Profound Devotion

Chapter 16

July 25th
Monaia

  Atticus leaned against the wall near my bedroom door as I exited the bathroom and allowed Raian to enter after me. He offered a warm smile and slid his hands out of his pants pockets.

  "Hey." He pushed off the wall and peered down at my damp hair. "How was the water?"

  I ignored his smug grin and shoved him out of the way, tying my hair up into a ponytail. I opted for a pair of warm flannel pajama pants and a simple grey t-shirt to sleep in, seeing as I was still struggling to get my body back to an acceptable temperature.

"It was fine. I didn't swim much." My bed was still a mess form the night before, but I didn't care. Instead, I fluffed my pillows and realigned them at the top of the mattress, draping the blanket in a haphazard fashion.

"Good." My brother chuckled, resting on the edge of my bed. "I suppose that explains how you made it back alive." He dodged the swat of my hand as I scoffed and shooed him away. "Alright! Alright, I'm going." His smile was infectious as I felt one of my own stretch across my face. "Oh, by the way." He popped his head back into the doorway, his golden hair flopping over his forehead. "Mom wants you to join her in the dining hall early in the morning. She claims she will need your help with something important."

His laughter chased him down the hallway, and my smile dropped into an irritated scowl. Whenever my mom summoned me to the dining hall before breakfast, it usually meant she had something wild planned that I would be roped into.

I suppose I had a day of slaving over the stove with the pack mothers ahead of me.

My body was begging for me to lay down, but hesitation crept up as I smoothed my hand over my flattened comforter.

I could always go back to the guest room, but my embarrassment still overpowered my suffering. Showing my face anywhere near it was out of the question.

Eventually, maybe, I would forget about the whole thing and grow up, but until then I would have to power through a night of no sleep all alone.

________

Big mistake.

At some point in the night, I'd drifted off and was almost immediately overwhelmed with the same nightmare that repeatedly haunted me. This time, however, his voice was louder, taunting me as I begged and pleaded for my life.

"I'm coming for you."

I bolted upright with sweat beading along my forehead. The terror consumed me as I kicked away at the blanket that was now cocooned around my legs.

"No, please. Just leave me alone." I cried, my eyes clenched shut as I shook my head and stumbled to the floor. "Please."

"There's nowhere you can hide from me where I won't find you."

The cold hardwood floors made my fall from the bed echo through the room. I cried out as my head slammed against the ground, sending another shockwave of pain through my already burning body.

Every inch of my skin was on fire, and the wound on my shoulder reopened and dripped crimson blood across my bare skin.

A pair of solid arms slipped beneath me, and I thrashed and pleaded as they lifted me from the floor.

"No, please! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I whimpered, but I was too weak to fight him off as the safety of the wooden planks fell further and further away.

"Naia." I flinched away from the mention of my name and continued to silently plea for mercy, only to remain within their tight embrace. "It was just a dream."