my worries, closing my eyes tightly. Sleep takes me within seconds.

The dream starts the way all of my dreams do. I am running through the endless forest, the skin of my bare feet broken from the rocks and sticks that litter the ground. I can hear my mother screaming my name, both in my head and out loud. I can't find her, no matter how far I run. She screams and screams my name, begging me to save her.

Where is she? This is the only thought that burns through my mind. Where is mommy? I trip on a tree root, tumbling to the ground, scraping my knees on the rough surface. A sob escapes my mouth and I try to get back up. I can't move. The forest floor is keeping me down, holding me hostage. I can hear mommy's voice even louder than before.

I see her in the clearing ahead of me, laying in the grass, surrounded by wildflowers. Mama! I want to scream, but no sound escapes my lips. I struggle against the roots and branches that are holding my limbs, desperately trying to get to her.

A huge, white wolf breaks through the trees on the other side of the clearing, bounding towards mommy. I try to scream for her again, but still, no sound will come out. The wolf approaches mommy's body, teeth bared, as she screams my name over and over again.

The wolf opens its jaws wide, letting out a vicious growl, then lowers its head towards mommy, its teeth cutting into her skin. The forest floor suddenly frees me and I run to her. I am just moments too late. The giant wolf, with its blood-stained face, looks at me with its cold, amber eyes, and takes off into the trees.