Page 66 of Alpha's Claim
“Did it work?” Lana asks. “Did you make a connection?”
“I think so. I don’t know.” The trance state put me into a dream that was so real. “I saw Darius, spoke to him. I think he got the message.”
I rise to my feet, unable to sit any longer. My knuckles throb like I’ve punched someone. Darius has just a hard head in a vision as he does in real life.
The door to our guest room swings open, and Matthias walks back out, escorting Paloma’s sister Wren. She looks pale and shaky, and I rush to help her sit down.
“Did it work?” I ask. “Did you reach them?”
“It worked.” Wren says. Matthias helps her sink to the couch.
“Give her some space,” he orders.
Lana tucks a blanket over her shoulders. I jog to the fridge to get her a glass of water.
Matthias holds it, so Wren can drink. After a moment, the color returns to her cheeks, and she clears her throat. “They’re alive. I can sense them both.”
“Did you get any impression of where they were?” Matthias asks.
She nods. “In a steel frame building, like where you keep a small plane. I sensed a lot of land around them. Forest. Some mountains. There was a stack of boxes with a logo on them. A circle around an X. Both the circle and X were made of silver chains.”
“Got it,” Matthias rises and pulls out his phone. “I’ll let Kylie know. She’s tracking all private plane flights in the US. This will help her pinpoint where Thompson could’ve taken them.” He heads outside to make his calls.
“You did good,” I tell Wren. “Thank you.”
She nods. “I linked you and Darius, so you could give him the message.”
Goosebumps rise on my arms. I don’t know how these psychic visions work, but when I stood there with Darius beside our childhood home, it all felt real.
“I gave him the message,” I say.
“Then it’s done.” Wren blinks and lifts her head. Her eyes have a dreamy quality. “Now it’s up to him.”
Darius
I come to, thrashing awake. I can’t move much. I’m upright and bound to a hard surface by heavy chains.
I’m in the same space as before, surrounded by guards. Thom and Paloma stand a few feet away.
“Darius.” Paloma strides towards me, but two guards grab her and pull her back. “Let go of me.”
“Paloma,” I growl. I don’t like anyone touching her. Neither does my bear. He lurks under my skin, but doesn’t fight to come out.
I remember my dream–the dream that Teddy told me wasn’t a dream. It felt so real. My face throbs from where Teddy hit me. The pain is good and clean and invigorating compared to the sickening weakness the silver brings.
In my dream, my bear was a misshapen monster.
Embrace the bear,Teddy told me.
“Tell him,” Thompson says to Paloma. “Tell him what we plan to do to him and all his shifter friends.”
“Let me go, and I will,” she says. He motions to the guards to let her go.
Paloma walks slowly toward me. “Darius, I need to tell you something.” She steps close to me. Her beautiful face is solemn. “I don’t know if we’re going to get out of this. But it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is…” she takes a big, shuddering breath. “I love you. I will always love you.”
“Princess,” I whisper. I strain in my bonds, wishing I could break free and hold her.
“Whatever happens, I want you to know that.” And she whirls and snatches up the crossbow that was sitting on a nearby table. She faces the crowd of Thompson’s men. “If you’re going to hurt him, you’re going to have to go through me.”