The Three Alphas

Chapter 36 - Heavy Talks

The car's engine hums softly as we pull back up to the house. The date with Oliver had been peaceful, surprisingly so. Although there's a some peace between us now that wasn't there before, I can't seem to shake the weight that's been sitting on my chest for weeks. The nightmares have been getting worse, clawing at my mind every time I close my eyes. It's like a shadow I can't escape, even in moments like this when things feel almost... normal.

Oliver parks the car, and we step out into the cool evening air. The sun has already dipped below the horizon, so the temperature has dropped massively, but it doesn't really affect us since our body temperature is naturally a little higher than humans. There's a stillness around us, usually it would calm me, but it's only making me feel more on edge, as though something is lurking in the dark, waiting. I hate this feeling. The paranoia. It's all encompassing. 

"Hey," Oliver says softly, his hand resting on the small of my back. I look up at him. He's looking down at me with a tender expression, searching my face for signs of the tension I'm trying hard to mask. "You okay?"

I offer him a small smile, trying my best to reassure him, but I know it won't work. There's not much you can hide from your mate, and a negative emotion is not one of them. "Yeah, just... tired." It's not a lie, but it's not the whole truth either.

We walk into the house together, the warmth from inside is a stark contrast to the coolness of the outside. The now familiar scent of the house, our house, engulfs me as we step inside and head to the living room, where Theo and Henry are already waiting. They're seated on the large couch, the fire crackling in the fireplace, but their expressions are serious—too serious for my liking. They've been waiting for us. I knew this was coming; especially after Henry and Theo's conversation last night. 

Henry's eyes meet mine first, and his usual calm demeanour feels heavier tonight. He doesn't say anything right away, just studies me, like he's trying to figure out what's on my mind. Theo, on the other hand, is already in full Alpha mode, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his brow furrowed in thought. The tension in the room is palpable.

"You're back," Henry says softly, standing up and walking toward me. He reaches out, his hand brushing against my cheek. "How was the hike?"

"It was good," I say, and I mean it. For a while, it had been. The fresh air, the sounds of nature—it had calmed me, centered me. But that peace was fleeting.

Henry nods, but his gaze doesn't leave mine, it's as though he knows that there's more beneath the surface. Something I'm holding back. He steps aside to let me and Oliver join them on the sofa, and as soon as I sit down, Theo's arm wraps around me, pulling me close. The warmth of his body against mine is comforting, but it doesn't calm me about the looming conversation. 

Henry clears his throat. "Inez," he begins, his voice gentle but firm, "we need to talk about your nightmares."

I swallow hard, feeling the now familiar dread rise in my chest. I knew this conversation was coming. Ever since they started, we've been dancing around them, but now, there's no more avoiding it. The two major ones weren't the first. I nod, my throat tight with both dread and anticipation.

"They're getting worse," I admit quietly, staring down at my hands in my lap. I don't have the courage to meet their gaze. "And they're not just nightmares. They feel like... warnings."

Theo's grip tightens slightly around my waist, and I can feel his concern radiating through our bond. "Tell us, Darling," he says gently. "We're here. You don't have to face this alone."

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment as I try to steady myself. I feel Odette rising to the surface, trying to reassure me. "It started with blood," I say, my voice shaking slightly. "There's so much blood... everywhere. The ground, the trees... everything is stained red. And there are bodies—people I'm supposed to protect, people who trusted me—they're dead and I can't- can't save them."

I can feel the weight of their eyes on me as I continue, my voice now just above a whisper. "I walk through this forest, this sea of crimson, and I can't find anyone alive. Not Henry, not Theo, not Oliver. They're all dead. And I'm alone." My breath hitches, and I clench my fists in my lap, trying to push back the emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "I find you three eventually—your bodies—and I collapse. I can't breathe. I just... scream. And then there's this shadow, this darkness... and red eyes. That's all I see before everything goes black."

There's a heavy silence in the room. No one says anything for a moment, and I keep my eyes down, still unable to meet their gazes.

"Red eyes," Henry says slowly, his voice dark with thought. "That's not just any vampire. That's a specific kind of darkness."

I nod, finally looking up at him. "I know. It feels... personal. Like someone's trying to get inside my head, like they're trying to break me before something happens."

Theo brushes his hand down my arm in a soothing motion, but I can feel the tension in his body, the worry he's trying to keep from me. "What about the other dream?" he asks softly. 

I shiver, recalling the second nightmare that they're aware of. Last night's one. "It's worse," I whisper, my throat tightening as the memories come flooding back. "There's nothing but darkness. I can't see, I can't move, and I'm just... alone. But then the screams start. They're all around me, pulling at me, begging me to help them, but I can't. I can't save them. The screams get louder and louder until they're literally deafening, and then there's this blinding white light... and it feels like I'm being torn apart."

Oliver, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly reaches for my hand. His grip is firm, grounding me back to reality. "Inez, Darling," he says, his voice rough with emotion, "we're not going to let anything happen to you. We're in this together. If there's someone behind this, we'll find them and we'll stop them."

I look at him, seeing the determination in his eyes, but beneath that, I see the fear too. He's scared—not just for me, but for all of us. It's unusual to see it in an Alpha, but being his mate; the vulnerability is reassuring is some kind of fucked up way. But, I know he's right. We're in this together. But that doesn't chase away the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"The nightmares," I say slowly, "I think they're a warning. I think something's showing me what's going to happen if we're not careful. My guts telling me there's someone—someone close to us—who's going to betray me."

Theo and Henry exchange a dark look, and I can see the wheels turning in their minds. "You think it's someone inside our pack?" Henry asks cautiously.

"I don't know," I admit. "But it feels close. Someone who has access. I don't want to believe it's one of our own, but nothing's off the cards."

Theo's arm tightens around me protectively. "We'll find them," he promises. "We'll root them out, whoever they are. But first, we need to figure out what this is about and what these red eyes mean. That's a start."

Henry nods. "I'll have our scouts keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour within the pack and the neighbouring territories. We can't take any chances."

Oliver squeezes my hand. "And we'll work on strengthening your defences, Darling. If someone's trying to get into your head, we need to figure out how to block them out. If we can."

I nod, feeling a little steadier with their support, but the unease remains. The dreams are getting worse, and I know they're not just going to stop. Whatever is coming, it's getting closer. And I have a feeling that when it arrives, it's going to tear everything apart.

As the fire crackles softly in the background, I lean into Theo's warmth, trying to push back the fear for just a little while longer. 

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